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
not do with him as he did with Saul whom he rejected he would not take away his mercy from Solomon as he had done from him And if no more were in these Promises but what is temporal there would be no great consolation in them to David whose consolation is one chief part of the scope of that place Beside these promises Psal. 89. 31 32 33. which are the same with these 2 Sam. 7. are looked upon as special evidences of God's love and peculiar Promises of his Saving-Covenant 2. When he is born the Lord gives him his name yea sends Nathan 2 Sam. 12. with this warrand to name him Iedidiah because the Lord loved him which cannot be a love flowing from any thing in him as if he had been well pleased with his carriage Solomon had not yet done any thing good or evil but it must be a love prior to his works and so not arising from his good deeds and therefore not cut off by his sins which being like the love God had to Iacob before he had done good or evil Rom. 9. 11. must speak out Electing love as it doth in that place 3. He is made use of by the Spirit to be a Penman of Holy Writ and a Prophet of the Lord all which are by our Lord Luke 13. 28. said to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of Heaven and there is no reason to exclude him seing that universal all the Prophets c. would not be a truth unlesse he were there And though some wicked men have prophesied as Balaam did yet are they never accounted Prophets of the Lord as Solomon was but false Prophets and Inchanters neither were they Penmen of Holy Writ who were as Peter calleth them 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy men of God speaking as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost 4. Neither are the peculiar Priviledges he was admitted unto to be forgotten by him the Lord built the Temple by him the Covenant was explicitly renewed with God 1 King 8. 9. and his prayers are often particularly mentioned to be heard yea after his death some testimonies are recorded of him which cannot consist with his rejection See 2 Chron. 11. 17. where the wayes of Solomon are put in as commendable with Davids though there were defects in both and this being immediatly after Solomon's death it would seem he left the worship of God pure and so had turned from his Idolatry though all the monuments of it were not abolished And especially in this he was singularly priviledged that in a most lively way he was the Type of our blessed Lord Jesus in his Intercession Reign and peaceable Government Beside that by particular Covenant the Kingdom of Christ and his descent from him was established to him 5. It 's of weight also that it seems more than probable that Solomon wrot Ecclesiastes after his recovery it being neither amongst the Proverbs nor Songs which are mentioned 1 King 4. 32. And in it he speaks out the experience he had both of folly and madness and the vanity he had found in all created things even when he had perfected his Essay of all the possible wayes of attaining either the knowledge of their perfections or satisfaction in the injoyment of them The Scripture therefore hath not left his recovery altogether dark yet as to any Historical narration thereof the Lord hath so ordered that he passeth away under a cloud for these good ends First Thereby Solomon is chastised with the rods of men even after death upon his name for his miscarriages are set down expresly but his recovery as to any direct testimony thereof is past over 2. By this the Lord maketh his displeasure with Solomon's wayes known though he had favour to his person and gave him his soul for a prey 3. Thus the Lord would affright others from declining and hereby teacheth his people to be afraid to rest upon Gifts yea or upon Graces seing he hath left this matter so far in the dark as might yeeld an occasion as it were to question the eternal condition of Solomon 4. It may be also that Solomon after his recovery did never recover his former lustre nor attain to such a profitable way of appearing in God's publike matters for which formerly he had been so observable For so it is taken notice even of David after his fall that his following life is stained as different from what went before therefore it is the commendation of Iehoshaphat 1 Chron. 17. 3. that he walked in the first wayes of his father David which certainly is not done to condemn David's state after that time but to leave that mark as a chastisement on his failings And seing Solomon's were greater therefore may this silence of his recovery be more universal as to him Before we draw any thing from this by way of use I shall answer a doubt and it is this How can all these thousand and five Songs mentioned 1 King 4. 32. be lost without â—ronging the perâ—ection of Canonick Scripture Or what is come of them Or what is to be accounted of the losse of them Ans. We say 1. The Scriptures may be full in the articles of faith even though some portions thereof which once were extant were now a-missing except it could be made out that some points of faith were in these Books which are not to be found in other Scriptures 2. Yet seing it is not safe and it wants not many inconveniences to assert that any Book once designed of God to his Church as a canon or rule of faith and manners should be lost And seing it is not consistent with that wise Providence of his whereby he hath still carefully preserved the treasure of his Oracles in his Church We rather incline to say that though these Songs were possibly useful and might be written by the Spirit 's direction yet that they were not intended for the universal edification of the Church nor inrolled as a part of his Word appointed for that end Neither can it be thought strange that it should so be for that a thing be Scripture it 's not only needful that it be inspired but also that it be appointed of God for publike use It 's not improbable but Isaiah Moses David Paul and others might have written many moe writtings upon particular occasions or to particular persons which were useful in themselves for edification and yet were never appointed of God to be looked upon or received as Scriptures for publike use in his Church So do we account of these Songs mentioned in the objection and other writings of Solomon now not extant And it may be the Spirit hath pitched on this Song to be recorded as the sum and chief of all the rest as he did pitch upon some particular Prayers of David and Moses c. passing by others And Lastly We are rather to be thankful for the great advantage we have by this than anxiously to inquire what hath
