December 12. 1667. IT is Ordered by the Lords of His Majesties Privy Council That none shall Re-print or Import this Book Entituled Clavis Cantici for the space of nintine Years without Licence of the Printers hereof P. W. Clavis Cantici OR AN EXPOSITION OF THE SONG of SOLOMON BY IAMES DVRHAM Late Minister of the Gospel in Glasgow Col. 3. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdome teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Eph. 5. 2. And walk in love as Christ also hath loved us 1 Cor. 13. 13 And now abideth faith hope love these three but the greatest of these is love EDINBVRGH Printed by George Swintoun and Iames Glen and are to be sold at their Shops in the Parliament-Yard Anno DOM. 1668. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER GOD being the immortal souls chief good it must needs follow that what unites the soul unto God must be the souls chief Ornament and Grace And such is Love that Principium uniens or principle uniting the soul unto God Whence it is that even in good spiritual and elevated reason the Apostle prefers Love among the souls three cardinal virtues 1 Cor 13. 13. And now abideth faith hope and love and the greatest of these is Love Indeed Faith going out from the sinner to rest upon Jesus Christ the Justifier of the ungodly And there is no sinner nor unclean thing in Heaven and Hope looking unto and after a Country that we are not yet possessors of and Love yea love alone filling Heaven unto all eternity it is certain that Love is the souls most adorning Ornament its most Heavenly frame Now of all Books in Holy Scripture it hath pleas'd the Holy Ghost to entitle the Song of Solomon or His Book of Loves thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Song of Songs All Songs all Loves all outgoings of the soul being invaluable to this Souls-Song and Love uniting Christ and the soul. This Posthume work then of the precious Author Mr. Durham is commendable to the Churches if there be need of â—â—y additional commendation beyond the naming of his Name to it upon moe accounts than one First It 's done upon the highest sweetest deepest subject Love between the soul and it's chiefest good even God in Christ. Secondly It 's done spiritually yet plainly upon a most spiritual yet Mysterious portion of Holy Scripture And Thirdly the Churches of Christ are oblidged to God in this That they have had from this bright Candle amongst the Lord's Candlesticks a light shining upon and discovering those two Mysterious Books of Scripture Canticles and Revelation Fourthly If a word fitly spoken is as Apples of Gold in pictures of Silver Prov. 25. 11. Sure then it was highly commending of Gods goodnesse to the Author That he was led on this work of Preaching Lecturing and Writing on this Song of Loves Those sweet concords and begun Musick of Heaven between Christ and souls and that in time of sad discords and very Immusical Jarrings in the Church An argument of an excellent Soul-frame in a very evil time A demonstration whereof and of his healing disposition O how apparent is it in that rare piece of his upon Scandal I shall not trouble thee any further save that I cordially wish the Lord may be pleased so to blesse thy perusal of this present Treatise as it may tend not only to the present but also to the everlasting wel-being of thy soul. And so I bid thee farewell Clavis Cantici OR A KEY of the SONG Useful for opening up thereof THis is a place of Scripture the Exposition whereof many in all Ages have shâ—â—ned to adventure upon and truly I have looked upon it of a long time as not convenient to be treated upon before all Auditories nor easie by many to be understood especially because of the height of spiritual expressions and mysterious rapts of Divine Love and the sublime and excellent expressions of the Bridegroom therein contained which would require much livelinesse of frame and acquaintance in experience with the things here spoken of and nearnesse in walking with God as being necessary for finding out the mind and meaning oâ— the Spirit of God therein Yet we are now brought by help of his Grace to essay the Interpretation of it upon these following considerations First Because it is acknowledged by all not only to be authentick Scripture but an excellent Piece thereof and therefore is to be made use of by the Church and not to ly hid nor to be laid aside as if the meaning thereof were not to be searched into because it seems dark and obscure 2. Because the Subject and Matter of it is so Divine carrying alongst with it many various cases both of particular Souls as also of the Church both visible and invisible with many excellent commendations of Christ the Bridegroom which ought to be the Subject of his Friends Meditations and cannot but be profitable if he blesse them there being here Maps almost for all conditions 3. Because the style and composition is so Divine and excellent carrying affections alongst with it and captivating them in the very reading so that few can read this Song but they must fall in love with it we would therefore see what is within it if at least we may get a taste of that which doth so sweetly relish 4. It seems the Holy Ghost by putting it into such a mould intended to commend it and if it be true that all the Poetical pieces of Scripture ought especially to be learned and taken notice of so should this it being so commended to us in that frame 5. The strain and subject of it is so very spiritual that it necessitats the Students thereof to aime at some nearnesse with God and ordinarily it leaves some stamp upon their affections which is not the least cause nor the smallest encouragement to me in this undertaking We shall not stand to prove the authority of it It carries a Divine style in its bosome nor is there need to inquire who was the Pen-man of it it being clear that Solomon who was furnished with wisdom and understanding as never a King before or since was is honoured to be the Amanuensis of the Holy Ghost in putting this Song upon record Whether after or before his backsliding it is not much to us though it be most probable that it was after in the warmness of a spirit sensible of this so great a deliverance For here we may as it were see him making use of that experience of the vanity of all things he had found coming to the fear of God as the conclusion of the whole matter whereof this Song of Love is not a little evidence and which looks like his own saying Eccles. 12. 13. The means which are necessary for our more perspicuous handling and your more profitable hearing of this profound Scripture will be
by them 3. A constant and habitual thinking and meditating on him for though there be no connexion in the words expressed yet what is expressed may have and hath connexion with the thoughts of her heart and if all were seen that were within it would be easily known what Him she meant And so we are to gather it's dependence on the affection and meditation it flows from rather than from any preceeding words for here there are none 4. It 's to shew her thoughts of Christ were not limited or stinted to her words or her speaking of him for though there be no words preceeding to make known who this Him is spoken of yet we may well conceive her heart taken up with desire after him and meditation on him and so there is a good coherence Let him that is Him I have been thinking on Him whom my soul desires he only whom I esteem of and who hath no equal c. This soâ—t of abruptnesse of speech hath no incongruity in spiritual rethorick Whence we may observe 1. That Christ hath a way of communicating his love and the sense of it to a Believer which is not common to others 2. That this is the great scope and desire of a Believer if they had their choise it 's to have sensible communion with Christ This is their one thing Psal. 27. 4. It 's the first and last suit of this Song and the voice of the Spirit and Bride and the last Prayer that is in the Scripture Rev. 22. 17. 3. That Believers can discern this fellowship it 's so sweet and sensible which is to be had with Jesus Christ. 4. That they have an high esteem of it as being a special signification of his love 5. That much inward heart-fellowship with Christ hath suitable outward expressions flowing from it 6. That Believers in an habitual walk with Christ will be abrupt in their suits to him sometimes meditating on him sometimes praying to him 7. That where Christ is known and rightly thought of there will be no equal to him in the heart 2. In the next place she lays down the motives that made her so desire this which are rather to set forth Christ's excellency to strengthen her own faith and warm her own love in pursuing after so concerning a suit than from any fear she had of being mistaken by him in being as it were so bold and homely with him in her desires 1. The reason is generally proposed vers 2. and inlarged and confirmed vers 3. The sum of it is Thy love is exceeding excellent and I have more need and greater esteem of it than of any thing in the world therefore I seek after it and hope to attain it There are four words here to be cleared 1. Thy loves so it is in the Original in the plural number Christ's love is sometimes as the love of God taken essentially as an attribute in him which is himself God is love 1 Ioh. 4. 8. Thus the Lord in his love is the same in all times 2. For some effect of that love when he doth manifest it to his people by conferring good on them and by the sensible intimations thereof to them So it is Ioh. 14. 21 23. We take it in the last sense here for she was in Christ's love but desired the manifestations of it and it is by these that his love becomes sensible and refreshfull to Believers It 's Loves in the plural number although it be one infinite fountain in God to shew how many ways it vented or how many effects that one love produced or what esteem she had of it and of the continuance and frequency of the manifestations thereof to her this one love of his was as many loves The second word to be cleared is Wine Wine is chearing to men Psal. 104. 15. and makes their heart glad under it here is understood what is most chearing and comfortable in it's use to men 3. Christ's love is better 1. Simply in it self it 's most excellent 2. In it's effects more exhilarating chearing and refreshing And 3. in her esteem to me saith she it 's better I love it prize it and esteem it more as Psal. 4. 8 9. Thereby thou hast made my heart more glad c. This his love is every way preferable to all the most chearing and refreshing things in the world 4. The inference for is to be considered It sheweth that these words are a reason of her suit and so the sense runs thus because thy love is of great value and hath more comfortable effects on me than the most delightsome of creatures therefore let me have it Out of which reasoning we may see what motives will have weight with Christ and will sway with sincere souls in dealing with him for the intimation of his love for the love of Christ and the sweetnesse and satisfaction that is to be found in it is the great prevailing motive that hath weight with them And sense of the need of Christ's love and esteem of it and delight in it alone when no creature-comfort can afford refreshing may and will warrand poor hungry and thirsty souls to be pressing for the love of Christ when they may not be without it Which shews 1. That a heart that knows Jesus Christ will love to dwell on the thoughts of his worth and to present him often to it self as the most ravishing object and will make use of pressing motives and arguments to stir up it self to seek after the intimations of his love 2. That the more a soul diveth in the love of Christ it 's the more ravished with it and presseth yea panteth the more after it It was Him before Let him kisse me as being something afraid to speak to him it 's now Thou Thy love c. as being more inflamed with love since she began to speak and therefore more familiarly bold in pressing her suit upon him 3. The exercise of love strengthens faith and contrarily when love wears out of exercise faith dieth These graces stand and fall together they are lively and languish together 4. Where Christ's love is seriously thought of and felt created consolations will grow bare and lose all relish Wine and the best of creature-comforts will lose their savour and sweetnesse with such a soul when once it is seen how good he is 5. An high esteem of Christ is no ill argument in pressing for and pursuing after his presence for to these that thus love and esteem him he will manifest himself Ioh. 14. 21 23. 6. Where there hath been any taste of Christ's love the soul cannot endure to want it it cannot enjoy it self if it do not enjoy him This is the cordial that cheareth it in any condition and maketh every bitter thing sweet Vers. 3. Because of the savour of thy good Ointments thy name is as Ointment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee The second reason which is also a confirmation and inlargement
From the expressions she useth speaking of him my Love and till he please for it becomes us to give Christ his own liberty in staying or going and it were not our good that our pleasure were the rule in our fellowship with him Now in order to the securing of this comfortable condition to her self first she adjures and charges which is 1. To shew the concernment of the thing 2. Her seriousness in it for she is in very great earnest 3. A fear of misguiding this condition 4. A difficulty so to prevent the hazard as to keep all quiet 2. The parties she speaks to while she thus adjures are the Daughters of Ierusalem giving them the lesson she would take to her self because they had need to be thus guarded Obs. 1. That professors are in hazard to marr their own enjoyments and to interrupt an intimate fellowship with Christ. 2. Beginners are readiest to fall in this sin 3. Seriousnesse will stir up believers to be watchful over themselves and will make them presse others to be so also This expression by the Roes and Hindes of the field is but added for keeping the strain of this Song which is composed in an Allegorick way and every similitude is not to be narrowly searched into and to shew how tenderly they ought to watch to prevent this hazard as men having to do with Roes who are soon stirred Shewing that a little thing may stir up Christ and marr the comfortable fellowship that is between him and his people 3. The charge it self is That they stir not up nor awake the Beloved as a wife would say when her husband is come home and resting in her arms be quiet all and let no din be in the house to awake him And this charge reaches her self as well as others when she as the mother commands all the little-ones or children as it were to be quiet that Christ may not be stirred up and made to remove she ought to be much more careful in this her self Hence Observe 1. If a sensible presence be not tenderly entertained it will not last 2. Believers would be most carefull then when they are admitted to near and sensible fellowship with Christ that nothing fall out which may provoke him to depart 3. The least sinful motions and stirrings of corruption would be suppressed as having a great tendency to provoke and stir up the Beloved to be gone Lastly This charge is qualified in these words till he please Which does not imply that she gives them leave at any time to stir him up but the meaning is see that by your fault he be not awaked till his own time come Observe then 1. Christ guids his visits and love-manifestations by his soveralignty and pleasure 2. He may withdraw from his people without respect to any particular provocation as having sinful influence thereupon 3. Christ's pleasure is believers rule in the things that are most precious to them Here she acquiesces even to his withdrawing when he shall please 4. Believers may have peace and be quiet under absence if they have not sinfully provoked Christ to withdraw For this is the thing the Bride aims at as to her self in this her care 5. Often believers are guilty in marring Christ's fellowship with them before he please and they might enjoy Christ's company much longer oftentimes if they did not sin him out of house and doors Vers. 8. The voice of my Beloved behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains skipping upon the hills Vers. 9. My Beloved is like a Roe or a young Hart Behold he standeth behind our wall he looketh forth at the windows shewing himself through the lattesse These words contain a case of the Brides different from her case in the former words there she was in Christ's arms here she sees him afar off there she was endeavouring to keep him still here she is sensible that he is away and vers ult is praying for his return Observe then from the connexion The most satisfying and comfortable conditions of a believer while upon earth are not abiding even the Bride must experience distance as well as presence 2. Sometimes sensible presence will not continue even when believers are most careful to retain it as we find she was in the words before Her distance hath two steps 1. There are some views of Christ and some intercourse with him though afar off in this Chapter Then 2. she is deprived even of that in the first part of the Chapter following And readily distance once begun doth proceed from a lesser to a greater degree before it be removed More particularly we would observe here 1. What is Christ's carriage when the Bride doth not enjoy sensible presence in so lively a way and that in two things 1. What he is doing he is coâ—ing leaping standing behind the wall looking thorow the lattess c. 2. What he is saying he is speaking to her and as it were writing kind love-letters to her at that same time Christ is both doing and speaking kindly to a believer even when he is away to sense if it be well discerned 2. We may see what is the Brides carriage suitable to his in four steps worthy to be imitate by believers for their own peace in their disconsolate condition 1. She observes what he doth though it be but a twilight discovery she hath of him 2. She records what he saith and reads his Epistle often over 3. She comforts her self in keeping the faith of her interest and the hope of future enjoying of him clear And 4. prayes in the mean time for some manifestations of his love till that come The first is vers 8. and 9. The second vers 10. to 16. The third vers 16. and 17. The fourth in the close of the 17. vers In her observation of Christ's way with her vers 8. Consider 1. his practice which she observes 2. Her observation of it 3. How she is affected with it And lastly her expression of it The first of these is contained in these words He cometh leaping upon the mountains skipping upon the hills There are four things here to be taken notice of 1. A supposed distance for when he is said to be coming he is not present This distance is not in reality as to the union that is betwixt Christ and a Believer that is alway the same but it is to be understood as to the sense of his presence which may be interrupted 2. It 's said he cometh Coming imports his drawing near to remove the distance as being already on his way Obs. 1. It 's his coming that removes the distance between him and his people The first motion of love is still on his side And 2. even when Christ is absent if he were well seen he is making way for our nearer union with him and is upon his way coming again Ioh. 14. 3. Even when he is away he is still coming though it may be afterward the distance seem to grow
the one and restrain the other and the suffering these to ramble and run without a cheâ—k cannot be the way of building but of spoiling Christ's Church The third motive or reason pressing the watch-men to have a care of the vines is hinted in the possessive particle our for our vines c. which is relative to the watch-men whom he takes in with himself as having a common interest in the Church The Church is his and theirs as the flock is the owners and the shepherds who are particularly set to have the over-sight of it for the shepherd may say This is my flock which no other servant can say And this is a great piece of dignity put upon Ministers to be fellow-workers with Christ 2 Cor. 6. 1. c. and binds on their duty strongly for saith Christ here to them ye will have losse also if ye see not to it because ye must count for the vineyard wherewith ye are intrusted It 's yours and yet ye are not absolute lords for it is also mine I am the owner of it And so the vines are both theirs and Christ's their interest speaks how naturally they should care for them His interest shews the dependency both ministers and people ought to have on him Vers. 16. My beloved is mine and I am his he feedeth among the lilies Vers. 17. Vntill the day break and the shadows flee away turn my beloved and be thou like a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountains of Bether Now follows the two last parts of her carriage in the beloveds absence First after she hath as it were read over his Epistle she comforts her self in his love and her interest in him though he be absent It 's good use of his word when it is made use of for strengthening our faith in him when sense is away There are two parts of this consolation 1. Her faith is clear for the present vers 16. 2. Her hope is solid in the expectation of an excellent day coming vers 17. Next vers 17. she puts up a prayer for a gracious visit which she knowes he will allow upon her untill that day come and this is the last thing here recorded of the Brides carriage in the Bridegrooms absence In the 16. verse the faith of her interst in him is 1. Asserted my beloved is mine and I am his 2. It 's vindicated or established against an objection in the following words he feeds c. The assertion holds out an union betwixt him and her I am his c. Or as it is in the Original I am to him and he is to me Such as is the union betwixt married persons Hos. 3. 3. which the tye of marriage brings on Even such is this which follows covenanting with God for this union presupposeth it and is founded on it Ezek. 16. 8. I made a covenant with thee and thou becamest mine or to me Although saith she â—e be not here yet he is my husband and that tye stands betwixt me and him which is no little priviledge and in this she comforts her self under absence Obs. First There is an excellent union and peculiar tye betwixt Christ and believers which none other can lay claim to but they It 's excellent as will easily appear if we consider these properties of it 1. It 's a neer union they are one flesh Eph. 5. 27. as man and wife they are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone 2. It 's a real and not an imaginary union though it be spiritual and by faith it makes and transfers a mutual right of the one to the other and hath real effects 3. It 's mutual on both sides Christ is wholly hers and she is wholly dedicated to him 4. It 's a kindly union such as is betwixt husband and wise and followed with the fruits of a most sweet relation 5. It 's an union which is some way full whole Christ is hers and she by consent and title is wholly his 6. I'ts an indissoluable union there is no dissolving of it by any thing that can fall out otherwayes the consolation were not solid Again Obs. 2. That this relation which the believer hath to Christ is the great ground of his happinesse and consolation and not any sensible presence or any dispensation or gift communicat by Christ to him 3. That believers may attain assurance and clearnesse anent their interest is him and may come to know really that Christ is theirs and believers should aim to be through in this that their calling and election may be made sure to themselves 2. Pet. 1. 10. 4. Believers when they have attained clearnesse should acknowledge it and comfort themselves in it and not raise new disputes about it 5. This clearnesse may consist with absence and want of sensible presence and there is no case wherein a believer should stick faster to his confidence than in such a case when under desertion and absence as the Spouse doth here 2. She vindicats her faith in these words He feedeth among the lilies The words may be looked upon as the preventing of an objection for it might be said If Christ be yours where is he Is it likely that he is yours when he is so far away For the faith of clearnesse will be assaulted and set upon and it is not easily maintained and unbelief takes the advantage of Christ's absence from sense to brangle it So that unbelief and temptation especially sets on then Therefore she answers it thus He feedeth among the lilies that is he is kind to his people and present with them though now I see him not faith may and will argue from Christ's love to his people in general and from the promises that speaks to all when there seems to be nothing singular in the believers own condition from which it can take comfort By lilies are understood all believers the Church was called a lilie vers 2. here all believers are so called as partaking of that same beauty and savour and because planted in the same true garden Christ was called a lilie vers 1. and here all believers are called lilies Shewing 1. That all believers have a conformity to Christ and partake of the divine nature and spirit that is in him 2. That all believers in things that are essential to grace and holinesse have conformity one to another they have the same Faith Spirit Covenant Husband c. although in circumstantials and degrees there be differences Next his feeding amongst them shewes 1. A special gracious presence in his Church and among believers there he walketh among the seven golden Candlesticks Rev. 2. 1. 2. A special delight he hath in them and satisfaction to be amongst them as a man delighteth to walk in his garden It 's his meat Iohn 4. 32. 34. and drink to do them good so then saith she he is kind to all his people and is so to me though for the time I see him not And thus also she answers
to this day of his espousals because as bridegrooms used to be most glorious in their marriage-day so Christ hath at the time of espousals a special lovelinesse to the new married believer what by the more kindly and tender manifestations of his love and what by the fresh rellish it hath then to them when their spirits are broken with the sense of their sin and warm with a deal of holy joy and fainnesse which useth then to abound in their heart in reference to so good a bargain so Christ is then to believers wonderfully lovely And although the effects of his kindnesse may be inlarged afterward and their esteem of him may also grow yet readily then as it 's most sensible so their admiration is most in exercise and their thoughts of Christ's excellent worth are most affectingly and overcomingly ravishing and when in their after-thoughts they are taken up with him the remembring of that day of espousals when he took them by the hand puts still a lovelinesse on him to them that in his love he so wonderfully condescended unto them The third qualification confirms the same for it is in effect one qualification in three expressions and it 's in these words and in the day of the gladnesse of his heart What is it saith she that chears Christ and makes him heartily glad It 's even this when poor sinners accept of him that is Christ's marriage-day and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride that day so doth he rejoice and as the good Shepherd rejoiceth when he recovers his lost sheep or the father his prodigal son Luk. 15. 32. so doth Christ when sinners are brought in to him by the Gospel And this joy is called the gladnesse of his heart to shew the reality of it Christ in a manner can injoy no such satisfying thing as a marriage with a poor sinner then he sees the travel of his soul and is satisfied Isa. 53. 11. that chears him and makes him smile if I may say so and this looks to that glory which shines in Christ and is expressed by him when he is well satisfied with poor sinners and that is mainly when he gets welcome by them This signifies not joy in Christ as it 's in us But 1. It shews how acceptable a sinners believing in him is to him 2. What confident welcome they may expect from him when they come unto him 3. How kindly he useth them by manifesting himself to be well pleased as one that is chearful doth on his marriage-day to his bride 3. The duty prest upon the daughters is in two words holding forth two duties the one whereof is the mids or mean to the other and the other the end of this The first is Behold which points at the great scope and thing called for And it imports 1. A wonderful object and indeed Christ is so being considered in his most royal posture as a crowned King upon his coronation-day and in his most loving posture as a beautiful Bridegroom on his marriage-day 2. It imports a dulnesse in the daughters needing upstirring to take up Christ in this lovely and glorious posture 3. A difficulty rightly to take him up under this consideration yet a necessity of it and that it be done with attention 4. It implyes an intensnesse or benfill of spirit in the act of beholding so rare an object calls for greatest intention of heart and gravest consideration of mind in the beholder It 's not every look or glance of the eyes that will discern it But 1. There must be attentivenesse and steddinesse an stayed looking and as it were dwelling on the object with their eye 2. The exercise of saith must go alongst with this their looking reading his worth by faith exercised on him as Isa. 45. 19. look unto me and be ye saved Beholding of him as the stung Israelits did the brazen serpent 3. Also the exercise of love an affectionat look is here necessary delighting in him and being taken up with him as one with that wherein they take pleasure the eye of the seer here cannot but affect and inflame the heart 4. This looking is attended with wondering at this glorious object as one beholding a wonder and ravished with the admirablenesse of it All these are comprehended under this expression Behold him The second word which hath in it another piece of their duty is go forth and this is a help to the other And beside what hath been hinted at in the former expression it shews it 's not in every posture that they will take up Christ thus but there is a necessity they must come out from under the natural condition they were into We take it to be the same with that precept Psa. 45. 10 11. Forget thine own people and thy fathers house so and no otherwise shall the King greatly desire thy beauty Christ manifests not himselâ— as reconciled and pleased till former lovers be given up with and this beholding of his smiling and glorious countenance cannot be obtained till then even as one fitting in the house cannot discern a flately fight going by except they go forth Thus the similitude is borrowed to shew a necessity of rousing of affections within but not to signifie any local mutation This then is the sense and scope O Professors saith the Bride would ye see a stately sight then get up and set your selves to take up Christ more glorious than Solomon either on his coronation or marriage-day to which there is an allusion here And because few sees great comelinesse and beauty in Christ why he should be desired Therefore she adds what a sight it is she understands Endeavour saith she to behold him as he is discernable to believers when they close with him and accept of him if so ye will exercise faith in him so as ye may perfect espousals with him and satisfie him by resting on him ye will then have a stately and soul-ravishing object to look upon otherwise Christ is not alway and to every one pleasant and chearful company Obs. 1. Christ when rightly conceived and taken up is a most ravishing satisfying fight and a most glorious stately person to look upon 2. Though Christ Jesus be so stately a person yet he condescends to espouse and marry himself to the believer Thus Christ by faith becomes theirs 3. This marrying hath it's day and men are not born espoused to Christ but by their accepting of him their espousals with him are consummat 4. Christ is never taken up aright but by the believer nor doth his glory ever appear as it is but to the believer others that are not spiritual cannot discern it 5. Christ's condescending to marry sinners and accept of them is as the Crown and Diadem of his glory and that which makes him most singularly admirable is that he is full of grace and truth Ioh. 1. 18. 6. Christ accounts believing on him by a poor sinner a singular piece of honour done unto him
love when it siezes deeply on a man it leaves him not master of his own heart but the object loved hath it and as it were possesseth it and commands it more than the man himself so the Gospel saith where a mans treasure is that is the thing a man esteems most of there as it were his heart is and not in the party that loves Mat. 6. 21. So the common phrase is such a man hath my heart when he is dearly beloved and thus in a subtile way Absolom is said to have stollen away the hearts of the people from his father It 's in sum my spouse thou hast my heart thou hast won it and as it were by violence taken it away I am not master of it I cannot but love thee It 's hard to draw observations that may suitably expresse the thing here spoken of only we may hint at these things 1. Love in Christ to a believer hath strong and wonderful effects on him in reference to them 2. The believer hath Christ's heart he hath a seat in his affection he possesseth his love for no other thing hath his heart and he may promise himself from Christ whâ—â—ever he can desire for his good even as if he had his heart under his command for so to speak he can refuse believers nothing which they seek and which he knows to be for their good 3. Love in Christ to a believer it 's at a height or it 's a love of the highest degree There is no greater intensnesse thereof imaginable for to have the heart ravished is the expression of the greatest love 3. The manner how he expresseth this is by doubling the expression Thou hast ravished my heart thou hast ravished my heart And this is to shew that this word â—ell not rashly from him but was drawn out by the vehemency of affection in him 2. That he allowes believers to believe this great love and affection he hath to them and would have them dwelling on the believing thoughts of it and therfore he doubles the expression while he intimats his love unto them Only remember there are no disorderly passions in Christ as in us yet that there is sympathy and love in him and passionat effects of love from him cannot be denyed The fourth thing is wherewith it is his heart is so ravished It may be thought to be some great thing that thus prevails over Christ Now what it is is set down in two expressions which are joyned to the former to make this love of his the more wonderful that which was conquered or ravished was his heart that which doth it is her eye the eye or look of a poor sinful creature even of such a person as may be despised in the world and like Lazarus full of sores and not admitted to mens company 2. It 's not with both her eyes but saith he with one of thy eyes that is as it were with a squint-look a side-look of the Bride prevailed thus with him One eye is not here mentioned as preferring the beauty of one of her eyes to the other but to shew what excellent beauty is in her and much more what infinit love is in him that he could not because he would not resist a look of one of her eyes cast toward him We shew what is understood by eyes vers 1. and it 's explicat in the following verse to hold forth love especially here lovers using to signifie affection by their eyes yet it takes in knowledge as being presupposed and faith as going alongst The second expression is with one chain of thy neck These chains were spoken of Chap. 1. 10. Whereby we shew was signified her inherent holinesse with imputed righteousnesse which by faith she possessed and so here also it signifies her graces especially her exercising faith on him for so the neck was expounded vers 9. to be understood of faith which joineth the believer to Christ as his head And it is said to have chains because it never wants excellent fruits wherewith it is adorned when it is exercised One chain is spoken of not as if she had not had moe or as if he did not respect them all but to hold forth this that one of her chains as it were did overcome him and so it may be gathered what will both eyes do and moe chains when one so prevails The scope then here doth shew 1. That Christ is easily prevailed with by his people O how easily is he overcome by them who have love to him and faith in him 2. That Christ stands not on the degree of his peoples graces nor doth he suspend his love and acceptation of a person upon such or such a degree but where ever reality and sincerity are if it were in the meanest degree and but one look or one chain he will yield to it and accept of it 3. It 's to provoke and incourage believers to cast a look to Christ when they find their faith to be so weak that they can do no more and to confirm them in the expectation of good from him freely without any rigid reckoning It 's not only the strong believer and the strong acts of faith and love that prevail with Christ but he condescends to be overcome even by the weakest with whom the sincerity of these graces is to be found This is further followed and explicat vers 10. and that two wayes 1. By an indefinite question How fair is thy love 2. By two comparative questions whereby in two similitudes her love is preferred to the most excellent things How much better c. The thing commended is her love that is the love wherewith she loves him wherewith her heart breathes after him delights in him esteems of him and is zealous to please him c. The commendation he gives her love is that it is fair And by the way we may observe that this clearly shews that by all the former parts of her beauty are understood spiritual graces Now saith he thy love is fair that is it 's lovely and acceptable to me as beauty and fairnesse are much esteemed amongst men So this grace of love is a beautiful thing in Christ's Bride The manner of the expression is by way of question and admiration How fair I can get nothing saith he to compare it with a wonder that Christ should be so taken with the love of sinners as to admire it or think that their love exceeds all expression for so men use to expresse what they cannot expresse But this doth indeed shew that the heighth and depth and length and breadth of that love which Christ hath to believing sinners passeth all knowledge and is beyond all words Obs. 1. That a believer is one that loves Christ and true faith hath alwayes this grace of love joyned to it 2. That love where it is sincere and true is a property of Christ's Bride and Spouse there are no other in the world who love him but these
