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
of love it 's for them who while they are in the way are subject to infirmities it 's fitted for them to role on and rest in even when sense of sin would otherwise sting and disquiet them this suits well with that word 2 Sam. 23 5. Although my house be not so with God but there are many things sinful to be found in it yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant well ordered in all things and sure This saith he when he was to die is all my salvation and all my desire There needs no more for carrying believing sinners through and giving them ease under their challenges and perplexities but this it 's so well suited for believers conditions From all this she proceeds vers 11. to point out Christ as precious this Covenant putting as it were the Crown of grace and lovelinesse on him Obs. 1. The work of Redemption bringing sinners out of a state of wrath and carrying them through to glory is a noble design a wonderfully excellent work and hath been deeply contrived 2. O the excellent wisdom and wonderful grace that shines in this Covenant 3. They who would rest in Christ's bed must ride in his Chariot they who would share in his peace and be admitted to sweet fellowship with him must accept of his offers and enter into Covenant with him 4. The weight of all contained in the Covenant lyes on Christ therefore it 's his workmanship alone as being the surety thereof to the Father the Messenger of the Covenant to us and in effect the sum and substance of it himself therefore is he called the Covenant Isa. 42. 6. 5. Christ hath spared no invention nor cost to make this Covenant large and full for the believers consolation and happinesse 6. Love is a main ingredient in this work of Redemption and the predominant qualification of this Covenant love being the thing which he chiefly intended to make conspicuous and glorious therein 7. Every particular of the contrivance of grace will be found more precious than another every step thereof proceeds to a greater excellency and therefore there is mention made here 1. Of wood 2. Of Silver 3. Of Gold c. The further in we come in the Covenant we will find it the more rich 8. Love is here mentioned in the last place to shew the great excellency of Christ's love unto redeemed sinners there is something beyond Gold but nothing beyond Love especially that of the Mediator It 's left last also in the description to leave the daughters of Ierusalem to consider the more of it as being the great attractive commendation of this work which should make it amiable and desirable unto them Love hath the last word and there is nothing beyond it but himself whose glory and lovelinesse is spoken to in the following verse Lastly her scope is 1. To commend Christ for they will never esteem of him that are not acquaint with his Covenant 2. To ingage both her self and the daughters to fall more throughly in love with him The right uptaking of the Covenant is a most forcible argument for drawing souls to Christ For 1. It hath all fulnesse in it for the matter 2. All wisdom for the manner 3. All gracious condescending in the terms 4. It 's most ingaging in respect of it's end being made for this same very purpose and designed for this very end that it may bring about the peace and salvation of sinners which considerations exceedingly commend it and may much strengthen a sinner in applying himself to it 5. It 's most necessary in regard of the salvation of sinners there is no riding or journeying to Heaven but in this Chariot No other name by which men can be saved but the Name of Christ that is manifested by this Covenant Vers. 11. Go forth O ye daughters of Zion and behold King Solomon with the Crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals and in the day of the gladnesse of his heart She proceeds in this verse to hold forth the worker of this great work and although all the pieces of the work be admirable yet hath he much more glory in as far as the builder is more glorious and hath more honour than the house and because his commendation is her scope therefore she propounds him in his beauty and glory with an exhortation filled with admiration If saith she ye would wonder O daughters c. here is a wonderful object Christ himself on whom all eyes should be fixed up therefore come forth and behold him There are four things in the verse 1. The parties spoken unto 2. A glorious object propounded to them 3. This glorious object being Christ is qualified and set out in his most lovely and wonderful posture by three qualifications 4. A duty in reference to him so qualified is called for and pressed upon the daughters 1. The parties excited and spoken to here are the daughters of Zion By Zion oftentimes in Scripture is understood the Church wherein Christ is set as King Psal. 2. 6. and elsewhere and so by daughters of Zion we are to understand members of the Church They are the same with the daughters of Ierusalem mentioned vers 5. and her scope being to speak to them who spoke vers 6. and they being the same to whom she spake vers 5. doth confirm it for the words run in one context They are called here daughters of Zion 1. Because it was for Zions sake that the Lord so much prized Ierusalem Psal. 87. 2. his Temple and Ordinances being especially there 2. To put the daughters of Ierusalem in mind what was the especial ground of the relation which God owned in them namely their being incorporat into his Church whereby they had accesse to his Ordinances And that so they might know whoever was deficient yet this duty called for did exceedingly become them Christ being King of Zion for which cause elsewhere Zech 9. 9. the exhortation runs in these terms Tell the daughter of Zion behold thy King cometh c. It 's no little thing to get professors taking up the relation they stand under to Christ and ingaged to walk accordingly 2. The object proposed to these daughters is King Solomon even the King of Zion the King of Peace and King of Saints in a word their King This relation makes him lovely to them yet it 's not Christ simply that is here proposed to their veiw but Christ with a Crown in most stately magnificence such as Kings use to be adorned with when they are in great state or on their Coronation day While it 's said he hath a Crown hereby is not signified any material Crown but majesty and glory as Psal. 21. 3. Thou set a Crown of pure Gold on his head c. And so Christ conquering on the white horse Rev. 6. 3. is said to have a Crown And Rev. 19. 12. it 's said he hath on his head many Crowns To
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
excellent and useful for the life of man And therefore it was a property of Canaan that it flowed with milk and honey which are put together in the following piece of her commendation 2. Her speech or words are commended from the manner or qualification of them They drop as the honey-comb c. Droping words signifie 1. Seasonable words which are like dew droping for the edification of others as dew by it's droping makes the fields fruitful 2. Prudence and moderation in discourse and so droping is opposed to floods that with violence overflow 3. â—his phrase â—ignifieth a continuance in seasonable prudent and edifying discourse as Iob 27. 22. My words droped on them and Deut. 31. 2. My doctrine shall drop as the rain Thus the lips of the wise feed many Prov. 10. 21. Obs. 1. A believers words tend to edification and are for the true benefite and advantage of others 2. Every subject is not the matter of their discourse but as the honey it 's excellent and choice and that which ministreth grace to the hearers 3. Mens words give a great proof of what is in them and when rightly ordered they are a good evidence of their love and respect to Christ. 4. A well ordered tongue is a most commendable thing before Christ and every word that proceeds from the mouth is observed by him 5. Christ's spouse should be observably different as to her words and discourse from all others Thy lips O my spouse saith he drop as the honey-comb Implying that whatever be the way of others it becomes the spouse of Christ to have her words seasonable savoury and edifying The second thing here commended reacheth more inwardly and it is in these words honey and milk are under thy tongue There will be sometimes smooth words as butter when there is much venome within it 's not so with Christ's Bride By under the tongue which is the part commended we understand the heart or inward-man as it 's distinguished from the bare expression of the tongue or words which are only spoken as we say from the â—eth forward So Psal. 66. 17. He was exalted under my tongue as it 's in the Original is expounded in the following verse by heart-regarding There was an agreement betwixt his words and his heatt without which God would not have accepted his words And seing when it 's said of the wicked that mischief and vanity are under their tongue Psa. 10. 7. Rom. 3. 13. whereby their deceitful rotten heart and the venom that is within is signified So here must be understood inward sincerity and a good frame of heart within as well as good words without The commendation is that there are milk and honey under her tongue It 's almost the same with the former As her words were edifying so there was much edifying matter in her heart or under her tongue the honey-comb as it were was there and it by words droped to others Milk is added because it 's also sweet and nourishing In a word that which he here points at is that her inward constitution and frame is like a Canaan flowing with milk and honey so fertile and fruitful is Christ's Bride Here observe 1. That Christ takes not only notice of words but of what is under the words the disposition and frame of the heart and the thoughts thereof are observed by him 2. There is a suitablenesse often betwixt the heart within and the words without when there is honey under the tongue then the tongue cannot but drop for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks 3. It 's a most commendable thing in the believer when the inner-man is right in a lively and edifying frame and when the heart is watched over so that no thought enters in or word goes forth but what is edifying 4. The heart would be furnished with edifying profitable purpose and thoughts as well as the mouth with pertinent and useful words and that is as the fountain from which this must run and flow 5. They will feed and edifie others best by their words who feed best upon the most healthful subjects and savoury thoughts themselves The third thing commended is the smell of her garments Garments are that which covers our nakednesse and are for decorement externally put upon the body sometimes by them is understood Christ's righteousnesse whom we are said to put on Gal. 3. 27. Sometimes our own inherent holinesse which makes our way comely before others and hides our nakednesse from them So Iob. 29. 19. saith I put on righteousnesse and it cloathed me Now here it 's to be taken especially in the last sense though not only as setting forth the outward adorning of her walk with holinesse and this is the third part of her commendation distinguished from the other two which pointed at her words and thoughts And so it 's the practice of holinesse that is here commended which is compared to garments because good works are called the cloathing of such as professe godlinesse 1 Tim. 2. 9. and 1. Pet. 3. 3 4. The smell of them is the savour and relish of these good works to others and also to him even as it 's said that Iacob's garments did smell to his father to which this may allude so our holinesse being washen in the blood of the Lamb is very savoury to him and is also savoury to others yea the smell thereof is as the smell of Lebanon which was an hill that abounded with trees and flowers exceeding savoury and delightsome whereas a corrupt conversation is exceeding unsavoury as rottennesse and dead mens bones In sum this compleats believers commendation when their words are edifying their heart answerable to their words in true sincerity and their outward walk adorning to the Gospel so as their natural nakednesse and pollution appears not in it Obs. 1. Where there is true honesty within it will appear in the fruits of holinesse without 2. There is no garment or cloathing that can adorn or beautifie men as holinesse doth a believer 3. Though outward profession alone be not all yet is it necessary for compleating the commendation of a believer 4. Although good works be not the ground of our relation to Christ but follows on it and though it be not on the account of our works that the Lord is pleased with us to justifie us yet are the good works of a believer and of a justified person when done in faith acceptable to God and an odour and sweet savour to him Phil. 4. 18. Vers. 12. A Garden inclosed is my sister my spouse a Spring shut up a Fountain sealed Having thus summed up her carriage in the former threefold commendation now he proceeds both to describe and commend her by a seven-fold comparison wherein to say so the rhetorick of our Lords love abounds Each of them may point out these three things 1. They describe somewhat the nature of a believer or Christ's Bride 2. They evidence Christ's love and
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.