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
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
pardoneth iniquity c. because thou delights in mercy or is there any other thing that more commends him as a beloved preferable to all than his love Love in a husband is a special property Now Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it Eph. 5. 25. it is not like therefore that this is omitted And 3. it followes well on the commendation of his works for and about his people as shewing the fountain from whence they proceed The commendation of this is excellent 1. It is as bright Ivory Ivory is rarely and singularly pure and pleasant being made of Elephants teeth bright is added to shew that it 's of the best sort as all that is in Christ is 2. It 's overlaid with Saphires that was a stone in Aarons breast plate and also is reckoned one of the foundation-stones of the new Ierusalem Rev. 21. 19. which shews that it is very precious though we know not the particular properties of it The word overlaid may be from the Original rendered curiously set or enambled In sum here his love is described as most lovely clean and pleasant like Ivory rich and precious like Saphires and well ordered and wisely vented for the good of his people as bright Ivory curiously enambled with Saphires His love is a most excellent curious and pleasant object the like whereof is not to be found amongst all the beloveds of the world This verse commends Christ's heart and in-side which is unsearchable as to it 's heighth depth breadth and length It may therefore be hard and some way hazardous to offer doctrines on or to form expressions concerning that which passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 18 19. the comprehending experimental knowledge of it will be the best commentary on it yet these things are clear and safe 1. There is singular love affection and bowels in our Lord Jesus to his people so singular that there is none can compare with him in this no husband nay nor wife it passeth the love of women No tender-hearted mother and much lesse any idol can compet with him in this It 's inconceivable in it self and it 's wonderful in it's effects 2. There is nothing that will contribute more to make believers see Jesus Christ as admirable in himself and lovely to them than the right apprehension of his love This is the constraining ravishing ingaging and soul-in-ebriating consideration of Christ the conceiving of him rightly in his admirable love and they will never esteem of Christ rightly who discerns not that it is as it were his crown and the believing of it is in a sort the putting of the crown on his head Amongst all his excellencies none takes the believer more up than his love and nothing is more remarkable in him than that and right thoughts of Christ's love is no ill token 3. Our Lord Jesus his love and bowels are a rich Jewel when seen a precious stately sight bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires is but a small and dark shaddow of it Christ's love is a possession beyond Jewels a very beautiful object to look on beyond the most excellent creature It 's both a wonder and a heart-break that it is so little thought of and that men are not more delighted in it 4. Although there be much in many mouths of Christ's love yet there are few that really knows and believes the love that he hath to his people 1 Ioh 3. 1. As this is the cause that so few loves him and why so many sets up other beloveds beside him so the solid faith of this and the expectation of good from him hath a great ingaging vertue to draw sinners to him Heb. 11. 6. and for that end it 's made use of here 5. Whatever seeming smiles idols may give to their lovers yet will they not prove lovers in the end to them for that is proper to Christ he only hath strong love and bowels of affection to his own to the end but other lovers in the end will fail men Only our Lord Jesus continueth a loving Husband to the end for whom he loves he loves to the end 6. It is beyond all peradventure good and desirable to be matched with Jesus Christ where so much honour riches power wisdom lovelinesse and love meet all together for the scope of this and of all the rest of the commendations is to ingage sinners to match with him 7. There is no cause to be jealous of Christ's love his people have a most loving Husband and never a sport or ground of jealousie hath defiled his bowels since the world began but they to this day are and will be for ever as bright Ivory 8. Christ's love is excellent in it self and is also excellent in the way of it's communicating it self to his people therefore it 's not as Saphires that are confusedly casten together but that are artificially set or our Lord Jesus vents not his love fondly to speak with reverence or imprudently but most wisely skilfully and seasonably so as it may be for the good of his people not as a fond and too indulgent mother that gives that which is even hurtful because the childe desires it but as a wise father who gives that which is useful though it be unpleasant He guids his love by discretion and according to expediency as Ioh. 16. 7. It 's expedient for you that I go and therefore he will go though they were even made sad with it 9. Although some pieces of Christ's love being considered in themselves seem not so pleasant and lovely like precious stones not rightly set yet when all are seen together and every thing taken up as in it's own place and proportionably corresponding with one another and especially in respect of the fountain of love from which they come they will then being all lookt on together be seen to be very beautiful and pleasant and well ordered like bright Ivory that is regularly and curiously enambled or indented with Saphires The time comes when Christ's love will be thought to be exquisitly and wisely let out and conveyed even in these things wherein it is most suspected now by his own Vers. 15. His legs are as pillars of Marble set upon sockets of fine Gold his countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars The eighth and ninth particulars of Christ's commendation are in vers 15. The first of them here commended is his legs The word legs comes from a root in the Original that signifieth to walk and so takes in things and feet which are also useful in motion In Scripture and by Analogy they are made use of to signifie these two 1. A mans way in the series of his carriage and deportment as ordinarily his life is called a walk So Eccl. 5. 1. Take heed unto thy feet that is to thy carriage Hence the iniquities of the heels are spoken of Psal. 49. 5. to set out mens defects that cleave to them in their conversation as their feet leave prints or footsteps