who are espoused to him 3. Where love to Christ is there Christ loves he cannot but love them that love him and there is nothing more acceptable to him than the faith that is working by love 4. Our Lord Jesus takes special notice of the frame of the heart and what seat he hath in the affections of his people he layes more weight on their love than on their work though true love can never be without works The second way how he explains and illustrates this is more particular by two comparisons yet keeping still the former manner of expression by way of question and admiration The first is how much better is thy love then Wine Wine may be looked on in two respects 1. As it 's useful in mans life and refreshful Psal. 104. 15. It maketh glad the heart of man and Eccl. 10 19. It maketh the heart merry Wine is one of the most comfortable creatures therefore she calls his love better then Wine Chap. 1. 2. Thus observe 1. Christ will not be behind with his people neither in kindnesse nor in the expressions of it for this is beyond hers Chap. 1. 2. Not that he hath a better object to love but because the love wherewith he loves her is like himself and more excellent then hers 2. There is no such refreshful thing in all the work of creation of Christ no such feast as the warming of a sinners heart with love to him is This Luk. 7. 47. is thought more of by Christ in a poor woman than all the great feast he was invited unto by the rich Pharisee Again we may look on Wine as used in the ceremonial services and drink-offerings Levit. 23. 13 c. Thus the meaning is thy love is preferable to all outward performances and sacrifices as Hos. 6. 7. Love being the principle within from which all our performances should flow it is not opposed to sacrifice simply or to obedience but 1. Supposing these to be separate he prefers love if it were to cast in but a mite of duty out of love it will be more acceptable than the greatest bulk of duties without love as is clear in the case of the widow Luk. 21. Yea if men would give their bodies to be burnt without this 1 Cor. 13. 3. it will avail nothing 2. It saith that where both the inward principle and the outward fruit or work are the Lord respects that more than this and he respects this in a manner but for that The second comparison is to the same purpose in these words and the smell of thine Ointments then all spices Ointments typified the graces of the Spirit the pouring out whereof is called the unction Joh. 2. 20. and the oil of joy Psal. 45. 7. The smell thereof signifieth the acceptablenesse of these graces when in exercise our Lord Jesus finds a sweet â—avour in them as ointments cast a smell that is refreshful to men as was said upon Chap. 3. 6. the grace of love mentioned before is here included but under Ointments there is more comprehended to shew 1. That where one grace is there are all the rest of the graces of the Spirit to be found 2. That love to Christ and zeal for him holds believers stirring and makes them send forth a sweet and savory smell This smell is preferred to all Spices not to one or two but to all Spices were either used as gifts because they were precious and costly So the Queen of Sheba propined Solomon with them 2 King 10. 2. and the wise men offered such to Christ Mat. 2. 11. And so it saith there is no such propine can be offered to Christ as love and the graces of his Spirit when they are in exercise Again spices were used in the Levitical services and holy Oil Exod. 30. 23 24. and so they are to be considered as Wine was in the last sense formerly spoken of and it shews how preferable the inward exercise of grace is to all external duties Lastly they are not only prefered while he saith thy love is better c. but as passing comparison they are extolled far above all these things with which they are compared How fair or how much better is thy love then Wine c. O my Spouse saith he it 's not to be wondered that thy love ravishes my heart for there is no created thing so precious nor any external service so acceptable to me as it is Hence observe 1. That inward love or the inward exercise of grace and outward performances are separable 2 That when outward performances are separate from the inward exercise of love and other graces the Lord respects them not 3. That love is a good and necessary principle of all dueties and especially of the duties of worship 4. These who have any thing of the lively exercise of love to Christ want never a propine that will be acceptable to him if it were but a mite or a cup of cold-water or a look to Christ if love be the principle from which these flow they will be very acceptable with him Vers. 11. Thy lips O my spouse drop as the honey-comb honey and milk are under thy tongue and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon Having thus expressed his affection to his Bride he breaks forth in a positive commendation of her which may be looked upon as the ground of the comparative commendation in the former verse and he describes and commends her at once these two wayes 1. Touching as it were at some particulars which are indeed generals wherein her lovelinesse appears in actual fruits vers 11. 2. In seven comparisons he holds forth her fruitfulnesse from the 12. to the 16. vers wherein he not only commends her by the fruits which she brings forth but from her fitnesse or aptitude to bring forth these fruits so that she cannot but be fruitfull As if one commending an Orchard from the fruit Apples Pomegranates c. or whatever other fruits are in Orchards should then fall upon the commendation of the Orchard it self in it's situation fences waters or kinds of the plants c. So is it here And this last commendation is to be looked upon as the cause of the former In this 11â— vers there are three particulars commended under which we conceive much of the series of a believers walk is understood The 1. Is her lips which are commended from this that they drop as the honey comb By lips as vers 3. and frequently in the Song and so in the Proverbs a man of lips is taken for a man of talk is understood her speech words or discourse especially to others These her words or her speech are compared for the matter to honey or the honey comb that is sweet nourishing healthful and pleasant as Prov. 16. 24. Pleasant words are as the honey-comb sweet to the soul and health to the bones And by honey in Scripture is often understood that which is
love to him and high in their esteem of him 6. Neither will the great mistakes of others shake believers that have a through esteem of Christ's worth but will rather with holy zeal awake them to commend him the more 7. As where there is true love to Christ there Christ will be lovely so when he is looked on as lovely that makes the heart to flow and abound with holy rhethorick in commendations of him 8. True love to Christ and to others for his sake will not suffer one to despise the weaknesse of another but make them rather take occasion from it to honour him and edifie them so much the more as the Bride doth heâ—e in answering the question proposed 9. The more neerly and fully any thing be compared with Christ though it be otherwise lovely yet then it will be seen to be nothing he so infinitly excells all things he can be compared with and it 's ignorance of him that makes other things get such a place in mens affections but when once they are set for-against him he is found preferable as incomparably chief for dignity riches and satisfaction or whatsoever is delightsome desirable and truly excellent vers 11 12 13. c. She passeth from the general to demonstrat it in particulars and therein she insists in the following verses If it should be asked why she descends into particulars especially now considering her deserted case I answer for these good reasons 1. That she might the more fully demonstrat and the more satisfyingly unfold Christ's worth For his worth cannot be soon nor easily told nor conceived nor soon believed by others it needs to be demonstrated amplified and insisted upon yet his worth can bide the tryal There is no truth may more fully and demonstratively be made out than this that Christ is a most excellent object of love and infinitly preferable to all others 2. This is for the edifying of the daughters of Ierusalem and in reference to their question that they might be the more convinced and satisfied anent the incomparable worth and matchlesse excellency of her beloved she brancheth it forth and insists upon it that so a deeper impression of it might be left upon their hearts Obs. 1. There is nothing more useful for the gaining and edifying of others than to help them to the right uptaking of Christ's worth 2. That is a great part of the work that should take up Christians in their fellowship together to be spending their mutual conferences on that subject for one anothers instruction 3. To edifie another is no diversion from pursuing after him to souls that love Christ and would be helped by others to meet with him This is well consistent with her pursuing after sensible presence for her self to stay a while instructing them A third reason of her insisting is that it 's suitable unto and agrees well with her own sad condition when he is away she loves to think and speak of him and of his lovelinesse and that gives her some ease Obs. Where love to Christ is there will be a delight in speaking of him and setting out his commendation even when he is absent it 's a kind of ease to tell over his qualifications when he is absent 2. It 's a good diversion under a deserted condition and a suitable way to an outgate to be dwelling rather upon the excellency of Christ than on the comfortlesse aggravations of our own sad condition this is more honourable to Christ more edifying to others and more pleasant to our selves O it 's sweet to think of him It 's more useful also for confirming of our faith in him for warming our affections to him and for keeping the mind stayed in dependence on him for the outgate Every attribute or property of his is a cordial to a soul fainting under a deserted case 4. Her insisting on this subject shews the nature of true love to Christ that a soul affected with it being once entered to speak of this theme or subject namely the excellency of Christ it expatiats in it and is not soon withdrawn from it This to say so is the very native element of it and it doth the heart good to enumerat and tell over distinctly the commendable qualifications and excellencies of Christ all which being his own are unspeakably delightsome and refreshing to reckon If there were any good measure of love to Christ in mens hearts they would not be easily withdrawn from meditating on him nor from speaking of him and the great haunt that other things have in our heart and the rarity of any expression that tends to Christ's commendation shews plainly that there are alace other beloveds abounding with us beside him In opening of the following particulars we would consider 1. The scope which is to demonstrat that Christ Jesus is altogether lovely and desirable beyond all other things that the hearts of men are set upon The question proposed vers 9. and the closing answer to it vers 16. makes this clear This then being the scope these particulars must be so taken up as they best contribute to clear this scope and so must necessarily imply the excellencies that are in Jesus Christ The Mediator himself being as the body and the several qualifications properties and excellencies wherewith he is furnished being as the several members and parts of that body Now seing Jesus Christ is so excellent himself and these being instanced as the choice excellencies that are in him they must needs be exceeding and passing excellent as the aggreging and heightning of every commendation doth shew There will be need therefore of much sobriety holy admiration and reverence in the opening of them lest we spill so excellent a subject as is the transcendent excellency of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2. That the Spirit intends by these parts distinct considerations of Christ's lovelinesse in so many distinct particulars seems also to be without all question for the particular enumeration is brought in to demonstrat this general that he is the chiefest among ten thousand which is done as it were by an induction of so many commendable things that are in him Beside in other Scriptures and especially Rev. 1. 13 14. where our Lord is thus considered and also in the second and third Chapter of that book of the Revelation particular respect is had to the foresaid description and these parts are there being equivalent to them that are here mentioned expounded of diverse attributes and properties of his and not unlike in many things to the description following as the particulars will clear Consider 3. that it is both difficult and dangerous to be peremptory in the application of these particulars to the object described it being so exceeding glorious and the Spirits expressions so very comprehensive we dar not so limit the words to one thing as if they were exclusive of another nor say this is meant and no other thing although such and such things as have a
beside It 's a good sign where Christ's lips are so lovely Vers. 14. His hands are as Gold-rings set with the Beryl his belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphirs The sixth and seventh particulars instanced to commend Christ are in vers 14. The sixth is his hands The hands are the instruments of action as the lips are of speaking They are commended that they are as Gold-rings that is as men or womens hands are adorned with Gold-rings so his hands have a native lovelinesse beyond these yet this commendation as all the former answers not fully therefore it 's added they are set with Beryl This was a precious stone put in Aaron's breast-plate Exod. 39. 13. To be set with it signifies as preciousnesse so rare artifice and such is seen in the right setting of precious stones By our Lord's hands may be understood that powerfull activity whereby he is fitted to bring about what he pleaseth and that power which he exerciseth especially in the works of grace as on vers 4. was cleared Or we may understand the effects produced by that his power or his works which are exceeding glorious as Psal. 109. 27. That they may know O Lord that this is thy hand that is that thou Lord hast done it So his hands signifie such works especially wherein his Divine power art and skill doth manifest themselves for the good of his people Both agree well together for excellent power and skill produce excellent effects and excellent effects demonstrat the excellent qualifications of the worker this being a main piece of Christ's commendation and which doth hold him forth to be exceeding lovely above all to the believer which is the scope may well be taken here as the meaning especially being subjoined to the commendation of his words for our Lord Jesus doth not only say well but also doth well he is a prophet mighty both in word and deed Luk. 24. 19. The commendation suits with his works as if there were none of them but what are adorned as it were with excellent Gold-rings there being much glory grace wisdom and skill shining in them all they are honourable and glorious Psal. 111. 3. Yea great and marvelous are the works of the Lord God Almighty Rev. 15. 4. These are the deserved epithets of his actions In sum it is as if she had said Ask ye what my beloved is more than others If ye saw but a glimpse of the white and red that is in his cheeks and if ye heard the sweet words that proceed from his mouth and if ye knew the excellent works which he hath performed even to admiration for the good of his people and how much lovelinesse appears in all these ye would no doubt say with me He is the chiefest among ten thousand Obs. 1. Christ is an active husband having hands and working with them for the good of his Bride A piece of his work we heard of chap. 3. 9. in that noble Chariot He is no idle spectator he worketh hitherto Joh. 5. 17. 2. All our Lord Jesus his works are exceeding excellent and beautiful and when rightly discerned they will appear wonderful honourable and glorious as proceeding from him who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working Isa. 28. 29. What a curious and excellent piece of work is that Chariot or the Covenant of Redemption signified thereby chap. 3. 9 There are many shining well-set Jewels and Rings upon every finger of his hands There is nothing that can be done better than what he hath done The works of Christ in our redemption do hold forth infinit skill and gloriousnesse to be in the worker all of them are so wisely contrived and exquisitly execute 3. Christ's works do exceedingly endear him and that deservedly to his people and do infallibly demonstrate his worth above all beloveds in the world Who is like unto him and who can do great works such as he hath done This makes heaven to resound with the praises of what this beloved hath done for his people 4. Believers would be acquaint both with Christ's words and his works and would be well vers'd in the knowledge of the excellencies that are in them both that so they may be the more affected with him themselves and be more able to commend him to others 5. Where Christ is lovely all his works will be delightsome and it 's by acquaintance with and observation of his excellent works that the hearts of his people come to take him up and to be rightly affected with him 6. As ignorance of the excellency of Christ's works especially of the work of Redemption makes many slight Christ and prefer others to him for she would discover the daughters of Jerusalem their mistake of him by instancing this amongst other things so it 's a kindly-like thing to have a honourable esteem of Christ's works in the heart 7. Although the devil and mens idols seem to promise much to their lovers when they suit and intice them yet never one indeed can equal Christ or compare with him in respect of what he hath done for his Bride and this sets him up incomparably above them all His hands in respect of his magnificent works are adorned as it were with Gold-rings whereas they have hands but work not for the help and relief of their lovers Psa. 115. 7. The seventh part of this demonstration of Christs worth is from his belly The word in the Original is the same word which vers 4. is rendered bowels and we rather use it so here as it signifieth bowels the native signification of it as not knowing why it should be altered in this verse especially considering that wherever it is attributed to God it 's translated bowels as Isa. 63. 15. where is the sounding of thy bowels and Ier. 31. 20. my bowels are moved for him Reading it then thus his bowels are as bright ivory c. The words at the very first would seem to signifie the intense love and tender affection wherewith our Lord Jesus who is full of grace is filled and stuffed to say so for the behove and good of his people so that no mother is so compassionatly affected towards the fruit of her womb as he is toward his own This exposition is 1. confirmed from the ordinary signification of the word bowels when it is applyed to God as Isa. 63. 15. and Ier. 31. 20. and it is borrowed from the affection that mothers have to their children whose bowels yerns on them as 1 King 3. 26. and so Ioseph was affected toward his brethren Gen. 43. 30. Hence the word both in the Hebrew and Greek in the Old and New Testament which is made use of to set forth the Lords tender compassion flowes from a root that signifieth bowels 2. The scope will confirm this for is there any thing that makes Christ more lovely and admirable than his love which makes the Prophet cry out Mic. 7. 18. who is a God like unto thee that
be fixed and established in neernesse with him 4. A stayed immovable condition or frame of heart in the enjoying of communion with Christ is most desirable and profitable and therefore it is no marvel it be longed for 5. There is no staying or settling of a believer till he be admitted to dwell as it were in Christ's heart that is to dwell neer him in the believing and enjoying of his love all other grounds are wavering but this is stable and dwelling here if it were pressed after would bring more establishment This seems to be a peremptory suit she doth therefore give two reasons to presse it both which shew that it will not be unpleasant to Christ nor can it be condemned in her for saith she the love that presseth me to it is of such a vehement nature I cannot resist it more than death the grave or fire can be resisted This reason is contained in the rest of the sixth verse The second reason in the following wherein she shews that the love that pressed her was of such a peremptory nature and so untractable if we may so speak as to this that there was no dealing with it if it did not obtain it's desire no other thing could quench or satisfie it The strength of her love is amplified in the sixth verse by three steps in several similitudes By love here is understood that vehement ardent desire after Christ's presence which is kindled in the heart of the believer And first it is called strong in respect of it's constraining power whereby the person that loves is led captive and brought down as weak under it so that he cannot withstand it Saith she love masters and will undo me if it be not satisfied Love-sicknesse so weakens the soul when it once seazeth on the heart till it be cured with Christ's presence Next it 's called strong as death which is so strong that it prevails over the most powerful wise mighty and learned in the world Eccles. 8. 8. there is no discharge in that war neither can the most mighty Monarch encounter death and stand before it So saith she I can no more stand against the strength of this love it overpowers me and is like to kill me if it be not satisfied The second step or degree of this love and the similitude illustrating it is in these words jealousie is cruel as the grave It 's the prosecution of the same purpose only what she called love before is here termed jealousie Iealousie may be taken in a good sense or an evil In a good sense jealousie is the highest degree of love or love at it's heighth and and is the same with zeal Thus the Lord is said to be jealous for his glory And it imports 1. ardent affection 2. Desire of injoying 3. Impatiency of delay 4. A deep measure of grief mixt with love for any seeming appearance of a disappointment in the injoying the person they love or when they do not meet with love again from the person whom they dearly love So jealousie in this sense is applyed to both God and men but properly it agreeth only to men for there are no such passions in God though he condescending to our capacity speaks thus of himself after the manner of men Now this jealousie is said to be cruel or hard It 's called Prov. 6. the rage of a man and this was the jealousie or zeal that did eat up David Psa. 69. and so it is compared to the grave which Prov. 30. is the first of these four things that are never satisfied but wasts all the bodies that are laid in it So saith she this love of mine being at a heighth torments me restlesly as if it were cruelly persecuting me till it be satisfied with a good answer from thee O! my beloved In an evil sense jealousie signifies not a simple fear of missing the thing men desire or a suspition of their own short-coming in attaining of it but a groundlesse suspition of them whom they love as if they did not entertain their love as they ought and thus jealousie is called the rage of a man Prov. 6. 34. and so here this cannot be altogether excluded jealousie thus taken having in it some unbelief which torments believers horribly when the suspition of Christ's not taking notice of them grows and this is frequently to be found in the Saints cases in times of desertion they are then very apt to suspect God's love and this exceedingly disquiets them the want of the faith and sense of his love being a death unto them Psal. 77. 8 9 10. And so the reason runs thus let me be admitted to thy heart for my love will be satisfied with no lesse and if this be not obtained jealousie and suspition of thy love may steal in and that will be torturing and tormenting And therefore she puts up this suit that she may be set as a Seal upon his heart to have that prevented for she cannot abide to think of it 3. She compares this jealousie to coals of fire the coals thereof are coals of fire for their vehement heat tormenting nature and consuming power all which are to be found in this strong and jealous love it is vehement for heat painful and destructive as fire is yea further it is compared to coals that have a most vehement flame or as it is in the Original the flame of God for so the Hebrews do name any thing that is superlative in it's kind and this is added to shew the horrible torture that Christ's absence and love-sicknesse hath with it to a tender loving soul especially when carnal unbelieving jealousie enters and prevails they cannot abide it but would choose any rod before that if it were at their election Obs. 1. Love to Christ where it is strong and vigorous will make strange and mighty impressions on the heart which others are not acquaint with and will break out in such expressions as men of the world may wonder what they mean none of them having any such feeling or sensiblenesse of Christ's absence or presence 2 Where true love to Christ is it 's a most constraining thing the soul that hath it cannot but pursue for Christ and go about all means which may any way further it's communion with him 3. Where love begins to pursue after Christ the longer it be in meeting with him it increaseth the more where it is real and the moe disappointments it meet with it grows the more vehement till it break out in jealousie and zeal 4. Believers that have true love are ready to fall in jealousies of Christ and to be suspitious of his love especially in his absence This is supposed here that where true love to Christ is there may be jealousie of him 5. Where jealousie enters is cherished and prevails it 's not only dishonourable to Christ but exceedingly torturing to the believer There is not a more vexing guest can be entertained than jealousie of Christ. 6.
than conversion it self 6. Christ hath given a promise to the believer for furthering and perfecting of his sanctification as well as of his justification 7. Where there is any honest beginning or foundation laid by real union with Christ although it be weak yet it will be perfected and that may be expected for Christ's word is here ingaged for it 8. There are none of the promised blessings that can be expected from Christ without performing of the condition of believing in him and they who rest on him by faith may expect all BRIDE Vers. 10. I am a wall and my brests like towers then was I in his eyes as one that found favour In this tenth verse and the two verses that follow the Bride comes-in speaking and accepting the Bridegrooms gracious answer and promise And first she doth confirm the truth of it from her own experience vers 10. and then she doth more fully clear and strengthen her experience by laying down the grounds from which she draweth that comfortable conclusion of finding favour in his eyes in reference unto her self vers 11 12. First then in the tenth verse the Bride brings forth her experience for confirmation of the truth of what the Bridegroom had spoken That they are the Brides words we conceive is clear for this I is she that put up the suit for the little sister and by her description is opposed to her as being a wall and having brests as towers which she the little sister had not and there is none other that hath found favour in Christ's eyes but she What the scope is shall be cleared when we have opened the words which have three things in them 1. A short description of her own good condition 2. An excellent advantage that followed thereupon 3. The connexion of these two First her condition is set forth in two expressions 1. I am a wall That is what the little sister was not and what the condition proposed by the Bridegroom in the former verse required In a word that condition is fulfilled in me saith she by faith I am built on Christ and like a wall stand stable on the foundation The second expression setting forth her condition is and my brests like towers This supposeth a growth and further degree of her faith and other graces as having not only brests which the little sister had not vers 8. but brests like towers i.e. well fashioned Ezek. 16. 7. and come to some perfection and so she is a wall with towers Next the priviledge or advantage which accompanies this her good condition is held out in these words I was in his eyes as one that found favour or peace To find favour in his eyes is to be kindly and affectionatly dealt with and to have that manifested by some suitable evidence So it 's said Esther found favour in the eyes of the King and he held out the golden Scepter to her Esth. 5. 2. The thing that Moses pitcheth on as the evidence that he and the people found favour in Gods eyes Exod. 33. 16 17. is that his presence might go with them whereby saith he should it be known that we have found grace in thy sight is it not in that thou goest with us So then to find favour in his eyes is to have his presence in a gracious manner manifested to his people as Ioh. 14. 23. And in sum this expression implyes these three 1. Love in Christ's bosom to her 2. His manifesting of this by his complacency in her or his making the delight which he had in her manifest in the effects of it on her 3. Her being comforted and delighted in the favour that she found from him 3. The connexion of this comfortable attainment with her gracious state is implyed in the word then Then was I c. That is when I was a wall and by faith rested on him I found this favour and not before It holds out no causality betwixt the one and the other but a peremptory connexion of order and time for though Gods love of benevolence whereby he purposeth good to us such as was his love to Iacob before he had done good or evil Rom. 9. 13. and also his love of beneficence whereby he actively confers and brings about our conversion and regeneration go before our believing in him and our love to him and is the cause of our loving of him who love him because he first loved us yet his love of complacency whereby he shews himself delighted with the graces which by his love he hath bestowed on us doth follow in order of nature upon our faith in him and love to him So Ioh. 14. 21 23. He that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and what is meant by this love the words following clear I will manifest my self to him and so vers 23. having said my father will love him it 's added we will come and make our abode with him This then is the sum of this verse I am by faith founded on him and united to him and so am a wall and have brests who by nature once was not a wall and had no brests by which union my brests becoming as towers I did find favour from him and had his presence friendly manifested to me The scope as appears from the coherence of this verse with the former is to make good from her experience the truth and certainty of the promises which he had made for the encouragement of the little sister and for comforting of her self who had been seriously pleading with him on her behalf Thus these promises are faithful saith she for in my comfortable experience I have found it so I was once without the evidence of his love as now others are but being by faith engaged to him I have found favour of him so as others may be assured of obtaining the like and on the same terms if when he is bespeaking them by the Gospel they will close with Christ and by faith unite with him Obs. 1. There are great real and discriminating differences betwixt one in nature and one that is in Christ The one is not a wall and hath no brests the other is a wall and hath brests which shewâ— a great odds 2. Believers may come to know that marches are cleared betwixt their estate and condition now while they are in Christ and their estate and condition as it was before Or believers should set themselves to know whether marches be cleared or not or if they may say that of themselves which cannot be said of others that are not in Christ. 3. It 's no little advancement to be able upon good grounds to assert our union with Christ to say that I am a wall c. each one cannot do it 4. Although none ought to be proud of their attainments yet may believers humbly where there is good ground acknowledge the reality of grace in them 5. Although the Lord loves the Elect
failings in duties Chap. 1. 6. Chap. 5. 2 and 3. and also under livelinesse in duties Chap. 1. 2 3 4. and 5. 5. and almost throughout 2. Under Crosses Chap. 1. 6. as being a Lillie among Thorns and hated of the World Chap. 2. 2. and also in Prosperity wherein she is commended as terrible Chap. 6. 10. 3. As deserted and sick of Love Chap. 3. 1 2. and 5. 4 5. and again as injoying her Beloved Chap. 1. 4. Chap. 3. 4. 5. 4. As under faithful Shepherds and lively Ordinances Chap. 1. 4. Chap. 3. 4 5. and also as under carnal Watch-men Chap. 5. 7. And in all these her various conditions in all Ages are painted forth before Christs Incarnation as well as now without respect to any particular Time or Age for ceremonial things are not here meddled with but what was spiritual Beside the Church then and now is one as in the next consideration will be cleared 5. As in private dealing with Christ and longing after him and praying for him Chap. 4. 16. Chap. 8. 1. c. almost throughout and also what she was in publick duties going to the Watch-men Chap. 5. 7. and Chap. 3 3. and what she was in fellowship with others Chap. 5. 8 9. Chap. 6. 1 2. 6. It sets out Believers as more strong and furnished with a greater measure of Grace and Knowledge and also as more weak in Gifts and Grace 7. And Lastly It holds forth the same Believers as more and lesse lively in their conditions This Book in it's matter is a comprehensive sum of all these particulars formed in a Song put together and drawn as on a Broad for the Believers edification to shew 1. What should be and will be their carriage when it is right with them as to their frame 2. What are their infirmities and what they use often to fall into even they who are Believers that they may be the more watchful 3. To shew what they may meet with that they may make for sufferings and not stumble at them when they come 4. That the care and love of Christ to them in reference to all these may appear that they may know upon what grounds to comfort themselves in every condition and may have this Song as a little Magazine for direction and consolation in every condition Therefore this Song is not to be astricted to any particular Case or Time and is even by Bernard Serm. 1. therefore observed to differ from other spiritual Songs in three things 1. That it 's penned upon no particular occasion as others are such as that of Moses Exod. 15. and Iudges 5. c. 2. That it is composed by way of conference between several Parties 3. That there are in this conference moe Parties than two Christ the Bride Watchmen Daughters of Ierusalem c. all which do shew it 's extensivenesse and comprehensivenesse in respect of it's Subject and Use. 2. This Song holdeth forth the Churches or Brides Conditions under all her several considerations We may consider the Bride or Church four wayes all of which we will find here 1. As visible and visibly professing Christ and worshipping him in Ordinances in this respect there are Watch-men spoken of a Mothers house Gardens of many Believers together and a Vineyard let out to Keepers and a Mother having Children called also Daughters of Ierusalem who are professing Believers and such like which agree only to the Church as visible 2. Consider her as invisible having true Faith in Christ spiritual Union with him Love to him and real exercise of Graces c. Thus Christ is her's and she his she is drawn by him and brought into the Chambers of lively Sense and Communion thus she is neer him or absent from him and such like which only agree to the Church or Saints as Members of the invisible Church having real and not only professed Union with Christ and thus she is distinguished from the Mothers Children which are outward Professors of the visible Church and thus the most of the Commendations she gets throughout this Song agree unto her as invisible Neither can it be thought strange that both these considerations take place in one and the same Song For 1. That distinction of the Church in visible and invisible is not a distribution of a whole into distinct parts as suppose one would divide a heap of Chaff and Corn into Corn and Chaff But this is a distinct uptaking of the same whole to wit the Church under two distinct Considerations as suppose one would consider the foresaid heap as it is a heap comprehending both Corn and Chaff or as it is only comprehensive of Corn so the Church thus distinguished is but one considered in whole as having both renewed and unrenewed in it and as having renewed only Yet so as the renewed are a part of the whole under one consideration to wit as they are visible Professors and also are the invisible Church being distinctly considered as they have more than a visible Profession Therefore the sibnesse being so great and neer it is no marvel they be frequently conjoyned in this Song so as they must be distinguished in respect of these distinct considerations seing the visible Church in it's consideration as such comprehends the invisible militant Church under it but not contrarily 2. It 's ordinary upon this ground thus to conjoyn them in other Scriptures as when an Epistle is written to a Church somethings are said of it and to it as visible somethings again are peculiarly applicable to Believers who are Members of the invisible Church in it as by looking to these Epistles Rev. 2. and 3. is clear all are comprehended in every Epistle yet is the matter diversly to be applyed and these who have ears to hear that is are real Members of the invisible Church also are particularly spoken unto although indefinitly And why then may not the Church in both these considerations be spoken of here in this Song 3. If we consider either the visible or invisible Church as whole or Catholick something is spoken to her under that Consideration namely as Catholick so she is said to be one Chap. 6. 9. made up of many the Mother having many Daughters a Vineyard intrusted to all the Keepers having some Children beloved others hated c. which must be applicable to her as so considered 4. If we look to particular Members either 1. As Professors of the visible Church such as the Daughters of Ierusalem seeking the Beloved with the Bride and one of them are distinct from another and from the Watch-men such are the threescore Queens and fourscore Concubins as distinct from the Church considered as one Or 2. As Members in particular of the invisible Church so the Bride is distinguished from other Professors and Believers she speaks to them and they to her Chap. 2. So is one Queen and Concubine distinguished from another Thus also is the Church considered in general and in individuals in
more sparsly and as it were here and there to be found elsewhere through the Scriptures We have them here compended together in a sort of Spiritual dependance one upon another and in a connexion one with another And they are put in a Song to make them the more sweet and lovely and under such Poetical and figurative expressions as best agreeth with the nature of Songs and Poetical Writings that so Believers may have them together and may sing them together for the help of their memory and upstirring of their affections 2. These figures and similitudes have their own use to make us the better take up and understand the spiritual things which are represented by them when in a manner he condescends to illustrat them by similitudes and so to teach as it were to our senses things which are not otherwise so obvious For which cause Christ often taught by Parables the greatest mysteries of the Gospel 3. Thus not only the judgement is informed but it serveth the more to work on our affections both to convince us of and to deterr us from what is ill when it is proposed indifferently in an Allegory as Nathan in his Parable to David did And also it conduceth the more to gain our affections to love such things as are here set out wherefore even Heaven it self is so described from similitudes of such things as are in account with men Rev. 21. 22. And Christs Love becomes thus more comfortable and our relation to him the more kindly-like when it 's illustrat by Marriage and the kindly expressions of a Husband and Wife for this also God is compared to a Father and his pity to a fathers pity to children to make it the more sensible and comfortable 4. Thus also any knowledge that is attained or any impression that is made is the better fixed and keeped similitudes are often retained when plain truths are forgotten as we may see in experience yea the retaining of the similitude in the memory doth not only keep the words in mind but helps to some acquaintance with the thing which is signified and furthereth us in understanding the manner how such and such things the Lord doth to his People are brought about 5. Thus both the wisdom and care of God and his Spirit appeareth who taketh diverse wayes to commend his truth unto men and to gain them to the love of it that they who will not be affected with plain truth he may be more taking expressions commend unto them the same thing which is the reason why he hath given diverse Gifts and wayes of holding forth his truth unto Ministers some have one way like sons of Thunder some another like sons of Consolation and yet all to carry on the same end that the one may be helpfull unto the other Indeed if God had delivered his truth only in obscure terms the objection might seem to have some weight but when he doth it both in plain and obscure wayes this is his condescendency and wisdom by all means seeking to gain some 6. Thus also the Lord removeth occasion of loathing from his Word by putting it in some lovely Artifice in the manner of it's delivery and also he doth hereby provoke his people to more diligence in searching after the meaning of it It being often our way to esteem least of what is most obvious and most of that which is by some pains attained 7. Thus also the Lord maketh the study of his Word delectable when both the judgment and affections are joyntly wrought upon And to shew that all the Believers conditions may be matter of a sweet song to him whereas somethings if plainly laid down would not be so cheerfully digested Thus he maketh the saddest matter sweet by his manner of proposing it 8. Also the Lord useth to keep the Songs and spiritual allowance of his own somewhat vailed from the rest of the world for they have meat to eat the world knoweth not of that Believers may see and feed sweetly where they discern nothing and that they having this Commented on by experience betwixt him and them may sing that Song which none other in the world can learn as the 144000 do Rev. 14. 1. for thus it 's said Math. 13. 9 10 11 c. that Christ spake in Parables that not only he might condescend to the weaknesse of his own so as they might bear it Mark 4. 33 34. but also that others seeing might see and not perceive Often that same way which his own gets good of pâ—oveth a stumbling to others through their own corruption 9. There may be also something of Gods design here to try the humility and sinceâ—ity of his people if they will stoop to every way he useth because it 's his and if they will love the Word not as so or so proposed but as it cometh from him and is his and as such humbly receive it as being that which though it seem to others foolishnesse yet makes them wise unto Salvation The mockers taunted Ezekiel's Message under this notion that he spake Parables Ezek. 20. 49. but Zâ—ch 11. 10 11. when the Prophet broke the two Staves which was a dark and mysterious-like action the poor of the flock waited on him when as it 's like others stumbled also By all which we may see why the Lord hath so compacted together plain useful Doctrines under such expressions in this Song and also why our undertaking to open it may be well constructed even though these same truthes may elsewhere as clearly arise yet these truths are here in such a way connected together and so not only proposed but also commended unto us as will not any where else be found Obj. 2. If any say the raising of such Gospel-Doctrines makes this Song look more like the Gospel of the New Testament than a Song of the Old Ans. 1. Is it the worse that it look like the Gospel Or are not such Doctrineâ— if they follow from it the better more comfortable Certainly there is no Doctrine more edifying and comfortable to Believers and more like or more becoming Christs way with Believers or their's with him which is the scope and subject of this Song then Gospel-Doctrines are High soaring words of vanity and mysteries having nothing but an empty sound are much more unlike this spiritual Song tâ—an these 2. If it set out Christs way to Believers even under the Old Testament and Believers way of keeping communion with God even then is not that the same Gospel-way which we have now Their faith and communion with God stood not in the outward Ceremonies which were Typical but in the exercise of inward Graces faith love c. which are the same now as then Was not Christ the same to them as to us Had they not the same Spirit Covenant c. and so the cases and experiences of or incident to Believers then are also applicable to us now That Christ was then to come and hath