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
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
love as to bestow it on any creature whorishly but who reserve it for Christ only So the Church is called 2 Cor. 11. 2. A chast Virgin And so these who were kept unspotted and sealed for the Lord Rev. 14. 4 5. are called Virgins They are here called Virgins in the plural number because this denomination belongs to all Believers distributively and in particular They are said to love Christ that is whatever others do who have no spiritual senses and whose example is not to be regarded yet these saith she desire thee only and delight in thee only and this differenceth true Virgins from others If it be asked whether that be single love which loves Christ for his Ointments We answer Christ's Ointments may be two ways considered 1. As they make himself lovely and desirable so we may and should love him because he is a most lovely object as being so well qualified and furnished 2. As by these many benefits are communicat to us thus we ought to love him for his goodnesse to us although not principally because no effect of that love is fully adequat and comparable to that love in him which is the fountain from which these benefits flow yet this love is both gratitude and duty taught by Nature and no mercenary thing when it is superadded to the former Hence observe 1. All have not a true esteem of Christ though he be most excellently lovely for it 's the Virgins only that love him 2. There be some that have an high esteem of him and are much taken with the savoury Ointments and excellent qualifications wherewith he is furnished 3. None can love him and other things excessively also they who truly love him their love is reserved for him therefore they are called Virgins It is but common love and scarce worth the naming that doth not single out it's object from all other things 4. They who truly love him are the choise and waill of all the world beside their example is to be followed and weight laid on their practice in the essentials of spiritual communion more than on the examples of Kings Schollars or Wise-men So doth she reason here from the Virgins and passeth what others do 5. True chast love to Christ is a character of a Virgin-believer and agrees to them all and to none other 6. The love that every Believer hath to Christ is a proof of his worth and will be either a motive to make us love him or an aggravation of our neglect Vers. 4. Draw me we will run after thee the King hath brought me into his chambers we will be glad and rejoice in thee we will remember thy love more then Wine the upright love thee Being now more confirmed in her desire from the reasons she hath laid down she comes in the 4. vers more directly to propound and presse her suit for rational insisting upon the grounds of grace in pressing a petition both sharpens desire and strengthens the soul with more vigour and boldnesse to pursue it's desires by Prayer In the words we may consider 1. the petition 2. The motive made use of to presse it 3. The answer or grant of what was sought 4. The effects of the answer following on her part suitable some-way to her ingagement The petition is Draw me a word used in the Gospel to set forth the efficacious work of the Spirit of God upon the heart ingaging the soul in a most sweet powerful and effectual way to Jesus Christ None can come to me saith Christ except the Father draw him Joh. 6. 44. It is used here to set forth the Brides desire to be brought into fellowship with Christ by the power of this same Spirit that as she desires a visit from Christ so she desires his Spirit that he may by his powerful operations draw her near to him And although a Believer be not at a total distance with Christ and so needs not renovation as one in nature doth yet considering what a Believer may fall into a deadnesse of frame as to the lively exercise of grace and a great distance as to any sensible sweet communion with Jesus Christ and that it must be by the power of that same Spirit without which even these that are in Christ can do nothing that they must be recovered and again brought to taste of the joy of his salvation as is clear from David's prayer Psal. 51. 10. to have a clean heart created in him c. See vers 12. of that Psalm And that there are degrees of communion with him and nearnesse to him none of which can be win at without the Spirit 's drawing more then being made near at the first in respect of state I say all these things being considered it 's clear that this petition is very pertinent even to the Bride and doth import these particulars 1. A distance or ceasing of correspondence for a time and in part betwixt Châ—ist and her 2. Her sense and resentment of it so that she cannot quietly rest in it being much unsatisfied with her present case 3. An esteem of Christ and union with him and a desire to be near even very near him which is the scope of her petition to be drawn unto him that she may have as it were her head in his bosome 4. A sense of self-insufficiency and that she had nothing of her own to help her to this nearnesse and so a denying of all ability for that in her self 5. A general faith that Christ can do what she cannot do and that there is help to be gotten from him upon whom the help of his people is laid for acting spiritual life and recovering her to a condition of nearness with himself 6. An actual putting at him so to speak and making use of him by faith for obtaining from him and by him quickening efficacious and soul-recovering influences which she could not otherwise win at 7. Diligence in Prayer she prays much and cryes for help when she can do no more The motive whereby she presseth this petition is We will run after thee wherein we are to consider these three things 1. What this is to run which is in short to make progresse Christ-ward and advance in the way of holinesse with chearfulnesse and alacrity having her heart lifted up in the wayes of the Lord for the Believers life is a race Heaven is the prize 1 Cor. 9. 24. and Philip. 3. 13 14 c. and the graces and influences of the Spirit give legs strength and vigour to the inner-man to run as wind doth to a ship to cause her make way as it 's Psal. 119. 32. Then I shall run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt inlarge my heart which is on the matter the same with drawing here And this running is opposed to deadnesse or slowness in her progresse before Now saith she I make no way but draw me and we shall go swiftly speedily willingly and chearfully Hence we may
is there but that the King himself like the Prodigal's father met her and took her in Christs convoy is much worth and sinners may hazard forward with it and not despair of accesse 4. She attributes it to him that she may keep mind of his grace whereby she stands and injoyes these priviledges and that she may be still humble under them as having none of these from her self It is much under sense and a fair gale of flowing love to carry even and to be humble And it 's rare to be full of this new Wine and bear it well 3. Consider the importance of the word in the Original it is here translated he brought me in as it's Chap. 2. vers 4. but the word in that Conjugation in which it is used in the first Language signifieth he made me come or go in implying 1. A â—ort of aversness and inability in her self 2. Many difficulties in the way 3. An efficacious work overcoming all these and effectually bringing her over all as the same word is used Psal. 78. 71. where God's bringing David from the fold to be King over so many difficulties is spoken of The last thing in the verse is the effect following on this her admission which is both exceeding great spiritual cheerfulnesse in her self and gladnesse of heart also in others whereby both her own and their heaâ—ts were much inlarged in duty as she undertook and therefore the person from me to we is changed again for before she saith he brought me c. but now we will be glad c. The effects by way of gratitude are in two expressions 1. We will rejoyce and be glad in thee And 2. We will remember thy love more then Wine And as she took her motive while she desired Christ's love from that esteem which all Believers under the Title of Virgins had of it so now having obtained what she sought she confirms her estimation of that injoyment from the experience of the same Believers under the name of upright that by such an universal testimony in both assertions she might the more confirm her saith anent the reality of Christs worth seing her esteem of him did flow from no deluded sense in her but was built on such solid reasons as she durst appeal to the experience of all Believers who thought Christ well worthy the loving And so this is not only brought in here to shew the nature of Believers whose disposition inclines them natively to love Christ but also to shew the excellent lovelinesse of Christ as an object worthy to be loved in the conviction of all that ever knew him The first expression holds forth a warm change upon her affections no sooner is she admitted into the Chambers but she cryeth out O we will rejoyce and be glad in thee Where 1. Ye have her exercise and frame it 's to rejoyce and be glad cheerfulnesse and joy disposing the heart to praise are sometimes called-for as well as Prayer If we look on this joy as it stands here It says 1. There are degrees and steps in Communion with Christ and the Saints are sometimes admitted to higher degrees thereof than at other times Sure it is a heartsome life to be near Christ and in his Chambers 2. This joy and that nearnesse with Christ which is the ground of it are both often the effect of Prayer and follows upon it when Faith is in a lively way exercised in that duty 3. That Faith exercised on Christ can make a sudden change to the better in a Believers case Psal. 30. 6 7 c. 4. That a Believer should observe the changes of Christ's dispensations the returns of their own prayers and be suitably affected with them whether he delay the answer or give them a present return The 2. thing in the expression is the object of this joy it 's in thee not in Corn or Wine not in their present sense but in him as the Author of their present comfortable condition and as being himself their happinesse even in their greatest enjoyments according to that word 1 Cor. 1. 31. Let him that rejoiceth rejoice in the Lord and this qualifies joy and keeps it from degenerating into carnal delight when he that rejoiceth rejoiceth in the Lord and it is a good character to try such joy with as may warrantably passe under that name of the joy of the Lord and as will have that effect with it to strengthen us in his way Neh. 8. 10. 3. We may consider a twofold change of the number in the Brides speaking it 's We which was Me The King brought me said she but now We will rejoice The reasons were given on the petition and further we may add here that it 's to shew her being conform in her practice to her undertaking and to shew that that admission of hers redounded to the good of moe and ought to take them up in praise with her The other change of the person is from the third to the second from He the King to Thee in the second Person we will rejoice in Thee which shews a holy complacency and delight sometimes making her to speak of him sometimes to him yet so as she loves to have Christ both the object and subject of her discourse and the more he be to her she is the more satisfied This being another character of spiritual joy and exulting in Christ it still makes him to be the more to them and they are still pressing under it to be the nearer to him The 2. effect is We will remember thy love more then Wine What is understood by Love and Wine as also why the number is changed from the singular to the plural hath been formerly cleared The word Remember doth import these three things 1. A thankful acknowledgment of the favour received and a making of it to be remembred to his praise this remembring is opposite to forgetting Psal. 103. 2. From which we may observe two things 1. The acknowledgment of the mercies we have received is a necessary piece of the duty of praise They will never praise for a mercy who will not acknowledge they have received it forgetfulnesse and unbelief doth much marr praise 2. They that pray most for any mercy will most really praise when it 's received and this last is a duty as well as the former but is not made conscience of nor suitably performed but by hearts that acknowledge God's goodnesse to themselves 2. It imports a recording of this experience of God's goodnesse for her own profit for the time to come Thus every manifestation of his grace is to be kept as an experience for afterward when that frame may be away and he may hide his face whereupon there will follow a change in the Believers frame It 's good keeping the impression of his kind manifestations still upon the heart So the Psalmist endeavoured Psal. 119. 93. I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickned me
because these will furnish them matter of continual exercise and labour and partly because what they have they are to improve that there may be fruit on them and rent brought in to the master that intrusted them Chap. 8. 12. 13. This Vineyard is called hers because the special oversight and charge of it was comitted to her 2. Her duty is to keep and watch over this Vineyard that is to improve the talents she hath gotten to see that no plants be unfruitful and that no hurt from any cause inward or outward annoy them Christianity or Godlinesse is no idle task every priviledge hath a duty waiting on it 3. Her sin is that what with other diversions and what from her own unwatchfulnesse she had neglected the keeping of this Vineyard so that this one task which was put in her hand she had not discharged it but lasinesse came on and the Vineyard was not dressed thorns and nettles grew and tentations brake in and this marred her fruitfulness In a word she was no way answerable to the trust was put on her by Christ. 4 She resents this where these things may be taken notice of 1. She sees it and observes it 2. She acknowledges it 3. She is sensible of it and weighted with it as the greatest piece of her affliction It 's ill to be unwatchful for that may draw on both fruitlessenesse and heavinesse on a Believer but it 's good to observe and be affected with it and to be walking under the sense of it even in our most joyful frame such as hers was here Here then Obs. 1. Believers have a painful laborious task of duty committed to them 2. They may much neglect this work and task wherewith they are intrusted 3. Neglect and sloth makes the weeds to grow in their Vineyard and the building which they ought to keep up to drop thorow 4. It 's not unsuitable or unprofitable for Believers in their most refreshing conditions and frames sadly to remember their former unwatchfulnesse and to be suitably affected therewith 5. Believers should be well acquaint at home how it stands with them as to their own condition and state 6. They who are best versed in their own condition will find most clearly the cause of all their hurt to be in themselves what ever is wrong in their case themselves have the only guilty hand in it If any should ask how makes this last part of the verse for her scope in removing the offence before these weak beginners I Ans. It doth it well for saith she there is no reason ye should stumble or be troubled because of my afflictions they were without cause as to men though I am under much sin and guilt before God Neither scarr at godlinesse or joy in Christ because of my infirmities for these spots came from mine own unwatchfulnesse and not from godlinesse it self which is the souls special beauty therefore take warning from my slips and study to prevent the bringing on of such a stain and blot upon your profession by security and negligence but esteem not the lesse but the more of Christ his people and wayes and the beauty of holinesse which is to be seen in them because by my unwatchfulnesse and untendernesse I have marred this beauty in my self and that is the reason I look so deformed-like Vers. 7. Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions In the 7. Verse We have the 3. part of the Brides first speech in which she turneth her self from the Daughters to the Bridegroom and the scope of what she speaks here is that by applying her self by prayer and faith to Christ Jesus who is and whom she for comfort acknowledges to be the great and good Shepherd of his sheep Ioh. 10. 11. she may be guarded against the hurtful effects of these two evils which she acknowledged in the former verse to wit afflictions and sinful infirmities In respect of the one she desires Christ's guiding and in respect of the other his consolation that so she being under his charge may be upheld by him and kept from miscarrying That this is the scope and so depends upon the former verse especially the last part of it will be clear by comparing the last part of this verse and the last part of the former together There are these three in it 1. The title given to Christ. 2. The petition or thing sought 3. The argument whereby it is inforced First The title is a sweet and affectionat one O thou whom my soul loveth In this title these things are implyed 1. A lovelinesse in Christ and such a soul-affecting and ravishing lovelinesse as no creature-beauty hath nor can have 2. An ardent and vehement love in her towards him so that she might say her soul loved honoured desired and esteemed him 3. A dis-relishing of all things beside Christ as nothing He is the only object her soul loves he alone hath her heart and is in the throne as chief in her affections and hath no allowed co-partner there to whom this title may be applyed 4. It 's implyed what title Christ will best accept of even that which beares out most affection to him there can be no greater honour or more acceptable piece of respect put on him by a Believer than this to owne him and avow him as the only object of his souls love as the Bride doth here O thou whom my soul loveth 2. The thing that is here sought by the Bride is set down in two petitions meetting with the two-fold strait she was in to wit of crosses and infirmities and because fear of sin weighed her most she begins with the suit that might guard against that and in the reason presseth it most The first Petition then is Tell me where thou feedest to wit thy flock for feeding here is to be understood actively that is where he feeds others and not passively as in other places where he feeds and delights himself The 2 Petition is Tell me where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon That is make me know where and how thou comforts and refreshes thy people under scorching persecutions and tryals So these Petitions go upon the relation that is between Christ and his people of Shepherd and flock which is frequent in Scripture In sum that which she seeks is this Thou who guids all thine as a shepherd doth a flock let me know how thou orders thy people and carries them through in times of snares and where thou refreshest them in time of trouble These being the two great duties of a shepherd are well performed by Christ. 1. It 's his work to feed them and lead them in wholesome and safe pastures Psal. 23. And 2. to give them quiet and cool resting-places in the time of heat when the Sun becomes scorching and therefore prayeth