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
be fixed and established in neernesse with him 4. A stayed immovable condition or frame of heart in the enjoying of communion with Christ is most desirable and profitable and therefore it is no marvel it be longed for 5. There is no staying or settling of a believer till he be admitted to dwell as it were in Christ's heart that is to dwell neer him in the believing and enjoying of his love all other grounds are wavering but this is stable and dwelling here if it were pressed after would bring more establishment This seems to be a peremptory suit she doth therefore give two reasons to presse it both which shew that it will not be unpleasant to Christ nor can it be condemned in her for saith she the love that presseth me to it is of such a vehement nature I cannot resist it more than death the grave or fire can be resisted This reason is contained in the rest of the sixth verse The second reason in the following wherein she shews that the love that pressed her was of such a peremptory nature and so untractable if we may so speak as to this that there was no dealing with it if it did not obtain it's desire no other thing could quench or satisfie it The strength of her love is amplified in the sixth verse by three steps in several similitudes By love here is understood that vehement ardent desire after Christ's presence which is kindled in the heart of the believer And first it is called strong in respect of it's constraining power whereby the person that loves is led captive and brought down as weak under it so that he cannot withstand it Saith she love masters and will undo me if it be not satisfied Love-sicknesse so weakens the soul when it once seazeth on the heart till it be cured with Christ's presence Next it 's called strong as death which is so strong that it prevails over the most powerful wise mighty and learned in the world Eccles. 8. 8. there is no discharge in that war neither can the most mighty Monarch encounter death and stand before it So saith she I can no more stand against the strength of this love it overpowers me and is like to kill me if it be not satisfied The second step or degree of this love and the similitude illustrating it is in these words jealousie is cruel as the grave It 's the prosecution of the same purpose only what she called love before is here termed jealousie Iealousie may be taken in a good sense or an evil In a good sense jealousie is the highest degree of love or love at it's heighth and and is the same with zeal Thus the Lord is said to be jealous for his glory And it imports 1. ardent affection 2. Desire of injoying 3. Impatiency of delay 4. A deep measure of grief mixt with love for any seeming appearance of a disappointment in the injoying the person they love or when they do not meet with love again from the person whom they dearly love So jealousie in this sense is applyed to both God and men but properly it agreeth only to men for there are no such passions in God though he condescending to our capacity speaks thus of himself after the manner of men Now this jealousie is said to be cruel or hard It 's called Prov. 6. the rage of a man and this was the jealousie or zeal that did eat up David Psa. 69. and so it is compared to the grave which Prov. 30. is the first of these four things that are never satisfied but wasts all the bodies that are laid in it So saith she this love of mine being at a heighth torments me restlesly as if it were cruelly persecuting me till it be satisfied with a good answer from thee O! my beloved In an evil sense jealousie signifies not a simple fear of missing the thing men desire or a suspition of their own short-coming in attaining of it but a groundlesse suspition of them whom they love as if they did not entertain their love as they ought and thus jealousie is called the rage of a man Prov. 6. 34. and so here this cannot be altogether excluded jealousie thus taken having in it some unbelief which torments believers horribly when the suspition of Christ's not taking notice of them grows and this is frequently to be found in the Saints cases in times of desertion they are then very apt to suspect God's love and this exceedingly disquiets them the want of the faith and sense of his love being a death unto them Psal. 77. 8 9 10. And so the reason runs thus let me be admitted to thy heart for my love will be satisfied with no lesse and if this be not obtained jealousie and suspition of thy love may steal in and that will be torturing and tormenting And therefore she puts up this suit that she may be set as a Seal upon his heart to have that prevented for she cannot abide to think of it 3. She compares this jealousie to coals of fire the coals thereof are coals of fire for their vehement heat tormenting nature and consuming power all which are to be found in this strong and jealous love it is vehement for heat painful and destructive as fire is yea further it is compared to coals that have a most vehement flame or as it is in the Original the flame of God for so the Hebrews do name any thing that is superlative in it's kind and this is added to shew the horrible torture that Christ's absence and love-sicknesse hath with it to a tender loving soul especially when carnal unbelieving jealousie enters and prevails they cannot abide it but would choose any rod before that if it were at their election Obs. 1. Love to Christ where it is strong and vigorous will make strange and mighty impressions on the heart which others are not acquaint with and will break out in such expressions as men of the world may wonder what they mean none of them having any such feeling or sensiblenesse of Christ's absence or presence 2 Where true love to Christ is it 's a most constraining thing the soul that hath it cannot but pursue for Christ and go about all means which may any way further it's communion with him 3. Where love begins to pursue after Christ the longer it be in meeting with him it increaseth the more where it is real and the moe disappointments it meet with it grows the more vehement till it break out in jealousie and zeal 4. Believers that have true love are ready to fall in jealousies of Christ and to be suspitious of his love especially in his absence This is supposed here that where true love to Christ is there may be jealousie of him 5. Where jealousie enters is cherished and prevails it 's not only dishonourable to Christ but exceedingly torturing to the believer There is not a more vexing guest can be entertained than jealousie of Christ. 6.