now suffered and that the way of revealing him then was some way different from that we have now will not make another Gospel Covenant Faith yea nor Church we being grafted in that same Stock which they once grew upon and being by Faith Heirs of the same promises which sometime they possessed Object 3. If any should yet doubt if Solomon knew or intended such Doctrines as these and that therefore they cannot be well digested if drawn from this Song beyond his mind and meaning â— Ans. 1. Our great purpose is to know what the Spirit intended and not what Solomon understood and if this be the Spirit 's intention to set out Christ's way with his Church then such Doctrines as agree therewith must be agreeable to his meaning 2. Yea suppose Solomon and other Prophets should be ignorant in a great measure of the meaning of such things as the Spirit foretold by them as it is not impossible in some extraordinary things especially when their knowledge in these was not essential to the truth of their Prophesie for they might have a kind of nescience in the particulars though they were sure the thingâ— they delivered were in the complex Prophesie God's word yet will any say that we should limit the words spoken by them to their understanding of them If so by what rule would we know if or how they did understand them 3. Therefore we say It was with Solomon here as with other Prophets as Isaiah and others who spake many of the Gospel-truths which in particular they might not so fully know as we do now when these Prophecies are fulfilled yet was it never doubted but the most deep mysteries of the Gospel were contained in their Prophecies Yet 4. We say there is no ground to think but Solomon knew much of the mind of the Spirit in this Song yea more than many Learned Men now a-days For 1. He was not only a Believer but one eminent for gifts and knowledge and none will say but he was so for divine knowledge as well as humane as his Books particularly Prov. 4. 8 9. Chapters in his description of Christ the substantial wisdome of the Father c. do shew And can it be thought he wrot this Book without any sense of what he wrot 2. Can it be thought but he lavelled what he wrot here at a scope and that afterward himself made use of it for his edification and comfort which could not be done if he had not understood the most of these Gospel-mysteries upon which all this sweet conference betwixt Christ and Believers is founded 3. His writing in such terms shews that the words were not ignorantly fallen upon but he having knowledge of all Herbs Spices c. and how to apply them to spiritual things pitched upon these as the most pertinent similitudes which are therefore by the special wisdom of the Spirit made use of in this Song as in other his Writings yea certainly his knowledge how spiritual mysteries are couched up in these similitudes and represented by them was beyond what we can reach unto now and therefore we dare not insist or be peremptory in the particular application of these similitudes 4. The subject of this Song not being Prophetical but Narrative and Doctrinal containing such exercises as might be and certainly were found in Believers even then and such dispensations as they used to meet with will any say he was a stranger unto them seing there was accesse to know these much better then Prophesies of things which were to come Yea 5. Is there any thing here but what in other Scriptures of the Old Testament and especially Songs and Psalms is to be found where the cases and exercises of Gods people are set down And it needs not be thought strange if we equal him in knowledge with others of his time or before him and that he sets down in a more artificial manner according to his measure of Gifts that which others set down in more plain termes yet both by the same Spirit We may then confidently hazard to draw the same Doctrines concerning Christ the Gospel Church c. from it that are to be found in other more clear and plain Scriptures One of the Fathers Athanas. in Synops. comparing this Song with other Scriptures of the Old Testament sayes it is as Iohn Baptist among the Prophets other Scriptures speak of Christ as coming saith he and afar off this speaks of Him and to Him as already come and near hand and indeed it is so For so even then he was sometimes very familiar and present both to the Faith and Sense of his people as well as now Thus also even Origen though in plain Scriptures too luxuriant yet in this he seems to own this same scope Thus also Zanch. in Eph. 5. makes it a compend and Copy of the spiritual Marriage with Christ. And Bodius in Eph. pag. 114. sayes it 's ipsius fidei Religionis Christianae medulla If it be said if we interpret this Song after this manner then all the observations will run upon Believers cases only which would seem to say that no Doctrines may be drawn from it for the edification of these who are yet unrenewed and what use can it then be of to them who yet are the greater part in the Church 1 Ans. The Gospel hath Doctrines suitable to all within the Church and this Song being in substance Christs way with his Church must also contain Doctrines useful for all within the same 2. In this Song the Church is not only considered as invisible and unite by true faith to Christ but also as visible and as under external Ordinances as hath been said and in that respect it furnishes Doctrines fit for all 3. This Song will furnish Doctrines useful for these as other Parables or Allegories of that kind do which Christ used often even for the edification of such 4. Doctrines from all places of Scripture may be raised by analogy as from such places where God holdeth forth the way he useth with his own when they have wronged him by sin which is to humble them and bring them to Repentance ere they see his face again sin becomes bitter even to them From such places I say we may gather by proportion that God's way with unrenewed sinners whom he minds to bring to peace and friendship with himself is to humble them and make sin bitter to them seing the recovering of peace and the first founding of peace as to this is brought about after the same manner 5. From such places as speak directly Christs special love to Believers there may be drawn good uses and applications to others partly to ingage them to him who so loves his own partly to terrifie these who are not his by their being debarred from any right to such excellent priviledges 6. Where the Brides carriage is commendable it 's a copy and pattern to all even as Examples and Precepts are ordinarily given in
not do with him as he did with Saul whom he rejected he would not take away his mercy from Solomon as he had done from him And if no more were in these Promises but what is temporal there would be no great consolation in them to David whose consolation is one chief part of the scope of that place Beside these promises Psal. 89. 31 32 33. which are the same with these 2 Sam. 7. are looked upon as special evidences of God's love and peculiar Promises of his Saving-Covenant 2. When he is born the Lord gives him his name yea sends Nathan 2 Sam. 12. with this warrand to name him Iedidiah because the Lord loved him which cannot be a love flowing from any thing in him as if he had been well pleased with his carriage Solomon had not yet done any thing good or evil but it must be a love prior to his works and so not arising from his good deeds and therefore not cut off by his sins which being like the love God had to Iacob before he had done good or evil Rom. 9. 11. must speak out Electing love as it doth in that place 3. He is made use of by the Spirit to be a Penman of Holy Writ and a Prophet of the Lord all which are by our Lord Luke 13. 28. said to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of Heaven and there is no reason to exclude him seing that universal all the Prophets c. would not be a truth unlesse he were there And though some wicked men have prophesied as Balaam did yet are they never accounted Prophets of the Lord as Solomon was but false Prophets and Inchanters neither were they Penmen of Holy Writ who were as Peter calleth them 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy men of God speaking as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost 4. Neither are the peculiar Priviledges he was admitted unto to be forgotten by him the Lord built the Temple by him the Covenant was explicitly renewed with God 1 King 8. 9. and his prayers are often particularly mentioned to be heard yea after his death some testimonies are recorded of him which cannot consist with his rejection See 2 Chron. 11. 17. where the wayes of Solomon are put in as commendable with Davids though there were defects in both and this being immediatly after Solomon's death it would seem he left the worship of God pure and so had turned from his Idolatry though all the monuments of it were not abolished And especially in this he was singularly priviledged that in a most lively way he was the Type of our blessed Lord Jesus in his Intercession Reign and peaceable Government Beside that by particular Covenant the Kingdom of Christ and his descent from him was established to him 5. It 's of weight also that it seems more than probable that Solomon wrot Ecclesiastes after his recovery it being neither amongst the Proverbs nor Songs which are mentioned 1 King 4. 32. And in it he speaks out the experience he had both of folly and madness and the vanity he had found in all created things even when he had perfected his Essay of all the possible wayes of attaining either the knowledge of their perfections or satisfaction in the injoyment of them The Scripture therefore hath not left his recovery altogether dark yet as to any Historical narration thereof the Lord hath so ordered that he passeth away under a cloud for these good ends First Thereby Solomon is chastised with the rods of men even after death upon his name for his miscarriages are set down expresly but his recovery as to any direct testimony thereof is past over 2. By this the Lord maketh his displeasure with Solomon's wayes known though he had favour to his person and gave him his soul for a prey 3. Thus the Lord would affright others from declining and hereby teacheth his people to be afraid to rest upon Gifts yea or upon Graces seing he hath left this matter so far in the dark as might yeeld an occasion as it were to question the eternal condition of Solomon 4. It may be also that Solomon after his recovery did never recover his former lustre nor attain to such a profitable way of appearing in God's publike matters for which formerly he had been so observable For so it is taken notice even of David after his fall that his following life is stained as different from what went before therefore it is the commendation of Iehoshaphat 1 Chron. 17. 3. that he walked in the first wayes of his father David which certainly is not done to condemn David's state after that time but to leave that mark as a chastisement on his failings And seing Solomon's were greater therefore may this silence of his recovery be more universal as to him Before we draw any thing from this by way of use I shall answer a doubt and it is this How can all these thousand and five Songs mentioned 1 King 4. 32. be lost without â—ronging the perâ—ection of Canonick Scripture Or what is come of them Or what is to be accounted of the losse of them Ans. We say 1. The Scriptures may be full in the articles of faith even though some portions thereof which once were extant were now a-missing except it could be made out that some points of faith were in these Books which are not to be found in other Scriptures 2. Yet seing it is not safe and it wants not many inconveniences to assert that any Book once designed of God to his Church as a canon or rule of faith and manners should be lost And seing it is not consistent with that wise Providence of his whereby he hath still carefully preserved the treasure of his Oracles in his Church We rather incline to say that though these Songs were possibly useful and might be written by the Spirit 's direction yet that they were not intended for the universal edification of the Church nor inrolled as a part of his Word appointed for that end Neither can it be thought strange that it should so be for that a thing be Scripture it 's not only needful that it be inspired but also that it be appointed of God for publike use It 's not improbable but Isaiah Moses David Paul and others might have written many moe writtings upon particular occasions or to particular persons which were useful in themselves for edification and yet were never appointed of God to be looked upon or received as Scriptures for publike use in his Church So do we account of these Songs mentioned in the objection and other writings of Solomon now not extant And it may be the Spirit hath pitched on this Song to be recorded as the sum and chief of all the rest as he did pitch upon some particular Prayers of David and Moses c. passing by others And Lastly We are rather to be thankful for the great advantage we have by this than anxiously to inquire what hath
of the former is vers 3. and it runs upon these supposed and implyed grounds 1. That there are many precious excellencies in Christ. So that 2. the speaking of his Name is as if a man would open a sweet favouâ—ing Box of Ointment as that woman did Ioh. 12. 3. There is no title or office or qualification in Christ but all are savoury his very Garments smell of Myrrhe and Aloes and Cassia c. Psal. 45 8. 3. It suppons that this worth and lovelinesse of Christ ravishes all that ever knew him here called Virgins with love to him and therefore which is the strength of the reason it 's no marvell would she say I love him so servently and desire so earnestly the manifestations of his love which I have sound so sweet So the vers may be taken up in these four things 1. Christs furniture he hath many savoury Ointments and good 2. The further explication and amplification of this his commendation expressing both what she meant by Ointments and also the abundance and freshnesse of these Ointments which were in Christ in these words thy name is as Ointment poured forth 3. The effect that â—ollowed on these or the attractive vertue of them which is such that the most chast who kept their affections from other objects are yet without prejudice to their chast nature taken up and ravished with that lovelinesse of Christ Therefore saith she do the Virgins love thee 4. There is the scope which is partly to shew the reality of Christ's worth which not only she but all Believers were in love with partly to shew that it was no strange thing to see her so taken up with him it would be rather strange if it were other-ways seing it is not possible for any to see and taste what Christ is and not be ravished with his love Ointments are both of an adorning and refreshing nature especially to the sense of smelling Psal. 104. 15. Ointment makes mens face to shine and the house where it is to savour when it is precious and good Ioh. 12. 3. Men in vanity use sweet Powders and such things as these which can but little commend them But Christ's Ointments are his graces Psal. 45. 2. wherewith he is anointed for opening the blind eyes for preaching glad tidings to the poor to bind up the broken-hearted to give the oyl of joy for mourning c. as it is Isa. 61. 1 2 3. Which qualifications are both more delightsome and savoury in themselves and to the soul that is sensible of it's need of him than any Ointments the high Priest of old used which were but typical of the graces and qualifications wherewith Christ is furnished Hence is the Gospel 2 Cor. 2. 14 15. whereby these graces are manifested called a sweet savour Again these Ointments are said to be good so are they in their nature and in their effects on sinners as is clear from Isa. 61. 1 2 c. And 2. they are said to savour the sent and smell of them is sweet and refreshful to the spiritual senses And 3. they are called his thy good Ointments They are his not only as he is God having all-sufficiency essentially in him but as Mediator having purchased eternal redemption and having the Spirit without measure communicat to him Ioh. 3. 34 and in that respect anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellows Psal. 45. 7. that out of his fulnesse we might all receive grace for grace Joh. 1. 14. Our graces being of that same nature that his are of It 's comfortable that Christ hath many good Ointments that they are his own and that he hath the right of disposing of them and that as Mediator they are given unto him for that very purpose Observ. 1. Grace is a cordial and savoury thing no Ointment is like it 2. Christ abounds in grace he is full of grace and truth Ioh. 1. 14. Hence our wants are said to be made up according to his riches in glory by Iesus Christ Phil. 4. 19. 3. They are good and excellent graces and qualifications wherewith the Mediator is furnished such as do exactly answer all the necessities and wants of empty and needy sinners 2. The commendation is explicat or illustrat by a similitude The thing she explains and which she understood by Ointments is his Name The similitude whereby it is illustrate is Ointment poured forth Christ's Name is himself or the knowledge of himself or every thing whereby himself is made known his Attributes Word Works especially these of Redemption his Ordinances Covenant Promises c. which are all his Name for so the Preaching of the Gospel is called the bearing of his Name Act. 9. 15. and making known or declaring of his Name Psal. 22. 22. Heb. 2. 12. c. This is the thing illustrat Now this Name is compared not to Ointment simply as sealed up in a Box but to Ointment as poured forth and diffused Whereby 1. the abundance of these graces is holden forth there is no scarcity of them in him 2. His liberality in communicating of them he pours them out as one opening a Box of Ointment should so diffuse and distribute it 3. By this is set out the lively savourinesse of his graces they savour not only as Ointment closed up but as Ointment diffused In a word there is nothing in Christ for whatever is in him is comprehended under his Name but the unfolding of it will be more refreshful and abundant in spiritual delights than if men would break and open many Boxes of costly Ointments and pour them all out on others Observ. 1. Believers are not soon satisfied in taking up or expressing of Christ's worth 2. Christ and all that is in him is as full of spiritual life and refreshing as a Box that is full of the most precious Ointment Christ is well stored with grace it is poured into his lips Psal. 45. 2. 3. This savour of Christ's graces is not felt by every one the Box of his Ointments is not open to all but only to some and that is to them that believe for to them he is precious and every thing that is in him is most cordial and savoury to the Believer 4. The more Christ and his worth be enquired into it will savour the better and be the more refreshfull for it 's his Name which is this Ointment Christ in his excellent worth through men's strangenesse to him is unknown in the world they do not enquire into this savoury Name but if he were once known they would find that in him that would make them give over their other unprofitable pursuits and pant after him The effect of these his Ointments which is a proof of the reality of this truth and the third thing in the vers is in these words Therefore the Virgins love thee By Virgins here are not understood bare Professors but sincere Believers who are not counterfeit in their affection nor so common in their
excellent than they all He is more sweet and precious than a cluster even of that Camphire which growes in the Vineyards of En-gedi where it 's like the most precious of that kind grew Now these expressions hold forth 1. Christ's preciousnesse 2. His efficacy and vertue 3. His abounding in both the worth and vertue that is in him cannot be comprehended nor told 4. The Brides wisdom in making use of such things to describe Christ and her affection in preferring him to all other things and in satisfying her self in him which is the last thing in these verses This respect of hers or the warmnesse of her affection to him is set forth two wayes 1. In that expression he is unto me which is both in the beginning of the 13. and in the beginning of the 14. verse whereby is signifyed not only Christ's worth in general but 1. His savourinesse and lovelinesse to her in particular she speakes of him as she her self had found him 2. To expresse what room she gives him in her affection he was lovely in himself and he was so to her and in her esteem He is saith she a bundle of Myrrhe unto me a cluster of Camphire to me This is further clear from that other expression namely he shall lye all night saith she betwixt my breasts even as one hugges and embraces whom they love or what they love and keeps it in their arms and thrusts it in their bosom so saith she my beloved shall have my heart to rest in and if one room be further in than another there he shall be admitted Which imports 1. Great love to him 2. A satisfying her spiritual senses on him 3. Tenaciousnesse in keeping and â—etaining him when he is gotten and great loathnesse to quit or part with him 4. It shewes his right seat and place of residence The bosome and heart is Christ's room and bed 5. It shewes a continuance in retaining him and entertaining him she would do it not for a start but for all night 6. A watchfulnesse in not interupting his rest or disquieting of him he shall not be troubled saith she but he shall ly all night unprovocked to depart These are good evidences of affection to Christ and offer ground for good directions how to walk under sensible manifestations when he doth communicat himself Part 4. CHRISTS Words Vers. 15. Behold thou art fair my Love behold thou art fair thou hast Doves eyes These words contain a part of that excellent and comfortable conference between Christ and the Spouse There is here a mutual commendation one of another as if they were in a holy contest of love who should have the last word in expressing of the others commendation In the verse before the Bride hath been expressing her love to Christ and he again comes in upon the back of this expressing his esteem of her and that with a behold Behold c. If ye look upon this verse in it self and with it's dependence on the former words it will hold out these things 1. That love-fellowship with Christ must be a very heartsome life O the sweet mutual satisfaction that is there 2. That Christ must be a very loving and kindly husband so have all they found him that have been married unto him And therefore Eph. 5. 27. He is proposed as a pattern to all husbands and may well be so 3. That our Lord Jesus thinks good sometimes to intimat his love to believers and to let them know what he thinks of them and this he doth that the believer may be confirmed in the faith of his love for this is both profitable and also comfortable and refreshful Lastly from the connexion observe that there is no time wherein Christ more readily manifests and intimats his love to believers than when their love is most warm to him In the former verse she hath a room provided between her breasts for him and in these words our Lord comes in with a very refreshful salutation to her for though his love go before ours in the rise of it yet he hath ordered it so that the intimation of his love to us should be after the stirring of ours towards him Ioh. 14. 21. In the commendation that he here gives her consider these five particulars 1. The title he gives her my love 2. The commendation it self Thou art fair 3. The note of attention prefixed Behold 4. The repetition of both 5. A particular instance of a piece of that beauty he commends in her 1. The title is a very kindly and sweet one and this makes it lovely that therein he not only intimats but appropriats his love to her allowing her to lay claim thereto as her own my love saith he and it sayes that there can be nothing more cordial and refreshful to believers than Christ's intimating of his love to them and therefore he chooseth this very title for that end The men of the world exceedingly prejudge themselves that they think not more of this and study not to be acquaint with it 2. The commendation that he gives her is Thou art fair If it be asked what this imports we may look upon it these three wayes 1. As it imports an inherent beauty in the Bride 2. As it looks to the cleannesse and beauty of her state as being justified before God and this she hath as being clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ. 3. As it holds forth Christ's loving estimation of her that though there were many spots in her yet he pronounces her fair and lovely because of his delight in her his purpose to make her fair and without spot or wrinckle or any such thing From all which these three truths may be gathered 1. That such as are Christ's or have a title to him are very lovely creatures and cannot but have in them exceeding great lovelinesse because there is to be found with them a work of his grace a new creature and a conversation some way lavelled to the adorning of the Gospel 2. Christ Jesus hath a very great esteem of his Bride and though we cannot conceive of love in him as it is in us yet the expressions used here gives us ground to believe that Christ hath a great esteem of believers how worthlesse so ever they be in themselves Lastly comparing this with vers 5. We may see That believers are never more beautiful in Christ's eyes than when their own spots are most discernable to themselves and oftimes when they are sharpest in censuring themselves he is most ready to absolve and commend them The third thing is the rouzing note of attention which is prefixed and this is here added to the commendation of the Bride for these reasons which may be as observations 1. That he may shew the reality of that beauty that is in believers that it is a very real thing 2. That he may shew the reality of the estimation which he hath of his Bride 3. It imports a desire he had
and a far better to wit a lively and comfortable condition allowed upon thee Christ calls thee to exercise faith in him for recovering of thy case And this now is set down imperatively by way of command that we may know that believing in Christ or keeping communion with him by faith are not left to our option but are laid on by a peremptory command for necessitating us to the exercise of it 1 Ioh. 3. 23. as a thing most acceptable to him with which he cannot be angry nor will he call obedience thereunto presumption 3. When he hath given the invitation he presseth it most seriously and weightily for though it be of our concernment we are not easily induced even to believe O but the world is much mistaken in this that think it an easy matter to believe And also he would have us knowing he allows us the comfortable exercise of faith in him with all his heart if we may speak so when he thus presseth and perswadeth us to it Likewise we may gather that it is no common thing which he exhorts unto when he doth so seriously presse it but it is of most weighty concernment to us There are three wayes he maketh use of to presse it 1. By excellent loving titles my love and fair one which are given here especially to let her know he loved her and thereby to encourage her to follow the call The faith of his love hath no little influence upon our acting faith in particulars on him 2. To shew that he is no rigid nor severe censurer of a discouraged believer no my fair one saith he even when she hath many spots Christ will raise no ill report on his own whatever be their failings 3. He presseth it from the special relation he hath to her my love and my fair one which makes all his words very kindly and shewes an obligation on her by the Covenant-relation that stood between them to be his and to subject her self to his directions according to that word Psal. 45. 10. Hearken O Daugher c. Forget thy fathers house c. And therefore she ought to leave all and cleave to him Christ requires nothing from us but according to the Covenant that tyes us to communion or co-habitation to speak so with Christ and it 's a most binding obligation if this prevail not in pressing us to duty that we are Christ's nothing will prevail It 's no little practick in a believer to be like the relation they stand in to Christ what my love saith he becomes it you to be so strange Rise and come c. Some other thing is allowed to you than to others and some other thing is called for from you than is to be found in the way of others The third way he insisteth to urge this for the call and kindness comes still on his side even when we are in the fault is by most pressing arguments of three sorts The first is vers 11. Rise saith he and come away for there is no hazard now to travel this journey because what might scar you is done away the winter-cold and storm in past and the rain that makes rivers unpassible and journeys dangerous and wearysome therefore it 's Matth. 24. 20. pray that your flight be not in the winter these are over This suppons 1. There was a sharp winter and a bitter rain as it were whereby the way of fellowship with God was unpassible till these were removed the sword as it were standing to keep sinners from Paradise that is the sentence and curse of the broken law and the wrath of God pursuing therefore which was indeed a fearful winter and storm that made the Sun dark and the day gloomy therefore is God's wrath in Scripture compared to terrible blasts and tempests and who can stand before his cold Psal. 147. 17. 2. It sayes that now these are done away by Christ and by his call in the Gospel he assures his people they shall find them fully removed so that there is no wrath nor curse that any who yeelds to it needs to fear 3. It implyes that the Gospel brings good news and there is none better than this that Gods justice is satisfied and his wrath removed 4. It imports that Christ can bear sure testimony to this that wrath is over because he payed a price to remove it and therefore sinners may take his word and follow his call And 5. That believers are sometimes ready to suspect more than they have ground that there is some storm yet before them but Christ hath made all fair-weather ere he call O great argument He calls not to fight but to gather the spoil He puts not believers to the sea till he himself hath made all calm Believers meet with blasts and storms sometimes but readily that is when their back is on Christ and not when their faces are to him-ward The wind of wrath is not in a sinners face that seeketh Jesus but the word â—aith to such fear not Mark 16. 6. ye seek him 2. He presseth her to rise and come from some heartsome incouragements he propons vers 12. There is a great change saith he now when the angry winter is over all things are pleasant and lovely 1. The flowers appear that shews there is heat and warmnesse in the earth and it is an effect of the Spring and a proof that winter is past Hereby the fruits of grace appearing in the change that is wrought upon sinners may be signified as is frequently hinted in this Song where the Church is called a garden and believers are the flowers Come saith he grace hath made others to come through the ground who once were like flowers in the winter under ground but now they appear and flourish 2. The time of singing of birds is come As in the Spring birds sing which in the winter drooped So saith he now many poor sinners have changed their sad note and begin to sing who once were sinking under fears And the good news of the Gospel like the voice of the turtle is heard in our land these good tydings have been sent even to us which is no little evidence of love and no small confirmation to faith That the news of the Gospel and the consolation of sinners thereby is here understood is very agreeable to the scope And these prove the removing of wrath and are incouraging for stirring sinners up to the exercise of faith And O how heartsome and refreshful is the spiritual Spring when the day-spring from on high visits us as these things mentioned in the text are in the natural spring very pleasant and tend to provoke men to go and recreat themselves in the fields And this is the particular scope of this place There is never a sinner hath gotten good of Christ but it proves him to be very kind and the blessed change Christ hath wrought on them should incourage others to believe especially when it is the day of
What the Church is It 's a City wherein there is order and a common-fellowship as hath been said vers 2. 2. The Ministers office is here implyed this City hath watch-men so are Ministers called Ezek. 3. 17. Isa. 62. 6. Heb. 13. 17. Which word imports 1. That the Church is a City in danger having outward and inward enemies and therefore needing watch-men 2. That there is an office of a Ministery appointed in the Church for guarding against and preventing her danger and that some are peculiarly designed and separat from others for that purpose some who may be called watch-men which others cannot be said to be and so they are here distinguished from believers or private persons 3. This office is most necessary burdensome and of great concernment to the safety of the Church as watch-men are to a city for so watch they over the souls of the people committed to their trust Again these watch-men are in the exercise of their duty They went about the city Which shews their diligence according to their trust at least it holds forth the end wherefore they are appointed Obs. There is but one City or Church and all Ministers are watch-men of that one Church given for the edification of that body and they should watch not only for this or that Post to say so but for the safety of the whole as watchmen that stand at their post for the good of the whole City 3. These watch-men found her that is as we conceive by their doctrine they spoke to her condition and by their searching and particular application made the two-edged sword of the Word reach her as if they had discernably pointed her out beyond all the rest of the Congregation Which shews 1. The efficacy of the word when rightly manag'd Heb. 4. 12. It 's a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart 2. That God can make it find out one in the midst of many others when the Minister knows not and can make it speak to a believers case or any other particular persons condition as if he did know and aim at them particularly 3. That Ministers should be searching and differencing in their doctrine as the several conditions and various exercises of hearers require that is they ought to put difference betwixt the precious and the vile and rightly to divide the word of truth or to lay every ones portion to them so as it be not given in grosse or heaped together to all but to every one their own allowance In sum then that which she sayes is this When I had gone abroad saith she in heavinesse to hear if so I might meet with Christ in publick God made some watch-men speak to my condition particularly as if one had acquainted them with it 2. Her improving of this opportunity coming as it were beyond her expectation follows in the next words she cryes out in an abrupt manner Saw ye him she thinks they can help her being acquaint with such cases and therefore she will consult them That is she follows in upon the little experience she had felt of their skill to seek for help from them and for that end to communicat her case to them as it were after Sermon is done or when some convenient time offers Obs. 1. That believers that are serious will let no fit opportunity for meeting with Christ passe they are accurat observers and frugal managers of them all 2. She observes and is glad when a word speaks home to her case and finds her And this is indeed the disposition of a sound and serious believer 3. Ministers would be well acquaint themselves with soul-sicknesse and expert in the various exercises and cases incident to the people of God both in order to the finding out their disease and the cause of it who often can scarce make language of their own condition themselves and also in order to the making suitable applications for the cure of it for this is to have the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season 4. Believers often can say little of their cases but in a broken and confused way which sayes Ministers had need to be the better acquaint with the spiritual cases and exercises of souls that they may understand by half a word what they would say 5. Believers would advert well to whom they communicat their case this would not be done to all 6. Ministers are suitable Physicians though not the sole or only Physician to whom believers would make known their soul-exercises and cases and therefore there should be much spiritual sympathy betwixt their people and them 7. It 's a great incouragement to a distressed soul to impart it's case to a Minister when in his publick doctrine he useth to speak pertinently unto it 8. It 's not unsuitable for exercised souls beside the publick hearing of their Minister to have their particular queries to him in private 9. How Christ shall be obtained is a suitable subject for Ministers and people in their converse together to be mainly taken up with and holy anxiety concerning this is a frame fit for making adresses to Ministers they may indeed come to Ministers with such questions who are much in longing after him 10. There may be much tendernesse in affection and love where there is much weaknesse in knowledge He is the him whom her soul loveth even now when she knows not where he is and the most grown believers may be sometimes brought to this low ebb in their condition for good ends and for demonstrating the usefulness and necessity of publick ordinances even to them 11. An exercised soul prizeth most a Ministery and such spiritual exercises as are here mentioned do cherish their esteem of that ordinance when other debates among a people often do derogat from it's due esteem 12. Ministers would not cast affection nor reject zeal in weak Christians even though these be joyned with some infirmities and may occasion some more trouble to themselves But where sincerity is there would be an overcoming condescendence as to both these and the questions of a tender soul should be by them intertained as having learned at their Master not to break a bruised reed 13. Tender exercised souls usually confine their questions to their own souls case There is no abstract curious query here nor for the fashion proposed nor any needlesse debate about extrinsick things or the faults or practice of others but Saw ye him whom my soul loveth This is the sore upon which she keeps her finger and this is the wound which she keeps bleeding till he bind it up 3. The successe of her meeting with the watchmen and of this query she puts to them though it be not expressed yet it 's implyed in the first words of the next verse which being compared with this holds out two things 1. That she did not presently find an outgate from under her sad case for she behoved to go further 2. It was but a