to make her believe and a difficulty that was in bringing her to believe either the beauty that was in her or his estimation of her and therefore is this note of attention doubled She hath her eyes so fixed on her own blacknesse that she hath need to be rouzed up to take notice both of the grace of God in her and also of the esteem that Christ had of her The particular that he commends in her in the last part of the words is Thou hast Dâ—ves eyes He insists not only in the general but is particular in this commendation he gives her And this shewes 1. Christ's particular observation not only of the believers state frame and carriage in general but of their graces in particular 2. That there may be some particular grace wherein belevers may be especially eminent even as it 's in corrupt â—atural men that ar still under the pollution and dominion of the body of death yet there is some one or other predominant lust that is strongest in some sort it is so with the believer there is some one thing or other wherein grace especially vents and puts forth it self in exercise Abraham is eminent for faith Moses for meeknesse Iob for patience And hence the believer is considered sometimes under the notion of one grace and sometimes of another as we may see Matth. 5. 3. That our blessed Lord Jesus hath a particular delight in the holy simplicity and sincerity of a believer Or holy simplicity and sincerity puts a great lovelinesse upon believers for by this thou hast Doves eyes we conceive to be understood a holy simplicity separating her in her way from the way of the men of the world for while their eyes or affections run after other objects hers are taken up with Christ for by eyes are set out mens affections in Scripture So Matth. 6. 22. and often in this Song the eyes signifie the affections as in that expression Thou hast ravished me with one of thine eyes c. the eyes being somewayes the seat and also the doors of the affections Now Doves eyes set out not only the Brides affâ—ction and love to Christ but also the nature of her love which is the thing here mainly commended as simplicity chastity singlenesse for which that creature is commended Matth. 10. Be simple as Doves And this is the commendation of the love that true believers have to Christ that it 's chast single and sincere love Singlenesse is the special thing Christ commends in his people It 's that for which believers are so much commended Act. 2. 46. Part 5. BRIDES Words Vers. 16. Behold thou art fair my beloved yea pleasant also our bed is green Vers. 17. The beams of our house are Cedar and our rafters of Fir. We come to the last part of the Chapter in the two last verses in which the Bride commends Christ's beauty and the sweetnesse of fellowship with him He had been commending her and now she hastens to get the commendation turned over on him Behold thou art fair c. And there are two things which she here commends 1. She commends the Bridegroom himself Behold thou c. 2. She commends fellowship with him under the similitude of bed house and galleries vers 16. 17. From the connexion of this with the former purpose ye may see how restlesse believers are when they meet with any commendation from Christ till they get it turned over to his commendation and praise And this is the property of a believer to be improving every good word they get from Christ to his own commendation that speaks it This is the end and design why grace is bestowed upon believers that it may turn in the upshot and issue to the commendation of his grace 2. That there is nothing more readily warms the hearts of believers with love and looses their tongues in expressions of commending Christ than the intimation of his love to them this makes their tongue as the pen of a ready writer Psal. 45. 1. More particularly in this commendation the Bride gives him ye will find these four things 1. There is the stile she gives him my beloved 2. There is the commendation given and it 's the same with the commendation which in the former verse he gave her 3. The note of attention prefixed Behold Lastly an addition to the commendation Christ gave her while she turns it over upon him and which is as a qualification of Christ's beauty because one expression will not do it she makes use of two thou art fair saith she yea pleasant He had said she was â—air nay saith she thou art fair c. she turnes it over to him because the same things that are commendable iâ— her are infinitly and much more commendable in him that which is in the believer being the extract of the principal which is in him Christ being the principal and the graces that are in the believer but the transumpt or copie All these things are in Christ like the light in the Sun and in the believer but like the light in the Moon communicat to it by the Sun and they are in Christ as in their own element and ocean and in the believer but like some litle stream communicat from that infinit fountain and it 's upon this ground that the same commendation given by Christ to her is tuâ—ned over by her to him And it 's even as much as if she had said to him My beloved what is my â—airnesse It 's thou who art fair I am not worthy to be reckoned fair the commendation belongs to thee thou art worthy of it And this is the nature of love in believers to blush in a manner when Christ commends them and to cast all such commendations back again upon him that they may rest upon Christ as the party who deserves them best From the title ye may see here 1. Much humility in the Bride and also much reverence and respect to Christ which is the reason why she will not let the commendation lye upon her but puts it back upon him Love to Christ and estimation of him aimes alwayes at this that whatever is commendable in the believer should ultimatly resolve upon him 2. Here is much familiarity notwithstanding of her humility in that she calls him my beloved as he called her my love Humility and reverence an high estimation of Christ and confidence in him and familiarity with him go all well together in the believer and the believer would labour to have all these in exercise together and would never let one of them part from another In a word it is a humble familiar way in believing which we would aime at 3. One special thing that makes Christ lovely to believers and natively stirreth them up to commend him is when they are clear anent his love to them If it be asked why she turnes over this commendatien to him in the second person Thou art c Ans. She doth
are Christ's fruits they are his fruits by purchase and right and by him communicat to believers 9. Believers eat and feed and may with his blessed allowance do so upon what is his 10. Christ's fruits are exceeding sweet when they are eaten they are satisfyingly and as it were sensibly sweet 11. These sweet fruits are neither eaten nor the sweetnesse of them felt by believers till they go to Christ's shadow and sit down delightsomly under his righteousnesse then they become refreshful Vers. 4. He brought me to the banqueting-house and his banner over me was love She proceeds in expressing her cheerful condition by shewing the way of her accesse to it vers 4. He brought me c. Wherein 1. She sets out the sweetnesse of the injoyment of Christ's sensible love by comparing it to a feast or house of wine 2. She tells who it was that brought her to it He brought me 3. The manner how she was brought to it It was by the out-letting of his love His banner saith she over me was love The first expression sets forth three things 1. The great abundance of satisfying and refreshing blessings that are to be found in Christ such abundance of provision as useth to be laid up at a feast or in a banqueting-house 2. His liberal allowance thereof to his own who for that end hath laid up this provision for them 3. The nature of the intertainment It 's a feast of the best and most cordial things a house of wine The second is He that is Christ brought me in It shewes 1. Believers impotency to enter in there of themselves and their want of right that may give them accesse to the blessings that are laid up in Christ. 2. That it 's Christ who makes their accesse he purchased an entry by his death he applyes his purchase by his Spirit and dispenseth it by his office and so brings them in 3. It suppons a freedom of grace in the bringing them in They are brought in by his meer favour 4. It contains a thankful remembrance or acknowledgment of this deed of Christ's and an holding of this savour of him The third holds forth the manner how she is brought in It 's under a banner of love A stately manner it was love that brought her in The expression implyeth that not only it was love that moved him to bring her in but that he did it in a loving manner which amplifieth and heightens his love She comes in marching as it were in triumph having love like a banner or colours adorning this march and making way for her entry so that even in the manner of her being brought in the general predominant visible thing as it were that appeared was love Obs. 1. Christ will somtimes bring his people in to the sense of his love exceeding lovingly and kindly even as to the manner of ingaging them 2. Believers would observe his way with them 3. This loving manner in the way of his dealing with his people doth exceedingly commend his love and is an heightening consideration of it 4. Christ's love is in it self a most stately and triumphant thing 5. It 's only the love of Christ that secures believers in their battels and march against their spiritual adversaries And indeed they may fight who have love for their colours and banner Vers. 5. Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love She is almost overcome with this banquet and therefore cryes out for help vers 5. Here consider 1. The case she is in 2. The cure she calls for 3. From whom she seeks it Her case is That she is sick of love This is not to be taken for the fainting of a soul under absence and the want of sense all the context before and after and the scope will shew it 's otherwise with her But it 's a sicknesse from the weight and pressour of felt inconceivable love damishing her as it were and weakning her she cannot abide that sight and fulnesse which she injoyes 2. The cure she desires confirms this Stay me saith she or support me for I am like to fall under it and comfort me the word is strengthen me or bed me straw me with or in apples let me lye down amongst them The first expression looks to the house of wine where she was which suppons no want and may be rendred Stay me in flagons as seeking support in this holy fill of the Spirit whereby she was staggering The second looks to the Apple-tree vers 3. and she would ever roll her self amongst the apples that come from this tree and like the Disciples Mat. 17. 4. saith as it were it 's good to be here she would even be fixed and ly down in that posture never to part with this happy condition again 3. These she speaks to and from whom she seeks help are expressed in the plural-number as is clear in the Original which shews a ravishment and kind of rapture in this exclamation not observing to whom she speaks but expressing her delight in that which she enjoyed yet mainly intending Christ as the Disciples did Matth. 17. not knowing what they said for it 's he who applyes the cure in the next verse Obs. 1. Love will have a great out-letting at sometimes beyond others as if a dam were gathered and then letten out 2. Sense of love in a high degree will straiten and weight a believer as overburthening and overpowring him so as he is put to say hold and wo's me as it is Isa. 6 5. the nature of Gods presence is such and our infirmity so unsuitable thereto 3. Love is lovely when the believer is almost dotting with it and staggering under the weight and power of it 4. It can cure even the same sickness it makes These flagons and apples are the only remedy though our bottles be now weak and can hold but little of this new wine Vers. 6. His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me She expresseth Christ's care of her in this condition vers 6. as a most loving Husband he sustains he in his arms in this swoun and swarf which from joy she fals in as the words do plainly bear Obs. 1. Christ's love is a sensible sustaining thing and is able to support the heart under it's greatest weakness 2. As Christ is tender of all his people and at all times so especially when they are in their fits of love-sickness 3. As believers would observe Christ's love at all times so especially when they are weakest for then they will find it both seasonable and profitable so to do Vers. 7. I charge you O ye Daughters of Ierusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my Love till he please This verse contains her care to entertain this condition and the way she takes for that end That they are the Brides words is 1. clear from the scope and matter 2.
greater and the night of absence darker The third thing is That there are mountains which he comes over that is something standing betwixt him and us marring our accesse to him and his familiarity with us till he remove it as mountains obstruct mens way in travel and so difficulties in the way of Gods work are compared to mountains Zech. 4. 7. Who art thou O great mountain c. So here as there are difficulties to be removed before the union betwixt Christ and us be made up So also there are particular sins clouds of guiltinesse which must be removed ere his presence can be restored after he goeth away Again coming over mountains maketh one conspicuous and glorious afar off So Christ's march and return to a believer is ever in triumph over some great ground of distance which makes him discernably glorous 4 ly Christ is said to be leaping and skipping which imports 1. an agility in him and a facility to overcome whatever is in the way 2. A chearfulness and heartiness in doing of it He comes with delight over the highest Hill that is in his way when he returns to his people 3. It holds forth speedinesse Christ comes quickly and he is never behind his time he cannot mistryst a believer his term-day is their necessity and be sure he will meet with them then 4. It imports a beauty Majesty and statelinesse in his coming as one in triumph and so he comes triumphantly and in great state And what is more stately than Christs triumphing over principalities and powers and making a shew of them openly by overcoming the difficulties in his way to his Bride The second thing in the Verse is her observation of this Christ in his way is very discernable to any that is watchful and Believers should observe his way when absent as well as present If it be asked how she discerned it There is no question faith is here taking up Christ according to his promise Ioh. 14. 3. If I go away I come again and faith lays hold on this Faith is a good friend in desertion for as we may here see it speaks good of Christ even behind his back when sense would say he will return no more faith sayes he is coming and prophesies good of Christ as there is good reason The third thing is how she is affected with it This observation proves very comfortable to her as her abrupt and cutted expression imports The voice of my Beloved As also the Behold she puts to it which shews 1. That her heart was much affected with it 2. That she thought much of it 3. That it was some way wonderful that Christ was coming even over all these difficulties to her there is no such ravishing wonder to a sensible believing sinner as this that Christ will passe by all its sin yea take them all on himself and come over all difficulties unto them Therefore is this behold added here The fourth thing in her expression of this which confirms the former and it is such as sets out a heart as it were surprized and overcome with the sight of a coming friend Hence Obs. 1. A sinners thoughts of a coming Christ will be deeply affecting and these thoughts of him are mis-shapen and of no worth that do not in some measure cast fire into and inflame the affectionâ— And 2. a heart suitably affected with the power of Christs wonderful grace and love will be expressing somewhat of it to others as the Bride is doing here In the 9. vers the observation of his carriage is continued where 1. He is commended 2. His carriage is described with her observation of it The commendation she gives him is He is like a Roe or a young Hart These creatures are famous for loving and kindly carriage to their mates as also for lovelinesse and pleasantnesse in themselves Prov. 5. 19. Thus he is kindly and loving O so kind as Christ is to his Church and chosen Ionathan's love to David past the love of Women but this surpasseth that beyond all degrees of comparison 2. He is timous and seasonable in fulfilling his purposes of love to his Bride no Roe or Hart for swiftnesse is like him in this and this may be the ground from which she concludeth that he was coming and leaping in the former words because Christ's affections and way of manifesting them is such as this 2. His carriage is set forth in three steps held forth in allegorick expressions The 1. is He stands behind our wall that is as a loving Husband may withdraw from the sight of his Spouse for a time and yet not be far away but behind a wall and there standing to see what will be her carriage and to be ready to return or as Nurses will do with their little children to make them seek after them so sayes she though Christ now be out of sight yet he is not far off but as it were behind the wall and it s called our wall in reference to some other she speaks with of him And a wall because often we build up these separations our selves betwixt him and us Isa. 59. 1. that hides Christ as a wall hides one man from another yet even then Christ goes not away but waits to be gracious as weary with forbearing There is much love on Christs side in saddest desertions and our hand is often deep in his withdrawings It's sad when the wall that hides him is of our building There is often nothing betwixt him and us but our own sin The 2. step is He looketh forth at the window which is to the same purpose The meaning is though I get not a full sight of him yet he opens as it were a window and looks out and I get some little glance of his face Sometimes Christ will neither as it were let the Believer in to him nor will he come out to them yet he will make windows as it were in the wall and give blinks of himself unto them The third step is He shews himself through the Lattess that is as there are some Windows that have Tirlesses of Lattesses on them by which men will see clearly and yet be but in a little measure seen so sayes she Christ is beholding us though we cannot take him up fully yet the smallest bore whereby Christ manifests himself is much and to be acknowledged All this she observes with a Behold as discerning something wonderful in all these steps Christ hath several wayes of communicating his love to his people and that also even under desertions and withdrawings and there are several degrees of these yet the least of them is wonderful and should be welcomed by believers if it were to see him but through the Lattess Vers. 10. My beloved spake and said unto me rise up my love my fair one and come away Vers. 11. For lo the winter is past the rain is over and gone Vers. 12. The flowers appear on the earth the time of