than conversion it self 6. Christ hath given a promise to the believer for furthering and perfecting of his sanctification as well as of his justification 7. Where there is any honest beginning or foundation laid by real union with Christ although it be weak yet it will be perfected and that may be expected for Christ's word is here ingaged for it 8. There are none of the promised blessings that can be expected from Christ without performing of the condition of believing in him and they who rest on him by faith may expect all BRIDE Vers. 10. I am a wall and my brests like towers then was I in his eyes as one that found favour In this tenth verse and the two verses that follow the Bride comes-in speaking and accepting the Bridegrooms gracious answer and promise And first she doth confirm the truth of it from her own experience vers 10. and then she doth more fully clear and strengthen her experience by laying down the grounds from which she draweth that comfortable conclusion of finding favour in his eyes in reference unto her self vers 11 12. First then in the tenth verse the Bride brings forth her experience for confirmation of the truth of what the Bridegroom had spoken That they are the Brides words we conceive is clear for this I is she that put up the suit for the little sister and by her description is opposed to her as being a wall and having brests as towers which she the little sister had not and there is none other that hath found favour in Christ's eyes but she What the scope is shall be cleared when we have opened the words which have three things in them 1. A short description of her own good condition 2. An excellent advantage that followed thereupon 3. The connexion of these two First her condition is set forth in two expressions 1. I am a wall That is what the little sister was not and what the condition proposed by the Bridegroom in the former verse required In a word that condition is fulfilled in me saith she by faith I am built on Christ and like a wall stand stable on the foundation The second expression setting forth her condition is and my brests like towers This supposeth a growth and further degree of her faith and other graces as having not only brests which the little sister had not vers 8. but brests like towers i.e. well fashioned Ezek. 16. 7. and come to some perfection and so she is a wall with towers Next the priviledge or advantage which accompanies this her good condition is held out in these words I was in his eyes as one that found favour or peace To find favour in his eyes is to be kindly and affectionatly dealt with and to have that manifested by some suitable evidence So it 's said Esther found favour in the eyes of the King and he held out the golden Scepter to her Esth. 5. 2. The thing that Moses pitcheth on as the evidence that he and the people found favour in Gods eyes Exod. 33. 16 17. is that his presence might go with them whereby saith he should it be known that we have found grace in thy sight is it not in that thou goest with us So then to find favour in his eyes is to have his presence in a gracious manner manifested to his people as Ioh. 14. 23. And in sum this expression implyes these three 1. Love in Christ's bosom to her 2. His manifesting of this by his complacency in her or his making the delight which he had in her manifest in the effects of it on her 3. Her being comforted and delighted in the favour that she found from him 3. The connexion of this comfortable attainment with her gracious state is implyed in the word then Then was I c. That is when I was a wall and by faith rested on him I found this favour and not before It holds out no causality betwixt the one and the other but a peremptory connexion of order and time for though Gods love of benevolence whereby he purposeth good to us such as was his love to Iacob before he had done good or evil Rom. 9. 13. and also his love of beneficence whereby he actively confers and brings about our conversion and regeneration go before our believing in him and our love to him and is the cause of our loving of him who love him because he first loved us yet his love of complacency whereby he shews himself delighted with the graces which by his love he hath bestowed on us doth follow in order of nature upon our faith in him and love to him So Ioh. 14. 21 23. He that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and what is meant by this love the words following clear I will manifest my self to him and so vers 23. having said my father will love him it 's added we will come and make our abode with him This then is the sum of this verse I am by faith founded on him and united to him and so am a wall and have brests who by nature once was not a wall and had no brests by which union my brests becoming as towers I did find favour from him and had his presence friendly manifested to me The scope as appears from the coherence of this verse with the former is to make good from her experience the truth and certainty of the promises which he had made for the encouragement of the little sister and for comforting of her self who had been seriously pleading with him on her behalf Thus these promises are faithful saith she for in my comfortable experience I have found it so I was once without the evidence of his love as now others are but being by faith engaged to him I have found favour of him so as others may be assured of obtaining the like and on the same terms if when he is bespeaking them by the Gospel they will close with Christ and by faith unite with him Obs. 1. There are great real and discriminating differences betwixt one in nature and one that is in Christ The one is not a wall and hath no brests the other is a wall and hath brests which shewâ— a great odds 2. Believers may come to know that marches are cleared betwixt their estate and condition now while they are in Christ and their estate and condition as it was before Or believers should set themselves to know whether marches be cleared or not or if they may say that of themselves which cannot be said of others that are not in Christ. 3. It 's no little advancement to be able upon good grounds to assert our union with Christ to say that I am a wall c. each one cannot do it 4. Although none ought to be proud of their attainments yet may believers humbly where there is good ground acknowledge the reality of grace in them 5. Although the Lord loves the Elect and the believer alwayes yet there are special times or occasions upon which or wayes by which he manifests his love to