the works of the Law but by the hearing of Faith Gal. 3. 2. 4. A soul that sincerely loves Christ should not and when in a right frame will not give over seeking Christ till it find him whatever disappointments it meets with and sure such will find him at last 5. Christ found after much search will be very welcome and his presence then will be most discernable 6. Believers would no lesse observe and acknowledge their good successe in the means than their disappointments There are many who often make regrates of their bonds that are deficient in acknowledging Gods goodnesse when they get liberty Next In this verse we have her carriage set down when she hath found him She doth not then lay-by diligence as if all were done but is of new taken up with as great care to retain and improve this mercy as before she was solicitous to attain it Whether a believer want or have whether he be seeking or injoying there is still matter of exercise for him in his condition This her care to retain Christ which is the fourth thing in the first part of this Chapter is laid down in three steps 1. She endeavours to hold him that she again lose not the ground she had gained 2. She seeks to have other members of that same Church getting good of Christ also and these two are in this verse 3. When his presence is brought back to the Church and Ordinances her care is to admonish yea charge that he be entertained well with them lest they should provock him to be gone vers 5. The first step then of her care is I held him and would not let him go as a wife having found her husband whom she much longed-for hangs on him lest he depart again so doth she which is an expression both of her fear love care and faith This holding of Christ and not letting him go imports 1. A holy kind of violence more than ordinary wherewith the Bride strives and wrestles to retain him 2. That Christ as it were waits for the believers consent in this wrestling as he saith to Iacob Gen. 32. 26. I pray let me go which upon the matter seems to say I will not go if thou wilt hold me and have me stay 3. It imports an importunat adhering to him and not consenting upon any terms to quit him And lastly it imports the singular and inexpressible satisfaction she had in him her very life lay in the keeping him still with her and therefore she holds him and cannot think of parting with him Now this presence of Christ being spiritual cannot be understood in a carnal way nor can they be carnal grips that retain him and his power being omnipotent it cannot be the force of a frail creature that prevails but it is here as in Hos. 12. 2 3. In Iacob's prevailing he wept and made supplication that is an humble ardent sueing to him by prayer with a lively exercise of faith on his promises whereby he allows his people to be pressing ingageth him to stay He is tyed by his own love that is in his heart and his faithfulnesse in his promises that he will not withdraw and deny them that for which they make supplication to him more than if he were by their strength prevailed over and overcome as a little weeping child will hold it's mother or nurse not because it is stronger then she but because the mothers bowels so constrains her as she cannot almost though she would leave that child So Christ's bowels earning over a believer are that which here holds him that he cannot go He cannot go because he will not Here we have ground to observe the importunatnesse of sincere love which is such as with a holy wilfulnesse it holds to Christ and will not quit him as Iacob said I will not let thee go 2. We may observe here the power of lively â—aith to which nothing is impossible love and faith will stick to Christ against his own seeming intreaties till they gain their point and will prevail Gen. 32. 28. 3. See here the condescending the wonderful condescending of the Almighty to be held by his own creature to be as it were at their disposal I pray thee let me go Gen. 32. 26. and Exod. 32. 10. Let me alone Moses So long as a believer will not consent to quit Christ so long keeps their â—aith grip of him and he will not offend at this importunity yeâ— he is exceedingly well pleased with it It cannot be told how effectual prayer and faith would be if servent and vigorous The second step of her carriage which is the scope of the former namely of her holding him is in these words till I had brought him to my mothers house to the chambers of her that conceived me By mother in Scripture is understood the visible Church which is even the believers mother Hos. 2. 2. Say to Ammi my people plead with your mother So chap. 1. 6. this mother hath children both after the flesh and after the spirit the former hating the latter And chap. 8. 5. It 's the mother that hath Ordinances for the Brides instruction The Church visible is called the mother because 1. By the immortal seed of the Word the Lord begets believers in his Church to which he is Husband and the Father of these children she the wife and mother that conceives them and brings them up 2. Because of the Covenant-tye that stands betwixt God and the visible Church whereby she may claim right to him as her Husband the Covenant being the marriage-contract betwixt God and the Church which is therefore the ground of the former relation of mother Again Christ is said to be brought into the Church not only when his Ordinances are pure in her which is supposed to be here already for vers 3. there were watchmen doing their duty and dispensing pure Ordinances but when there is life in them the presence and countenance of his Spirit going along with them that they may be powerful for the end appointed as it was one thing to have the Temple the type of his Church and another to have God's presence singularly in it So it 's one thing to have pure Ordinances set up in the Church and another to have Christ's presence filling them with power Now saith she when I got Christ I knew there was many fellow-members of that same Church that had need of him and I was importunate that he might manifest himself in his Ordinances there for their and my good Church-Ordinances are the allowed and ordinary mean of keeping fellowship with Christ and they are all empty when he is not there Obs. 1. That even true believers have the visible Church for their mother and it 's written of them as their priviledge that they were born there Psal. 87. 4 5. 2. Believers should not disclaim the Church in which they are spiritually begotten and born nor their fellow-members therein but reverence her as
the mother that gave them life and carry respectively toward her as such Honour thy father and thy mother being a moral command and the first with promise See Psal. 122. 3 6. 3. When believers get neerest Christ for themselvs it 's then the fit time to deal with him for others especially for the Church whereof they are members It 's Moses only expresse suit Exod. 34. 9. when God admits him to his company in presenting whereof it 's said vers 8. he made haste I pray thee O Lord go amongst us 4. It 's true tendernesse when one is admitted to more neernesse with God than others not to separat from the Church whereof they were members and as it were to carry Christ to their own chamber but to endeavour to have Christ brought also to the Church that what is wanting of life amongst her members or the rest of the children may be made up by his presence 5. They who are tender of their own comfort and of retaining Christ's presence with themselves will be carefull to have others not yet sensible of their need of it nor acquaint with it made partakers thereof also 6. Believers in their serious applications to Christ for the Church whereof they are members may prevail much and have much influence for obtaining his presence there and for the putting of every thing in a better frame for the good of others 7. A kindly member of the Church is brought up ordinarily in that Church and by that mother where they were conceived therefore she goes back to her mothers house for they have breasts to nourish who have a womb to bring â—orth in this respect and yet here were both children that hated her chap. 1. 6. and watch-men that smote her chap. 5. 7. yet to this mothers house she goes In a word this is as a kind spouse living in her mothers house having after long seeking found her husband will be desirous to have him home with her not only for their mutual solace but for the comfort of all the family so do believers living yet in the Church desire to improve their credit and court with Christ for the good of the whole Church that where she was conceived others may be conceived also Where Christ's Ordinances are there ordinarily are children begotten to God and where a Church conceives seed and brings forth to him it 's a token he hath not given her a bill of divorce nor will disclaim her to be his wife so much lesse the children ought not to disclaim her as their mother It 's a shame that many who professe to be children either are not yet conceived or the mother that conceived them is dispised by them It 's strange if the Father will owne such as children who not only cry out against but curse their mother and place a piece of Religion in this Vers. 5. I charge you O ye Daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my Love till he please The third part of her care is in this verse when she hath prevailed with him to give his presence and countenance to her mothers house then she turns to the Daughters of Ierusalem the visible professors and members of the Church charging them that now seing Christ is returned they would be carefull to entertain him well and not to provoke him to withdraw These words were spoken-to in the former Chapter vers 7. where they have the same general scope which is to shew her care of having Christ retained but in this they differ there they look to her particular injoyment of Christ here they look as the scope and connexion with the former words shew to his presence in the Church or her mothers house lest that should by the daughters â—ault be interrupted The first shews a believers care conjâ—ring all as it were that nothing in her might provoke him This shews what should be the Churches care in reference to his visible presence and blessing to say so in his Church Now saith she Christ is amongst you O ye who are of my mothers house beware of putting him away and in this she deals with them as considered in their visible Church-state and relation and not as real believers the charge being to all And therefore in the following verse and chap. 8. 5. The Daughters return an answer which they do not chap. 2. 7. because here she directs her words to the visible professors whereas chap. 2. 7. her scope was only to compose her self seing the presence she injoyed was only to her particular sense Here Obs. 1. As there is more of Christ's sensible presence and also of distance from him in his way with particular believers at one time than at another so is there in respect of his way to his Church sometime he is not in the mothers house sometimes he is 2. As every believer should endeavour to retain Christ in his presence with their own souls so all the members of a visible Church should be careful to prevent his departure from his Ordinances 3. Often it 's with Christ's presence in his Church as it 's with the condition of particular believers in it if they be secure and he away from them then often he is from the mothers house also if they be lively and he with them then he is brought back again to the Church with them 4. As Christ may withdraw if provocked and not entertained from a private believer so will he do from a Church if they hold not fast what they have received and walk not answerably thereto 5. Church-members by their sins have much influence on Christ's removal from amongst them yea sometimes it may come to passe when the body of a Church turn despisers of the Gospel that no intercession of the godly for preventing his departure will prevail even though Noah Daniel and Iob were amongst them Ier. 15. 1. and Ezek. 14. 14. 6. Believers that know the hazard of provocking Christ and what a loss the loss of his presence is would interpose seriously with new unexperienced beginners and give them warning faithfully concerning this their hazard 7. As a believer in respect of the visible Church stands under the relation of a childe to a mother so in respect of visible professors they stand under the relation of brethren and sisters and would keep religious communion with them even as such that being an external duty that lyeth upon them 8. True love to Christ will be affected even with the wrongs that others do to him who is their beloved and will endeavour to prevent his being wronged and provocked as she doth here 9. True love to others will not only put to pray and interceed for them and employ all the court the believer hath with Christ for their good as the Bride did in the former verse but will also manifest it self in giving faithful admonitions advertisements c. And in doing what else may
set forth which is the present scope It therefore must be here understood 3. That work is signified by this Chariot whereby Christ communicats his love to poor sinners and caries them through therefore it 's said to be paved with love for that end Now there is no partaking of special love from Christ but by this Covenant nor was there ever another mean made or appointed for convoying love to them or for bringing them through to the partaking of it but this same Covenant therefore it must be understood 4. All that is spoken of this Chariot as it will be applicable to no other thing so will it well agree to the Covenant of Redemption manifested and preached in the Gospel 1. It may well be compared to a Chariot because by it poor believers are carried through as in a Chariot born up and sustained by it even in the way Yea in it and by it they triumph and ride as in triumph as he in this Gospel rides prosperously and if it be that wherein he rides it must be that wherein they ride also and therefore well compared to a Chariot because both he and they triumph by it 2. It 's eminently and peculiarly Christ's workmanship he made this Covenant for their behoove and entred himself surety undertaking for them when there was none upon their side of the Covenant to undertake but he the Mediator and therefore is he stiled Jesus and Redeemer and it 's by his purchase having procured this unto them that they are admitted to it and carried through in it 3. It 's in a peculiar way contrived and framed for the glory of his grace and the good of his people as hath been said by it is manifested in the Church the manifold wisdom of God and the riches of the grace of Christ If ever a piece of work was made for the good of sinners and the glory of grace this is it without which all the creatures had been uncomfortable yea hurtful to them 4. It may be said to be of the wood of Lebanon that is excellent and durable for so the wood of Lebanon was for which cause it was made use of in building of the Temple and so all the materials of this Covenant and it's properties are excellent and durable it 's an everlasting Covenant that fails not and vanishes not away but endures for ever 5. The form is suitable also He made the pillars thereof saith she of Silver pillars in a piece of work signify 1. Decoring 2. Order-lines 3. Statelinesse for which cause when wisdom builds her house Prov. 9. 1 2. she heweth out seven pillars and Solomon made pillars for the Temple the inscriptions whereof signified their end and use Iachin and Boaz stability and strength 2 Chron. 3. 17. And they are as silver pillars to shew their excellency and so this Covenant hath precious promises as the pillars thereof able to support believers and hath all these so well ordered and contrived that every thing is excellently in it's own place This Covenant is therefore said to be well ordered in all things and sure the pillars will not shrink shake nor bow 2 Sam. 23 5. 6. It hath a bottom and that of Gold A bottom is to shew it's stability and firmnesse to sustain and keep up these who ride in it and Gold shews it solidity and preciousnesse it 's a rich bottom therefore the new Ierusalem is said to have her streets of pure Gold Rev. 21. 22. So this Covenant hath a sure foundation elect and precious this Covenant cannot be unbottom'd and sinners cannot fall through if once in it 7. It hath a covering and that of purple A cover is to preserve and save from any thing that may fall from above and Purple or Scarlet for in Scripture both are one as may be seen Matth. 27. 28. compared with Mark 15. 17. sets out the excellency and efficacy of that cover it 's not of every thing it 's of Purple and this in Scripture was made use of to be dipt in the blood of the Sacrifices Heb. 9. 14. which was called vers 20. the blood of the Covenant typifing the application of Christ's blood This is the cover of the Covenant the worth and efficacy of Christ's satisfaction whereby all in Covenant as it were riding in this Chariot are preserved from the wrath of God and their sins hid and so covered by that blood that they are never called to a reckoning for them Psal. 32. 1 2. Ier. 50. 20. 8. The midst thereof is paved with love What can this be Gold is much but love is more what workman but Christ can make this pavement and what piece of work of his but the Covenant of Redemption is so lined and stuffed with love The midst thereof is the inward of it as great men in their Chariots and Coaches have their pillows and cushions of Velvets c. to repose them But here there is a far other thing to repose and rest upon love lines all this Chariot so that there is none in the Covenant but love is still next them the Word speaks good to them and all the Promises run like pipes with streams of love to them God's dispensations toward them breath out love they walk on love sit on love rest on love it must be good to be here And love is reserved for the midst of it to shew that though it's excellency and beauty may some-way shine and glister to these that are without yet none knows or can know the heart and bowels of the Covenant to say so and the love that is there but these that are within 2. Love is put over the bottom of Gold and made the pavement 1. Because love in this Covenant condescends lowest to us and there can be no lower stooping imaginable than that to which the love of Christ hath made him bow 2. It 's love that makes the riches of Christ applicable to us we could not walk on that Gold if love paved it not the freedom of his grace and love makes all refreshful the believer even though a sinner may ride and rest here 3. It 's to hearten a sinner to come in and close with this Covenant and it shews what fits it to be a Chariot for them to ride in it 's the pavement of love a sinner may leap here there is no hazard to fall or if he fall he falls soft for it 's upon love There will be no rejecting of a sinner that would enter and fit down in it why they are to fit stand and lye on love which will cover their infirmities and not contend otherwise there would be no accesse to it nor abiding in it it would cast them out Thus doth grace shine in the Covenant as the lineing and inside of all the promises when they are seen therefore is it peculiarly called the Covenant of grace 9. It 's for the daughters of Ierusalem all the work is for them but especially the pavement
It 's as the putting of crown on his head when they make use of his grace as he accounts it the greatest dishonour can be done to him to refuse and slight him and therefore misbelief when Christ calls is a most hainous sin it is as it were the taking of Christ's crown from him 7. There is no such pleasure that a sinner can do to Christ as to believe on him and Christ is ever chearful then when sinners are thronging on him by faith and he is never discontent with that for that is the day of the gladnesse of his heart as other dayes in the Church are sad when this design of his is as it were obstructed and disappointed 8. Usually the sight and sense of Christ's grace are most fresh and sensible to the soul about the time of their closing with Christ or of their being clear that they have closed with him 9. Every lazy looking on Christ or wishing for him will not be acceptable to him nor solidly comfort a sinner but there must be a going forth and a beholding of him 10. This being spoken to the daughters of Zion saith many may have much of a profession and a name yea they may have a kind of high esteem of gracious people as the daughters had vers 6. and yet be such as have not rightly taken up Christ but are exceeding ignorant of him as these are Chap. 5. 9. 11. Considering these words as spoken by the Bride who was so much commended vers 6. we may observe that no particular esteem or commendation will satisfie a sincere believer so long as Christ gets not his due his honour will still be neerer them than their own CHAP. IV. CHRIST Vers. 1. Behold thou art fair my love behold thou art fair thou hast Doves eyes within thy locks thy hair is as a flock of Goats that appear from mount Gilead THat these are Christ's words spoken to the Bride is at the first clear He continues speaking from the beginning unto vers 16. and then vers 16. the Bride speaks by prayer to him for the influences and breathings of the Spirit In Christ's speech there are two parts the first to the eight verse wherein he gives both a general and particular commendation of the Bride The second from that foreward to the last verse wherein he begins with a sweet invitation and then shews how he was affected towards her and so breaks out in another commendation of her The matter in both is sweet and comfortable wonderful to be spoken by such a one as Christ of such a one as a believer but there is nothing in his love but what is wonderful and like himself The scope of the first part of Christ's speech is twofold 1. More general to intimate his love to his Bride on the back of so much darknesse Chap. 3. 1. 2. in the midst of which notwithstanding her love did appear in her commending him and it 's subjoined to the commendation that she gives of him to others in the preceeding Chapter to shew 1. That when believers slight their own esteem to have it accreassing to Christ's commendation it 's never losse but gain to them for here Christ comes in to commend her himself whereas it was but the daughters of Ierusalem who commended her Chap. 3. 6. 2. It shews that time taken and pains bestowed for the edification of others and their instruction in the excellency of Christ is acceptable to him and proves often useful for attaining sensible fellowship with him yea it proves often to be some way as useful in reference to this as their own particular praying for themselves the Lord doth so return their pains taken this way in their bosome That to commend the Bride is the scope in general is clear from vers 7. More particularly we take the scope to be his giving her an answer to her prayer chap. 2. 17. where she prayed for his fellowship untill the day break c. Here he doth not only materially answer but vers 6. formally repeats her words that she may know what he speaks is a direct answer to her prayer untill that day come saith he it shall be so as thou desires as the words will make it clear Shewing 1. That a believers prayers may for a time lye beside Christ as it were and yet he not forget a word of them but mind well the answer and performance of them 2. That sometimes he will not only give what is sought by his people but make them know that he respects their prayer in the giving of it and so he not only hears their prayers but lets them know he hath heard them This commendation whereby he intimats his respect to her hath four steps 1. It 's done in general vers 1. Then 2. He insists on particulars from vers 1. to vers 6. 3. He shews how his respect to her affected him vers 6. 4. He sums all particulars up in an universal commendation vers 7. lest any thing should be missed or being left out might vex her whereby he shews what was his scope in that which preceeded The general commendation in the beginning of vers 1. is the same that was given her Chap. 1. 15. yet here it 's repeated with the two beholds The reasons why he repeats it are 1. That Christ might evidence to her the reality of his love and that he varies not nor changes in it even though sits of security on her side had interveened Chap. 3. 1. Christ's love and thoughts to his people are still the same whatever changes be upon their frame and way which may occasion sad changes in his dispensations towards them 2. That she might the more be perswaded of his love to her and esteem of her Christ would have his own throughly perswaded that he loves them 1. Ioh. 4. 16. and would have others to know that he respects them more than the most mighty in the world 3. It 's because often believers from all other hands whether the men of the world or from themselves have but little comfort therefore Christ renewes his intimations to support and comfort them Believers consolation hangs most on his kindnesse to them and they who depend most on it are no losers And further We may here observe that even a believer especially after sad challenges will need renewed intimations of Christ's love The more particular explication and commendation of her parts follows where we would advert 1. That bodily members or parts are not to be here looked unto but believers have a inner-man as well as an outward a new man as well as an old and so that inner-man hath as it were distinct parts and members as the natural body hath which act in reference thereto with some analogy to these members in the natural body 2. As the new or inner-man sets forth the new natural and habitual grace in the believer so the particular parts eyes lips c. signifie distinct graces of faith love
c. which are parts of that new nature 3. These parts may be looked on as useful in the new man as the external members are in the body or as they are evidences of something in the renewed disposition 4. They set forth the disposition as they are qualified in the commendation and not simply 5. Although we cannot satisfie our own or others curiosity in the particular application of these parts yet there is a particular meaning of every several part here attributed to her as well as of every part attributed to him Chap. 5. 11 12 c. and he giveth no idle words nor useth any vain repetitions We would therefore beware of thinking all this needless seing he knoweth best what is needful 6. Being clear of the scope that it is to commend graces and to evidence the beauty of her several graces we must regulatall the application by that scope and what is subservient thereto cannot be impertinent Yet 7. There is much need of sobriety here therefore we shall be short and not peremptory in particular applications 8. There being a connexion amongst all the graces of the Spirit it must not be thought absurd that some of these graces be signified twice in different respects and that one part respect moe graces which are neerly linked especially when the commendation gives ground to infer it 9. We take this commendation to set forth especially the invisible Church or true believers which are the members thereof as the scope and application do clear If it be asked why he insists on particulars in this commendation I answer for these reasons 1. That he may shew that whoever hath the new nature and a lively work of grace hath also particular graces in exercise 2. That it may be known that the new nature is not a dead body but a living and exerciseth it self by putting forth these particular graces in exercise 3. That he may shew that where ever one grace is all are there and as it 's ordinarily with one grace so it 's with all where believers are in a good and commendable case it will not be one grace or two that will be in exercise or one duty or two in which these graces are exercised but it will be universally all graces and in all known duties 4. To shew who may expect Christ's commendation these who have a respect to all his commands and make conscience to exercise all graces 5. To shew what particular notice he takes of believers graces he can tell how it is with every one of them and takes this exact notice of them because it 's very acceptable to him when he finds them in good case There are seven parts particularly mentioned every one having it's own distinct commendation The first two of them are in the rest of vers 1. The first thing commended is her eyes which here have a twofold commendation 1. That they are as Doves eyes 2. That they are within her locks Eyes are the organs of seeing in the natural body whereby we discern objects that are visible and so our understandings are thereby set forth in Scripture That the eyes of your understanding may be inlightened saith the Apostle Eph. 1. 18. By eyes also the affections are set forth because the affection sets the eye on work to look here or there Hence is the phrase of a single and evil eye Matth. 6. 21 23. and because it 's some way the seat of these and somewhat of love or hatred will be and may be gathered from the eye Here we understand 1. A spiritual sanctified and inlightened understanding in the things of God taking up Christ and spiritual things spiritually 1 Cor. 2. 15. that is by faith it being the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. And therefore looking is frequently put for believing in Scripture which presupposeth understanding 2. Kindlinesse or a spiritual kindly and affectionat carriage to Christ in a word it is the exercise of love upon this spiritual and wonderfully excellent object Christ a having respect to him as it 's Isa. 17. 7. his eyes shall have respect to his Maker it 's such an uptaking of Christ and spiritual things as works love and delight in them The commendation will confirm this which is twofold 1. They are doves eyes This was opened Chap. 1. 15. and it signifieth 1. What is the great object they behold and are taken up with it is Christ and they are chast to him and seek to know no other at all but hâ—â—â— Cor. 2. 2. 2. It imports that the act of faith whereby they behold him is simple single and sweet their understanding is not subtile nor politick nor are they pust up with it but it 's taken up in studying Christ and him crucified opposite to the vain wisdom of the world 1 Cor. 2. 1 2. 2. These eyes are within her loâ—ks Locks are that part of the hair that hang about the face handsomly knit and was then in stead of a vail to women 1 Cor. 11. 7. and so the word in the Hebrew will bear and it 's differenced from that word translated hair in the words following which is that part of the hair that covers the head It implyes here that the believers knowledge is not used for frothy ostentation as the knowledge that puffs up but is kept within it's right bounds and that they are wise unto sobriety and that their knowledge is not at the first obvious but seasonably vents it self and looks out as eyes that are within the locks These things are sure and may be observed from the words 1. That a believer should be filled with spiritual knowledge and understanding 2. Knowledge is no lesse necessary to a believer that he may go right in the way of God and not erre than eyes are to guide a maâ— in a journey and this necessity extends both to faith â—nd practice 3. A believer without knowledge or weak in knowledge is very far defective in spiritual beauty he is as a man without eyes it 's not decent that a believer should be so from this it is that many are called weak in faith 4. That knowledge of spiritual things should ever have faith love and singlenesse going alongst in the exercise thereof for every knowledge will not be commendable to Christ more than every eye will be useful in a body Believers eyes must be as doves eyes 5. A believers eyes or knowledge is different from the knowledge of all others 1. In respect of it's object which is Christ and spiritual things 2. In that it 's joyned with love it respects him 3. In that it 's chast keeping the soul for him alone 4. It works delight in him 5. It 's denyed to other things Obs. 6. Often the most subtile in worldly wisdom knows least of Christ truely whereas the most simple that have doves eyes take up most of him 7. Christ respects not how much a man knows but how he is affected with it It
them with shields because it provides them out of Christ's fulnesse which is contained in the promises which promises or rather Christ in them being made use of by â—aith are for a believers security against challenges tentations discouragements c. as so many excellent shields Therefore Eph. 6. 16. it 's called the shield of faith and for their safety it is commended above all the rest of the spiritual armour And this being the believers great defence and specially tending to their commendation when it is in lively exercise this similitude cannot be so well applyed to any other thing Obs. 1. Faith in exercise is a notable defence to a believer against all assaults and temptations there is no such shield as â—aith is every promise and every attribute in God is as a shield to these that exercise this grace of saith thereupon 2. Faith exercised on these is exceedingly well pleasing to Jesus Christ. 3. That all believers have their arms out of one armory there is but one store-house for them all to wit faith acting on Christ's fulnesse 4. Faith will never want a buckler there is a thousand laid up in a magâ—zin for the believers use 5. He is the most mighty and valiant man who is most in the exercise and use-making of faith 6. Faith is the grace that makes a man valiant and victorious as all the cloud of witnesses Heb. 11. proves Again if we consider the neck as it 's commended here as being like a tower for uprightnesse and straightnesse it signifies a quiet serene mind and a confident boldnesse in doing and suffering in which sense it 's opposit to hanging of the head which speaks discouragement And as a stretched out 〈◊〉 in a carnal sense Isa. 3. 16. signifies haughtinesse and pride so here in a holy and spiritual sense it implyes châ—â—rfulnesse of heart and confident holy boldnesse which proceeds from the spirit of adoption and this waits upon and follows after the exercise of faith being fixed and stayed upon the Lord and his word against all events Psal. 112. 6. Bold in duties and valorous in sufferings and in undergoing any difficulties So then this is no small commendation whiâ—h Christ gives his Bride and it is well consistent with that holy blushing shâ—mefastnesse and sobriety for which she was commended in the former verse Vers. 5. Thy breasts are like two young Roes that are twins which feed among the Lilies The seventh and last part that is commended in the Bride is her two breasts or paps For clearing of this similitude we are to consider 1. That the breasts in nature are a part of the comelinesse of the body Ezek. 16. 7. 2. They are useful to give suck and food to others 3. They signifie warmnesse of affection and lovingnesse as Prov. 5. 19. let her breasts alwayes satisfie thee and Chap. 1. 13. the Bride expressing her affection to Christ saith he shall lye all night between my breasts and so the wise of the bosome is the chast and beloved spouse And thus Christ is called the Son of God's love or of his bosome For this cause we conceive these things are here understood 1. A believers fitnesse to edifie others and that believers are in a condition suitable to a married wife or mother that brings forth children and hath breasts to nurse them and so to have no breasts Chap. 8. 8. is opposed to this a believer is as it were a nurse with breasts fitted to edifie others 2. That believers being in case to be useful to others for their edification is a special ornament to their profession And the third thing that is here understood is believers warmlinesse and kindlinesse to Christ and these that are his taking him and them as it were in their bosome the believer hath warm affections to receive them into And two breasts are mentioned to shew there is no defect as to the extent but both her breasts are in good case and alwayes ready in love to communicat their furniture for others edification The commendation is in two steps each whereof is qualified for the further inlarging of the commendation The 1. is They are like two Râ—es that are lovely and kindly Prov. 5. 17. often mentioned before and like young Roes because these are most lovely and suit best to be a similitude to set â—orth the comelinesse of that part of the body they are like young Roes not too big for when breasts are too big it 's a deformity And so when private edification exceeds it's true bounds it 's not approvable or lovely And these Roes to which her breasts are compared are twins Which shews an equality and proportionablenesse in their love to God and to others giving each of these their own place and keeping their love to creatures in the right subordination and also their communicating their love to others in admonitions and rebukes c. equally keeping a proportionablenesse in all The second part of the commendation is they feed among the Lilies As Roes would not maintain their pleasantnesse long if they did not feed yea if the pasture were not good So these must needs be pleasant and useful because they feed and that not in a wildernesse but amongst the lilies Which shews that believer in fitting and furnishing themselves that they may be forthcoming for others edification do not neglect their own advantage and edification but feed on good pasture whereby they are yet more fitted for being useful to others By feeding in this Song is understood 1. To be present in such a place as Chap. 2. 16. 2. To make use of that which is food for the intertaining of life 3. To delight in a thing for satisfying of the affections Next by the Brides breasts being like Roes that feed amongst the Lilies three things may be understood 1. As this expression respects Christ's feeding so to speak for he is said to feed amongst the Lilies Chap. 2. 16. and so it sayes that the believer loves to feed in Christ's company and where he is And 2. That this makes believers breasts run to others when they are much with him and in his company 2. As it respects believers who are called Lilies Chap. 2. 16. and 6. 2. And so it sayes 1. That all believers have one pasture they feed together as a flock doth 2. That one believer loves and delights in the company of another they are the excellent and the lilies of the earth their delight is with them And 3. That this helps a believers growth and fits him to be usefull for others edification and to improve well the spiritual fellowship of other believers 3. As it respects Christ himself who is called a lilie Chap. 2. 1. and his lips are said to be like lilies droping c. Chap. 5. 13. Whereby is holden out his Word Promises Ordinances c. And so it sayes 1. That Christ and his word is the great and main â—ood upon which believers â—eed that is their