their visitation and the Sun of Righteousnesse hath become warm by the Gospel unto them or unto the place and society in which they live 3. He presseth his direction and call by the very presentnesse and now of the season of grace vers 13. The fig-tree putteth forth c. Which shews not only that Summer is neer but that it is even at the door Matth. 24. 32 33. and saith he the vines bud and give a smell whereby is holden forth the thriving of the plants of God's vineyard under the dispensation of grace as we may see vers 15. All these prove that now is the acceptable time and now is the day of salvation and there are lâ—rge allowances of consolation to them that now will accept of Christ's offers and subject to his call Therefore saith he even to us sit not the time when all is ready but up and come away And that the voice of the turtle is heard in our land that is even the Church wherein we live proves it to be the season of grace also for it 's long since the time of the turtles singing hath come to us and their voice is yet still heard And this sayes the chock and season of grace is amongst our hands now when Christ's call comes to our door and therefore it would not be neglected And so he doth in the fourth place repeat the call in the end of vers 13. Arise my love c. And this repetition is to shew 1. His willingnesse to have â—t effectual if sinners were as willing it would soon be a bargain 2. Our sluggishnesse in not answering at once therefore must word be upon word call upon call line upon line precept upon precept 3. To bear out the riches of his grace and love in this call wherein nothing is wanting that can be alledged to perswade a sinner to close with Christ and to presse one that hath closed with him to be chearful in him What a heartsome life might sinners have with Christ if they would embrace him and dwell with him in the exercise of faith they should have alway a spring-time and possesse to say so the sunny-side of the brae of all the world beside walking in gardens and orchards where the trees of the Promises are ever fruitful pleasant and savoury to sight smell taste and every word of Christ as the singing of birds heartsome and delightful to the ear and all of them healthful to the believer Who will have a heart to fit Christ's call or if they do who will be able to answer it when he shall reckon with them It will leave all the hearers of the Gospel utterly inexcusable Lastly this repetition shews the importunatnesse and the peremptorinesse of his call he will have no refusal neither will he leave it arbitrary if we will come when we shall come or what way but he straitly enjoyneth it and that just now It 's alwayes time to believe when ever Christ calls and it 's never time to shift when he perswades All this sayes Christ must be a kind and loving Husband how greatly play they the fool that reject him and how happy are they who are effectualy called to the marriage of the Lamb Vers. 14. O my Dove that art in the clefts of the rocks in the secret places of the stairs let me see they countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely This 14. vers contains the second part of Christ's sweet and comfortable Sermon Wherein beside the title which he gives his Bride there are three things 1. Her case 2. The directions which he propones as the cure of her case 3. The motive pressing it The title is my Dove This hath a sweet insinuation and motive in it Believers are styled so 1. For their innocent nature Matth. 10. 16. 2. For their tendernesse and trembling at the word of the Lord Hos. 11. 11. Isa. 38. 14. Hezekiah mourned as a Dove 3. For their beauty and purity Psal. 68. 13. 4. For their chast adhering to their own mate in which respect that of Isa. 38. 14. is thought to allude to the mourning of the one after the others death This shews what a believer should be and who deserves this name The condition of this Dove is that she is in the clefts of the rocks and in the secret places of the stairs It 's ordinary for doves to hide themselves in rocks or holes in walls of houses And this similitude is used sometimes in a good sense as Isa. 60. 8. sometimes in an ill sense as pointing out infirmity and too much fear and fillinesse Hos. 7. 11. Ephraim is a silly Dove without heart that goes to Egypt c. The Bride is here compared to a Dove hiding it self in the last sense out of unbelief and anxiety taking her to poor shifts for ease and slighting Christ as frighted doves that mistake their own windowes and fly to other hiding-places the scope being to comfort and encourage her and the directions calling her to holy boldnesse and prayer to him implying that these had been neglected formerly doth confirm this Then sayes the Lord my poor heartlesse Dove why art thou discouraged taking thee to holes as it were to hide thee fostering misbelief and fainting that is not the right way What then should she do might it be said seing she is so unmeet to converse with him or look out to the view of any that looks on He gives two directions holding forth what was more proper and fit for her case 1. Let me see thy countenance saith he like one that is ashamed thou hides thy self as if thou durst not appear before me but come saith he let me see thy countenance This expression imports friendliness familiarity and boldnesse in her coming before him So this phrase of seeing ones face is taken Gen. 43. 3 5. and 2 Sam. 14. 32. As the not shewing of the countenance supposeth discontent or fear So then the Lord calls by this to holy familiarity with him and confidence in it in opposition to her former fainting and misbelief The second direction is Let me hear thy voice To make him hear the voice is to pray Psal. 5. 3. and under it generally all the duties of religion are often comprehended It 's like discouragement scarred the heartlesse Bride from prayer and she durst not come before him do not so saith he but call confidently upon me in the day of trouble and time of need Obs. 1. Prayer never angers Christ be the believers case what it will but forbearing of it will 2. Discouragement when it seases on the childe of God is not soon shaken off and therefore he not only gives one direction upon another but also adds incouragements and motives sutable to these directions And so we come to the third thing in the verse the motives he makes use of to presse his direction which are two 1. Sweet is thy voice 2. Thy
signifies division and so it may be made use of here so long saith she as these mountains divide betwixt me and thee Lord be not a stranger but swiftly easily and kindly as the Roes come over mountains to their mates Prov. 5. 19. come thou to me and comfort me with frequent love-visits untill that time come that thou take me to thee to injoy thee fully and immediatly Obs. 1. It 's lawfull for believers to desire sensible presence even here-away Yea it 's suitable they should often long and pray for it 2. Where the hope of heaven is solide sensible manifestations of Christ's love will be most ardently sought for It will never prejudge one of their satisfaction and full payment then that they have gotten a large earnest-penny here she knows that will never be reckoned up to her 3. Much prayer flowing from and waiting upon the exercise of faith and hope is a notable way to bring the soul to the injoyment of sense 4. The believer hath a heartsome life and a rich inheritance Christ here and Christ hereafter the lines are fallen unto him in pleasant places 5. She grounds her suit on the marriage-relation and tye betwixt him and her my Beloved saith she a Covenant-claim to Christ is the most solid ground upon which believers can walk in their approaches before him and in their pleadings with him 6. He allowes believers to plead for his company from this ground that he is theirs by Covenant as he pleads for their company on that same ground vers 10. c. CHAP. III. BRIDE Vers. 1. By night on my bed I sought Him whom my soul loveth I sought him but I found him not Vers. 2. I will rise now and go about the city in the streets and in the broad-wayes I will seek him whom my soul loveth I sought him but I found him not THis Chapter hath three parts 1. The Brides sad exercise under the want of Christ and in seeking after him till she find him to vers 6. 2. The Daughters of Ierusalem come in commending the Bride vers 6. 3. The Bride from vers 7. to the end returns to discourse of and commend the excellency and amiablenesse of Christ. In her exercise consider 1. Her case 2. Her carriage in several steps 3. Her successe in every step 4. Her practice when she hath obtained her desire Or we may take them all up in these two 1. Her sad condition and her carriage under it 2. Her outgate and her carriage suitable thereto Her case is implyed in two words in the beginning of vers 1. 1. It was night with her 2. She was on her bed By night is ordinarily understood darknesse and affliction opposit to light of day and joy and here her exercise being spiritual it must imply some spiritual affliction or soul-sad spiritual exercise So night is taken Psal. 42. 8. He will command his loving kindnesse in the day and in the night while the day come that his loving kindnesse be intimate his song shall be with me c. The scope-shews that it is a night of deseâ—tion she is under thorow the want of Christ's presence whom she loves His presence who is the Sun of Righteousnesse with healing under his wings makes the believers day and his absence is their night and makes them droop as being under a sad night of soul-affliction therefore is it that she seeks so carefully after his presence 2. Her being on her bed is not taken here as implying neernesse with him for the scope shews he is absent but a lasinesse of frame on her spirit opposite to activenesse and diligence as it 's taken Chap. 5. vers 3. and so it 's opposed to her after-rising and diligence and therefore it 's also called my bed implying that she was here alone in a secure comfortlesse frame and therefore for this it 's distinguished from our bed Chap. 1. 16. and his bed afterward vers 7. Where she is allowed rest and spiritual ease and solace in his company but here on her bed she hath no such allowance whatever earnal ease and rest she take to her self Believers have their own fits of carnal security when they give their corruptions rest that is their own bed and it 's a heartlesse lair to speak so to ly alone and want the beloved This is her case wanting Christ yet lying too still as contented some-way in that condition though it cannot continue so with believers it will turn heavy and perplexing at last to them as it doth here to the Bride and sure the easiest time under security is not so comfortable as profitable to believers as is an exercise that takes them more up Therefore afterward she prefers rising and seeking to this woful rest It shews 1. That believers distance and darknesse may grow for in the former Chapter Christ was absent yet as through a window or lattesse there were some glimpses of him but here it 's night and there is not so much as a twilight discovery of him 2. Often distance with Christ and security and deadnesse as to our spiritual life go together When Christ is absent believers then usually fall from activity in their duty Isa. 64. 7. No man stirreth up himself to lay hold on thee and the reason is thou hast hid thy face c. Matth. 25. 5. While the Bridegroom tarrieth even the wise Virgins slumbered and slept Her carriage or way that she takes in this case is set out in four steps The 1. Is in these words I sought him whom my soul loveth Consider here 1. The title Christ gets him whom c. Christ got this name before and now several times she repeats it And it holds forth 1. The sincerity of her love it was her soul and heart that loved him 2. The degree and singularity of it no other thing was admitted in her heart to compare with him he bears the alone sway there in respect of the affection she had to him it 's he and none other upon whom her soul's love is set otherwise this title would not suitably design him Christ loves well to have such titles given to him as may import the hearts special esteem of him 3. It shews that even in believers lowest conditions there remains some secret soul-esteem of Christ and that in their judgement he is still their choice and waill above all the world Yet 4. That their practice while security prevails is most unsuitable to their convictions and judgement 2. Consider her practice and carriage while Christ is absent her practice is not altogether a laying by without the form of Religion for saith she on my bed I sought him that is I prayed and used some means but in a lazy way not stirring up my self vigorously in it Obs. 1. Believers in a secure frame may keep some form of duty yet their duties are like the frame of their heart lifelesse and hypocritical 2. There is much of a believers practice such as themselves
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
wonderfulnesse of what she was to say O how wonderful is it if beleeved 2. To provoke and stir up to observe and take notice of it few are acquaint with believers priviledges and if they had not been recorded in the word we durst never have likened or evened our selves to them 3. It 's to shew an holy impatiency in her affection in breaking in so with this discourse as more servently desirous to fill their mouths and hearts with the commending of Christ than what they were about in commending of her A notable diversion and sign of love in a friend of the Bridegroom who with Iohn the Baptist is content to decrease so he may increase True believers should and will endeavour more the commendation of Christ in their fellowship together than to commend any grace gift or what else they have gotten from him they will not conceit or cry up their graces and gifts as they are theirs for that were base ingratitude but withall they mention what they have received partly to indear him to themselves and partly to commend him to others and thus they design to return him his own with advantage wherein nevertheless they are the gainers even while they seem to give what they have received Vers. 9. King Solomon made himself a Chariot of the wood of Lebanon Vers. 10. He made the pillars thereof of Silver the bottom thereof of Gold the covering of it of Purple the midst thereof being paved with Love for the daughters of Jerusalem The second piece of work mentioned for the commendation of the Worker is a Chariot described at large vers 9 10. For clearing of the words we are to inquire concerning these three things 1. It 's Worker or Former 2. The end for which it is framed 3. Concerning this Chariot it self The author or maker thereof is Solomon and that King Solomon that is Christ as was cleared before he is mentioned thrice under this name but there is a gradation here that is observable 1. He is called Solomon vers 7. 2. King Solomon vers 9. 3. King Solomon crowned or crowned King Solomon vers 11. The longer she speaks of Christ and insists in mentioning his excellency her thoughts draw the deeper she sets him up the higher and becomes warmer in her apprehensions affections and expressions concerning him Acquaintance with him would make one speak eloquently of him He that is the worker and former of this Chariot is a most excellent King it must needs then be a stately royal piece of work 2. There are two ends mentioned wherefore he makes it 1. It 's to himself that is for his own glory and that thereby he may in a special way hold forth himself to be glorious and that particularly in his grace for though he made all things for himself yet is he said especially to manifest his glory in doing good to his people and what serves for the manifestation of his grace is in a peculiar manner made for himself So Isa. 43. 7. and 21 This people have I formed for my self in a far other way than he formed other nations they shall in a singular way shew forth my praise that is the praise of his goodnesse wherein his way was peculiar to them And the paving of this Chariot with love and appointing of it for the daughters of Ierusalem doth confirm this also that it 's the praise of grace that especially shines in this piece of work And so the second end subordinat to the former is in the end of vers 10. in these words for the daughters of Ierusalem that is for their good that are weak and far short of perfection it 's not only fitted for his glory but also it 's fitted and confirmed to them so as it may procure and bring about their good Obs. 1. In the greatest pieces of Christ's workmanship he had mind of poor sinners yet unglorified his delight was with them before the world was Prov. 8. 31. 2. The glorifying of grace is the great thing Christ aimes at in all his contrivance and way toward his Church and people 3. He hath knit his own glory and the good of his people together that same work which is for himself is also for them that if he obtain his end they cannot but be well his glory and their good ride to say so in one Chariot 4. For as stately a person as our Lord Jesus is he disdains not to be occupied in making works and as it were framing Chariots for the behoove of his people Rather than they should want what may further them in their way he will make and furnish them himself 3. The third thing is the work it self which indeed is very admirable as the worker and ends are It 's a Chariot several wayes described both in it's matter form and furniture The word translated Chariot is no where else in Scripture it 's translated bed on the margent it 's by the Septuagints expressed by such a word as signifieth to be carried and to carry as Chariots and Litters wherein men are carried used to be carried by horseâ— We think it fitly expressed by Chariot not only because the word is different from that which is translated bed vers 7. but 1. The immediat end and use seems to be different also for as stately King's use their beds for repose and rest in their chambers and their Chariots to ride in when they go abroad and wherein their Queens may ride with them so is it here As Christ hath a bed for believers quieting he hath also a Chariot for safe convoying and carrying them thorow their journey till they come to their compleet rest this being no lesse necessary for believers such as the daughters of Ierusalem are than the former In short by this chariot we understand the way of Redemption in general as it is contrived in the eternal counsel of God and so called the Covenant of Redemption and also as it 's preached and manifested to us in the Gospel The reasons why we thus apply it are not only because there is no other thing that it will agree unto for 1. It 's a work of Christ and so not Christ himself 2. It 's a work of special grace for his own and that while they are in the way for the Elect in heaven are not daughters of Ierusalem therefore it 's no common work of creation or providence or of glory in heaven 3. It 's for the Churches good and therefore cannot be understood of her for beside that the several parts of it's description will not suit her not only Christ but the daughters of Ierusalem are to be born in this chariot And we know not a fourth thing imaginable that can be understood by it but the Covenant of Redemption revealed in the Gospel But 2. The Covenant of Redemption is that work of Christ's wherein most eminently the glory of his grace and love to sinners doth appear which makes him wonderful lovely and admirable to
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
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
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.