Song also for that Psalm is used even by the Apostle Heb. 1. 8 9. to confirm the great truths of the Gospel 4. If this whole Song be one piece and of one nature driving all along the same general scope then such Doctrines as the places in it which are clear do yeeld Such I say must be contained if we could discern them in these places of it which are most obscure But what is most plain in this Song speaks out such plain Doctrines experiences c. Therefore what is more obscure may be resolved in such also For we may best know what kind of Doctrines floweth from what is obscure by the places that are more clear seing God in the most dark Scriptures ordinarily hath insert some plain passages or given some hints of his mind to be as a key for opening all the rest Now if we will for instance consider some such places as these My beloved is mine c. I called but he gave me no answer they yeeld plain Doctrines as other plain Scriptures do And therefore seing it's one continued Song and each of these dark and plain places answer one another to continue the series of the Discourse upon the same subject we may know by what is plain how to understand what is couched within that which is more dark 5. As one piece of the Allegory is to be resolved so by proportion must all the rest there being one threed and scope Now that some pieces of the Allegory may be expounded in clear Doctrines concerning Christ and his Church may be gathered from paralleling some parts of it with other Scriptures As if we compare that excellent description of Christ Chap. 5. 10. with that which Iohn sets down Rev. 1. 13. we will see a great resemblance betwixt the two if this last have not respect unto the former especially in that which is spoken anent his feet and legs and his countenance But it is certain that description Rev. 1. 13. is given him with a purpose to describe him and to set out the several attributes and excellent qualities he is furnished with as Omniscience by his eyes Justice by his legs walking surely Omnipotence by his arms c. which are particularly so applyed in the Epistles to the seven Churches Chap. 2. and 3. and afterward If then there by the Spirit 's warrand we may draw from Christ's being said to have eyes that he is Omniscient and so in other properties may we not also think that seing it's the same spirit that speaks here in the particular description that is given of Christ and the Bride in their several parts that these same particular properties may be aimed at and may we not make use of such interpretations else where given for our help in the like particulars and so also in other things 6. Thus we argue Either this Song is so to be resolved as hath been said and such Doctrines are to be drawn from it as arise from the Gospel for expressing the way of Believers with Christ and his with them Or then 1. There are no Doctrines to be drawn from it but this Song is a meer Complement and but ignorantly with holy blind affection to be sung which is absurd Or 2. The Doctrines are but to be guessed at and so the truth of them is only conjectural which will come neer the former absurdity and spoil the Believer of any solid edification he could have from it Or 3. It must contain such a kind of love such cases and Doctrines concerning Christ and Believers which are different from the Gospel and the cases of Saints plainly recorded elsewhere Now this would necessitate an uncertainty of it's meaning and hazard the coyning of two wayes of Christ's dealing with his people as also of theirs with him two Unions two Marriages c. Or 4. It must contain the same Doctrines concerning faith Christ the Covenant the Church c. which are contained in other Scriptures and in the Gospel which was the thing to be proven We have been the larger on this to obviat two extreams that men are given to follow in reference to this Song 1. Some loathing plain truths which are plainly delivered in Scriptures properly to be taken and because this in expression and strain differeth they conclude there must be some uncouth strange and odd thing here It is true if we look to the degree of warm affections that breath forth here we may conceive that there is something odd and singular in this Song But as to the kind of Doctrine here delivered there is nothing new and to imagine the contrary were as if a man supposed there behoved to be some strange Liquor or Meat in curious-like Glasses and Dishes because the Master of an house might use variety of Vessels for the delectation of the Feasters yet still giving the same solid food and drink though diversly prepared Or as if a man would suppose Paul and Barnabas Christ our Lord and Iohn did Preach different Gospels because they were of different Gifts and had a different manner of expression 2. On thâ— other hand some are ready to cast at this Book as uselesse because they see not plain truths at the first in it and possibly think all endeavours to expound it or draw Doctrines from it but a guessing and are ready to offend when they meet with nothing but some such truths as are obvious in some other Scriptures This wrongs the worth and divine authority of this Scripture also and though many and we among others may mis-apply somethings in this Song yet to say they cannot be rightly applyed or that such Doctrines as we have before mentioned are not native to it is too precipitant to say no more For further clearing and confirming of these propositions and conclusions we shall answer some Objections or Questions which may be proposed concerning what is said First It may be objected if Allegorick Scriptures be so to be expounded and such Doctrines to be drawn from them then why are such Scriptures set down under such figurative expressions might they not be better in plain words or might not such plain Scriptures be rather expounded which bear such Doctrines with lesse difficulty Ans. If this were urged it would not only reflect on this Song but on many places of Scripture and also on the expounding of such Scriptures yea it would reflect on the wisdom of the Spirit and his Soveraignty who may choose what way he pleases to expresse his mind to his People and what ever way he take to do this sure it is still the best and it may warrand us to acquiesce in the way he hath taken to speak his mind that it is he that speaks Yet there may be good ends given of this his way or weighty reasons even for our behove why he speaks to his People in such terms and language As 1. Here he putteth all the conditions of a Believer together as in one Mapp which are