therefore is there here a particular repetition of the term which had been mentioned Chap. 2. 17. 6. He would by this repetition also expresse that some way he longs for that day of the consummation of the marriage as well as she doth and that he would gladly have all shadows gone betwixt him and her which serves much to confirm her in the faith of it and comfort her till it come Vers. 7. Thou art all fair my love there is no spot in thee This verse contains the last piece of the commendation which Christ gives to his Bride and it is the scope of all whereby having spoken of some particular parts he now sums up all in a general 1. Positively exprest Thou art all fair my love Then 2. Negatively There is no spot in thee The reason why thus in a general he closes up her commendation is to shew that his forbearing the enumeration of the rest of her parts â—s not because of any defect that was in her or that his touching of some particulars was to commend these parts only but to shew this in general that all of her parts as well not named as named were lovely This universal commendation is not to be understood in a popish sense as if she had had no sin for that will not agree with other expresse Scriptures nor with this Song where she records her own faults as Chap. 1. 6. and 3. 1. and 5. 2 3. And also this commendation agrees to all believers who yet â—â—cknowledged by themselves not to be perfect Neither is it to be taken in an Antinomian sense as if their sins and failings were noâ— sins to them and did not pollute them for 1. That is not consistent with the nature of sin Nor 2. With the Brides regrates and confessions in this Song Nor 3. With the present scope which is to shew the Brides beauty And he doth thus highly commend her beauty not because her sins were not sins in her as they were in others but because her graces were more lovely which were not to be found in others Hence the particular parts of the new creature or inherent holinesse are insisted on for proof of this Further this commendation did agree to believers before Christ came in the flesh And this love-assertion thou art all fair holds true of the Bride in these four respects 1. In respect of Justification and absolution she is clean though needing washing in other respects Ioh. 13. Ye are clean by the word that I have 〈◊〉 yet they needed to have their â—eet washen Thus a believer is in a justified state and legally clean and fair so as there is no sin imputed to him or to be found in him to condemn him because the Lord hath pardoned them Ier. 50. 20. 2. It 's true in respect of Sanctification and inherent holinesse they are all fair that is they are wholly renewed there is no part but it is beautiful in respect of God's grace though in degree it be not perfect Thus where grace is true it 's extended through the whole man and makes an universal change 3. It 's true in respect of Christ's acceptation and so where there is sincerity in the manner he over-looks and passeth by many spots thus thou art all fair that is in my account thou art so I reckon not thy spots but esteem of thee as if thou had no spot Christ is no severe interpreter of his peoples actions and where there is honesty and no spots inconsistent with the state of children Deut. 32. 2. he will reckon of them as if there were none at all 4. It 's true of Christ's Bride that she is all fair in respect of Christ's design He will make her at last without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Eph. 5. 25 c. And because of the certainty of it it 's applyed to her now as being already entered in the possession thereof in her Head in whom she is set in heavenly-places Hence we may see 1. The honest believer ere all be done will be made fully fair and without spot 2. Christ often expounds an honest believer from his 〈◊〉 of heart-purpose and design in which respect they get many titles otherwise unsuitable to their present condition and believers themselves may someway reckon so also If all were put together it were a great matter for a believer to conceive and apprehend these words as spoken to him in particular from Christ's mouth thou even thou art fair And without this they will want their lustre for certainly Christ speaks so upon the matter to some and he allowes that they should believe that he speaks so unto them Vers. 8. Come with me from Lebanon my Spouse with me from Lebanon Look from the top of Amana from the top of Shenir and Hermon from the Lions dens from the mountains of the Leopards From this 8. vers to vers 16. follows a second way how the Bridegroom manifests his love to his Bride in other three steps 1. He gives her a kind invitation and call vers 8. 2. He sheweth her how he was taken with her love and in a manner could not want the injoyment thereof vers 9 10. 3. Upon this occasion he proceeds to a new commendation of her And all of these are wonderful being considered as spoken by him The invitation in this 8. vers beside the title 〈◊〉 gives her which we take in as a motive hath three parts 1. The state wherein the Bride was is set down and this is contained in the term from which she is called 2. The duty laid oâ— included in the term to which she is called 3. The motives preâ—â—â—g and perswading her to give obedience thereto First The term from which she is called gets diverse names 1. Lebanon 2. Amana 3. Shenir and Hermon 4. The Lions dens and mountains of Leopards which are added for explication of the former Lebanon is a â—ill often mentioned in Scripture excellent for beauty and therefore Christ's countenance is compared Chap. 5. 5. to it Moses desired to see the goodly Lebanon Deut. 3. 25. It was profitable for Cedar-wood and sweet in smell by the flowers that grew on it vers 11. and Hos. 14. 6. It was on the north-side of Canaan a stately place Isa. 35. 1. Therefore Solomon built his dwelling for pleasure there in the forrest of Lebanon as some conceive though others think it was built at Ierusalem and gets the name of the forrest of Lebanon for the pleasantnesse thereof As for Amana we read not of it except it be that which is mentioned 2 King 5. 12. called Abana but on the margent Amana It 's like that river there spoken of flowed from it which being pleasant and stately is preferred by Naaman to Iordan in which the Prophet appointed him to wash Next Shenir and Hermon were two hills or two tops of one hill mentioned Deut. 3. 9. beyond Iordan pleasant and fertile and from which they might see
backed with power will reach the securest heart and affect it 5. That believers will discern Christ's voice and call when their condition is very low 6. It will be refreshful to them to have him knocking she looks on it as a kindly thing even to have his knock bearing-in convictions challenges or somewhat else on her though it please not her flesh yet in as far as she is renewed it will be the voice of her Beloved to her 7. Christ hath a way of following his own even when they are become secure and sometimes then will make his call challenges or convictions pursue more hotly and pressingly than at other times 8. When Christ knocketh and presseth hardest it 's for our own good and it 's a token of love in him to do so for there is nothing more deplorable than when he faith to one under indisposition and in an evil case let him alone 9. When Christ calls by his Word it is then our duty to open to him and to receive him and this can no more be slighted without sin than prayer mortification and other commanded duties can be neglected or slighted without sin 10. Christ may call very pressingly and his Word may have some work on the conscience and affections of hearers and they be some-way affected with it and yet the Word be rejected and the heart not made open to Christ as here she sleeps still notwithstanding and the following verse confirms it 11. There are some operations of the Spirit which though they be more than a common work on the generality of hearers yet are not saving and may be and often are even by believers frustrate for a time and by others for ever for this knocking gets a refusal vers 3. So deceiving beguiling and dangerous are common motions to rest on when the finger of gracious Omnipotency is not applyed as vers 4. 12. Christ's design when he knocks fastest is friendly and yet it sometimes sayeth things are not right This is the end of all his knocking and speaking to a people and then it is plainest when he speaks most powerfully 2. The way how Christ presseth this is 1. By shewing who he was it 's me open to me There can be no greater commendation given to Christ nor weightier argument used for him than to make it known that it 's he the Husband Lord c. whos 's the house is and to whom entry by right from the wife ought to be given 2. By giving her loving titles and claiming her as his in many relations as my sister love dove and which was not mentioned before undefiled is added that is my perfect one or upright sincere one as it is often rendered These titles given now and so many at once shew 1. That believers when secure have very much need of the Spirit to rouze and stir them up Souls are not easily perswaded to receive Christ. 2. There is wonderfull love in Christ that condescends so to intreat his people when in such a secure case even then he changes not her name no more than if all things were in good case for our relation to him depends not on our case 3. Christ will sometimes very lovingly deal even with secure souls in his way for obtaining entry and perswading them to open to him and sometimes will apply the most refreshful Gospel-offers and invitations and use the most kindly compellations for that end 4. Christ sometimes will overlook the lazy distempers of his people and not alwayes chide with them for these but give them their wonted stiles notwithstanding 5. The kind dealing of Christ to his people will ever prove love to be on his side but will not alwayes prove that the persons so dealt with are presently in a good condition for he may accept their persons and speak comfortably as to their state although he approve not their present condition as here 6. We may see that Christ's love is not founded on our merit nor is up and down according to our variable disposition but he prevents both in his dealing with his people These titles being made use of as a motive to answer his call and to open to him shew 1. That the perswasion of Christ's love in souls is a main thing to make way for their entertaining of him 2. That it is a shame for a believer so beloved of Christ to hold him without at the door when he knocketh to be in Grace would make a heart to blush and in a manner look it out of countenance that would refuse his kindnesse The third and great argument is for my head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night Very shame might prevail with the wife when the Husband useth such an argument as this It 's even as if a husband standing long without doors in a tempestuous night should use this motive with his wife to perswade her to let him in it will be very prejudicial and hurtful to my health if thou open not unto me for I have stood long without This may no doubt be presumed to be a very strong and prevalent argument with a loving wife yet it gets but a poor and very unsuitable answer from the Bride By dew drops and night-time are understood afflictions external crosses and lownesse So Daniel 4. that King is said to be wet with the dew of heaven in his low condition as having no house to shelter himself in but being obnoxious to all changes and injuries of weather and Iacob mentions it as a part of the toilsome labour that he had with Laban I did endure the heat of the Sun in the day and the cold in the night that is he was ever watchful and spared not himself for the hurt of either day or night Here Christ's spiritual sufferings also may come in whereby he made himself obnoxious to the Fathers wrath and curse that he might have accesse to communion with his people and the account that he hath of being kept out by his people as a new piece of his suffering or as a painful reviving of the remembrance of his old sufferings The scope is to shew that as a kindly husband will so deal with a beloved wife and expect to prevail being put to this strait so doth Christ with his people being no lesse desirous of a room in their hearts and being as much troubled by their unbelief as any man is when put to stand in the cold night under dew and rain at his own door This way of arguing saith 1. That the believer as such loves and respects Christ and would not have him suffering as a kind wise would be loath to hazard her husbands health 2. That Christ expounds her so even when she is lazy and keeps him out otherwise this argument would be of no force nor would he have used it He will see much evil to speak so ere he notice it in a believer and is not suspicious even when occasions are given 3.
I have washed my feet washing the feet fitted and prepared for rest mens feet in these countries being by walking bare-footed someway stiffened beaten and bruised which by washing were eased and refreshed as we may see Gen. 18. 19. in Abraham and Lots carriage to the Angels supposing them to be men So here it is I have fitted and composed my self for rest as being wearied with the painfulnesse of holy duties and now she cannot endure to stir her self toward these as if that would again defile her In 〈◊〉 reasoning there are these faults 1. That she doth at all offer to debate a clear duty this makes way for the snare 2. That she interprets the study of holinesse and communion with Christ to be a trouble and carnal security to be an ease There will be strange misrepresentations sometimes both of our faults and failings and of Christ's worth and excellency which have much influence on our deadnesse and sinful distempers 3. She makes one sinful action the cause of her continuance in another There is often a connexion amongst â—ins and one draws on another the premisses that the flesh layes down as principles will still bear conclusions like themselves It 's unsound and unsafe reasoning from these 4. That which should stir and perswade her to rise to wit that she was not right she makes a motive of it to strengthen her self in her lazy inclination to lye still Carnal sense draws conclusions most unreasonable in every thing and tends still to foster it self whereas faith and tendernesse would reason the quite contrary 5. She puts too honest a name upon her security and calleth it the washing of her feet which was indeed the polluting of them Fairding and plaistering over our own evils is a great fostering of security yet too common as to call unbelief humility presumption faith security peace c. We give to sin the name of vertue and then without a challenge maintain it which is a degree of putting darknesse for light and bitter for sweet and a sort of calling evil good which brings under the hazard of the pronounced wo Isa. 5. 20. 6. She fails here that she expects more ease in lying still than in opening to Christ whereas it is but the flesh that is troubled at Christ's presence but solid satisfaction is only to be had in his company Flesh hath ever secret fears of Christ's company as if it were intollerable irksome and troublesome to be a Christian in earnest and these whisperings and wicked suggestions of the flesh may have sometimes too much weight with a believer 7. She mistakes Christ's word which pressed that he might be admitted who was a most loving husband and had suffered so much in waiting for entry but she states the matter otherwayes if she that was at ease should trouble her self that so the shift might seem reasonable Though Christ be not directly and down-right refused and the heart dar not under convictions adventure on that yet by opposing respect to our selves to him and by shifting to open to him when he knocks many are guilty upon the matter of refusing and slighting Christ himself when they think they slight not him but would only shun something that is troublesome to themselves These words are not so to be looked on as if explicitly believers would so argue but that in their lazy and drousie spiritual distempers there is such arguing on the matter and such or such like shifts prevails often to make them keep out Christ when directly they dar not refuse him which doth evidence the power and subtility of corruption even in a believer and the greatnesse of the love of Christ that passeth it by If it should be asked Why is this sinful distemper of hers registrat and put upon record Why say 1. For her own good It 's profitable for believers to mind and record their miscarriages to Christ as well as his kind dealings with them 2. It 's for the honour of the Bridegroom whose love appears and shines most brightly when it is set for-against her miscarriage believers would acknowledge their infirmities and failings as well as their mercies and graces when it may make to the Bridegrooms commendation 3. It 's for the edification of others often one believers infirmities through Gods blessing may prove edifying to others for making them watchful and bidding them stand and sustaining of them when fallen The infirmities of Iob under his fore tryals have strengthened many as his patience hath convinced them In sum this reasoning is indirect and frivolous shewing in the general 1. That men incline to cover their secret misregard of Christ as if it were rather tendernesse to themselves than indiscreet disrespect to him yet he expounds it so as Mat. 22. 5. when they alledge it as a necessary excuse that they behoved to wait on their farm and merchandise he interprets it they made light of the invitation to the marriage of the Kings Son 2. It shewes that the shifts whereby men put back Christ are exceeding frivolous there can be no strong nor relevant reason alledged for our slighting Christ and for our ruining our selves in slighting of him in the offers of his grace in the Gospel although corrupt nature exercise and rack it's invention to find out reasons to plead our excuse yet when such reasonings are examined they will not abide the tryal 3. That when mens hearts are in a declining frame very trivial and weightlesse arguments will prevail to make them keep out Christ and for as trivial as they are they would prevail even with believers did not grace refute them and make way for his entry into the soul. Vers. 4. My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him There follow in this fourth verse a second step of Christ's carriage with the effects of it He gives not over but puts in his finger and powerfully makes application to her by a saving work of the Spirit upon her heart which hath the desired and designed effect following upon it she riseth and openeth In this we have 1. The mean applyed and made use of 2. The manner of application for that the worker is the Beloved himself is clear The mean in his hand which in Scripture signifieth three things when attributed to God 1. His Omnipotency whereby he doth what he pleaseth Exod. 15. 6. Thy right hand O Lord is become glorious in power And Exod. 8. 19. it 's said This is the finger of God that is his power 2. It 's taken for the Spirit or the common operations of the Spirit whereby miracles beyond the power of man are wrought as by comparing Matth. 12. 28. with Luke 11. 20. will be clear 3. It 's taken for the saving work of the Spirit applyed for the working of faith in the elect at the first or renewing and confirming of it afterward in believers as Acts 11. 21. The hand of the Lord was with them
either severally or jointly such as is the turning of the bowels Hos. 11. and the troubling of the bowels Jer. 31. 18 19 20. It 's even such as is kindly sympathy with persons that are dearly beloved when any sad change befalls them It 's called the yerning of the bowels spoken of that mother 1 King 3. 26. who was so affected towards her child out of love to him that she had rather quite him to the other woman that was not his mother than see him divided her bowels were so hot towards him another thing than was in any on-looker It 's the same word here which shews that this motion of the Brides bowels proceeded from love to Christ and from sorrow for wronging of him which two jumbled her within and pierced and stounded her to the heart as a kindly parent useth to be for the death or distresse of his only child which is the character of true repentance Zech. 12. 10 11. 3. For him holds out 1. The procuring-cause of this trouble that it was for wronging of Christ and the slighting of so kind an husband and friend that that stounded her at the heart above all as Zech. 12. 10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced and mourn for him 2. It holds forth the final cause wherefore she was so stirred and moved It was for him that is that she might injoy him as the word is Hos. 7. 14. They assemble themselves for corn and wine that is to obtain them So her bowels were moved for or after him to obtain and injoy him And thus sense of the wrong done to him in her by-past unkindly carriage to him and desire to recover him again so affects her as if it were the pangs of a travelling woman till Christ be again formed in her heart Obs. 1. The first work of the Spirit is by powerful convictions to beget evangelick repentance in the heart and to make the soul sensible of by-past failings Act. 2. 37. This although it be not in time before faith nor in nature for seing it proceeds from love it supposeth faith yet it 's the first sensible effect that sinners surprised in a sinful condition are touched with and it 's never separat from but alwayes joined with the exercise of faith Zech. 12. 10. 2. This work of repentance is necessary to be renewed even in believers after their failings and it is the way by which they recover Christ's Bride is thus affected and it becomes them well who have sin to be deeply moved and afflicted with the sense of it 3. Where most love to Christ is and where most sincerity hath been when a wakening comes it will be the more sensible and affect the heart the more throughly Particularly we may gather hence these properties of true repentance or godly sorrow 1. Godly sorrow is no fruit of nature but is a work and effect of the Spirit of Christ and a peculiar saving grace beyond common conviction and a believer is not the worker of it in himself 2. This sorrow consists most in the inward pangs and stings of the heart wherein love to Christ and indignation against our selves for wronging of him strugle and put all within in a stir 3. True repentance is different from and beyond convictions and challenges which the Bride had before when this was wanting in her and makes another kind of impression and a more sensible touch upon the heart and inward bowels I say not that it 's alway terrible for that is accidental to it but sensible it is 4. Though this godly sorrow affect the heart deeply yet doth it work kindly sweetly and affectionatly as a mothers affection warms to her child or as a man is troubled for his first-born Love hath a main influence upon and goeth alongst in this godly sorrow both in the rise of it love kindles this heart-indignation and also in the exercise of it love to Christ keeps it lively and in the manner how it vents it self it makes it a kindly and no torturing or terrible exercise 5. Nothing more affects a kindly repenting heart truly touched with godly sorrow than that it should have sinned against Christ It 's own hazard is not the predominant cause of this sorrow she is clear of her interest still nor is it any sad event that might follow which so affects her though she was not senselesse as to these but it is for him and his cause and not her own that she is thus moved The Spirits conviction Ioh. 16. 8. is because they believe not on me 6. Considering the words with what follows I rose c. and comparing them with what went before Observe That true repentance brings forth alwayes a change in a believers carriage to the better in those things by which Christ their Beloved was formerly provocked and it doth stir up to universal activenesse in the study of holinesse This makes her arise from the lazinesse in which she formerly was 7. Consider that she rests not till first she open to Christ and thereafter obtain his presence which sheweth that where true repentance is the soul will never sit down on challenges convictions or making a-mends in the conversation or any thing in self but it will be restlesse until by faith it close with Christ yea it will be pressing after the intimation of his favour on the back of any peace attained in closing with him as David doth Psal. 51. Vers. 5. I rose up to open to my Beloved and my hands dropped with Myrrhe and my fingers with sweet smelling Myrrhe upon the handles of the lock There are two steps of her carriage or effects of the Spirit 's work vers 5. The first is her bowels being thus stirred and moved she ariseth to open as being sorry she had lyen still and shifted him so long I rose up This is opposit to her former lying still and refusing to give him entry now she yields and begins to bestir her self to draw her cloaths to her c. Which imports not only more diligence as to the matter of duty but much seriousnesse as to the manner It seems to differ from opening which is the actual receiving of Christ into the heart when all things are ready and prepared not as if it were simply contradistinguished from faith for this being a fruit of her repentance and he acknowledged to be her beloved there behoved to be faith in it but only as one degree or act of faith is distinguished from another as Luk. 15. In the Prodigals case it 's said after he came to himself before he act he deliberats and stirs himself So this holds forth her rousing and quickning her self for receiving Christ which is not separat in time either from her repentance in the former words or her faith in these that follow she rose to open that shews her design that she resolved now not to stand at but to go over her former reasonings and purposed by this
he spake I sought him but I could not finde him I called him but he gave me no answer This 6. vers contains five particulars of the Brides experience in this case The first of them I opened c. is the last effect following upon his putting in his hand vers 4. This work of grace left her not in an indifferency whether to open or not but having given her to will in the former verse now he gives also to do and actually determins the will or makes it determine it self to receive him but now Christ is found to be absent whereupon follows the other steps of her carriage and the disappointments that she met with in seeking of him This opening is the very thing called for by him vers 2. which considering the words following is especially to be understood of her exercising of faith in him whereby the heart is delated to receive him hence believing is called a receiving of Christ Joh. 1. 12. And it being a heart-receiving it must be the very thing understood here by opening Now although faith according to it's several acts may be several wayes considered yet that act of faith whereby the heart consents to receive Christ and to rest on him is that which is mainly here aimed at 1. Because this opening is opposed to refusing Psal. 81. 10 11. It must therefore be consenting 2. It 's not giving of consent that mainly keeps Christ at a distance from souls or keeps them without interest in him as opening to him or receiving of him intitles them to him Ioh. 1. 11 12. and Acts 16. 14. 3. This opening is both different from conviction resolutions repentance and what may be supposed to preceed these were in the words going before and is also distinguished from sense and the fruits of believing which follow after It must therefore be the hearts yielding to Christ's call and submitting thereunto Rom. 10. 3. as actually consenting to be his Yet all these acts would not be looked on as distinct in respect of time as they proceed from grace which puts all together but in nature and in respect of the distinct uptaking of the same grace in it's effects In a word saith the Bride the Lord having applyed the work of his Spirit to me it effectuated one step after another and left me not untill I yielded my self to him to be his as a mansion for him to dwell in Which shews 1. That grace doth not only work upon the understanding to enlighten it but that it doth also immediatly work on the will and determins it for this opening of the heart is an effect of that work of grace vers 4. as the former steps were 2. The act of believing and opening to Christ is both the effect of grace and also the work formally of the believer Therefore the Lord is said to open the heart Act. 16. 14. because the effect flows from his putting to his hand and the Bride is said to open her own heart because she formerly brought forth or elicited the act of faith by the strength of grace 3. This being compared with his call vers 3. shews that it 's by faith that way is made for Christ into the heart and it 's that which especially intitles one to Christ closes with his call receives him and enters Covenant with him for if opening or believing be that which he calls for as giving him accesse to the hearts of his people then believing being the performance of that called-for condition must unite the soul to him and enter him into the heart 4. There is some peculiar efficacy in faith in the uniting of one to Christ in accepting of Christ's call and making way for him to come into the heart which is not in any other grace Or it hath a peculiar way of concurring in effectuating the persons union with Christ and so in Justification which no other grace hath Hence this opening is peculiarly to be attributed to it and is distinct from repentance spoken of before vers 4. and from other duties mentioned in the words following 5. Whoever honestly from the sense of sin and need of Christ and desire to have him to supply their need essayes believing and opening their heart to him shall certainly come good speed and without fail attain their design I rose to open saith she and I opened 6. Although the distinct exercise of saith be not attained instantly but there must be first a rising and an offering of violence to our corruptions in the pursueing thereof before we win to the distinct opening of the heart yet it should be prosecute till it be perfected 7. Sometimes the exercise of faith will be distinct and discernable so that a believer can tell he hath believed and it 's no lesse comfortable to be clear from serious reflecting on our selves that we have indeed by faith yielded to Christ than to be clear of it by the fruits following thereupon For she is clear and confident in this that she had opened to him Having opened now the Beloved is gone like as a husband being offended at his wifes disrespect to him should withdraw when she at length with much adoe were brought to rise So our Lord Jesus takes that way of rebuking kindly the former unkindlinesse of believers by after-desertions and withdrawings The word is doubled but my Beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone or he was gone he was gone which doth not only import in his carriage a sad withdrawing and on hers an observation of it but also a sorrowful regrate and weightednesse as having met with a sad disappointment as the following words clear as if she had said at last I opened but alace he was gone and away What this withdrawing of Christ is we may know by considering what his being present is which is not to be understood of the omni-presence of his God-head there being no coming nor going that can be attributed to that infinit Essence which is every-where at all times present but it is in respect of the out-letting of his especial love and that in the peculiar way of manifesting it to his people and not in regard of his love it self or of their interest in him for here her interest stands in him and faith in him is exercised and the lifelesnesse that she was under is removed so that now she is acting faith and there is a presence oâ—grace making her active and lively even under this withdrawing The thing then which is wanting is a sensible manifestation of Christ's love to her which now upon her yielding to open she expected to have been filled with as a wife opening to her husband should expect his embracements and yet in place thereof find that he were gone This withdrawing is no real alteration on Christ's side nor are we to look upon it as if now she had lesse than before she believed and bestirred her self for her union with him and the influence of his grace on her remained
But 1. She missed that comfortable and sweet sense of love that she expected from him that was kept up 2. She was then more sensible that he was provoked and found that her peace was not so well grounded which formerly she pleased her self with as she conceived 3. Upon this also followed some kindly exercise whereby Christ might make his dissatisfaction known as a husband doth his by his withdrawing so that although interest be not disputed and the heart be kept in the exercise of duties yet disquietnesse may grow above what it was and Christ wisely times this sense of his absence now with the presence of his grace because she might both better endure it and it would also be more profitable thus to chasten her now than if he had done it in her dead condition Hence Observe 1. That believers in the lively exercise of faith and duty may have many moe exercises and sharper spiritual dispensations than they had formerly in their security 2. Christ hath a peculiar way both of presence with and absence from his own 3. Often believers when they are in the exercise of faith and duty expect satisfying manifestations of Christ to their sense for it is supponed here that she looked for him this way when she opened 4. Sometimes Christ will keep up the sense of his love and withdraw himself from his own even when in the exercise of faith and duty 5. Christ's withdrawing is not alwayes an evidence of the worst frame even as his presence doth not speak out his satisfaction every way with his peoples condition but these are often acts of Soveraignty timed according to his good pleasure for she is now in better case than formerly and yet he is withdrawn and gone 6. Christ by his withdrawing may be chastning for some former sin or disrespect done to him before the believer became lively who yet for good ends did suspend the taking notice of that sin till he was in a frame to bear it and profite by it 7. Christ's withdrawings ought to be observed by his people as well as other pieces of their own experience It 's profitable to know what he doth as well as what they do themselves 8. There is a great difference betwixt faith and sense yea betwixt clearnesse of interest and sensible presence the one may be in a great measure where the other is not as in this case here 9. It 's the exercise of faith in Christ that makes his absence to be discerned for that is not known here till the door be opened And the more lively a person be in the exercise of grace the more will Christ's absence be marked and regrated whereas in a believer's secure frame or in a person still unacquainted with Christ his absence is not discerned nor laid to heart 10. Although sense be not satisfied yet believers should not disclaim their faith when it is real but acknowledge that they do believe and open to Christ when they do it So it is here I opened or yielded by faith to him even when he was gone and I could not find him What effect this disappointment had upon her part follows my soul failed when he spake This effect is sad and heavy the sense of her sin and the apprehension of her grieving of him kindled by love to him pierceth and stoundeth her so to the heart that it becomes almost lifelesse So the word is used Gen. 42. 28. of Iacobs sons when they found the money in their sacks mouths they were sore afraid and their hearts failed them or went out of them It 's a surprizing unexpected heavinesse and that in a high degree holding forth how deâ—ply believers will be affected when disappointed of the expected presence of Christ and that by their own guilt The cause or occasion of this failing of heart is in these words when he spake which look to the time past though the effect was present and they may be two wayes understood 1. As being a remembring how it was with her while he spake for now he speaks not she now observes and calls to mind that when he called and she shifted yet even then her heart was affected with his word and this smites her now that she should have so long smotherd so much kindnesse and have brought all this upon her self It 's like that of the Disciples Luk. 24. 32. who after Christ was gone say one to another Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and opened up to us the Scriptures though before they little heeded it yet afterward they observe and when they recollect themselves it becomes more distinct than it was in the time 2. It may be lookt on as being the present effect of the words formerly spoken which although they did not so sensibly affect her when he spoke them yet now being brought to her remembrance as Ioh. 14. 26. they pierce her that she should have slighted and neglected them as Matth. 26. when Peter is admonished the word for the time affects not but afterward vers 75. when he remembers it as challenges brings back words formerly spoken he went out and wept bitterly So her resentment of what she formerly slighted is now bitter Obs. 1. The time of Christ's absence is a time when by-gone challenges or challenges for by-past offences use to recur 2. Often believers when brought through a secure fit will find some stirrings and effects of the grace of Christ to have been in them even then which were not so discernable to them while they were under their distemper 3. Christ's word may have effects long after it is spoken and heard yea a word long since heard may be an after-remembrance being brought again to mind by the Spirit Ioh. 14. 26. and have operation more than at first or although for a time it have had none at all but may be as seed under the ground till the Spirit blow on it to bring it above yet afterward by the the Spirit 's influence it may have many blessed effects 4. There is nothing that will affect a gracious soul more than to misse Christ's presence when the disappointment hath been procured by it's own sin if it be but a withdrawing for a time that will make the hearts of his own even to fail but O! if it be eternal by reason of sinners constant slighting of him now in the offers of his grace what desperate anguish will it produce And there is none that slights Christ's call now and puts him away but one time or other it will be heavy to them and cost them dear 5. It 's a kindly thing when a believer misses Christ and wants presence to be affected with it and it 's unkindly to discern absence and not to be affected 6. Repentance where it 's kindly or right heart-sorrow will have it's continuance and growth from one degree to another This failing of heart is a continued but a further step of the