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—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
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
afford many such doctrines as Chap. 3. 3. As 1. The visible Church is a distinct incorporation by it self and all it's members have right to it's priviledges to wit such whereof they are capable It 's the City and they are the Citizens Eph. 2. 19. 2. It s a City that is not without fear and hazard though it have walls but it had need to be watched both within and without Or the visible Church hath many enemies she is in constant war Hence therefore is she called the militant Church and for this cause she hath walls and watchmen 3. The Lord hath provided her with sufficient means against all assaults 4. A lawfully-called ministery or watch-men peculiarly defigned for that end are the great mean Christ hath appointed for preventing the hurt and promoving the good and edification of his Church Eph. 2. 12 13. They are as the sentinels which he hath set on the walls for giving advertisement and warning and this well becomes their office Isa. 62. 6. Ezek. 3. and 33. Chapters and elsewhere 5. Tender believers will put a great price upon publick Ordinances even when they seem to themselves to come little speed in their privat duties privat diligence furthers publick and publick furthers privat These two ought not to be neither will they be separat in a tender person but go together 6. Tender believers may have weights added to their exercise and a load put above a burden even by these whose stations and relations call for much more sympathy and healing 7. Publick Ordinances may be sometimes unfruitful to believers even when they have great need and are under great sense of need 8. When one that is tender gets no good nor ease by publick Ordinances often there is an addition made to his burden thereby 9. Untender unskilful and unfaithful men may creep in and be admitted to the ministery and to watching over the Church as Iudas was 10. When such are gifted and as to order lawfully called they are truly ministers though not true ministers and have authority for discharging of all duties and duties discharged or Ordinances dispensed by them according to Christ's warrand are valide and the word from their mouth is to be received as from him Therefore they are called watchmen which imports them to be really in office which could not be if the former assertions were not true 11. Very often tender believers in their exercises suffer much from such ministers Or an untender minister is often a great affliction to tender exercised believers yea of all men these prove most sadly afflicting to them no man wounds godlinesse more or wounds and affronts the profession thereof more in them that are the most real and tender professors than a gifted untender minister may do and often doth though sometimes the Lord will make use of him for their good to humble them yet more to provoke them to the study of more seriousnesse in secret duties and to more closse and constant waiting on the Lord himself 12. Where enmity against godlinesse once ariseth and vents it self against the godly it often grows from one degree to another as here Men especially Ministers once ingaged in it are not easily recovered and brought out of that evil but are carried yea often hurried from one step to another yet she accounts them watchmen as holding out the respect she bare to their office even then Whence observe 13. That it is a piece of spiritual wisdom and tendernesse to distinguish carefully betwixt the office of the Ministery or the Ordinance it self and the faults and untendernesse of persons who may miscarry in the exercise of that office and not to fall from the esteem of the Ordinance because of them or of what faults may be in them but even then to respect the Ordinance out of respect to Christ and his institution and appointment 14. Believers would observe the fruit of publick Ordinances as well as of secret diligence as the Bride here doth Vers. 8. I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem if ye find my beloved that ye tell him that I am sick of love When this mean fails her she gives not over but betakes her self to the use of mutual fellowship with the Saints which is the third step of her carriage v. 8. that she may have their help for recovering of Christ's presence She propounds her case to them and presseth for their bearing burden with her Her case is in the last words I am sick of love a strange disease yet kindly to a believer This sicknesse implyes pain as of a woman in travel whose showres are sharp and pangs vehement till she bring forth The same word is used to this purpose Isa. 26. 17. Like as a woman that draweth near her delivery is in pain c. And it imports in this place these two 1. Vehement desire after Christ from ardent love to him so that she could not indure to want him 2. Much heart-affectednesse following upon that ardent desire which under her former disappointments did beget such pain and fainting that it was as a sore sicknesse though not dangerous This sicknesse differs from that spoken of Chap. 2. 5. as the scope shews That is like the pain procured by an overset of the stomack so the sense of his love being let out in a very great measure was like to master her not that sense of his love is simply or in it self burdensome but she is weak like an old bottle or a queasie and weak stomack that cannot bear much But this is like the pain that proceeds from hunger and a strong appetite when that which is longed-for is not obtained which augments the desire and at last breeds fainting and sicknesse This shews 1. That love to Christ where it is sincere is a most sensible thing 2. That the moe disappointments it meets with in seeking after sensible manifestations of Christ it grows the more vehement 3. That continued absence to a tender soul will be exceeding heavy and painful hope deferred makes the heart sick especially when the sweetnesse of Christ's presence hath been felt and his absence distinctly discerned 4. That Christ's presence is the souls health and his absence it 's sicknesse have else what it will 5. That love to Christ will sometimes especially after challenges and disappointments so over-power the soul that it cannot to it's own sense at least act under it or sustain it it seems so heavy a burden as sicknesse will do to the body if it get not an out-gate The way she takes to obtain Christ after all other means fail her is by making her application to the daughters of Ierusalem Indeed it 's Christ and not they that can cure her he is the only medicine for a sick soul therefore her design is not to rest in their company but to make use of it for obtaining his company For the company although it were even of Angels will not be satisfying to a soul that seeks
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
shining in a dark place 2. Grace when seriously in exercise is that which makes any person though outwardly mean and contemptible truly beautiful and lovely It makes them so really and also in the eyes of all spiritual beholders 3. Sometimes God will make honest seekers of him the more lovely to others when corrupt Ministers seek most to defame them The watchmens wounding her marrs not the daughters estimation of her and this shews that they did smite her without reason Again 2. It implyes respectiveness on their part and also honesty for there is now no external thing to commend her to them Which saith 1. That to the spiritual eye of honest souls none will be so beautiful as the person that is holy yea sometimes holinesse will have a commendation in the consciences even of them that are strangers to it 2. Often holinesse may be more esteemed of and holy persons more respectively dealt with by men of little either knowledge or profession than by these who may be much more knowing and whose station and place calls them to be more tender The Bride here is like the wounded person Luke 10. 31 c. whom the Samaritan succoured when both the Priest and the Levite had passed by him 3. Where grace shines it would be highly esteemed of and respected and such as are but babes in Christ ought much to reverence these that are of older standing 4. Tender souls when under exercise if we can do no more to ease them would be respectively spoken unto at least These daughters do not wound the Bride as the watchmen did but speak discreetly and respectively to her although they can further her little 5. The right use of freedom and seriousnesse with humility in mutual fellowship is a great help to entertain mutual respect amongst professors when the weak see the strong ones not puft up but condescending to take their help it will conciliat love and respect Thus the daughters meet the Bride here with respective carriage 6. Respective expressions of one professor to another with gravity and seriousnesse becomes Christian-fellowship well and is a great furtherance of edification and mutual confidence So we see here and Chap. 6. 1. as also in the Brides expressions preceeding 2. The question propounded by them is what is thy Beloved as scarce knowing him or acquainted with him themselves It is not spoken out of disdain but out of desire to know being convinced that there behoved to be some excellency in him beyond others as the following effects clear The question is proposed by way of comparison and doubled What is thy Beloved more than another beloved or the beloved of another By beloved all alongst is understood that which the soul loves and cleaves unto Therefore Christ is sometimes designed by the one name the souls love and sometimes by the other the Beloved as we may see by comparing Chap. 3. 1 2 3. with Chap. 2. 16 17. because he eminently and above competition had the Brides heart By other beloveds are understood these things that men of the world set their love and affections upon and which bears most sway with them as that which in a singular manner their soul loveth the same that ordinarily are called Idols because they are put in Gods room There is the same reason here why they are called other beloveds and strange lovers else-where Such are the belly Phil. 3. 19. the world 1 Joh. 2. 15 16. Love not the world nor the things of it c. the lust of the eye the lust of the flesh the pride of life So it 's as if they had said There are many things which the men of the world seek after it 's none of all these that this Bride is enquiring for she rests not satisfied with these nor valueth them He must then be some excellent person a singular and non-such Beloved that she is so serious in the enquiry after and therefore they desire to know from her self what he is The question is doubled as being the result of a serious desire to know and of high admiration what he might be who was thus enquired for 3. The words added shew what is the rise of her question and wondering to wit these That thou dost so charge us Every word hath weight it 's thou the fairest among Women who certainly can make the best choice 2. Thou art not only in earnest thy self but chargest us also And 3. Not only thou chargest us but so vehemently pressingly and weightily This sure must be some excellent Beloved This question carrieth in it not so much an enquiry who is the believers choice as their desire to know what Christ was indeed in respect of his real worth whose Name only or little more they knew before Therefore they say not who is but what is thy Beloved as knowing his Name but being much ignorant of his worth Again it supposeth such a question to be moved by these professors upon occasion of her exemplary carriage And indeed it cannot be told what thoughts serious challenges and exercising questions the convincing carriage of believers will have amongst those with whom they christianly converse and so it shews that this seriousnesse in one may put others to it to question what the matter may be and through Gods blessing may commend Christ to them in the end which is the scope Obs. 1. There may be some respect to godly persons where there is much ignorance of Christ himself 2. Where there is esteem of godlinesse and of these who study it there is some begun inquiry for Christ himself and it leads on to further although the beginnings be weak 3. True tendernesse in beginners appears in nothing sooner than in respect to these who were in Christ before them They are now but a-beginning yet this shews it self in the respect they carry to the Bride 4. It 's no shame for these that are unacquainted with Christ to inquire for him at such as know him 5. What Christ is and the necessity of praying for others is a suitable subject of discourse in Christian-fellowship what is Christ say they to her and pray for me saith she to them 6. Christ's Name may be known to many to whom his worth is unknown or but little known and who are not acquainted with what he is 7. All men naturally have some lust idol or beloved that their affection is set upon beside Christ It 's some other thing from which he is distinguished and to which he is opposed 8. Men lay out their affections liberally upon their idols and upon these things that their heart cleaves unto beside Christ They are beloveds and opposed to Christ as being that to the men of the world that Christ is to his own they are as Gods and Christs to them they run so mad upon their idols and are so joyned to them Hos. 4. 17. men naturally have an high esteem of their idols as placing some worth in them which is not
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
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
as love naturally desires union with that which it loves it desires to be with Christ here and hereafter as that which is far the best of all Philip. 1. 23. 4. It suppons a delight and 〈…〉 that their souls take in Christ and expect from union with him their happinesse lyes in it and they are disquieted and someway holily discontented and weighted when they misse it and under desertion and absence easily fear lest their heart beguile and deâ—ude them in that concerning-matter as the scope of this place and her present exercise shews 5. It suppones a kindlinesse in their love and a well groundednesse such as a wife hath to her husband and not such as it betwixt the adulteresse and the adulterer which is all the love that the men of the world have to their idols but the love that the Bride hath to Christ is a native and avowed love of which she hath no reason to be ashamed as men will one day be of all their idols but to boast and glory in him and Christ is to the believer not what idols are to the men of the world but what a most loving husband is to his wife being the object of her heart-contenting and satisfying love where ever these properties of true love to Christ are there may the soul lay claim to him as it's friend and be confident to find him it 's true and kindly friend for where he is the souls beloved he is the souls friend 8. This is implyed that whatever other beloveds men set their love upon beside Christ they will prove unâ—ound and unfaithfull friends in the time of need or confidence in any thing but Christ will â—ail a man at the last for he is their friend and no other beloved deserves that name all other things will be like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint Prov. 25. 19. or like pools in the wildernesse that run dry in the heat and makes the wayfaring men ashamed such as Iob's friends did prove to him Iob 6. 15. miserable comforters will they be to men in the day of their greatest need but then especially will Christ Jesus be found to be a friend indeed for there is an excellency in Christ in every relation which he stands under to his people and an infinite disproportion betwixt him and all creatures in respect of this A second way that we may consider the words is as they relate to the daughters of Ierusalem their question vers 9. ye ask what he is more than other beloveds now saith she this is he who is singular and matchlesse in all his properties and so it looks not only to her choice of him to be her beloved and her friend but saith also that he is singularly and matchlesly such even a non-such beloved and friend and one who will be found after tryal only worthy to be chosen and closed with as such Obs. 1. Believers in their answers to others would as particularly as may be bring home what they say to some edifying use for this best clears any question proposed and would not insist on generals much lesse evanish in empty speculations but would lavel at edification and frame what they say so as it may best reach that end and therefore she applyes her answer to their question 2. When Christ in his excellency and worth is a little insisted and dwelt on he will be found to be incomparable and the more souls search into him the more confidently may they assert his incomparable excellency this she here doth and saith as it were Is he not and see ye him not now to be the chiefest among ten thousand and more excellent than all others as having made her assertion demonstrative and undenyable 3. Christ's worth can bide the tryal and there are and may be gotten good grounds to prove that he is well worthy of all the respect that can be put upon him and in reason his worth and excellency may be made convincing unto others and it may be demonstrat to consciences that Christ is of more worth than all the world and her resuming of it thus supposeth it now to be so clear that they could say nothing against it as appears more fully from the words following 4. No other beloved nor friend that men choose beside Christ can abide the tryal the more they are inquired into and searched out they will be found to be of the lesse worth therefore she appeals as it were all men to bring their beloveds before Christ if they durst compare with him as being confident none durst enter the lists purposly and professedly to compete with him 3. We may consider these words as her application made to the daughters of Ierusalem holding forth her scope to edifie them by this description of Christ and pressingly for their good to bear it in upon them that they might be made to fall in love with this Christ that had so high a room in her heart for so the very strain of the words seem to run Hence Observe 1. These who love Christ themselves will be desirous to have others knowing and loving him also and this may be a mark of love to Christ an earnest desire to have him esteemed of and loved by others 2. These who love Christ and others truly will endeavour nothing more than to have Christ made known to them and to have them divorced from their idols and ingaged to him thus love to them as well as to him manifests it self 3. It 's a piece of the duty of mutual communion to which the Lords people are oblieged to instruct others in the knowledge of the excellencies of Christ that they may be brought in love with him and where that end is proposed according to mens several places and stations no opportunity would be missed nor pains spared which may attain it 4. That this duty of commending Christ to others so as it may be profitable would be exceeding warrily and circumspectly gone about as all the Brides strain clears For she goes about it 1. Tenderly not upbraiding their ignorance 2. Lovingly speaking still to them as friends 3. Wisely and seasonably taking the fit opportunity of their question 4. Fully solidly and judiciously bearing forth the main things of Christ to them 5. Affectionatly and gravely as being affected with the thing and in love with Christ her self 6. Exemplarly and convincingly as going before them in the practice of that her self which she endeavours to presse upon them that is by loving and seeking Christ above all her self she studies to commend that to others the more effectually 5. Obs. That the right uptaking of Christ in his excellency and the pressing of him upon the heart is the most solid way of wearing all other beloveds out of request with the soul If he once get room the esteem of other things will quickly blow up and there is no way to have the heart weaned from them but to have Christ great 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