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
may attain to a great height and yet corruption may again strangely break out and grace be brought very low What knowledge had Solomon What presence and clearnesse had he gotten by the Lord 's appearing to him What hearing of Pâ—ayer How usefull was he in God's work in building the Temple ordering all the Levits c and continued thus eminent for many years even till he was well stricken in years and then fell so foully How may this strike us with fear It 's much to win fair off the Stage without a spot Be humble and he that standeth let him take heed lest he fall 5. Grace can wash foul spots out of Believers Garments seing no question Solomon was washen and as he was recovered so grace is able to recover the Saints from their most dangerous aâ—d fearfull backslidings 6. Sometime the Spirit will honour the Penmen of Holy Writ by mentioning and recording their names other times not as is clear from some Books unknown by whom they were written the Lord doth in this according to his pleasure and as he seeth it may tend to edification Vers. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then Wine Having spoken to the Title we come now to the Song it self which being by way of Conference or Dialogue we shall divide the several Chapters according to the number of the Speakers and their several intercourses in speaking And so in this Chap. we have 5. parts In the 1. the Bride speaks to vers 8. In the 2. the Bridegroom to vers 12. In the 3. the Bride again to vers 15. And 4. the Bridegroom speake vers 14. And lastly the Bride in the two last verses The Bride begins this sweet Conference vers 2. and continues to vers 8. 1. She speaks to Christ vers 2 3 4. Then 2. to the Daughters of Ierusalem vers 5 6. Lastly she turns her self again to the Bridegroom vers 7. In the first of these there is 1. Her aime and desire by way of an earnest wish laid down vers 1. 2. The motives that stir up this desire in her and whereby she presseth it on him vers 2 3. 3. There is a formal Prayer set down vers 4. which is amplified in these three 1. In the motive proposed 2. In the answer obtained and felt 3. In the effects that followed on it Her great wish is Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth That it 's the Bride that speaks is clear She begins not because love ariseth first on her side for here she begins as having already closed with him and therefore she speaks to him as one who knows his worth and longs for the out-lettings of his love but because such expressions of Christs love as are to be found in this Song whereby his complacency is vented and manifested towards us doth first presuppose the working of love in us and our exercising of it on him and then his delighting that is his expressing his delight in us For although the man first suit the wife and so Christ first sueth for his Bride yet when persons are married it 's most suitable that the wife should very pressingly long for and expresse desire after the husband even as the Bride doth here after Christ's kisses and the expressions of his love Of this order of Christ's love see Chap. 8. Vers. 10. In the words consider 1. what she desires and that is the kisses of his mouth 2. How she points Christ forth by this significant demonstrative Him 3. Her abrupt manner of breaking out with this her desire as one that had been dwelling on the thoughts of Christ and feeding on his excellency and therefore now she breaks out Let him kisse me c. as if her heart were at her mouth or would leap out of her mouth to meet with his First by kisses we understand most lovely friendly familiar and sensible manifestations of his love kisses of the mouth are so amongst friends so it was betwixt Ionathan and David and so it is especially betwixt Husband and Wife Next there are several delightsome circumstances that heighten the Brides esteem of this the so much desired expression of his love The 1. is implyed in the person who is to kisse it 's Him Let him kisse He who is the most excellent and singular person in the world The 2. is hinted in the party whom he is to kisse it 's me Let him kisse me a contemptible despicable creature for so she was in her self as appears from vers 5 6. yet this is the person this love is to be vented on 3. Wherewith is he to kisse It 's with the kisses of his mouth which we conceive is not only added as an Hebraism like that expression The words of his mouth and such like phrases but also to affect her self by expressing fully what she breathed after to wit kisses or love which are the more lovely to her that they come from his mouth as having a sweetnesse in it Chap. 5. 16. above any thing in the world That Christ's love hath such a sweetnesse in it the reason subjoyned will clear for thy love is c. That which is here kisses is immediatly denominat loves It is his love that she prized and whereof kisses were but evidences They are kisses in the plural number partly to shew how many ways Christ hath to manifest his love partly to shew the continuance and frequency of these manifestations which she would be at The thing which she here desires is not love simply but the sense of love for she questioned not his love but desired to have sensible expressions of it and therefore compares it not only to looks that she might see him but to kisses which is also clear from the reason annexed while she compares his love to Wine Again her manner of designing Christ is observable Him It 's a relative where no antecedent goes before yet certainly it looks to Christ alone as the reasons shew Here no rules of Art are kept for love stands not on these This manner of speaking is to be found also in Moral Authors when one eminent is set forth who is singularly known beside others as having in the estimation of the speakers no match So Pythagora's Schollars used to say of their Master 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He said it And in Scripture when the Saints speak of the Lord they thus design him because they are not afraid to be mistaken Psal. 87. 1. His foundation c. and Isaiah 53. 2. He shall grow up like to a tender plant This is neither for want of titles due to him or rhetorick in her but because in this manner of expression the Saints set forth 1. Christ's singular excellency which is such that he hath no match or equal there is but one Him 2. Their singular esteem of him whatever others think 1 Cor. 8. 6. To us there is but one Lord Iesus only Christ is esteemed of