moving of her bowels vers 4. 7. Although interest in Christ be clear and matters otherwise not in an evil case yet want of Christ's presence for the time and the remembrance of by-gone guilt will be a very sad exercise to the believer and affect his heart very much This is a sad posture yet she gives not over notwithstanding of this or any following disappointments till she obtain the holy design she drives Where faith and love are exercised together for attaining Christ nothing will scar nor discourage the soul in it's pursuit of him Her carriage follows in four steps whereby she endeavours to recover him with the successe that she found in each of them 1. She gives private diligence 2. She applyes her self to publick Ordinances vers 7. When that also fails she 3. betakes her self to the exercise of mutual fellowship with the daughters of Ierusalem and seeks their help vers 8. and at last rests on the exercise of faith in him Chap. 6. 3. Her secret painfulnesse with the fruit thereof is set down in two steps in the rest of this verse 1. I sought him that is painfully used all means to meet with him as one searcheth earnestly for what he wants so the word is taken Prov. 15. 14. It shews her seriousnesse as to the end and also her holy solicitude in the manner of pursuing it But saith she I found him not he was now obtained but she continueth still under the want of the sensible manifestations of his presence Again the 2. is I called him that is prayed to him but saith she he gave me no answer that is I had no sensible ease and return of prayer though the prayer was not altogether unheard for her continuing to seek after him shews that she was answered with strength in her soul Psal. 138. 3. There was sustaining-grace even then though there were not the soul-satisfying and comforting inlargements or sensible embracements of Christ and his warm-speaking of peace to her heart which she aimed at and the greatnesse of her bensil after these makes her think that she had received no answer at all It 's in sum as if a wife by search and running to and fro did seek her husband and when that succeeds not she calls him by his name So did she leave no mean unessayed but did not obtain what she sought Which shews 1. That God often blesseth want of sense to a believer to be a spur to much diligence 2. When desertions are most sensible then ought the believer to be most diligent in the use of all means especially of prayer for an outgate 3. There may be much life in duty even then when there is little sense and satisfaction as to the event there is here seeking and calling on him though she found him not and he gave her no answer 4. It 's a blessed heart-sorrow that vents in diligence and prayer to God for his presence 5. The remembrance and resentment of our by-gone wrongs to Christ should not so affect as to scar us from him but should presse us to seek to be again in his company otherwise if we scar at him or bide away from him because of the sense of guilt it will be the mending of one fault with another It 's ever best reckoning our own guilt when he is present 6. Christ's presence is the only cordial that can satisfie a soul fainting under the sense of the wrongs it hath done to Christ therefore when her heart fails she sits not down under it for ease but seeks and calls for himself and his own presence 7. There may be much seeking and prayer which may be so indeed and accepted of by God and yet his comfortable presence be kept up and the particular sought-for suspended 8. Often the having of our eye in prayer upon one particular suppose upon one comfort may make us construct our prayers to have lesse of an answer than they have whileas indeed they are not fruitlesse but may be answered in other things which we do not observe 9. The Lord may deny comfort when it is sought and yet shew his grace in sustaining his people and quickning them to follow him in their duty when they in the mean time may take it for a sort of refusal 2 Cor. 12. 9 10. It is ever good for believers to reflect on their duty and on the successe of it whatever it be and that not in one step only but in the whole tract of their way 10. If we compare this with her former carnally easie and secure condition vers 2 3. we see that sensible desertion when a believer is holily active under it is no ill condition comparatively it's better with her now when she is swounding and fainting without Christ than when she did ly still carelessly without him grace is working more actively now as from vers 4. is clear and she is nearer unto him and hath much more solid ground of peace than she had at that time Vers. 7. The watchmen that went about the City found me they smote me they wounded me the keepers of the walls took away my vail from me When private means do not the businesse the Bride betakes her to publick Ordinances and frequents them And this 7. vers shews what she found in the use of that mean a sad disappointment also which is several wayes aggreged Christ's presence is easily lost but it is not easily recovered This will cost much pains and the enduring of many perplexing disappointments It is much more difficult to win to injoy Christ than it is to lose him Lying on the bed in ease may bring on that which much labour and watching will not remove That this verse points at her going about the publick Ordinances the scope makes clear that being the next ordinary mean used for enquiring after an absent Christ when private diligence hath had little successe The matter of the words as was cleared in Chap. 3. 3. doth also evidence this The Church is the City which hath walls that is the Ordinances for preventing her hurt and promoving of her edification The watchmen are her Ministers appointed and designed to keep the walls and to go about the City They are said to go about the City in respect of their care and solicitude to prevent inward difficulties and hazards and are called keepers of the walls as they stand to repel what from without may disturb the Churches edification and ecclesiastick peace In a word they are the same by office that these were Chap. 3. 3. but their carriage to her is more unlike the relation they stood in Which is set forth in four steps all which are to be looked on as a special piece of untendernesse in them and of suffering in her which now the Lord in his wisdom permits her to meet with that so she may find how unwisely she had done to neglect Christ's kind call vers 2. when as now other hands deal more roughly with
Christ the best fellowship is empty without him Ioh. 20 12. 13. Why weepest thou say the Angels Why saith she they have taken away my Lord. In this consider 1. The parties she betakes her self to the daughters of Ierusalem spoken of chap. 1. 5. Professors not of the worst stamp yet as after appears under much ignorance of Christ and of spiritual exercise This is the mean she goes now unto Where observe 1. Spiritual communion amongst professors or believers is not only a duty but a special mean being rightly made use of to further our fellowship with Christ. 2. Believers in their sad cases may and ought freely to make use of this mean by desiring others help and for their own case and furtherance in meeting with Christ by communicating their case to them as she doth here 3. Even the strongest believers whom the Bride represents may be helped by these that are much weaker than themselves in gifts grace and experience as the daughters of Ierusalem are here And so Paul often requires of others inferior to and much short of him the help of their prayers Consider 2. her desire to them Tell him saith she I am sick of love make my case known to him and hold it up by prayer She had been doing so her self and had not come speed and therefore she puts them upon it that they might help her to obtain an answer Obs. 1. That prayer for one another is a duty of mutual fellowship especially for these that are exercised others should be in that exercise with them Iam. 5. 17. 2. Believers sometimes will not trust themselves with the opening of their own case to Christ and will not be satisfied with their own way but will think others can do it much better 3. Praying for our selves and desiring of help from others should go together Or it will give most clearnesse and peace to believers to desire the help of others when they have been serious in the use of all means by themselves as she had been 4. It sayes That believers holding up the case of another will be very acceptable to Christ. And 5. That there is nothing we can tell Christ of our own or other folks case that will be more pleasant to and taking with him than this that we are they who are sick of love to him This is propounded as that which may and will be most acceptable to him what shall ye tell him so the words run these are the best and most acceptable news to him 6. Such a caâ—e as love-sicknesse is a good motive upon which to presse for the help of others prayers and that which may also give confidence to any to bear such a message to Christ. 7. Believers in their communion with others would more insist upon their own cases than on the faults of Ministers or miscarriages of others Although she was formerly smitten by the watchmen yet this is the great thing she propounds to them Consider 3. a qualification put in her suit to the daughters of Ierusalem If ye find him That is If ye get accesse which now she thinks her self excluded from And it imports 1. That there is a peculiar finding of and accesse unto Christ at one time beyond another 2. That a weak believer may sometimes have much more accesse to Christ and sensible communion with him than others of greater parts and experience She suppones that they might find while she did not 3. That when any gets accesse for themselves then especially they should remember others and improve their court with Christ for their good who may be in bonds and under sad exercise Then saith she when ye get accesse remember my case She would share of the fruit of their most warm injoyments 4. She doth not resent nor envy this or become jealous of it but humbly submits to be helped by them Christ will have every one useful to another and the strongest should not disdain to be in the common of the weakest The last thing is the manner of her proposing of it I charge or adjure you saith she which hath the force of an oath proposed to others as if she had sworn them that they should do it The same charge or adjuration is set down Chap. 2. 7. and 3. 4. She puts them to it as they will be answerable Which shews 1. Great seriousnesse in her the matter of Christian-fellowship and our desiring of the help of others prayers is no matter of complement but should in earnest be sought for 2. She desires seriousnesse in them in their discharge of this duty In our praying for others conscience would be made of it as seriously as for our selves and we would beware of superficialnesse and overlinesse in it 3. Our expressions in our fellowship especially concerning the most serious purposes would be suitably serious A light manner of speaking in serious things often spills the beauty of them marrs edification and diminisheth from the weight of the matters themselves Daughters of Ierusalem Vers. 9. What is thy Beloved more than another beloved O thou fairest among Women what is thy Beloved more than another beloved that thou dost so charge us In this 9. vers is the third part of the Chapter where the daughters of Ierusalem are brought in speaking where we may see what effect the Brides serious charge had upon them It someway surprizeth and astonisheth them to see a person convincingly approveable in her carriage so taken up with that which the most part of the world slights This makes them think that he whom she asketh for must be a person beyond ordinary and in this they conclude right There is much infirmity in this question as often many professors are upon the matter really ignorant of Christ's worth yet some honest-like things at least are in it There is 1. respect to her as a beautiful and goodly person even when she was thought little of by the watchmen 2. Docilenesse and a desire to know 3. Some suspition of their own knowledge of Christ And 4. Ingenuity in seeking help All which are good symptomes in beginners and we will see that the question ended well with them Chap. 6. 1. and it's like was awakened in them by her serious carriage The return they make to her charge hath in it 1. The title they give her 2. The question they propose to her 3. The rise of it or that which gives them occasion to ask and which puts them to it The title is excellent O thou fairest among women It was given to the Bride by Christ himself Chap. 1. 8. It implyes 1. A spiritual beauty in her who now was thought little of by the watchmen and had her own crosses in the world yet even in this case lovely in her self and lovely to these daughters Observe 1. That believers should be eminently convincing and commendable in their carriage even before others They should be fairest among them and for spiritual beauty conspicuous as lights
and confirmed to his people and when a little glimpse of him doth this how much more would a full view of him demonstrate it and indeed such a view doth effectually demonstrate it to these who have experimentally known the excellency that is in him although others who are unacquaint with his face do therefore undervalue him which may be hinted at as a cause of their so doing 3. This agrees with the commendation which sets him forth in this as pleasant to the spiritual sense of smelling and so would imply that it must be somewhat whereby Christ becomes sensibly sweet and refreshful as his sensible manifestations make him more delightsome and refreshing to the souls senses than towers of perfume are to the bodily senses Therefore is his love compared to ointment Chap. 1. 3. and else-where However these things are certain 1. That the least glimpse of Christ's countenance is exceeding refreshful and savory to the spiritual senses 2. That Christ's excellencies are delightsome to all the spiritual senses to the smell as well as to the eye ear c. the whole soul and all it's faculties have abundant matter in him for delighting and refreshing them all 3. The moe senses be exercised on Christ and the more sensible to speak so he become unto us he will be the more lovely and pleasant beds of Spices and towers of perfume in a garden to them that lye amongst them are not so savory as Christ is when the senses of the soul are exercised to discern him The fifth thing instanced is his lips The Brides lips were spoken of Chap. 4. 3 11. and cleared to signifie her speech By proportion they hold forth in him the lovelinesse of his Word wherein he is especially lovely in that he magnifies it above all his Name Psal. 138. 2. and makes it often sweet as the honey and the honey-comb to his people This may be looked on 1. as it respects the matter spoken by him out of whose mouth many gracious words proceeded while in the flesh even to the admiration of his hearers Luke 4. 22. So that upon conviction they say never man spoke as this man speaks Joh. 7. 46. Or 2. It may look to Christ's manner of speaking and his fitnesse to communicate his mind to his people as lips are the organs of speaking so he hath grace poured into his lips Psal. 45. 2. that makes all his words gracious as being formed or anointed by it Thus it takes in that holy Art skil and dexterity wherewith Christ is furnished to speak for the consolation of believer especially under sad exercises as it is Isa. 50. 4. He hath the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to him that is weary Both these in the result come to one and this being a special piece of Christ's lovelinesse to his people conducing exceedingly to the Brides scope here and the Analogy being clear and lips being frequently made use of in Scripture to signifie speech or words we conceive that they may well be taken to here especially considering that all the parts of the commendation will agree well to his words 1. They are like Lilies that is pleasant and savory so words spoken in season are often called pleasant and sweet like honey Prov. 16. 24. yea they are said to be like apples of gold in pictures of silver Prov. 25. 11. His words then may well be compared to Lilies 2. They are not common words therefore it must not be ordinary Lilies that will set them forth but they are like Lilies dropping sweet-smelling Myrrhe such Lilies we are not acquaint with and nature though excellent in it's effects yet comes short in furnishing fit resemblances to represent Christ and what is in him to the full These Lilies dropping Myrrhe signifie 1. A favorinesse and cordial efficacy in the matter like Myrrhe proving comfortable to these it falls or drops upon 2. Dropping shews abundance seasonablenesse and continuednesse therein so as he still furnisheth such strengthning efficacy and influence as if it were ever dropping and never dryed up as the phrase was Chap. 4. 11. All these agree well either to Christ the speaker who never wants a seasonable word or to the word spoken which in respect of it's effects endures for ever This must be an excellent Beloved saith she who speaks much and never a word falls from his lips but it 's precious and savory like any cordial to the souls of his people especially in their fainting fits and there is ever some good word to be gotten from him far from the rough speeches that many uses but O so pleasant and kindly as all his words are Obs. 1. There is a special lovelinesse in our Lord Jesus words to his people how much of this appears throughout the 4. Chapter of this Song and what love appears in all his promises yea in the titles that he gives his people every one is as it were big with childe of strong consolation to them 2. Christ's words have a special refreshing efficacy in them and can comfort refresh and sustain drooping sick souls he sends out his Word and it healeth them 3. These who love Christ himself truly have also an high esteem of his Word and are much delighted with that and where there is little esteem of his Word there is but little esteem of himself They who have tasted the sweetnesse of the Word do highly esteem of Christ himself 4. The word of Christ is as Christ's own lips and doth sweetly set out his thoughts of love to sinners It 's good reading of Christ's lovelinesse out of his own Word and from his own mouth 5. Where there hath been a sweetnesse felt in the Word it should be turned over to the commendation of Christ that spoke it as a proof of the reality of his excellent worth 6. The Word is never rightly made use of though it should fill the head with knowledge till it be savory to the inward man and spiritual senses and it 's that which makes it lovely when the vertue and consolation that flowes from it is felt 7. All the consolations of the Word they come not out at once neither can we so receive them but it drops by little and little in continuance and therefore daily should men draw from these wells of Salvation 8. Observe from the scope that Christ's Word known by experience will lift and set Christ up in the heart beyond all beloveds and that the unacquaintednesse of many with Christ's lips and the consolations that abound in his Word makes them so ready to â—light him and set up their idols above him The scope saith further that she was acquaint with his words and the refreshfulnesse of them and in this she is differenced from others Whence Observe 9. that believers are acquaint with the sweetness of Christ's Words otherwise than any in the world are Christ is another thing to them and his Word is so also than to all the world
pardoneth iniquity c. because thou delights in mercy or is there any other thing that more commends him as a beloved preferable to all than his love Love in a husband is a special property Now Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it Eph. 5. 25. it is not like therefore that this is omitted And 3. it followes well on the commendation of his works for and about his people as shewing the fountain from whence they proceed The commendation of this is excellent 1. It is as bright Ivory Ivory is rarely and singularly pure and pleasant being made of Elephants teeth bright is added to shew that it 's of the best sort as all that is in Christ is 2. It 's overlaid with Saphires that was a stone in Aarons breast plate and also is reckoned one of the foundation-stones of the new Ierusalem Rev. 21. 19. which shews that it is very precious though we know not the particular properties of it The word overlaid may be from the Original rendered curiously set or enambled In sum here his love is described as most lovely clean and pleasant like Ivory rich and precious like Saphires and well ordered and wisely vented for the good of his people as bright Ivory curiously enambled with Saphires His love is a most excellent curious and pleasant object the like whereof is not to be found amongst all the beloveds of the world This verse commends Christ's heart and in-side which is unsearchable as to it 's heighth depth breadth and length It may therefore be hard and some way hazardous to offer doctrines on or to form expressions concerning that which passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 18 19. the comprehending experimental knowledge of it will be the best commentary on it yet these things are clear and safe 1. There is singular love affection and bowels in our Lord Jesus to his people so singular that there is none can compare with him in this no husband nay nor wife it passeth the love of women No tender-hearted mother and much lesse any idol can compet with him in this It 's inconceivable in it self and it 's wonderful in it's effects 2. There is nothing that will contribute more to make believers see Jesus Christ as admirable in himself and lovely to them than the right apprehension of his love This is the constraining ravishing ingaging and soul-in-ebriating consideration of Christ the conceiving of him rightly in his admirable love and they will never esteem of Christ rightly who discerns not that it is as it were his crown and the believing of it is in a sort the putting of the crown on his head Amongst all his excellencies none takes the believer more up than his love and nothing is more remarkable in him than that and right thoughts of Christ's love is no ill token 3. Our Lord Jesus his love and bowels are a rich Jewel when seen a precious stately sight bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires is but a small and dark shaddow of it Christ's love is a possession beyond Jewels a very beautiful object to look on beyond the most excellent creature It 's both a wonder and a heart-break that it is so little thought of and that men are not more delighted in it 4. Although there be much in many mouths of Christ's love yet there are few that really knows and believes the love that he hath to his people 1 Ioh 3. 1. As this is the cause that so few loves him and why so many sets up other beloveds beside him so the solid faith of this and the expectation of good from him hath a great ingaging vertue to draw sinners to him Heb. 11. 6. and for that end it 's made use of here 5. Whatever seeming smiles idols may give to their lovers yet will they not prove lovers in the end to them for that is proper to Christ he only hath strong love and bowels of affection to his own to the end but other lovers in the end will fail men Only our Lord Jesus continueth a loving Husband to the end for whom he loves he loves to the end 6. It is beyond all peradventure good and desirable to be matched with Jesus Christ where so much honour riches power wisdom lovelinesse and love meet all together for the scope of this and of all the rest of the commendations is to ingage sinners to match with him 7. There is no cause to be jealous of Christ's love his people have a most loving Husband and never a sport or ground of jealousie hath defiled his bowels since the world began but they to this day are and will be for ever as bright Ivory 8. Christ's love is excellent in it self and is also excellent in the way of it's communicating it self to his people therefore it 's not as Saphires that are confusedly casten together but that are artificially set or our Lord Jesus vents not his love fondly to speak with reverence or imprudently but most wisely skilfully and seasonably so as it may be for the good of his people not as a fond and too indulgent mother that gives that which is even hurtful because the childe desires it but as a wise father who gives that which is useful though it be unpleasant He guids his love by discretion and according to expediency as Ioh. 16. 7. It 's expedient for you that I go and therefore he will go though they were even made sad with it 9. Although some pieces of Christ's love being considered in themselves seem not so pleasant and lovely like precious stones not rightly set yet when all are seen together and every thing taken up as in it's own place and proportionably corresponding with one another and especially in respect of the fountain of love from which they come they will then being all lookt on together be seen to be very beautiful and pleasant and well ordered like bright Ivory that is regularly and curiously enambled or indented with Saphires The time comes when Christ's love will be thought to be exquisitly and wisely let out and conveyed even in these things wherein it is most suspected now by his own Vers. 15. His legs are as pillars of Marble set upon sockets of fine Gold his countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars The eighth and ninth particulars of Christ's commendation are in vers 15. The first of them here commended is his legs The word legs comes from a root in the Original that signifieth to walk and so takes in things and feet which are also useful in motion In Scripture and by Analogy they are made use of to signifie these two 1. A mans way in the series of his carriage and deportment as ordinarily his life is called a walk So Eccl. 5. 1. Take heed unto thy feet that is to thy carriage Hence the iniquities of the heels are spoken of Psal. 49. 5. to set out mens defects that cleave to them in their conversation as their feet leave prints or footsteps
only can be taken up by faith beholding him in his excellent qualifications and offices but this is discernable to the believers spiritual sense when Christ applyeth his love as Chap. 1. 2. In which to say so we are more passive as being fed by him and having it infused and shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit If we may in a holy way follow the similitude in a spiritual sense which is necessary for understanding of the thing kisses of his mouth are his applying and venting of his love as one doth by kissing another this also will agree with the commendation it 's most sweet it 's but one word in the Original in the abstract and that in the plural number sweetnesses to shew the exceeding sweetnesse and lovelinesse the soul-ravishing delight that is in that to which no similitude or comparison can come up clearly and perfectly to resemble it it is very sweetnesse it self If we might allude to what Philosophers say of fire in it's element or water in it's element that being there they are more properly and eminently fire and water so sweetnesse is in it's element here or Christ's mouth is the very element thereof in respect of it's sensible refreshfulnesse to the spiritual senses of his people to whom he manifests it Ask ye then what my Beloved is saith she he is indeed stately to look on but his mouth when it 's felt in his kissing of his own Bride by manifesting his love to her sense there there O there exceeding unexpressible and unconceivable delight and satisfaction is to be found Observ. 1. Christ hath more near and sensible ways of manifesting himself to the spiritual sense of his people as if he had a mouth to kisse them 2. There is nothing comparable to the refreshing sweetnesse that these manifestations have with them It 's a peace that passeth understanding Phil. 4. 7. and a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. 3. This sensible feeling of the sweetnesse of Christ's mouth should be aiâ—â—ed at and sought after by believers although the manner measure time and other circumstances thereof should be submitted to him yet this is not only commendable in it self but also as such is proposed and commended to the daughters of Ierusalem to be sought after by them 4. The experimental feeling of this doth notably demonstrate Christ's worth to the soul that enjoyes it and makes him incomparably sweet and lovely above all things whatsoever Psal. 4. 7. 5. There is no other thing can have any such sweetnesse or relish to a believer as Christ hath and to a spiritual taste the excellency of all created beloveds will be as the white of an egg in comparison of this Only Christ's mouth is sweetness and so he differs from all others And it 's a good sign when our affections or spiritual senses can relish nothing but Christ. Next it is added yea he is altogether lovely Although she hath spent many sweet words and indeed there hath been no straitning in her in commending Christ and although all her words be sweet and especially when she drawes near the close her expressions be the more massy and significant yet as being necessitate to succumb under the great task of describing the excellency of her Beloved she must give over particulars and conclude with a general as if she would say would ye know him O I even I cannot tell you all his excellent properties for he is most justly called wonderful Isa. 9. 6. but in sum I may say he is altogether lovely The word is he is all desires or all he desires The word that is rendered lovely comes from a root that signifieth to covet as in Ioshua 7. 21. It is said of Achan when he saw the wedge of gold that he coveted it so it 's such a desire as ardently covets the thing desired And thus Christ is not simply lovely but of such an attractive excellency as makes him the proper Object of the most ardent and holy-coveâ—ing desires or after which all desires should go forth as towards the best and most desirable Object The words are mean to expresse somewhat that is not expressible or rather the unexpressiblenesse of that Beloved she had been commending lest they should think she were satisfied as if she had fully described him We may consider the words several wayes 1. Negatively as they shew there is nothing in him but what is desirable As if she said all he is desires there is nothing of any other nature in him but such as I have mentioned he is a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he 2. Take them positively and so they shew whatever is in him is exceeding desirable go through all his parts qualifications attributes and works whereof I have given you but a hint saith she and ye will see them all exceedingly desirable 3. Take them conclusively or comprehensively and so while she saith he is all desires the meaning is there is nothing truly desirable but it is to be found in him the soul cannot rationally imagine that satisfaction that is not to be found in Christ otherwise all desires were not in him this is sweet even veryâ—sweet what idol is perfect there are many defects in all other beloveds but saith she my Beloved is perfect All the beauties and perfections that are scattered amongst all creatures are in an eminent and transcendent way gathered together contracted and to be found in him at once so that whatever can be desired whether it be for this life or that which is to come whether for sanctification justification or consolation it 's eminently to be found in our Lord Jesus in whom all fulnesse dwells Col. 1. 19. and who alone is all and in all to his own as being full of grace and truth Joh. 1. 14. 4. We may take them exclusively or privatively as they deny any thing desirable to be in any beloved but in Christ he is all and so consequently they must be nothing he is altogether lovely and so they must be altogether loathsome Christ is never rightly conceived of nor commended but where other things come down evanish and disappear when compared with him Whom have I in heaven but thee and I desire none on earth beside thee saith the Psalmist Psal. 73. 25. as having full satisfaction and all that can be wished for in him It 's hard to observe what may be suitable to Christ's lovelinesse when the Bride gives it over But we may say 1. The more that believers insist on Christ's lovelinesse their hearts will warm the more with it and it will be found to be the greater depth for now her expressions grow till at last they be swallowed up 2. Where there is true respect to Christ no commendation of Christ that believers can invent whatever it be will be satisfying to them For there have been 1. many excellent commendations given of Christ as being like Gold Myrrhe
Spices c. Yea 2. like such Gold Lilies and Ivory as are not in the world and finally she hath left and given over comparisons and betaken her self to the abstract sweetnesse it self yet all comes short and she must quite the thing as unexpressible It 's the very hight of souls love-rhethorick to close with a kind of holy amazement and admiration which ends in silence because they cannot say enough when they have said all they can say O what a lovely Object then must Christ Jesus be They never knew him rightly who were satisfied with their own apprehensions of him or expressions concerning him 3. There is an universal lovelinesse in Christ whole Christ is lovely neither is he to be divided in our apprehension and esteem but as every thing in him is wonderful and lovely so is it to be admired and loved even his lowest sufferings and seeming infirmities his frowns and seeming greater austerity are lovely and profitable he is altogether lovely 4. There is a wonderful desirablenesse in our Lord Jesus and incomparable satisfaction to be gotten in him there can be nothing more to draw a soul to love it than what is here whatever may be attractive is here and there is nothing wanting to satisfie the soul that injoyes him and hath yielded to his call to such he is all desires 5. Christ is never rightly taken up so long as any thing desirable is supponed to be gotten elsewhere he must be all desires and therefore where any thing hath the least share of the affections beside him he hath not his own place 6. Empty and undesirable are all beloveds in the world befide Christ and broken cisterns will they all prove and it 's no marvel for all desires are in him and therefore not one desirable thing is or can be found in them 7. They have a good bargain who have Christ It 's the short cut to say so and compendious way to happinesse and to the inheriting of all things to unit with Christ by faith and to possesse him for all desires are in him and miserable will the persons be who shall misse Christ although they were gainers of the whole world Having somewhat answered the daughters of Ierusalem their question by insisting in this excellent description of Christ now by way of application and holy boasting in the close of the verse she reasons thus Ye asked what my beloved was more than other beloveds and for your satisfaction I have described him as I can many several ways though all fall very far short of full expressing of his matchlesse worth Now saith she this excellent person is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Ierusalem bring all other beloveds and compare them with him and see if he be not the chiefest and standard-bearer amongst them all and in this confident boasting of the excellency of her beloved she closes Which sweet discourse wants not it's fruit on them as we will see in the Chapter following Consider the words four wayes 1. In the matter they hold forth two sweet relations betwixt Christ and the believer and this sweetens all not only that this beloved is an excellent person but that he was hers she saith he is my beloved and also my friend he is her friend as she is his friend vers 1. that is one that is friendly to her and will do for her beyond what a brother or mother or the nearest of all relations will or can do he is one that is born for the day of her adversity and one whom she trusts as her own soul he is so dear to her and she to him for this â—ye of friendship is mutual betwixt them In a word saith she he is much in himself and much to me unspeakably excellent in himself and very dear and precious to me my husband and my friend In sum my friendly husband and my loving friend Obs. 1. There are many sweet relations that Christ â—stands in to the believer as husband friend brother c. even as there are many relations that she stands in to him as spouse sister dove c. 2. Christ fills all the relations that he stands in to his people and that exceedingly well he is a singularly loving faithful kind and tender husband and a singularly kind faithful unchangeable friend the best friend that ever a believer had for the expression this is c. saith that what Christ is he is indeed and singularly so as having no equal he is a matchlesse husband and friend this is the scope 3. Christ and the believer are upon one side they are friends there is a league of friendship betwixt them and they have common friends and commonâ— adâ—ersries 4. These who are Christ's friends as vers 1. eat O friends Christ may be claimed by them as their friend and what that canâ—infer they may expect from him for he hath no bare title neither sustains he any empty relation 5. Believers should lean much to Christ trust him and expect good from him as their friend 6. It 's a notable and singular consolation for solks to have Christ their friend it 's comfortable in life death and judgement in prosperity and adversity It implyes these things in which he is forth-coming to his friends 1. Constant kindnesse and faithfulnesse at all times he loves at all times Prov. 17. 17. and chap. 18. last he never fails nor can at any time be charged with that which Absalom casts up to Hushai 2 Sam. 16. 17. Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend 2. Sympathy and condescending to supply their wants he cleaves closer than a brother Prov. 18. 24. It 's such a love as one hath who aimeth at his friends good as well as his own 3. Familiarity in mutual communion as useth to be betwixt friends and freedom in conversing as Exod. 33. 11. the Lord spoke with Moses as a man doth with his friend 4. It takes in a mutual confidence that one may have in another as in his very own self and more than in any other all which are eminently in Christ as ointment and perâ—ume rejoice the heart so doth the sweetnesse of a man's friend and eminently of this friend by hearty counsel Prov. 27. 9. No other friends are comparable to this friend happy happy for evermore are they whose friend Christ Jesus is 7. Where Christ is a friend there is he also the souls beloved or believers choising of Christ for their beloved and his being kindly to them as a friend go together these two relations my beloved and my friend are never separat Now to be the souls beloved implyes these things 1. That comparatively Christ is eminently and only loved by his people and nothing is admitted to share in their affections with him Phil. 3. 8. 2. That there is in the soul an high esteem of him which begets this love 3. That there is such an ardent affection to him as makes them long for union with him
is to gather lilies By lilies in this garden as often hath been said are understood believers chap. 2. 2. 16. To gather is a borrowed expression from men that use to gather some flowers they delight in to bring to their chambers with them or some fruits that they may dresse and prepare them as we heard chap. 5. 1. Christ's gathering of his lilies points 1. At his calling of them effectually who belong to him the elect may be called lilies to be gathered as they are called sons of God to be gathered Joh. 11. 51 52. Thus also Matth. 23. 37. is Christ's expression I would have gathered you c. whereby their bringing-in to him is signified 2. It points at his glorifying of them which is in part when particular believers are gathered to their fathers as the phrase is Gen. 25. 8. and 35. 29. This is as his pulling of some lilies for his own satisfaction and this gathering will be perfected when all the Elect shall be gathered from the four winds Matth. 24. 31. and the Angels shall gather the good fish into vessels but cast the bad away Mat. 13. 48. In a word then the sense and scope of the whole is this Would ye saith she have my beloved or know where he is that ye may seek him he is in his Church seek him in the way of his Ordinances for he is there purposly to delight himself in doing good to his people it 's his errand to welcome and gather them as a hen doth her chickens under her wings therefore saith she seek him there for ye can find no better opportunity Obs. 1. Our Lord Jesus takes pleasure to be amongst his people and to do them good he feeds on this with delight as a hungry man doth on his meat 2. The moe Christ gains to say so he feeds the better and is the more cheerful he feeds and gathers at once and this gathering of souls is as sweetly refreshing and delightsome to our blessed Lord Jesus as the plucking of the sweetest flowers is to a man walking in a garden and there is nothing more acceptable and welcome to him than a seeking-sinner 3. Wherever Christ's Ordinances are there may his presence be expected in one particular Church as well as in another for he feeds in the gardens 4. The great scope of Ordinances is to gather-in believers and build them up and there is nothing more acceptable to Christ than to have some to gather some whom he may save That 's a refreshing feast to him Iohn 4. 34. 5. Our Lord Jesus hath delight in all his people and in every one of them where sincerity is though it be not in the greatest measure Therefore it 's said he gathers lilies indefinitly that is one of them as well as another 6. So long as our Lord Jesus hath a Church and Ordinances in it as long doth he continue to gather and he is not idle but is still gathering though at sometimes and in some places this may be more sensible and abundant than ordinary 7. It 's a great incouragement to poor sinners to seek for Christ to know that this is his very errand in his Ordinances to gather them and that he is waiting on like the Prodigals father ready to run with delight to welcome them This is proposed as a motive to the daughters to seek him 8. Although believers may seem for a time to be neglected and as it were forgotten yet will the Lord gather them all in at last as his choice of all the world they being the flowers of his gardens there is a good day coming to believers when not one of them shall be leâ—t to grow in this fighting Church but he shall take them in to the King's Palace there to be for ever with him 9. The readinesse of Christ to welcome sinners and the delight that he hath in doing them good should exceedingly provock and hearten sinners to seek him while he may be found This is the great scope of this verse Vers. 3. I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine He feedeth among the Lilies The second part of her answer to the daughters question is vers 3. and it contains the great ground whereon she quiets her self and wherein she rests as being that which makes Christ lovely to her even though absent I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine This now is the anchor which she casts when all other means seemed to disappoint her We had the same words for substance and to the same scope Chap. 2. 16. Wherein she first asserted her interest and secondly maintained it against an objection even as she doth here Beside what was said there we may consider the words here first as in them her interest is repeated though it was once formerly asserted Which shews 1. that believers though once clear anent their interest may have their difficulties and doubts recurring upon them 2. That when new difficulties recur there is no new way to be taken for discussing of them but the same way of believing which is again to be renewed and kept in exercise 3. It shews that miscarriages do not break off that union which is betwixt Christ and his people for although there had been many failings in her former carriage yet her interest is still the same 4. Believers even over and notwithstanding of many challenges may lay claim to an interest in Christ when they are in the exercise of repentance â—aith and other graces 5. Her thus repeating and again owning of her interest shews that she was exceeding clear and perswaded thereof Whence observe believers may attain a great degree of assurance and may and should not only aime to have it but to preserve and keep it clear for that is of great concernment as to their peace and the weight of their consolation in their confident application of all the promises depends on it 2. Consider although the words be the same yet the order is changed it was Chap. 2. 16. my Beloved is mine c. So there she begins at asserting her interest in him but here she begins at asserting his interest in her or her betaking of her self to him for clearing of her interest in him I am saith she my Beloveds or I am to my Beloved and from her betaking her self to him and adhering to the bargain she concludes he also is hers Which shews 1. that they who are clear of their adhering to Christ and of their fleeing to him as their choice may warrantably conclude that Christ is theirs even though sense would say the contrary 2. When there is nothing in Christ's dispensation to us that looks convincinglike of his love to us it 's good to reflect on our acting on him and if it be found that we have fled to him and closed with him then there is ground to conclude our union with him and interest in him and there cannot be a sounder way of reasoning than that For if we on our