welcome is four times repeated to shew that he is intreating and waiting for it and cannot abide to have it delayed 2. The end proposed that makes him so serious is in these words that we may look upon thee It doth him good to speak so to get a sight of her This looking of his is not for curiosity but for delightsome satisfaction to his affection as one desires to look upon what he loves so Chap. 2. 14. speaking to his Bride Let me see saith he thy face for thy countenance is comely This is to take away all jealousie from the Bride and to shew how he was taken with her so that her returning would be a singular pleasure to him which is indeed wonderful Obs. 1. Our Lord Jesus allows the Bride when returning to him after her departings from him to be confident in him and familiar with him 2. The more that nearnesse to him be sought after and entertained he is the more satisfied 3. When believers hide themselves from Christ even though it be through discouragement and upon just ground and reason as they think yet doth it some way mar Christ's delightsome complacency and he is not satisfied till they shake off their discouragement and shew themselves to him with confidence Again we would consider that it is not said that I may look on thee but that we c. Which is to shew that she is delightsome to many her beauty may be seen by any that will look upon her This word we 1. may import the blessed Trinity the Father Son and Spirit as Chap. 1. 11. we will make c. A returning sinner will be welcome to all the persons of the Godhead 2. We that is I with the Angels who Luk. 15. 10. rejoice at the conversion of a sinner And 3. we may import I and all the daughters that admire thee The thriving of one believer or the returning of a sinner may make many cheerful and is to be accounted a lovely thing by all the professors of Religion 3. The third thing in the verse comes-in by way of question either to highten the lovelinesse that is in Christ's Bride what is it that is to be seen in her as Luk. 7. 24. c. what went ye out for to see No common sight or it is to meet with an objection that strangers may have what delightsome thing is to be seen in her that seems so despicable Or she her self might object what is in me worth the seeing It may be when it is well seen that it be lesse thought of The Lord to prevent such doubts especially in her moves the question that he himself may give the answer what saith he will ye see in the Sâ—â—lamite that is which may be pleasant and delightful and he answers as it were the company of two armies which in general holds out 1. We will see much majesty and statelinesse in her even so much as I have asserted in comparing her to an army with banners 2. Two armies may be mentioned to shew that when she is rightly and with a believing eye looked upon her beauty will appear to be double to what it was said to be and so two armies signifie an excellent army as Gen. 32. 1 2. God's hosts of Angels get the same name in the Original it 's Mahanaim that same which Iacob imposeth as the name upon the place where these hosts of Angels met him and there may be an allusion to this these two wayes 1. Ask ye what is to be seen in her even as it were Mahanaim that is for excellency she is like an host of Angels such as appeared to Iacob she is an Angelick fight more than an ordinary army this is a notable commendation and serves his purpose well which is to confirm her and therefore that his poor Bride may be incouraged to presse-in on him and return to him he tells her she may be as homely with him as Angels that are holy and sinlesse creatures which is a wonderful priviledge yet such as is allowed on his people by him who hath not taken on the nature of Angels but of men that he might purchase them a room amongst Angels that stand by Zech. 3. 6 7. 2. It may allude thus what is to be seen in her whatever it be to the world it is to me saith he excellent and refreshful as these hosts of Angels were to Iacob at Mahanaim when he had been rescued from Laban and was to meet with Esau either of these suits well the scope and saith it will be and is a sweet and refreshful meeting that is betwixt Christ and a returning sinner a little view whereof is in that parable Luk. 15. 20. of the Prodigal his fathers hearty receiving of his lost son and making himself and all his servants merry with him Obs. 1. Our Lord is very tender of believers doubts and perplexities and therefore prevents their objections which they may make by giving answers to them before the objections be well formed or stated in their hearts 2. Believers may and usually do wonder what ground there is in them for such kindnesse as Christ shews to them when he magnifieth them and their graces so much that are so defective and full of blemishes And indeed it 's such that are readiest to wonder most at his love and esteem least of themselves whom he makes most of and of whom he hath the greatest esteem 3. It 's a wonderful welcome that Christ gives to repenting sinners he receives them as Angels and admits them to such freedom with him and hath such esteem of them as if they were Angels for to be received as an Angel signifies honourable and loving entertainment Gal. 4. 14. 4. The returning of sinners to Christ and Christ's loving welcome which he gives them upon their return makes a heartsome and refreshing meeting betwixt him and them And O what satisfaction and joy shall there be when they being all gathered together shall meet with him at the last day CHAP. VII Vers. 1 2 3. BRIDEGROOM THis Chapter hath two parts In the first reaching to the tenth verse Christ continueth in the commendation of his Bride In the second thence to the close the Bride expresseth her complacency in him and in his love her inlarged desires after communion with him and that she might be found fruitful to his praise That it is Christ the Bridegroom who was speaking in the end of the former Chapter that continues his speech throughout the first part of this there is no just ground to question the scope stile and expressions being so like unto and co-incident with what went before and what is spoken in the first person vers 8. can be applyed to none other neither would it become any to speak thus but himself his love is inlarged and loosed as it were in it's expressions and this love of his is indeed a depth that is not easily reached In this commendation he doth first enumerat ten
signifies a holy constraint that was on him that he could do no otherwise because he would do no otherwise it was so delightsome to him as Chap. 3. 4. and 4. 9. and Chap. 6. 5. 12. where on the matter the same thing is to be found The word here used is borrowed from the nature of affection amongst men that detains them to look on what they love In sum this in an abrupt manner comes in on the close of the particulars of the Brides commendation as if it were said So lovely art thou that Christ as captivat or overcome cannot withdraw but is held as chap. 3. 4. to look upon thy beauty which is the more wonderful that he is so royal a person whom enemies death and devils could not detain yet he is so prevailed over by a believer And it is observable that there is not one thing oftner mentioned in this Song than the wonderful expressions of Christ's yielding himself to be prevailed over by them as if his might were to be imployed for them rather than for himself and as if he gloried in this that he is overcome by them which is indeed the glory of his grace Obs. 1. There are some more than ordinary admissions to neernesse with Christ that believers may meet with which are more than ordinary for clearnesse so as they may be said to have him in the Galleries and also for continuance so as they may be said to have him held there 2. Christ Jesus by the holy violence of his peoples graces so to speak may be held and captivat to stay and make his abode with them it 's good then to wrestle with Christ that he may be held and prevailed with 3. Holinesse in a believers walk hath much influence on the attaining and entertaining of the most sensible manifestations of Christ Thus he is held in the Galleries 4. Our Lord Jesus thinks no shame to be out of love prevailed over by his people yea he esteems it his honour therefore is this so often recorded for the commendation of his love and the comfort of believers Vers. 6. How fair and how pleasant art thou O Love for delights This verse contains the second expression whereby the Brides commendation is heightned in three things 1. By the title he gives her O Love for delights He calls her in the abstract love it self there can be no more said she is not only lovely but love it self for delights is added as the reason of it because of the various and abounding delights that are to be found in her she is to say so a person so excellently beautiful and hath so many lovely things in her The second thing is the commendation he joyns with this title and it is in two words 1. She is fair This looks to the external lovelinesse of her person 2. She is pleasant this respects the sweetnesse and amiableness of her inward disposition These two may be separate in others but they meet in the believer as they do in Christ therefore she had given him these two epithets chap. 1. 16. The third thing is the manner of expression which heightens all this It 's expressed with an How How fair c as chap. 4. 10. shewing an incomparablenesse and an inexpressiblenesse to be in her beauty whereby in sum the love of this blessed Bridegroom shews his satisfaction in his Bride by multiplying such wonderful expressions as hold forth the high esteem that he hath of her Obs. 1. There is nothing so lovely in all the world as grace in a believer the most delightsome pleasant thing in the world is nothing to this 2. The love that Christ hath to his people is inexpressible although he useth many significant wayes to expresse it yet must it close with an indefinite expression and question to which an answer cannot be made How fair It cannot be told how fair and men cannot take it up otherwise than by wondering at it 3. This lovelinesse of the Bride and the Kings being kept in the Galleries or the sense of the injoyment of his presence go together and therefore is it subjoyned here as the cause of the former like one that is ravished with the admiration of some excellent sight he stayes and beholds it and O saith he how pleasant is it The believer is the uptaking object of the love of Christ wherein he delights 4. There is no lovely nor delightsome thing in all the world that Christ cares for or esteems of as he doth of the believer Grace makes a person Christ's love for delights riches honour favour parts will be of no value without this whereas one without these may with this have Christ's affection ingaged to them Vers. 7. This thy stature is like to a Palm-tree and thy brests to clusters of Grapes Vers. 8. I said I will go up to the Palm-tree I will take hold of the boughs thereof now also thy brests shall be as clusters of the Vine and the smell of thy nose like Apples Vers. 9. And the roof of thy mouth like the best Wine for my Beloved that goeth down sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak The former two expressions v. 5. 6. have fallen from him to speak so in a ravished abrupt manner by way of exclamation The third way how he amplifies the commendation of the Bride follows vers 7 8 9. as subjoyned to the preceeding particular description And this amplification is expressed these three wayes 1. By commending her stature as the result of all her parts formerly described put together with a repetition of one of these parts mainly taken notice of vers 7. 2. By shewing his resolution to haunt her company by which his respect to her appears vers 8. 3. By promising gracious effects to follow on his performing the former promise of his keeping company with her vers 8 9. The seventh verse then speaks to two things Her stature and her brests Her stature respects all the bygone parts being now put together for so they represent the whole stature And by stature is understood the proportionablenesse and comelinesse that is in the whole being considered as jointly united in one body as well as severally as was said of him Chap. 5. 16. and the relative this clears it this that is this which is made up of all the several parts I have been enumerating they being put together make thy stature and thy stature thus made up of these members and parts is like the Palm-tree And so from this similitude her stature is commended The Palm-tree is recorded in Scripture to have diverse commendable properties 1. It 's straight therefore it 's said of the idols that they are upright like the Palm-tree Jer. 5. 10. straightnesse is comely in a stature He was like to a Cedar Chap. 5. 15. she is like to a Palm-tree here 2. A Palm-tree hath good fruits the Daits are the fruit thereof 3. It 's a tree of long continuance and
keeps long green Hence Psal. 92. 12 14. It 's said of the righteous they shall flourish like the Palm-tree therefore Ioel 1. 12. it 's an evidence of great drought when the Palm-tree withereth 4. They were looked on as most fit to be used in times when men were about to expresse their joy in the most solemn manner and so when Christ is coming triumphantly to Ierusalem Joh. 12. they cut down branches of Palm-trees to carry before him and Rev. 7. 4. these Victors have Palms in their hands and in Levit. â— 40. we find branches of these trees commanded to be made use of in the joyful feast of Tabernacles and the seventy Palm-trees that were found by the Israelits at Elim are mentioned Numb 33. 9. as refreshful so is the City of Palm-trees also mentioned as a most pleasant place Deut. 34. 3. All these may be applyed to believers who both by the change that is wrought upon them by the grace of Christ and also as they are in him by faith are such They are straight not crooked but beautiful and flourishing and to him refreshful as the next verse shews being the living signs and monuments of his victory over Death and the Devil Obs. 1. There ought not only to be in a believer a thriving of graces distinctly but a right joyning ordering and compacting of them together that they may keep a proportionablenesse and make up complexly a lovely stature that is not only should all graces be kept in exercise together but as members of one new man each ought to be subservient to another for making up of a sweet harmony in the result love should not wrong zeal nor zeal prudence but every grace as being a distinct member of the new man should be settled in it's own place to make the stature lovely 2 When this proportion is kept and every grace hath it's own place it is exceeding lovely like a beautiful stature whereas grace when acting unorderly if then it may be called grace is like an eye beautiful in it self but not being in the right place of the face doth make the stature unlovely and disproportionable It 's not the least part of spiritual beauty when not only one hath all graces but hath every one of them acting according to their several natures even when they are acting joyntly together 3. This furthers much believers fruitfulnesse and continues them fresh and green when the whole stature of grace is right and kept in a due proportionablenesse The particular that is again repeated is her breasts which are compared to a cluster of grapes or wine as it is in the eight verse We conceive by brests here is signified her love and affection whereby he is entertained So Chap. 1. 13. he shall lye all night between my brests and so it agreeth well with that expression Prov. 5. 19. let her brests satisfie thee at all times and be thou alwayes ravisht with her love This is confirmed from the similitude unto which it is compared and that is grapes or wine Shewing that her love is refreshful and cordial to speak so to him Thy brests saith he that is to lye between thy brests and to be kindly entertained by thee is more than wine to me And this is the same thing which was said Chap. 4. 10. How much better is thy love than wine And the similitude being the same we think the thing is the same that is thereby set forth and commended and it is singularly taken notice of by Christ through all the Song and marked in Chap. 4. and here as that which makes all her stature so lovely in it self Love makes every grace act therefore is it the fulfilling of the law and makes grace in it's actings beautiful and lovely to him These words then may either express 1. the lovelinesse of her love Or 2. the delight which he took in it as esteeming highly of it she was so very lovely that nothing refreshed him so much as her brests Which expression as all the rest holds out intense spiritual-love under the expressions that are usual amongst men And it sayes 1. that the beauty of grace is a ravishing beauty or Christ's love delights in the love of his people a room in their hearts is much prized by him 2. Christ hath a complacency and acquiescense in his people which he hath in none other and where more grace is there his complacency though one in it self doth the more manifest it self 3. When a believer is right and in good case then his love to Christ is warm And particularly a right frame is by nothing sooner evidenced than by the affections and it 's ordinarily ill or well with us as our love to Christ is vigorious or cold The second way how our Lord expresseth his love to his Bride is in the beginning of vers 8. and it 's by expressing of his resolution to accompany with her beyond any in the world She was compared to a Palm-tree in the former verse Now saith he I will go up to the Palm-tree that is to the Palm-tree before mentioned It 's on the matter the same with that promise chap. 4. 6. I will get me to the mountain of Myrrhe c. Consider here 1. the thing promised or proposed and that is his going up to the Palm-tree and taking hold of the boughs thereof That the scope is to hold forth his purpose of manifesting himself to her is clear 1. By the dependence of this on the former He had said Thou art a Palm-tree and now saith he I will go up to the Palm-tree which speaks his prizing that tree above all others 2. The effects also of his going up in the following words do clear it It 's such a going up as hath refreshful and comfortable influence upon her The importance of the similitude is as men love the trees they converse much about and it 's like Palm-trees were much used for that end or as climbing up upon trees and taking hold of their boughs do shew the delight and pleasure men have in such or such a tree and how refreshing it is to them to be neer it So having compared her to a Palm-tree he expresseth his delight in her and his purpose of manifesting himself to her under the same similitude as is ordinary in the strain of this Song 2. Consider that this resolution is laid down as no passing thought but is a deliberat and determined resolution I said I will go c. I will take hold c. Which doth shew 1. Christ's inward thoughts and conclusions with himself this is his heart-language 2. The expression of these and so the words come to be a promise which the believer may make use of as of a thing which Christ hath said 3. It shews a deliberatnesse in both that they were not sudden but the advised result of a former deliberation and that of old I said it In a word saith he my Bride is my choice in all