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
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
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
gotten a begun sight and esteem of it for she had been commending it formerly and now he discovers more of it to her 7. That it 's one of Christ's greatest favours to his Bride and one of the special effects of his love to set out himself as lovely to her and to bear-in his lovelinesse upon her heart and this is the scope here In the second verse he describes his Bride Here we have these things to consider 1. What she is a lilie 2. What others of the world beside are called here the daughters so men without the Church are to the Church and corrupt men in the Church are to believers that is daughters of their mother the world no kindly daughters to her they are thorns 3. The posture of Christ's Spouse she is as a lilie among thorns a strange posture and soil for our Lord's love and lilie to grow in The lilie is pleasant savoury and harmlesse thorns are worth lesse unpleasant and hurtful The lilies being compared with them and placed amongst them sets out both her excellency above them and her sufferings from them In general Obs. 1. Christ drawes his own beauty and the Brides together thereby to shew their kindred and sibnesse so to speak she is not rightly taken up but when she is looked upon as standing by him and he not fully set forth nor known without her 2. He took two titles to himself and he gives one of them to the Bride the lilie but with this difference that he is the lilie she as or like the lilie Setting forth 1. Wherein her beauty consists It 's in likenesse to him 2. From whom it comes it 's from him her being his love makes like the lilie 3. The neernesse of the mystiâ—al union that is between Christ and his Bride it is such that thereby they some way share names Ier. 23. 6. and Chap. 33. 16. 3. He intermixes her beauty and crosses together drawing them on one table to give her a view of both and that for her humbling and also for her comfort It 's not good for believers to look only to the one without the other More particularly Obs. 1. Christ's Bride is very lovely and beautiful 2. The children of the world are natively hurtful to her 3. In Christ's account the believer is exceedingly preferable to all others of whatsoever place or qualifications in the world 4. Christ's relation and affection doth not alwayes keep off outward afflictions from his own Bride 5. It 's native to believers to have a crossed life in the world their plantation here among thorns speaks it 6. That the crosses are of more kinds than one which believers are environed with thorns grow on all hands beside Christ's lilie 7. Holinesse and innocency will not alwayes prevent wrongs and injuries from others thorns will wrong even the lilie 8. Christ observes here how she looks in her sufferings and so he takes special notice how his people carry in a suffering lot 9. It 's commendable to keep clean under sufferings and to be lilie-like even amongst thorns Part 2. BRIDES Words Vers. 3. As the Apple-tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the sons I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste The second part of the Chapter may be sub-divided in two First from the third verse the Bride comes in speaking as in a lively frame to vers 8. 2. From that to the end she speaks as being at some distance with the Bridegroom In the first part 1. She commends Christ and layes down this commendation as the ground of her consolation vers 3. 2. She proves it by her experience ibid. 3. Explains the way of her coming to that experience vers 4. 4. She cryes out under the sense of it vers 5. 5. She shewes his tender care of her in that condition vers 6. And lastly expresseth her fear lest there should be any change to the worse in her condition and her care to prevent it vers 7. The dependence of the third verse upon the second is clear She takes the commendation out of Christ's mouth which he gave her and after that same manner almost turns it over on him as she had done Chap. 1. 16. and then comforts her self in him Hath she crosses then he hath a shadow to hide her and with this she setles her self and doth not complain of her sufferings Hence Obs. 1. There is no sâ—aying of the heart against afflictions but in Christ. 2. It 's better for believers to insist in commending him than describing their crosses Here there is 1. The Brides esteem of the children of the world called here the sons they are like wild barren trees that gives no fruit or comfort The world is exceeding little worth especilay to these who know Christ. 2. Her esteem of Christ he is like the Apple-tree There is great odds betwixt Christ and all the world there is ever fruit to be found on him and a shadow in him This is proven by her experience for they that have felt and tasted how sweet he is can speak somewhat to this I encountered with many difficulties sayes she like scorchings of the Sun See on Chap. 1. vers 5. and could find no shelter nor refreshment amongst the creatures but I resolved to make use of Christ by faith in reference to them even as men do by interposing a tree betwixt them and the heat that they may have a shadow and I found refreshing and ease by the benefits and priviledges that flow from Christ and are purchased by him and are injoyed by vertue of an interest in him which were very comfortable even as sweet apples from an apple-tree are refreshful to one sitting under it's shadow in a great heat Obs. 1. Believers may be scorched with outward and inward heat they may be exercised not only with sharp outward afflictions but also with the sense of Gods wrath and with the fiery darts of Satan's temptations 2. Christ is a compleat shadow and a cure for all 3. They that would find Christ a shadow from the heat must make use of him and imploy him for that end They must sit down c. 4. Believers never flee to his shadow till some heat scorch them For her being scorched with heat is supposed here as that which made the shadow refreshful 5. Faith in Christ will compose the Believer in the midst of the greatest difficulties It will set them down c. yea and delight them also 6. Much of the nature and exercise of faith in it's use-making of Christ appears in it's interpesing of Christ betwixt us and wrath or whatever may be troublesome to us and in the quieting of our selves upon that ground for this is it that is meant by sitting down under his shadow 7. There are many choise and excellent fruits in Christ that flow from him to believers 8. All the spiritual benefits and priviledges that believers enjoy