part be answerable to the call we are not to question his part namely his bestowing of himself on us according to the tenor of his offers but to believe it according to his word Believers may sometimes be put to this way of arguing and it 's sure 3. If we consider the words as following on her former desertion and exercise and as being now intended by the Bride as her scope to fix her self they give ground to Obs. 1. That â—aith is still a refuge when all God's dispensations and every thing in the believers case seems to leave the heart in disquietnesse faith is then the last and great refuge 2. Faith is then most satisfying when repentance is exercised and all other means diligently gone about therefore may she now cast this anchor after she hath been in the exercise of repentance and in the use of other means as we have seen in the former Chapter which had been presumption to have been done at first these being slighted faith will sustain souls in duty but presumption puffs up as in vers 3. even when they are out of it faith preserves from fainting under discouragements in the way of God presumption strengthens against just challenges when folks are out of his way The second part of the verse He feeds among the Lilies was also spoken to Chap. 2. 16. It 's brought-in here to remove that objection if he be thine where is he Is he not away and if he be away why claims thou interest in him She answers them though he be not present to sense yet is he ever kind to his people and therefore cannot but be kind to me which makes me conclude that though he be not present to sense yet he is mine and I am his Believers are called Lilies often 1. For their native beauty Matth. 6. 29. 2. For their savorinesse Chap. 5. 13. 3. For their growing and making increase as the Lilie Hos. 14. 5. And so the similitude points at these three excellencies of the believer 1. The native beauty and lovelinesse of Christ's grace in them 2. The sweet relish and savorinesse of their graces And 3. their spiritual growth in grace from one degree of it to another Christ's feeding among his Lilies shews the great delight he takes in them and the pleasure he hath to do them good as was cleared Chap. 2. 16. Observ. 1. Christ is exceeding loving to and tender of all his people of one as well as of another and hath been so from the beginning that none had ever any reason to complain 2. Christ's way in general to his people when well taken up may notably quiet content and comfort any of them when a difficulty comes on or when under any darknesse or desertion as the spouse here was He never did any of his own wrong 3. A believer that hath clearnesse anent his fleeing to Christ by faith may draw comfortable conclusions from and comfortably apply the way of Christ with others of his people to themselves and expect that same kindnesse from him that they have met with for the Covenant is one and the same with them all 4. Believers may sometimes be put to gather their comfort and to sustain their faith more from the experience of others in what they have found and how Christ hath caried to them than from any thing that is in their own present condition 5. She propounded Christ's kindnesse to his people the Lilies to encourage the daughters of Ierusalem to seek him vers 2. now here she makes use of the same ground for quieting of her self Hence learn two things 1. That same which warrands believers at first to approach to Christ may encourage them to renew and continue the exercise of their faith in making application of him and his comforts 2. It 's good in our own practice to make use of the same grounds and to walk by the same rules that we would propose to others BRIDEGROOM Vers. 4. Thou art beautiful O my love as Tirzah comely as Jerusalem terrible as an army with banners In vers 4. which begins the third part of the Chapter Christ the Bridegroom comes in and speaks Our Lord Jesus as it were hath been long silent and here he breaks in without any preface and makes up all his former absence and silence by his singular kindnesse when he manifests himself to his Bride which kindnesse appears in the warmnesse and sweetnesse of his many and various expressions He continues speaking unto vers 10. of Chap. 7. after he had knocked at her door Chap. 5. 2. he had been longing as it were to be in and now when he wins in he insists the more and several wayes prosecutes and amplifies the commendation of his Bride This is 1. generally propounded in three similitudes vers 4. 2. It 's aggreged in one instance thereof vers 5. 3. He descends to particulars vers 5 6 7 4. He takes her up in diverse considerations that speak her to be lovely and beautiful vers 8 9. 5. This is confirmed by two instances and proofs 1. What the daughters did esteem of her and their praise is marked vers 9 10. 2. It's instanced in the influence that her lovelinesse had on him vers 11 12 13. And 6. he proceeds in a different method from what he had Chap. 4. to set out the particulars of her lovelinesse Chap. 7. Generally she is set out vers 4. by three comparisons 1. She is beautiful as Tirzah This was a City of the Tribe of Manasseh The word in the Original comes from a root that signifieth acceptable whereby it seems that this City hath been exceeding pleasant It was the seat of one of the Kings of Canaan Josh. 12. 24. and of the Kings of Israel after the rent of the ten Tribes from the house of David until Zimri burnt it after which Omri built Samaria as is to be seen at large 1 King 16. Thus the spiritual beauty of holinesse in believers Psal. 110. 3. is set out as having in it so much lovelinesse as may commend it and make it desirable and acceptable to others 2. She is comely as Ierusalem This was the head City of Iudah beautiful for situation and the joy of the whole earth Psal. 48. 2. but most beautiful for the Ordinances and worship of God which were there therefore glorious things are spoken of it more than any thing that was to be seen by carnal eyes and it was loved on that account more than all the dwellings of Iacob Psal. 87. 2 3. It 's ordinarily taken for a type of the Church which is set out by it as Psal. 122. It seems here the Lord doth respect the believers spiritual beauty with reference to that comelinesse and orderlinesse which is to be seen among them and is maintained by them in the exercise of his Ordinances and also in respect of his estimation every believer is a Ierusalem to him where he dwells where he is worshipped and to whom he
hath given the promise of his presence Believers are to him as Tirzah and Ierusalem the most beautiful Cities of that Land for the time Or the first similitude taken from Tirzah may look to outward beauty for Tirzah was a beautiful City and the other similitude taken from Ierusalem may look to Church-beauty as the Ordinances were there and so the sense runs my love thou art to me as the most excellent thing in the world yea as the most excellent thing in the visible Church which is more precious to him than any thing in the world 3. She is terrible as an army with banners An army is strong and fearful a banner'd army is stately and orderly under command and 〈◊〉 readinesse for service an army with banners is an army in it's most stately posture The Church is terrible as such an army either 1. Considered complexly or collectively her Ordinances have power authority and efficacy like a banner'd army So the Churches spiritual weapons are said to be mighty and powerfull through God 2 Cor. 10. 5 6. This being compared with the 9. and 10. verses may have it 's own place But 2. the scope here and the words following look especially at the statelinesse majesty and spiritual valour that is in particular believers who are more truly generous valorous and powerful than an army with banners when their faith is exercised and kept lively they prevail wheresoever they turn they carry the victory over the world 1 Joh. 5. 4. over devils which are enemies whom no worldly army can reach but by the power of faith they prevail even to quench the violence of fire as it 's in Heb. 11. 34. and by faith they waxed valient in fight But mainly this holds in respect of Christ himself they prevail over him in a manner by their princely carriage as Iacob did Gen. 32. 28. As a prince hast thou had power with God and men and hast prevailed See Hos. 12. 4. he had power over the Angel and prevailed And indeed no army hath such influence upon him as believers have which is such that he cannot as it were stand before them or refuse them any thing that they with weeping and supplications wrestle with him for according to his will Now that it is in this respect mainly that the believer is called terrible as an â—â—my with banners is clear 1. From the scope which is to comfort a particular believer who hath been wrestling with him already under desertions 2. The next words confirm it Turn away thine eyes from me saith he for they have overcome me What statelinesse or terriblenesse might one say is in a poor believer It 's easily answered that this is not any awful or dreadful terriblenesse that is here intended but the efficacy of faith and the powerful victory which through the same by Christ's own condescending the believer hath over him and so in his account as to prevailing with him Christ's Bride is more mighty than many armies in their most stately posture therefore saith he thine eyes that is her faith have overcome me that 's her terriblenesse turn them away I cannot to say so abide them And these three together make the believer or rather Christ's love who useth these expressions wonderful 1. The believer is beyond all the world for beauty 2. The visible Church and believers in her in respect of Ordinances and her Ecclesiastick estate is very comely and lovely and yet the believers inward beauty is beyond that also the Kings daughter is all glorious within 3. Believers in regard of the power of their faith are more terrible than armies or all military power among men Thou art saith he so to me and hast such influence on me and may expect thus to prevail with and in a manner to overcome me And so Christ is so far from quarrelling with her for her by-gone carriage now that he effectually comforts and commends her Hence Observe 1. Our Lord Jesus is a most friendly welcomer of a sinner and the sweetest passer-by of transgressions that can be there is no upbraiding here for any thing but every word speaks how well he takes with her 2. Our Lord Jesus his manifestations are seasonable and wise Seasonable that now he comes when the Bride hath left no mean unessayed and was at a stand wise that he comes not until she had found the bitternesse of her own way and was brought to a more lively exercise of faith repentance holinesse and profitable experiences therein of which we have spoken in what goeth before 3. The Lord is not displeased with humble believing and with the claiming of interest in him by his own even when his dispensations to sense are dark but takes very well with it and hath a special complâ—â—ncy in it and therefore comes in with this intimation of his love here importing his hearty accepting of her 4. The Lords commendations of his people and the intimations of his love to them are such as it may be seen he conforms and proportions them to their condition and exercise and when they have been under any long and sharp exercise as the Bride was in the former Chapter he makes when he comes his manifestations the more sweet and full as here 5. Believers when grace is exercised must needs be beautiful creatures and much esteemed of by Christ who thus commends them 6 Grace and holinesse in a believers walk is much more beautiful and acceptable to Christ than the external Ordinances though excellent in themselves as separable from it for Ierusalem that was very beautiful as to Ordinances is but an emblem of this 7. There is an awfulnesse and terriblenesse in believers as well as lovelinesse which makes them terrible to the prophane even whether they will or not a godly carriage puts a restraint on them 8. Lovelinesse terriblenesse and authority in holinesse are knit together when a particular believer or Church is lively in holinesse then have they weight and authority and when that fails they become despicable 9. The believer hath great weight with Christ he is the only army that prevails over him as faith is the only weapon being humbly exercised by which they overcome This is more fully expressed in the next verse Vers. 5. Turn away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me The first part of the fifth verse contains the amplification and heightening of the Brides lovely terriblenesse and the great instance and proof thereof is held forth in a most wonderful expression Turn away thine eyes from me and as wonderful a reason for they have overcome me saith the beloved Wherein consider 1. That wherein this might and irresistable terriblenesse of hers consisted It 's her eyes which are supposed to be looking on him even when she knew not to her sense where he was By eyes we shew Chap. 4. 9. were understood her love to him and saith in him whereby she was still cleaving to him under desertion and in
the present dark condition she was in seeking to find him out 2. This phrase Turn away thine eyes is not so to be taken as if Christ approved not her looking to him or her faith in him but to shew the exceeding great delight he had in her placing her faith and love on him which was such that her loving and believing looks ravished him as it 's Chap. 4. 9. and as it were his heart could not stand out against these looks more than one man could stand out against a whole army as the the following expression clears It 's like these expressions Gen. 32. 28. I pray thee let me go and Exod. 32. 10. Let me alone Moses which shews that it 's the believers strength of faith and importunity of love exercised in humble dependence on him and cleaving to him which is here commended for saith he they have overcome me This shews that it is no violent or unwilling victory over him But in respect of the effect that followed her looks it holds forth the intensnesse of his love and the certainty of faiths prevailing that to speak so with reverence and admiration he is captivat ravished and held with it as one that is overcome because he will be so yea according to the principles of his love and the faithfulnesse of his promises whereby he walks he cannot but yield unto the believing importunity of his people as one overcome In sum it 's borrowed from the most passionat love that useth to be in men when they are so taken with some lovely object that a look thereof pierceth them This though in every thing especially as implying defects it cannot be applyed to Christ yet in a holy spiritual manner the effects for the believers comfort are as really and certainly but much more wonderfully in Christ. These expressions are much of the same nature with these spoken of upon Chap. 3. 4. and Chap. 4. 9. and therefore the doctrines there will follow here But further from the scope and repetition Obs. 1. That the believers eyes may look that is their love and faith may be exercised on Christ even in their dark and deserted conditions and it 's their property to look alway to him even when their eyes are as it were blind through desertion he is still the Object they are set upon 2. That when these graces of faith and love are exercised on Christ they are never fruitlesse but alwayes prevail and obtain though it be not alwayes sensible to the believer 3. The love and faith of believers have weight with Christ and affect him even when he keeps up himself he may be overcome even then for the expression in the text looks to what was past 4. Faith working by love is a most gallant and holy darring thing bold in it's enterprises to pursue after to grip and stick to Christ over all difficulties as may be seen in her former carriage and most successful as to the event 5. The more stayedly and stoutly with love humility and diligence that â—aith set on Christ it 's the more acceptable to him and hath the greater commendation as the eleventh of the Hebrews and his commendation of that womans faith Matth. 15. 25. do confirm Tenaciousnesse and importunity in holding of hanging on and cleaving to Christ by faith may well be marvelled at and commended by Christ but will never be reproved nor rejected They greatly mistake Christ who think that wrestling by faith will displease him for even though he seem to keep up himself it is but to occasion and to provoke to more of the exercise of these graces in which he takes so much delight Vers. 5. Thy hair is as a flock of Goats that appear from Gilead Vers. 6. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing whereof every one beareth twins and there is not one barren among them Vers. 7. As a piece of a Pomegranate are thy Temples within thy locks The following particulars of her commendation in the end of the 5. and in the 6. and 7. verses are set down in the same words Chap. 4. 1 2 3. and therefore we need say no more for their explication only we would consider the reason of repeating them in the same words which is the scope here and it 's this Although he commended her formerly in these expressions yet considering her foul slip Chap. 5. 2 3. and his withdrawing on the back of it she might think that he had other thoughts of her now and that these priviledges and promises which she had ground to lay claim to before did not belong to her now and therefore she could not comfortably plead an interest in them now as before to remove this mistake or doubt he will not only commend her but in the same very words to shew that she was the same to him and that his respect was not diminished to her therfore he will not alter her name nor her commendation but will again repeat it for her confirmation intimating his love thereby and also for her instruction teaching the Bride her duty by these particulars of her commendation and shewing her what she should be And this commendation had not met so well with her case nor expressed so well his unchangeable love if it had been given in other terms From this we may Observe 1. as believers are ready to slip and fail in their duty so are they ready to suspect Christ to be changing towards them because of their failings they are very apt from their own ficklenesse and changes to apprehend him to be changeable also and to refuse comfort from all byâ—gone evidences and intimations of his love and from all words that have comforted them till they be restored and set right again 2. Our Bridegroom is most constant in his affection to his Bride continuing still the same and as he is the most free forgiver of wrongs to his own so he is the most full forgetter of them when they return and therefore he continues speaking to her in the same terms as formerly without any alteration as if no such wrong on her side had been committed 3. Renewing of repentance and faith by believers after failings puts them in that same condition and capacity with Christ for laying claim to his love and their wonted priviledges and comforts wherein they were before even as if such failings and miscarriages had never been 4. Our Lord Jesus would have his people confirmed and strengthned in the faith of the constancy of his love the unchangeablenesse of their interest and the priviledges following thereon And seing he thus loves his people he allowes them to believe it 5. It is not easie to fix and imprint Christ's words on believers hearts and to get them affected with them therefore often both promises and duties must be repeated and what was once spoken must be again repeated for their good especially after a slip and fit of security the same word hath need
mentioned distinctly beside the former general of seeing the fruits To shew 1. his taking particular notice of every particular believer as a man that goes from tree to tree in his Garden 2. His special notice taking of beginners and of the beginnings of his work in them as being especially delighted with the first buddings of grace and careful that nothing wrong them This is his feeding in his Gardens and his gathering Lilies to be delighted with fruitfulnesse in his people even with their weak and tender beginnings and to be solicitously careful of their good as men use to be of the thriving of their fruit-trees Observ. 1. Where our Lord Jesus hath a Garden which he hath planted and on which he takes pains he looks for fruits His Garden should never want fruit 2. There are diverse growths degrees or measures of grace amongst his people for some of his trees have fruits and some but blossoms 3. Our Lord Jesus takes special notice of his peoples fruitfulnesse and that as particularly of every one of them as if he went from one to another as the Gardener doth from tree to tree to discover it 4. Our Lord Jesus is especially delighted with the kindly blossomings of beginners and he takes especial notice of the young and tender buddings of their grace and will be so far from crushing them because they are not ripe fruits that he will more tenderly care for them 5. Our Lord Jesus accuratly takes notice of his Brides carriage and expects her fruitfulnesse when he seems to her sense to be absent and is especially much delighted with it then for when he is gone down to his Garden this is the errand to see the fruits of the valley whether c. when he withdraws he hath a friendly design yet saith he although that was intended I was made as it were to alter my purpose and not to stay And so we come to the 12. verse in which is set down how suddenly he is transported with affection to his Bride while he is viewing her graces in his absence from her he is so taken with love to her that he can stay no longer from her We may consider in the verse these three things 1. An effect as it were wrought on him He is made like the Chariots of Amminadib or set as in the Chariots of Amminadib Chariots were used to travel with and that for the greater speed or they were used in war for driving furiously like Iehu and mightily over difficulties and obstructions in the way The word Amminadib may be read in one word and it is to be taken for a proper name of a Prince and thus the expression sets out excellent Chariots such as belonged possibly to some such valiant men of that name or it may be read in two words Ammi nadib which in the Original signifie my willing people So Ammi signifieth my people as Hos. 2. 1 Say to your brethren Ammi that is my people And Nadib is the same word that is rendered Psal. 110. 3. willing Thy people shall be willing It 's a princely beautifulnesse and willingnesse The word Chap. 7. 1. O Princes daughter is from the same root and we rather take it so here as being more suitable to the scope which shews what effect his Brides affection had on him and the word is often so elsewhere translated and so it may be rendered the Chariots of my princely willing people They get this name for their princely behaviour in wrestling with him under difficulties Again the word I was made may be rendered was set according to the more usual interpretation of the word thus the effect may be taken two wayes to one scope 1. I was made like the most swift Chariots for speedy return that nothing could detain me from returning to my Bride Or 2. if we may call the prayers faith and love of his people their Chariots he is set on them as taking pleasure to ride and triumph in them and to be brought back by them as if by Chariots sent from them he had been overcome And this suits with what is spoken vers 5. for while he accounts her as an army these must needs be her weapons and Chariots to wit a longing willingnesse to be at him and soul-sicknesse casting her eyes after him and in a manner even fainting for him 2. There is the manner how this effect is brought about He is suddenly as it were surprized or ever I was aware c. I knew not as if he said till I was transported with an irresistable power of love toward my Bride who in the exercise of faith repentance and prayer was seeking after me while I had withdrawn my self The expression is borrowed from men for properly it agrees not to him who by sudden effects that fall out beyond their expectation use to aggrege the wonderfulnesse of the cause that brings them about Thus I know not how it was it was or I was aware or while I was not thinking on it so forcibly and as it were insensibly the thing prevailed over me Christ expresseth it thus to shew the wonderfulnesse of the thing that came on him that he could not but do it and could not shun it more than if he had had no time to deliberat about it This narration of Christ's is not to resent that effect but to shew how natively it was brought forth so that when they to say so sent their Chariots to him and did cast a look after him he could not but yield because he would yield as the third thing in the verse shews and that is what it was that so easily prevailed with him the cause is within himself that set him on these Chariots of his willing people and made him to be overcome it was even his soul my soul made me or set me that is my inward soul my affections my bowels were so kindled as it's Ier. 31. 20. and my soul cleaved so to my loving and longing Bride and was so stirred with her exercise that I could not but hastily and speedily yield because I could not resist my own affections Hence Obs. 1. willingnesse is much prized by Jesus Christ when the soul yields to open to him and longs for him vers 5. and cannot want him there Christ as Chap. 5. 6. will not and cannot continue at a distance 2. Although Christ's affection doth not properly surprize him nor do the effects thereof fall from him inadvertantly but most deliberatly yet both his affection and the effects thereof are most wonderful and astonishing in themselves and ought as such in a singular manner to affect us 3. The first rise and cause of all the believers good and that which makes their faith prayer love c. bear weight with Christ is in himself It 's his own soul and good-will that overcomes and prevails with him in all these It is not any worth or power in their graces as considered in themselves that hath this
influence upon him but his intimate love to believers themselves that makes their graces have such weight with him All that ever came speed with him were prevented by his love 4. The believer hath a notable friend in Christ's own bosome his soul is friendly to them and is in a kindly-way affected with their conditions even though in his dispensations no such thing appear And while he is man and hath a soul they want not a friend 5. Considering this as the exercise of his soul when he was withdrawn to her sense and she was complaining Observe That Christ's bowels and soul are never more affected toward his people then when he seems most offended with them and when they are most affected with the wrongs done to him Ier. 31. 19 20. Iudg. 10. 16. There be many inconceivable turnings in his bowels even when he seems to speak against them to their sense then he earnestly remembers them still and their friend love steps to and takes part for them and so prevails that by his own bowels he is restrained from executing the fiercenesse of his anger Hos. 11. 8. compared with 9. and constrained even when he is provoked to take some other course to expresse marvellous loving kindnesse to them Vers. 13. Return return O Shulamite return return that we may look upon thee what will ye see in the Shulamite as it were the company of two armies The thirteenth verse continueth the same scope and is a confirmation of the interpretation given of the former verse and a new expression of his love whereby as a kind husband having forgotten bypast failings in his wife he invites her to return to her former familiarity with a motive signifying the love which he had to her and that upon so good ground in his gracious estimation as that by her yielding to return he puts no question but what he had spoken of her stately terriblenesse would be found to be a truth The verse contains these three 1. A most affectionat invitation 2. A most loving motive proposed perswading to embrace it which is his end 3. An objection removed whereby the motive is confirmed and illustrate In the exhortation or invitation Consider 1. the party invited or called 2. The duty called for 3. It 's repetition The party called is a Shulamite This word comes either from Solomon as the husbands name is named over the wife Isa. 4. 1. and it 's from the same root that signifies peace from which Solomon had his name and it is in the feminine gener because it 's applyed to the Bride Thus it holdeth forth 1. the strict union betwixt him and her that she with him partakes of the same name See Ier. 23. 6. compared with Ier. 33. 16. where ye will find the like communication of his name to her 2. It shews the priviledge she was admitted unto through her tye to him and union with him by which she is made his and is admitted to share with him in all that is his for it is not an empty stile she gets while called by his name it being to signifie that she was his and that whatever he had whereof she was capable and might be for her good was hers 3. It shews his affection that he so names her now wishing her a part of his own peace and intitling her to it Or 2. this word may be derived from Salem which properly taken is Ierusalem Psal. 76. 1. and Heb. 7. 1. Melchisedec was king of Salem which signifieth peace and so as Shunamitish comes from Shunem so Shulamite from Salem and so taking the derivation thus it comes to the same thing with the former both being derived from the same root And this holds forth his respect to her as acknowledging her new-birth and Original from the new Ierusalem 2. The exhortation is return This implyes 1. a distance whether in respect of sin Ier. 3. 1. for sin breeds distance betwixt Christ and his people Isa. 59. 2. or in respect of sensible manifestations of his love for howsoever the distance brought on by sin was in some measure taken away and she returned to her former obedience and wonted tendernesse yet she wants the sense of his love and is seeking after it return here then supposeth somewhat of these 2. A duty laid on her to quite this distance and to return this the very expression bears 3. A kind offer of welcome which is implyed in his offers and exhortations whenever he calls So Ier. 3. 14. Ier. 4. 1. and thus the sense is as if he had said There hath been a distance betwixt us and thou art suspicious of my love but return and come hither and neither thy former â—aults nor present jealousie shall be remembred and this shews that the words are his both because the scope is continued and also because none can call the Bride properly or effectually to return but he neither would the voice of another be so confirming to her of his affection and his scope is to confirm her as to that 3. This exhortation is twice doubled Return return and again return return 1. To shew the hazard she was in 2. Her duty to prevent it 3. The necessity of speedy putting the exhortation in practice 4. The difficulty that there was to bring her over her discouragements 5. His great and earnest desire to have them all removed and to have the duty performed These words shew 1. That there may be a distance betwixt Christ and his Bride even the beautiful believer may fall into a distance of sin 2. of indisposition 3. of comfortlessnesse and 4. of discouragement and heartlessnesse which follows on the former 2. There is often a loathnesse to come home when there hath been a straying discouragement and shame may prevail so far as to sâ—ar fainting believers who fain would have him from hearty applying of his allowances to themselves 3. Souls that are at distance with Christ whatever kind of distance it be would not sit down under it or give way to it but wrestle from under it over all difficulties that are in their way 4. This would be done speedily and without all delay dispute or dalying therefore doth the Lord so double his call there will sure be no advantage by delaying or putting off this great businesse of returning from our distance to him 5. The return of a believer after a slip to confident walking with Christ and comforting of themselves in him is allowed by him and well pleasing to him as well as the conversion and coming home of a sinner at first 6. Believers after their slips are not easily perswaded of Christ's kindnesse in the measure that he hath it to them nor are they easily brought to that confidence of it that formerly they had 7. Our Lord Jesus allows his people to be fully confident of his love and of obtaining welcome from him for which reasons this return as a sure evidence and testimony of his kind and hearty
particulars as she had done when she commended him Chap. 5. Then 2. he shews his acquiescing in her as being ravished with her beauty vers 6. c. We had occasion to say something in the general of such commendations Chap. 4. 1. which is now to be remembred but not repeated we take this to be understood after the same manner as that was and although the visible Church be in some respect Christ's Bride and therefore we will not condemn the application of some of the parts of this commendation to her as so considered yet since the scope is mainly to comfort true believers as differenced from others and that it is she to whom he speaks who had ravished him with her eyes in the former Chapter which can agree properly to the true believer only and considering also that some parts of the commendation do respect inherent grace in his people and indeed it is this which is the great ground of the Brides commendation we therefore incline still to take these commendations as holding forth the continuance of the expressions of Christ's love to these who are his own by saâ—ing saith and so much the rather as the words being taken so are of special and particular use for believers There are four differences in this commendation from that mentioned chap. 4. and that which was spoken to on chap. 6. 6 7. which by answering four questions we shall clear Quest. 1. Wherefore is this subjoined now after so large a commendation in the words immediatly preceeding Ans. The former commendation shews Christ's love to his Bride to say so immediatly after their marriage or on the back of some agreement after an out-cast but this is added to shew what is Christ's ordinary way of carriage to his people and what are his usual thoughts to say so of them he is not kind only at fits as men sometimes use to be and do not continue or when he was surprized as it were with a sudden gale of affection Chap. 6. 12. no he is constantly kind and therefore these expressions are â—ow renewed to shew that such are his ordinary kind wayes of dealing towards them even when there is no connexion betwixt his dealing and their present condition nor any thing in them that can be looked on as the immediat rise thereof Our blessed Lord is a most fair loving and friendly speaker unto and converser with his Bride Quest. 2. Why is this commendation inlarged beyond the former having moe particulars in it Ans. Thereby the Lord shews 1. the soveraignty of his love in making the intimations thereof lesse or more as he pleaseth 2. The last commendation is most full in expressing the riches of his love to shew that Christ never speaks so kindly to one of his own but there is more behind in his heart than hath yet vented it self and that there is more which they may expect from him than they have yet met with however that may be very much 3. It 's to make it the fresher unto them when by this it is evidenced to be a new intimation of his kindnesse although it proceed on the same grounds on which former intimations did and this may be a reason also of the third difference and question following which is 3. Why are the same parts named as eyes hair c. and yet the commendation is different from what it was for the most part Ans. 1. This is to shew the beauty of grace which is such that one commendation cannot reach it 2. The account that he in his love hath of her which is so great that one expression doth not fully answer it 3. The various and abundant wayes that love hath to speak comfortably to a believer there is strange eloquence and rhetorick in the love of Christ when he thinks good to vent it Quest. 4. Why is the way he followed before changed He began formerly at the head now at the feet Ans. This is also a piece of his soveraignty and shews how he delights to vary the expressions of his love to his people and that it may be seen that whatever way we will follow in looking upon grace in a believer it is still beautiful in it self and acceptable to him Vers. 1. How beautiful are thy feet with shoes O princes daughter the joynts of thy thighs are like jewels the work of the hands of a cunning workman The first verse contains two pieces of the Brides commendation The first part that is commended is the feet How beautiful are thy feet c. In this consider the title she gets 2. The part commended 3. The commendation it self 4. The manner of expressing of it First the title is O princes daughter This was not given her before it 's now prefixed to this commendation in general to usher-in all that follows and to make it the more gaining on her affection The word in the first Language is Naâ—â—ib which signifies a bounteous prince or one of a princely disposition Isa. 32. 5. It 's given to the visible Church Psal. 45. 13. The Kings daughter is all glorious within For more full taking up of the meaning consider that it doth here include these three 1. A noblenesse and greatnesse in respect of birth that the Bride is honourably descended From which we may learn That believers whatever they be in respect of the flesh are of a royal descent and kindred a royal priesthood 1. Pet. 2. 9. sons and daughters to the Lord God Almighty 2. Cor. 6. 18. 2. It respects her qualifications as being princely in her carriage suitable to such a birth Eccles. 10. 17. Hence observe the believer should be of a princely disposition and carriage and when he is right he will be so for he is indued with princely qualifications with noble and excellent principles beyond the most generous noble gallant and stately dispositions of men in the world A believer when right or in good case is a princely person indeed 3. It respects her provision and expectation that she is provided for waited upon and to be dealt with and even dalted not as children of mean persons but of princes to whom it is her fathers good pleasure to give a Kingdom and such a one as is undefiled and fadeth not away Luk. 12. 32. 1 Pet. 1. 4. Hence observe That the believer is royally dealt with by Jesus Christ and hath a royal princely allowance bestowed on him the charter of Adoption takes-in very much even to inherit with him all things No lesse than this may be expected and is the claim of a daughter to the King of Kings Rev. 21. 7. 2. The part commended is the feet by which a believers walk and conversation as grace shines in it is understood as we may see frequently Psal. 119. v. 59. 101. 105. So likewise shedding of blood or other defiling sins such as leave soul prints upon a mans conversation behind them are called the iniquities of the heels Psal. 49. 5.