shews what kind of wine is understood and so it must be excellent wine being that which is allowed on Christ's special friends Or it 's an abrupt expression whereby he speaks in name of the Bride It 's such wine as I as if she were speaking allow on thee my beloved and which I reserve only for thee For which reason she is called a Fountain sealed and Garden inclosed as being set a-part for him and not common to others and thus is he expressing in her name what she expresseth her self in the last words of this Chapter It 's all for thee my beloved And it implyeth both a commendation of its sweetnesse and her devoting of it to him However the words hold forth something that proves it to be excellent and not common but such as is found amongst these who stand in this spiritual relation 2. It 's commended from this that it goeth down sweetly that is it 's pleasant to the taste and is not harsh but delightsomely may be drunk of Or it may respect that property of good Wine mentioned Prov. 23. 31. that it moves it self rightly if the words be translated as the margent imports 3. It 's commended from the effects It drinks sweetly and when it is drunk it causeth the lips of those those that are asleep to speak Wine is cordial and refreshful but this Wine must be in a singular way refreshful that makes men that are infirm or old as the word may be rendered and almost dead to revive and speak or those that were secure as the Bride was Chap. 5. 2. and in a spiritual drousinesse it can quicken them and make them cheerfully speak Thus the Wine is commended Now we conceive by this comfortable effect that is promised to her upon Christ's coming to her these two things are here holden forth 1. How refreshing it shall be to her self all her senses shall be taken with it both the smell and the taste it shall be singularly sweet to her spiritual taste as it is Chap. 2. 3. And thus the Wine of the Spirit is commended which accompanies his manifestations and is reserved for his Beloved Chap. 5. 1. and is a joy that no stranger is made partaker of This Wine is indeed peculiar for his beloved and is suitable to himself and is the Wine that goeth sweetly down and is most refreshful and makes secure sinners to speak and those that are â—aint it revives them as Eph. 5. 18. Be not filled with wine c. but be filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves in Psalms singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord This effect agrees well to the Spirit yea only to this Wine of the Spirit and it suits well the scope which is to shew what comfortable influence Christ's presence should have on her so that when he comes to his Palm-tree her taste shall relish as with the best Wine his presence shall thus revive and quicken her and be a special evidence of his singular respect to her 2. It holds out which follows on the former that not only her breath shall savour well to him and others and her inward senses abound with refreshings to her self but also the expressions of her mouth to others shall be savoury and to him refreshful as a delightsome fruit flowing from her Thus saith he when I betake me to fellowship with thee and comes near by sensible embracements to take hold of thy boughs as a man embracing one whom he loves for thus the Allegory is spiritually to be understood thou shalt be to me and in my esteem exceeding lovely thy brests smell and mouth will be cheâ—ring and savoury like Grapes Apples and the best Wine And here spiritual affections and holy reason would be made use of to gather the life of Christ's love from the effects of it with some resemblance of what useth to be betwixt man and wife in their mutual loving carriage for so runs the strain of this Song although our carnalnesse makes it hazardous and unsafe to descend in the explication of these similitudes And thus as Chap. 5. 16. by his mouth or palat was understood the kisses thereof or the most sensible manifestations of his love to her So here by her palat or mouth is understood her most affectionat soul-longings of love to him which being warmed and melted by his presence doth manifest it self in a kindly way in spiritual embraces and kisses as from vers 11. and 12. will be clear which are exceedingly delightsome to him and so the sense of this promise is when I come to thee then yea even now thy love with the sense of mine shall be warmed and refreshed so that it shall in an affectionat way vent it self on me and that shall be as the most exhilerating cordial unto me as the manifestations of my love will be chearing and refreshing unto thee both which are notably comfortable to her and special evidences of his respect which is the scope Obs. 1. Ther are some secret flowings of love and soul-experiences betwixt Christ and believers that are not easily understood and that makes the expressions of this love so seemingly intricat 2. These flowings of love that are betwixt Christ and his people how strange soever they be are most delightsome to the soul that partakes of them they are as wine that goeth down sweetly 3. Christ's presence hath many benefits and advantages waiting on it which contribute exceedingly both to the quickning and comforting of the believer many things hang on this one his going up to the Palm-tree 4. The joy of the Spirit hath notable effects and can put words in the mouth of these that neverspoke much before yea can make the dumb to sing with a sensible warming of the heart and inward affections stirring up melody in their souls which yet will be distinct in the impressions and effects of it 5. Our Lord Jesus hath designed the comfort of the believer which he holdeth out in comfortable promises and alloweth them to make use of it and it is pleasant and delightsome to him to have them so doing BRIDE Vers. 10. I am my Beloveds and his desire is towards me The Bride hath been long silent delightsomely drinking in what she hath been hearing from the Bridegrooms sweet mouth and so suffering him to say on Now in this tenth verse and these that follow she comes-in speaking and having well observed what he said the result and effect thereof upon her heart doth appear in what she saith And 1. she comforts her self in her union with him as now being clear in it from his owning of her and she layes down and begins with this conclusion vers 10. Now saith she I may say I am my Beloveds c. Then 2. looking to his promise vers 8. she puts up her great desire after communion with him that according to her interest in him she might be admitted to injoy him which suit is put up qualified or inlarged and by
the end of her petition which is to see how her graces prosper The similitude continues as a wise intending to visit her husbandry to say so is helped and encouraged therein by her husbands presence and therefore desires his company So the believer hath a husbandry Vineyards Grapes Pomegranates and diverse plants to oversee which are the graces of the Spirit and diverse duties committed to him as was said upon Chap. 4. 12 13. and 6. 11. and his visiting of these is the taking of a reflect view of himself in an abstracted retired condition that thereby he may be distinctly acquainted how it 's with him and with his graces In following of which duty Christ's presence in some secret corner is exceeding helpful therefore for that end doth the Bride seek it and makes use of this motive to presse it because it 's a duty of concernment to her to search her self It 's pleasing to him and a thing that she would be at yet cannot win to it in a common ordinary frame it 's so difficult therefore doth she propose this which is her end as that which would be respected and well taken off her hand by him Obs. 1. Believers have a task and husbandry committed to them to manage that is several duties and graces holden forth under the similitude of Vines Pomegranates c. which they are carefully to notice 2. It 's necessary in the managing of this task for a believer to be well acquainted with the condition of his graces and it 's his duty to be reflecting on himself for that end and if men ought to look to the state of their flocks and herds Prov. 27. 23. how much more ought they carefully to look to this 3. This duty should be purposly retiredly and deliberatly intended undertaken and gone about with a resolut design for attaining to the discovery of our own case as she doth here 4. This duty hath difficulties in it and ordinarily the heart is not prevailed with to be kept serious about it except the frame thereof be more tender than ordinary 5. To a tender believer it will be a great favour to get this duty of self-examination profitably and unbyassedly discharged It 's a mercy worth the seeking from God and the more tender believers be they will be the more in this 6. Although believers be clear as to their interest as the Bride was vers 10. yet may they be indistinct as to the knowledge of their own condition and therefore ought not to neglect this duty of self-examination but where clearnesse is solid they will be the more careful in the searching of themselves 7. Christ's presence as it 's a notable help to all duties so particularly it 's in a special way helpful to believers in searching themselves by making the heart willing and plyable to follow it sweetly by discovering things as they are and by making the eye single rightly to judge of every thing and impartially to take with that which is discovered Much presence would incourage the Lords people to follow this duty which otherwise is gone about in a heartlesse way 8. It 's a good use of Christ's presence and company when it 's improven for attaining of more through and distinct knowledge of our own condition and then especially believers would take the opportunity of putting themselves to tryal 9. A believer when tender will be particular in his search he will search even to the least he will not disapprove any thing of Gods grace thâ—â—â—s real although it be weak and tender therefore she looks to buds as well as more mature fruit and acknowledgeth them because Christ doth so Chap. 6. 11. 10. Believers promise not much in themselves or they expect not great things anent their own fruitfulnesse therefore it is to see what is budding or appearing rather than what is ripe which she proposeth here to her self as her design 11. A tender believer will esteem much of little grace where it is real a bud is much to him if it look fruit-like as it 's the evidence of Christ's Spirit in him and the work of his grace he that is humble will have a high esteem of it though he expect no great thing nor yet thinks much of it as it is inherent in him yet he will not cast what is least if solid 12. The more tender one is he will be the more desirous to search his own condition as being unsatisfied with what he hath attained Again if we compare this with Chap. 6. 11. where it 's said he went down to his Garden for this very end for which she desires his presence We may see 1. A co-incidence betwixt Christ's work and the believers to say so they have one task 2. A going alongst both of their ends and wayes to attain them he takes pains on his people by the means of grace to make them fruitful and they diligently haunt and improve the means for that same end And 3. Christ's words are neer the same with hers the more to strengthen her faith in obtaining what she sought when it so concurred with his design A believer that aims at fruitfulnesse and tendernesse by Christ's company in the means and Ordinances may expect to obtain his desire for that same is his work which he drives by the means of grace amongst his people The second motive which makes her presse for Christ's company in this retiered way is in these words there will I give thee my loves That is in short as in reteirments the Bridegroom and the Bride rejoice together in the expressions of their mutual love with more than ordinary familiarity So saith she let me have thy company continued with me that thereby my heart being warmed I may get opportunity to let out my love in a lively manner on thee By loves here love simply is not meant but love in the highest degree of it manifesting it self in the most sensible manner when the heart is melted as it were and made free to pour out it self in love to him It 's therefore called loves in the plural number to shew the many wayes it will vent it self as in thoughts delightsomely making the heart glad in cheerful exulting in him and affectionat imbracing him in it's arms feeding and delighting on him and such like wayes there is nothing kept up from him and all doors whereby love useth to vent are opened While she saith I will give thee my loves it is not to be understood as if then she would begin to love him for the thing that made her put up this suit was her love to him but that then she would with more freedom do it and with ease and delight get it done which now would not do for her till his presence warmed her at least in the manner she would be at The word there that in the letter relates to the fields villages c. is to be understood of that reteirment in fellowship which she desired with him in
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
of jealous love that are as pangs to such as travel in birth as it were to have their interest in Christ made clear as the words in the following verse expresse Obs. 1. That which in a believers experience hath proven useful is in a special manner lovely and commendable to them Experience is a most convincing demonstration of the worth of any thing and leaves the deepest impression thereof behind it 2. The more any by experience have learned Christ's worth and the more they have tasted that he is gracious their affections do the more vehemently stir after him 3. Christ's presence hath many great and excellent advantages waiting on it It brings â—ase and quietnesse to the soul and gives refreshment under his shadow it gives accesse to pray with freedom and duties then have usually a sensible successe 4. The believer looks upon it as a great mercy to have freedom in prayer and to be heard when he prayes That by prayer she raised Christ up is remembred as a mercy not to be forgotten and this yet commends unto her the good of sitting under his shadow 5. Accesse to Christ is no time for security but for prayer and when the believer is admitted to solace himself in Christ's presence then should he be diligent in wrestling with him and improving that opportunity for pressing after a further manifestation of him 6. There are some experiences that are unquestionable to all believers though they be mysteries to all others in the world 7. It is not a little strengthning yea exceedingly confirming to believers when their experience and the experiences of other believers co-incide and jump in the proof of the same thing 8. Although believers may in some things differ yet there are some things commonly found good in experience by them all This is the advantage of Christ's company there was never a believer that attained it but he â—ound much good of it and these who still travel for it apprehend groundedly that there is an unspeakable good in it Vers. 6. Set me as a seal upon thine heart as a seal upon thine arm for love is strong as death jealousie is cruel as the grave the coals thereof are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame Vers. 7. Many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it if a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned In the sixth verse she proceeds to her second petition wherein she is strengthned from her former experience The suit is in two expressions to one purpose and it is pressed with several reasons in the end of the sixth and seventh verses whereby she shews that lesse could not be satisfying to her and this much she behoved to have granted her The first expression holding forth her suit is Set me as a seal upon thine heart The second is to the same purpose in the words that follow and as a seal upon thine arm By Christ's heart is signified his most inward affection for it is frequent in Scripture by the heart to signifie the most inward affections So Matth. 6. 12. where the treasure is there the heart will be And Chap. 4. 9. Thou hast ravished my heart c. A seal is used for confirming evidences or closing of letters They have some peculiar ingraving on them serving to distinguish the deed of one man from the deed of another wherefore men use to have a special care of their Signet or Seal for both are one upon the matter and in the Original Thus Ahasuerus kept his Seal upon his own finger Esth. 3. 10 12. So then from this we may see that a Seal or Signet signifieth 1. What one hath a precious esteem of and therefore Ier. 22. 24. the Lord saith of Coniah though thou wert the Signet on my right hand c. And Hag. 2. 23. the Lord expresseth his love to Ierusalem in this that he would take Zerubbabel and make him as a Signet 2. By Seal is signified something that makes an impression and leaves a stamp thereof behind it that doth not wear out again as a Seal doth on the Wax Next by Christ's arm may be understood his care of his people outwardly expressed in the effects wrought by his power for their good So Isa. 40. 11. it 's said he will gather the Lambs with his arms c. Thus then to be set as a seal on his heart doth imply 1. Exceeding great neernesse to Christ eâ—en to have a special room and seat in his heart 2. It imports a settlednesse in that condition that she may be set there as the Lord saith of Ierusalem 2 King 21. 4. there I have put or set my Name and as it is Psa. 132. 14. there will I dwell 3. To be set as a Seal on his arm takes in further that as she would be always minded by Christ and have him loving her so would she have him in all his dispensations making that manifest and that as it were they may bear it ingraven upon them that he minds her like that expression Isa. 49. 14. I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands whereby he expresseth his mindfulnesse of her that he could look to nothing in all his works but he saw as it were her name ingraven thereupon for all his works expresse love to her In sum we conceive the words look to one or both of these similitudes or allusions 1. In general to men who had such respect to their Seals or Rings that they wore them on their fingers and carried them still about with them Now she would be carried about on his heart and have him sympathizing with her in every thing that she meets with 2. And more especially it may allude to Aaron's Brestplate whereby he did carry the names of the children of Israel on his heart Exod. 28. 12 29. which ingraving is said to be like the ingraving of a Signet in which the High-priest was certainly a type of Christ However this is certain that she would be established in her union with Christ so that neither desertions on his part nor backslidings on hers might marr that but that she might be fixed as to her union with him and made to abide in him as the impression of a Seal is fixed upon the Wax and made to abide in it Obs. 1. True love to Christ will be bold pressing and importunat in it's suits to him It will not stand to seek any thing that may endear him to the soul to have him as a brother and to be worn upon his heart c. 2. Christ's heart and inside is most heartsome to the believer who hath had any discovery thereof made unto his soul and true love can settle no where till it get a lodging in his very heart that is the proper resting-place of a beliver and that is the refreshing which can make the weary to rest 3. Love to Christ would not only be neer him but would
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.