the scope it looks to his secret manifesting of himself to her in admitting of her to his bosome O! saith she come my heart longs to be neer thee and this advantage I expect from it I would then get my heart drawn from idols and my affections ingaged to thee which in thy absence I cannot get done so as I would as a person cannot vent love so in company as when he is alone in solitarinesse with his bosome-friend thus Ioseph being to manifest his love to his brethren Gen. 45. 1. commanded all to go out that so he might with the greater freedom let forth his affections on them and as Ionathan sent away his boy when he was to embrace David in the fields 1 Sam. 20. 40. c. So here the secret manifestations of Christ by his Spirit to his people being that which gives them liberty to let forth their hearts on him especially in their unknown accesse to him to which no man is witnesse are by this word there signified Obs. 1. There are many moe good things than one which accompanies Christ's presence and where love is in a believers heart there will be no scarcety of arguments to hold forth the advantage thereof 2. As there are some moe than ordinary manifestations of love from Christ to his people which are not constant so there are some moe than ordinary flowings of the love of believers towards him There are some times and cases wherein especially the heart will melt in affection to him and wherein it will be made to pour out it self with ease and delight upon him 3. It 's no lesse the desire of believers to love Christ and to have their affections flowing on him than to have the manifestations of his love to them therefore speaks she of this as of a benefit she exceedingly desired to get leave to pour her heart out in love upon him 4. Believers that love Christ will not be satisfied with the degree of their own love but will be desirous to have it more withdrawn from other things and more fully venting on him 5. Although sometimes yea oftentimes the believers heart comes not up that length in love to Christ that he would have it yet he designs to set it on Christ alone and there is none that willingly he gives it unto with consent but Christ it 's on him only he allows it 6. There is no greater gift can be given to Christ than his peoples love This is therefore the motive that is proposed by the Bride in her dealing with him as holding forth the propine or intertainment which he should receive 7. Christ's presence and the manifestations of his love conduceth notably unto and hath great influence upon the gaining of our affections to him It doth not only as it were give us the opportunity of his company but it gains the heart softens it ravisheth it and heightens the esteem of Christ in it which no report of him can do so effectually as his own presence and also it oyleth all the affections that they have a freedom to flow out like the Ice before the Sun which otherwise are key-cold 8. Love to Christ loves solitarinesse and retirements with him It 's neither so stirred it self as when it 's alone with him nor are the men of the world able to bear or understand the intimat familiarity that will be in the flowings of the love of Christ to a believer or of a believers liberty and holy boldnesse with Christ nor were it meet that they should be witnesses of the love-secrets that are betwixt him and them 9. It 's an evidence of single love to Christ when his presence is longed for that we may the more ardently and affectionatly love him and when all opportunities are sought for that may increase this this is singlenesse and spiritualnesse in a great length when this makes us glory in Christ's love to us and desire the manifestations thereof that we may have accesse thereby to love him A believer will love heaven because there he will have accesse fully to love Christ as well as to be loved of him and will abhor hell not only because there are no intimations of Christ's love there but also because there is no accesse to love him there To get the heart loving Christ is indeed the believers great delight and in a manner his heaven 10. Love in a believer to Christ is the result or reflex of Christ's love to him it 's that sun which begets this heat in the soul that loves him and the more brightly he shine on believers the more is their love hot towards him for here is love not that we loved him but that he loved us first 11. It 's an evidence of true love to Christ and esteem of him when the heart is longing praying and using means that it may love him and get it's love to him heightned till it be all bestowed on him alannerly In the thirteenth verse we have the third and fourth motives whereby the Bride presseth her suit The third is The Mandrakes give a smell c. It 's like that motive which he useth in pressing her to hearken to his call Chap. 2. 12. The flowers appear on the earth c. The graces of the Spirit growing up as in a Garden in the believers walk with Christ are like flowers in the Spring which by their pleasantnesse and favour invite men to the fields Thus the sense of this motive comes to this all things saith the Bride are in a good condition and there is a thriving amongst my graces which are for pleasantnesse as flower therefore Come This avowing of the flourishing of her graces is not from any vain boasting but in humble sincerity acknowledging what she sound in her self to his praise and what she knew to be acceptable to him as a confirmation to her faith in the expectation of what she prayed for for which is a lesson we would learn although the goodness of our condition can meâ—it nothing which we pray for yet it may give us confidence and boldness in prayer when we have a good conscience and testimony within us 1 Ioh. 3. 20. This fruitfulnesse of hers is four wayes set forth 1. That these her fruits are ripe and in their flower the Mandrakes give a smell Mandrakes were much longed for by Rachel Gen. 30. 14. and by their savourinesse of taste there and of smell here it appears that they were some lovely fruit and now in their prime most pleasant because they give their smell 2. Her fruitfulnesse is set forth in it's comprehensivenesse and variety She is adorned with all manner of pleasant fruits whereby is holden forth that as believers have many diverse graces like variety of Spices Chap. 4. 13. 14. which they should entertain so all of them were in good case with her 3. These fruits were new and old whereby the plenty of the same kind is set forth both to say so of this and
the former years growth whereby is signified a thriving or increase of the believers grace there being a new degree of faith and love c. of this year added to the former degree she attained before she preserves the old and she brings forth new as Matth. 13. 52. the Scribe taught in the Kingdom of God brings out things new and old he hath the old stock and the new increase the talents that were given him and five more gained by them 4. These fruits are said to be at our gates This looks most simply to signifie this that it 's pleasant to have such fruits at the doors and it betokens a frequency or plenty and great abundance of them when not only in the Garden but at the gates they so abound so this abounding of grace in a believer makes to say so Christ's entry savoury and pleasant and shews that all things are in a good readinesse for him as the last motive that they are laid up for him even while they are at the gates doth shew In sum all things saith she are in readinesse and for thee only my beloved although not in perfection yet in sincerity provision is made for thy entertainment Obsâ— 1. There are many various kinds of graces in a believer and when it 's right with one or when one of them is thriving it 's ordinarily so with all 2. Grace hath it's growth and should be increased by new additions where it is begun and when it goes well with the believer there will be of these spiritual fruits both new and old 3. There is no keeping in good case of the old stock of grace but by continuing and growing in fruitfulnesse where the old is preserved there will be found new also otherwise what seemed once to blossome becomes almost withered 4. These who are seriously desirous of Christ's company should be making ready for him by livelinesse of all manner of graces new and old and they who aim at such a condition may with some confidence expect his presence and company 5. Believers who seriously tenderly and humbly follow holinesse may attain a great length in it as this expression of her case signifies And therefore the blame is only our own that our attainments in grace are so small The last motive is in the last words These are the fruits saith she which I have laid up for thee O my beloved These fruits are many and at the doors yet they are laid up for him they are then such fruits as are reserved for Christ. And this motive compleats the former whereby having asserted her fruitfulnesse lest she should seem to boast of it that her graces did so abound whatever increase they have made O my beloved saith she I have devoted them to thee they shall not be for my own satisfaction or boast but for thy glory therefore saith she Come as one would say I have such good fruits of purpose kept for thee which no other shall share of and therfore I invite thee to come and enjoy them which is a kind invitation turning over the acknowledgment of what she had on Christ as indeed belonging to him and as only to be made use of for his honour So then to lay up signifies 1. A carefulnesse and solicitousnesse carefully to gather together as covetous worldly men use to lay up riches and to gather them together 2. It signifies the successe which she had in her endeavour that there was much gathered a store of fruits as in a treasure so we find laying up to have this sense Psal. 31. 19. How great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up as it were in store c. 3. It signifies a setting apart of that store from common uses as men do what they lay up and a reserving of it for some peculiar use And the peculiar use for which she laid them up follows in these words for thee O my beloved Which implyes 1. that in her gathering and storing up respect was had to Christ and that her provision was not to rest her self upon it but to honour him with it 2. That even when it was attained she was denyed to it and did not look upon it as if it could be any stock to her self to live upon but that she had prepared it as an offering to propine or entertertain him with Even as a kind wise would provide what might be for the husbands refreshment and honour and would be still laying up till he return aiming singly to satisfie and entertain him with it So saith the Bride this store is for satisfying and honouring of thee and for thee only O my beloved It 's for thy cause because thou commands it loves it and is honoured by it O my beloved is added to shew how affectionatly she insisted in this discourse and in particular how well bestowed she thought all that she had laid up was when it was bestowed upon him O my beloved it's for thee and I have willingly and affectionatly laid it up for that use therefore come and lodge and dwell with me which is the scope Obs. 1. Increasing in fruitfulnesse or growing in holinesse is a work that will not be done in one day but it will take time and both carefulnesse and diligence to gather together and lay up these spiritual fruits 2. When Christ is absent to sense it is a suitable and seasonable duty to be laying up provision by fruitfulnesse in holinesse for his coming and return Or when Christ seems not presently to come and accept of a believers prayers duties or graces yet are they not to be rejected and cast at as null and uselesse nor is the believer to desist from performing of them but to continue and persevere in stirring himself up in the exercise of graces and duties untill he come 3. Although Christ come not at the first but suffer many of the believers duties and the exercise of his graces if we may say so to ly long on his hand yet they are not lost but laid up and grace is no ill treasure and Christ will one time or other come and make good use of them 4. It 's no lesse practick to say so or it is no lesse difficult in believers walk to reserve what store they have gathered for Christ's use alone and to be denyed to it themselves than to get duties performed and spiritual provision laid up 5. It 's not enough to do duties and to lay up fruits unlesse they be laid up for Christ and this is no lesse a duty than the former 6. It 's no small attainment in a believer and a strong motive for attaining of Christ's company without which all will be nothing when not only he hath store of fruits and is painful in holinesse but also is denyed to these as to any use-making of them for his own ends more than if he had never been taken up in attaining them and when he reserves the praise of them to Christ Jesus alone
under them The last motive is taken from the entertainment she would give him If saith she thou wouldst familiarly manifest thy self and if once I had found thee and gotten thee brought to my mothers house then I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my Pomegranate In a word I would entertain thee as well as I might and thou should be very welcome and kindly taken-with as Guests who are respected use to be By spiced wine and the juice of the Pomegranate is understood the most excellent entertainment as in these Countries it 's like as we may see from Prov. 9. 2. and Song Chap. 5. 1. they used to mix the wine they gave their friends that it might be the more favoury Now through this Song by such similitudes are understood the graces that are in believers as Chap. 4. 10 13. c. Chap. 5. 1. and in sum the sense comes to this if thou wert familiar with me and by thy presence in my mothers house were making the Ordinances lively then I would feast thee on my graces and my love faith hope c. which are to thee more savoury than wine with which men use to entertain their most special friends should flow out abundantly on thee Hence Obs. 1. That believers design and aim at the feasting and entertaining of Christ when they have his company as well as to be entertained thereby themselves 2. It 's no little mercy to get respect to Christ discharged and a believing soul will think it no small priviledge to get him to entertain if he have wherewith to entertain him 3. Christ's coming to a soul brings sufficient provision for his own entertainment The Bride makes no question but there shall be a feast if he will come and if he come not there will be nothing but emptinesse there She doubts not but if once he would come to her mothers house his presence would make enough of good provision 4. The Lord respects even the offer of welcome from his people when he is not actually entertained as they would or though they be not in case for the time to entertain him yet their serious desire to do it is very acceptable to him Otherwise this would be no argument for our Lord Jesus to grant her suit Vers. 3. His left hand should be under my head and his right hand should embrace me The third verse is the same and to the same scope with vers 6. of Chap. 2. and the words being the same in the Original we conceive they will read better here as they are there His left hand is under my head Here it is should be under my head but should is supplyed And so the words hold out here as in Chap. 2. 6. a return which the Bride had to her suit Our Lord Jesus coming and putting in his left hand under her head and as a kind brother taking her in his arms answereth her suit and satisfieth her desire This agrees best with the words as they were formerly used Chap. 2. 6. and with the scope here The verse following confirms it also where she chargeth the daughters not to stir him up which suppons him to be present So we find the same charge following the same words Chap. 2. 7. as also her finding him and bringing him to her mothers house is followed with the same charge Chap. 3. 5. and she is said to be leaning on him here vers 5. and yet is by the daughters commended and not despised which is a proof that he was present for this is it that made her not to be despised The meaning then is Now saith she I have obtained what I desired and he is become very friendly and familiar with me like a brother which was my desire And this shews 1. that Christ easily condescends to his longing Bride to give her such a degree of his presence as she called for and that he doth this so suddenly is great kindnesse and confidence Christ will in this sometimes condescend very quickly to the desires of his longing people 2. That she observes and acknowledgeth it It 's no lesse duty to observe and acknowledge a return than to put up a prayer 3. Christ hath a singularly tender way of communicating his love and of embraceing his people he can take them in his arms and make much of them when he sees it fit 4. There is a sweet satisfaction and unspeakable heart-quieting refreshment to be found in Christ's arms She thinks it so good to be here that she speaks of it with much complacency and carefully sets her self not to have it interrupted in the verse following Vers. 4. I charge you O daughters of Ierusalem that ye stir not up nor awake my Love untill he please Having now accesse to much familiarity with Christ as she desired and being in his arms she expresseth her care in this verse to prevent any new interruption of his blessed presence as if a woman having her friend or husband sleeping in her arms should command all in the house to be quiet lest he should be awaked So the Bride sets her self to watch so tenderly over every thing that is in her that nothing give him just ground to withdraw and though she speak to the daughters of Ierusalem yet the scope shews she looks to her self but it 's thus expressed partly to keep the form used in this Song and so having spoken of bringing him to her mothers house she makes use of the similitude of keeping the house quiet partly to shew her seriousnesse and reality in this her care and the great need that there is of being watchful even as David often provokes all creatures to praise and layes that charge on them thereby to shew his own seriousnesse in the thing and the greatnesse of the work of praise which he was taken up with so to the same purpose is this resemblance here The same words were found Chap. 2. 7. and Chap. 3. 5. where they were opened there are two little differences in the Original which yet alter not the scope 1. That expression by the Roes and Hindes which was formerly used is here left out not because this charge is lesse weighty but it shews a haste and abruptnesse in her speaking which makes her omit that the more speedily to expresse her charge 2. It was before If ye stir or awake Here it is as the margent reads from the Original why will ye stir or awake Which doth more plainly import 1. a readinesse or benâ—il in them to stir him up 2. A certainty of the effect of his withdrawing if they should stir him up or awake him 3. An unreasonablenesse and absurdity in the doing of it Why will ye do it saith she 4. A pressing seriousnesse in her proposing of this question and urging it so vehemently From this and the frequent repetition of this charge Obs. 1. That it 's a difficult piece of work to keep the heart tender and watchful for
to dispose of one of the Gadarens swine 6. The great scope of the worlds courting a man with it's offers is to gain his love from Christ This they had need to look well to on whom the world smiles most for then the tentation to this ill is strongest 7. It 's a proof of true love to Christ when it can endure and hold out against tentations upon all hands and that when they are most speciously adorned 8. Where love is true although it may be sometimes as it were violented or the soul in which it is circumveen'd and beguil'd by tentations as the experiences of Saints do clear yet when it is at it self or in good case it will not deliberatly capitulat to admit any thing in Christ's room but will reserve it self wholly for him where love ceds and yields finally it 's a sign that it was never true 9. Tentations though most pleasant yet tending to divert the love of the soul from Christ should be with indignation at their first moving and appearing rejected 10. Love will not only refuse a consent to some tentations but will have a great abhorrency at the moving of them whereas others though they may as to the external actings resist these tentations yet their wanting of this indignation bewrayes their want of love 11. As it 's good to be acted in doing of duty from a principle and motive of love so is it good and commendable to reject tentations upon that same account Vers. 8. We have a little sister and she hath no brests what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for The Brides third petition for these that are not yet brought in to Christ followeth in this eighth verse Her love is strong in pressing for the injoyment of Christ and seing it hath two arms as it reacheth out the one to embrace Christ so it reacheth out the other to bring others in to him Love is very desirous to have others injoying him with it self And by this arm of love the Bride is pulling in these that are yet strangers that they may be ingaged to love Christ and she forgets them not even when she is most serious for her self this being an undoubted truth that when ever our love is most fervent after Christ for our selves it will also be most sensible and sympathizing in respect of the condition of others when love is hot and fervent the one way so will it be the other way also and when it cools to the one it also decays in respect of the other We may take up this verse in these three 1. She remembers and propounds her little sisters case to Christ. 2. There is her suit in reference thereunto 3. This suit is qualified in the last part of the verse First her little sisters case is proposed in these words We have a little sister that hath no brests Here much love and sympathy appears in these three things 1. That she is called a sister 2. our sister 3. ◠little sister and without brests which do expresse much tendernesse of affection and sympathy By sister is sometimes understood more strictly such as are renewed converts to the saith whether in profession only or really 1 Cor. 7. 15. but that is not the meaning here for the sister here mentioned hath no brests and is not yet spoken for Again sister may be more largely taken for one or all of these three 1. For all men as partaking of one common nature 2. For men of one stock and nation so Samaria was sister to Ierusalem c. Ezek. 16. 46. 3. For the Elect who are yet unconverted who are sisters in respect of God's purpose as they are Christ's sheep Joh. 10. 16. and sons of God Joh. 11. 52. even before their conversion for which cause the sister here spoken of is said to have no brests as not being yet changed from her natural condition and so we take this especially to look to the unrenewed Elect not secluding the former two The sense then is There are yet many who have interest in and many that belong to thy election yet 〈◊〉 Now it 's their in-bringing and the making of them ready to be Christ's Spouse and Bride that she breaths after and prayeth for Next it 's said We have a sister and so she is called our sister that is thine and mine Christ's sister because of his purposed respect to her the believers sister not only because of their native and kindly sympathy but also because of the common adoption to which they are designed She is called a little sister and that hath no brests 1. To shew the sad condition that the unconverted elect are in like little young children that are unfit to do any thing for themselves and altogether unmeet for the duties of marriage as these at age who have brests are Thus Ezek. 16. 7. the wretched condition of that people before they were taken in to God's Covenant is set out by this that their brests were not formed and the good condition that followed their being in Covenant is expressed thus that their brests were fashioned This then is the scope here to show that this little sister was yet in nature unmarried to Christ yea as to many of the unconverted elect not spoken for or called 2. She is called little to expresse the Brides pity and sympathy as one would say of a young one that cannot do any thing for her self what will become of her she is a little one 2. The suit is What shall we do for our sister This is a petition that seems to have more affection than distinctnesse in it It 's proposed by way of question the better to expresse her sympathy where she disputes not but again asserts his relation to her and puts no question but he will be tender of her and withall acknowledgeth that there is a duty lying on her self in order to the case of her little sister but would be informed and taught by him in the right discharge of it and so this question supposeth necessity and wretchednesse in this sister affection and duty in her self but unclearnesse how to discharge it Now the way she takes to be helped in it is the putting up this petition to Christ What shall we do saith she Not as if Christ knew not what he would do but it shews her affection to this sister and her familiarity with him and also that she will not separat his doing from hers but looks upon it as her duty to co-operat with him in bringing about the conversion of their little sister The qualification of her suit is What shall we do for her in the day that she shall be spoken for This phrase to speak for her is in allusion to the communing that is used for the attaining women in marriage We find the same phrase in the Original 1 Sam. 25. 39. David sent messengers to commune with Abigail that he might take her to
Lord Jesus which will perfect all her desires And this coming of his was prophesied of by Enoch the seventh from Adam Jude v. 14. and was delighted in by believers Psal. 96. 12 c. Psal. 98. 6 7. before Solomon wrote this 2. The title which she gives him is my Beloved That which ordinarily she gave him and is here insert 1. To be a motive to presse her suit and it 's the most kindly motive which she could use to him that there was such a relation betwixt him and her and therefore she prayeth that he would not leave her comfortlesse but return again 2. It 's made use of as a stay to her faith for sustaining of her against discouragement And that there is such a tye standing betwixt him and believers is a notable consolation seing he is faithful and kind in all his relations and by this she sweetens this her farewel-wish 3. It 's an expression of her affection she cannot speak to him but her heart is kindled and must speak kindly And it shews that their patting is in very good terms like friends 4. It shews her clearnesse of her interest in him on which she grounds this suit so as heartily she thereby makes ready and prepares for his coming knowing that he is hers 3. The qualification of her suit is in these words Be thou like to a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountains of Spices Roes and Harts frequent mountains and do run swiftly speedily and pleasantly on them as hath been often said See upon Chap. 2. 8. 17. the allusion and scope here is as Roes and Harts run swiftly over mountains so my Beloved saith she make haste to return with all diligence or because the mountains of Spices signify some excellent mountains such as it may be were not ordinary for Roes and Harts to run upon though in these countries it might be so in part therefore we may read thâ— words thus my Beloved be thou upon the mountains of Spices like a Roe c. and so Heaven may be compared to such savory and refreshful mountains The scope is one and speaks thus Now my Beloved seing there is a time coming when there will be a refreshful meeting betwixt thee and me never to be interrupted therefore I intreat thee so to expede thy affairs which are to preceed which in reason I cannot obstruct that that blessed and longed-for meeting may be hastened and thou may come to receive thy Bride at the last day From all these Observ. 1. which is supposed that there is a final and glorious coming of our Lord Jesus to Judgement which will be when all that he hath to do in the earth in perfected otherwise this could not be prayed for by the Bride 2. It is implyed that this coming of Jesus Christ is a most comfortable and desirable thing to believers There is nothing that they more aim at and pant for than his company and that being so desirable here it must be much more so hereafter when all his people shall be gathered to him and the Queen shall be brought to the King in rayment of needle work and shall enter into the palace with him there to abide for ever That cannot but be desirable and therefore it is pressed as her farewel-suit 3. This suit of the Brides implyes that this glorious coming of our Lord Jesus is much in the thoughts of his people and useth to be meditated on by them for this prayer of hers is the expression of what useth to be in her heart 4. It implyes that believers ought to be established in the faith of Christ's second coming so as it may be a ground of prayer to them 5. Even the thoughts of this second coming which flow from the faith thereof long ere it come will be refreshful to the believer 6. It 's peculiar to the believer to be delighted with and to be longing for Christ's second coming for it agrees with this relation the Bride hath to him as her Beloved And whatever others may say yet this coming of Christ Jesus really is and will be dreadful to them And therefore are believers differenced from all others by this name that they are such who love his appearing 2 Tim. 4. 8. That we may further consider this prayer of the Brides we may look upon it first morâ— generally and so gather these Observ. 1. Faith and love will compend much in few words and will thrust together many suits in a short expression There is much in this same word flee or haste It 's not the longest prayer that is made up of maniest words 2. Faith in Christ and love to him where they are in exercise will make the believer to meddle in his prayers with things of the greatest concernment so doth this prayer of the Brides it looks not only to his second coming but also takes in the overturning Satans kingdom the calling of Jews and Gentiles the dissolution of Heaven and Earth c. which go alongst with and before Christ's coming These are great things and yet that they may be accomplished is that which she here prayeth for 3. Faith will look far off in prayer it will be minding things that are to be performed long after the persons removal out of this life Again we may consider this suit as it followeth on the former long conference and goes before the off-breaking thereof And so Observe 1. That the most lively and longest continued enjoyments of Christ that believers have here upon earth may and will have their interruptions and off-breakings for a time Uninterrupted communion is reserved for Heaven 2. Believers that have been admitted to familiar accesse unto and fellowship with Christ Jesus would endeavour to have it distinctly breaking off so that although they cannot entertain it alway yet they would be careful that it slip not away and they not knowing how nor understanding in what terms their souls stand with Christ neglects here occasion many challenges 3. These who are best acquainted with fellowship with Christ here-away and are clearest of their interest in him will be most desirous of and most pressing after his second coming And the little acquaintance that many have with him here-away is the reason that so few are taken up with this suit 4. When believers have been admitted to much sweet fellowship with Christ before their sun decline or before his sensible presence be withdrawn they ought to have a new design and desire tabled for his returning and this is a good way to close such sweet and comfortable conferences with Christ by referring distinctly to a new meeting especially to this last which will never admit of a parting again 5. When temporal enjoyments of Christ break off believers would endeavour the clearing of their hope of that eternal enjoyment which is coming and would comfort themselves in the expectation of that which no time will put an end unto 3. We may consider the words in themselves as this particular prayer holds forth a pattern and copy of prayer to believers and as the Bride evidenceth the nature of true love by this suit And so we may Observ. 1. That it 's the duty of a believer to long and pray â—or Christ's second coming and when they are in a right frame and case they will do so Love to Christ himself who at his appearing is to be glorified love to the Church in general which that day is to be adorned as a bride for her husband and fully to be freed from all outward crosses and inward defects and love to a believers own happinesse which that day is fully to be perfected do all call for this 2. This second coming of our Lord doth fully satisfie the believer in all respects they have no suit nor prayer after this when that day is once come there will be no more complaints all sorrow and fighing flies then away there will be then no more prayer for there will be no more necessities and wants but all they can desire will be then enjoyed and praise will be the work of that blessed world amongst all the Saints to all Eternity There will be no such use of the promises and of faith as we have of them now but all will be in possession Our warfare will be ended and our victory compleated when we shall see him as he is and be like him It 's no marvel then that the Spirit and the Bride say come and cry constantly haste my Beloved until this desire be fulfilled Even so come Lord Iesus FINIS