Jealousie of Christ's love may be where there is little cause and often where there is least cause it is most ready to enter The reason whereof may be taken from the ardency of the souls love to him joyned with the mistakes they have of his way So Isa. 49. 13 14. For considering what is gone before it might be thought that whatever any other might seem to have the Bride had no cause of jealousie 7. Believers would endeavour to prevent all jealousie of Christ and his love and by all means seek to be established and confirmed in the saith of his love to them as that which can only keep and guard the heart against these sinful suspitions and jealousies 8. Though this jealousie be vexing yet sometimes the believer cannot rid himself of it it will so prevail and is so cruel against him 9. In the similitude of death and the grave that is here made use of it is implyed that no man shall escape death and the grave they are as strong and mighty Conquerours that prevail over all that come in their way It 's clearly hinted here that the believer carrieth this conviction in his heart that sometime he will be prevailed over by death and the grave This is no ill impression the graves are ready for me and I have said to corruption Thou art my father to the worm thou art my mother and my sister Job 17. 1 14. Her second reason is contained vers 7. and it 's taken from the peremptorinesse of her love for her love is such as it will have love from Christ again or no other thing will satisfie it This is two wayes illustrat 1. From it's invinciblenesse which appears in this no opposition can extinguish it many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it Waters will quench fire but nothing will quench this love By waters in Scripture often as Psa. 42. 7. and 93. 4. and frequently are understood afflictions crosses and even spiritual desertions Psa. 42. 7. all thy waves and billows have gone over me Psa. 109. 1 2. And so here it saith Love to Christ is of that nature and is so strongly fixed on him that no crosse or rod nay not the blackest dispensations and desertions can make it alter but it will stick to him through and over all as Rom. 8. 35. neither famine sword pestilence c. can do it but it triumphs over all though floods of tryal and opposition were let out upon it The second way how the peremptorinesse of love is illustrat and proven is that it rejects all offers that may be made to it by any other that would have Christ's room There are two sorts of tryals that ordinarily carry souls away from Christ The first is on the left hand from crosses and when these will not do it but the thorny ground will abide the heat of the Sun yet the second sort of tryals to wit the cares of the world and the deceitfulnesse of riches which are tentations on the right hand may choak the word and carry the soul away But saith she true love to Christ will be prevailed over by neither it will tryst and capitulat with other lovers upon no terms nay though a man would give it all the substance of his house that is all that can be given though he would leave nothing behind but give it all to one that loves Christ for love that is to purchase and buy away the souls love from Christ that it may be given to some other thing that comes in competition with him so to bud and bribe the souls love from Christ that it may settle on some other thing that is offered in his place What entertainment would be given to such offers and treaties True love saith she in so far as it is true and lively in exercise otherwise where something of true love is the soul may often be insnared would utterly contemn it or as it is in the first Language contemning it should be contemned that is not only would all such alluring offers be rejected but with a holy disdain and indignation they would be despised abhorred and abominated as unsuitable once to be mentioned So that true love to Christ will not once enter to capitulat what to have in Christ's room but all possible overtures which may be made by the flesh and the world to divert it will be abhorred and loathed utterly and accounted as loss and dung Philip. 3. 8. And therefore the reason concludes at thy heart I must be for my love will neither be boasted from thee nor bribed or allured to be satisfied with any other thing in thy room but thee I must have upon any terms and must not be refused of this my suit of being set as a Seal upon thine heart And this sort of peremptorinesse from love will not be accounted presumption by Christ nor is any-wayes displeasing but most acceptable to him Obs. 1. Where true love to Christ is there will be many essayes to cool it or to divert it and draw it away from him It 's no easie thing to get love to Christ kept warm for the devil and the world will especially aim at the throwing down of this hold and bul-wark that maintains Christ's interest in the soul. 2. The devil hath several kinds of tentations which do all drive especially at this to cool the believers affections in the love of Christ and these tentations may be contrary some of them mustering the difficulties that follow these that love him and such as the tempted seekers of Christ may be oftentimes exercised with for they often meet with reproaches or other afflictions in the world Others of them again alluring the heart to embrace some other thing in Christ's room and making fair offers of advantages to these that will take the way of the world in following of them 3. The lovers of Christ may be assaulted by both these extrems successively and when tentations from the one hand fail then tentations from the other begin so that the believer would constantly be on his guard 4. The tentations that come from the right hand and entice the soul with the offers of worldly pleasure honour riches c. are more strong and subtil than the other and more frequently do prevail yea sometimes when the other may be rejected Therefore this is mentioned after the other as being that wherewith the soul is assaulted when the first cannot prevail and so the devil leaves this till the last when he was permitted to tempt Christ having tryed him with several tentations at last he makes offer of the world to him Mat. 4. 9. 5. Tentation will sometimes make great offers as if nothing more could be offered even all the substance of the house and still it offers more than it can perform when it is in it's offers most specious The devil at once offered all the world to Christ Matth. 4. 9. though he had not power of himself
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
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
and the believer alwayes yet there are special times or occasions upon which or wayes by which he manifests his love to them 6. The believer hath Christ's â—avour otherwise let forth and manifested to him than it was before his conversion although this love as it 's in God himself be ever the same 7. It 's a singularly refreshful thing to find favour in Christ's eyes and to have that love of his sensibly manifested and clearly made out unto us 8. There is an inseparable and peremptory connexion betwixt holinesse in a believers walk and Christ's manifesting of his favour thus unto them 9. These that have felt by experience the fulfilling of Christ's promises are both more clear in the meaning of them and more through in the faith of them Experience is both a good commentary upon and proof of the promises of Christ which the Bride makes use of here 10. The experience of one believer in the way of grace which is founded upon the essentials of the Covenant and is agreeable to it may be an encouragement to strengthen others in expectation of the accomplishment of the same thing when the same way is taken in sueing for it 11. Believers that are more versed in and acquainted with experiences than others should fitly and conveniently bring them out and communicat them for the benefit of others who yet have not attained that length 12. It 's the duty of hearers when they hear Gospel-truths and offers such as were held forth in the ninth verse to reflect on themselves and try if their experience suit with them if they have such conditions in themselves and have felt the fulfilling of such promises in their own particular experience And it 's comfortable when their experiences and the promises agree so together that when he saith If she be a wall we will build on her or who loveth me I will manifest my self to him they may groundedly answer and say I am a wall and so have found favour in his eyes I love him and so he hath manifested himself to me Vers. 11. Solomon had a Vineyard at Baal-hammon he let out the Vineyard unto keepers every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver Vers. 12. My Vineyard which is mine is before me thou O Solomon must have a thousand and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred It is a great assertion which the Bride laid down vers 10 that she was a wall and had found favour in his eyes and it being of high concernment if well grounded therefore to make out the warrantablenesse thereof she proceeds to demonstrat it vers 11 12. thereby to give believers advertisement that they should be well seen in the grounds of their own peace and to shew the solid way how the well groundednesse thereof may be found out And because the conclusions asserting our union with Christ and interest in him follow on premisses whose major proposition is in the word and whose assumption is to be searched and confirmed from the conscience speaking from inward experience and feeling she doth formally proceed First by laying down a sum of the Gospel in a complex general doctrine vers 11. to this purpose Christ had a Church which he took pains on for this end that it might be fruitful and that in such a measure Then in the twelfth verse she compares her practice with that rule and finds it suitable therefore the conclusion follows We may take it up thus in form They who improve the trust well that is put upon them to bring forth such fruits as Christ calls for in his Covenant may conclude that they are a wall and have found favour in his sight This truth is confirmed in the eleventh verse because it 's for that very end and on these very terms that Christ hath appointed the Ordinances in his house and made the promises to his people that they should bring forth a thousand for the fruit thereof to him and he will not reject a consequence drawn from that which he himself hath appointed in his Covenant for such grounds as the Word and Covenant confirm are only sure to reason from Then she assumes vers 12. but I have been sincere in that trust which was committed unto me conform to the terms of the Covenant and have a thousand according thereto to give to Christ Therefore c. And because this hath need to be well grounded also she proves it partly by instancing the fruits that belonged to him and to the keepers which she had brought forth to shew that his Ordinances were not in vain to her and partly by attesting himself immediatly in these words Thou O Solomon speaking to him in the second person thereby to evidence her sincerity before him who alone could bear witnesse thereof and that it was not meer external performances which as such are manifest to others upon which she grounds what she asserts in the assumption This is the native series and scope of the words whereby they depend on the former and by which now before death leaving this way of communion with Christ which she enjoyed here-away mediatly in Ordinances and before that eternal and immediat way beyond death which is prayed for vers 14. she doth collect her interest and confirm her assurance The particular exposition of the words will clear it more From the scope Obs. 1. That through perswasion of interest in Christ had need to be solidly grounded and believers would be distinct in the grounds thereof and not go beguesse with their confidence 2. The neerer that people come to dying they would be the more accurat in this search and have the evidences of their interest in Christ the more clear 3. We may gather from her example that the solid and only way to be throughly cleared of our title to Christ is when the grounds thereof are comprehended in the Lords Covenant as he that believes repents hath the fruits of the Spirit c. he is justified sanctified c. And when the assumption bearing the application of these grounds to our selves will abide the tryal in Christ's sight and may be instanced before him in the effects thereof thus but it 's so with me Therefore c. This is her way of concluding We come now to expound the words more particularly And first we conceive it is out of doubt that they are mystically and spiritually to be understood That is by Solomon Christ is meant and by the Vineyard the Church c. for so the strain and nature of the Allegory throughout this Song and the manner of speaking all along doth require And there being but one Solomon that is spoken of in this Song his having of a Vineyard must be understood as his making of a Chariot Chap. 3. 9 10. which being paved with love could not be a piece of work framed by Davids son We are not therefore curiously to enquire here what place this is called Baal-hammon