in it self and being compared with Christ's Church especially in their estimation whose eyes God hath opened is but a miserable wildernesse and cannot give a heartsome being or place of abode to a believer 5. Believers have a more noble design to compasse than to sit down and take up their rest in this world their faces bend upward and their backs are upon it 6. Christ's presence gives life to a believers motion and ravisheth them upward as fire put to fewel necessitats smoak to ascend 7. A heavenly-minded believer is a comely sight and a world-denyed Professor will extort a commendation even from ordinary onlookers 8. As there is more of the exercise of true grace amongst believers by Christ's more than ordinary presence with them and in his Church so there is often a more than ordinary warmnesse and motion in the generality of Church-members at such a time whereof yet many may be unsound as no question all the daughters of Ierusalem were not sound 9. The Church of Christ and believers in it will look much more beautiful to Prefessors at one time than at another and they will be much more taken with this beauty sometimes than at other times for Chap. 1. 5. 6. The daughters of Ierusalem were in hazard to stumble at her spots here they are ravished with her beauty as thinking her another thing than she was before 10. Christ's presence will indeed put another face both on a Church and person and make them every way different but still to the better from what they were 11. The more active believers be in exercising their graces they will have the more fresh relish and savor for her ascending here makes all her persumes to flow BRIDE Vers. 7. Behold his bed which is Solomon's threescore valiant men are about it of the valiant of Israel Vers. 8. They all hold Swords being expert in war every man hath his Sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night The Bride being commended in the former verse by the daughters of Ierusalem as being jealous that they gazed upon her to the prejudice of the Bridegroom and being ever restlesse till every commendable thing that is in her redound to his praise to whom she owes and from whom she derives all her beauty She steps in hastily with a Behold as having a far more wonderful and excellent object to propone to them to wit Christ Jesus the true Solomon himself whose lovelinesse and glory should take them all up rather than any poor perfections they saw in her That this is the scope the matter will clear especially vers 11. where what she would be at is propounded in plain terms and her sudden coming in with a Behold as in Chap. 1. 6. doth confirm it That they are the Brides words also the scope and connexion bears it out this being her disposition that she can suffer no commendanion from Christ nor from any other to stay or rest upon her but is restlesse till it be turned over to his praise as Chap. 1. 16. 2. 3. c. There is none so tender of him or jealous of his honour as Christ's Bride is Again the daughters being spoken unto and Christ spoken of as a third person it can be no other that speaks here but the Bride What saith she are ye taken with any lovelinesse ye see in me I will propose to you a far more excellent object And this short but very sweet discourse holds â—orth Christ lovely and glorious in three most excellent steps wherein by a notable gradation Solomon is ever mentioned his name who was a special type of Christ being borrowed to design him while his glory is set forth He is described 1. From his bed vers 7 8. Whereby is set forth the excellent happinesse and quietnesse that believers have in injoying him 2. From his Chariot a most stately piece of work by which is signified that excellent mean to wit the Covenant of redemption revealed and preached whereby our Lord Jesus brings his people to his rest vers 9 10. 3. She propounds his own most excellent self and that crowned with the stately Majesty and glory of his love beyond which there is no step to proceed but here she â—ists and willeth all others to be taken up in beholding him as the only desirable and heart-ravishing object vers 11. For opening of the first in the 7. and 8. verses we have these five things to consider 1 Who this Solomon is 2. What this bed is 3. What this guard that is about it doth signifie 4. For what end that guard is appointed 5. The use of the note of attention Behold which is prefixed 1. By David's son properly is not understood this scope will not agree to him he was indeed a great King but a greater than Solomon is here Therefore seing in Scripture Solomon was typical of Christ as from Psal. 72. and other places may be gathered Through all these verses by Solomon is understood Christ the beloved and Bridegroom who especially was typified by Solomon in these things 1. Solomon had a great Kingdom from the river to the Sea and so will our Lord have many subjects 2. As Solomon was so Christ is a powerful rich King our Lord Jesus hath all power in Heaven and Earth committed to him 3. Solomon was a royal magnificent King sought unto from all parts of the earth and so the name and glory wherewith the Mediator is furnished is abovâ— every name in Heaven and in Earth 4. Solomon was a wise judicious King and singular for that and so in our Lord Jesus dwells all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge there is no need to fear that any thing that concerns his people will miscarry in his hand 5. Solomon had a peaceable reign for which cause he had that name and his government was blessed and happy to his people and servants and so our Lord Jesus is the Prince of peace Isa. 9. 6. and of his government there is no change and happy are his subjects and blessed are his servants for the one half of his glory magnificence wisdom c. and of their happinesse can neither be told nor believed This is an excellent person and a most stately King who yet is the believers Bridegroom Christ's Bride is nobly and honourably matched 2. By bed here is understood the same thing that was signified by it Chap. 1. 16. to wit that accesse and neernesse familiarity that the believer hath with Christ and whereunto he admits them that are his and the rest solace and refreshment that they injoy in fellowship with him Beds being especially appointed for these two 1. For refreshing and rest Isa. 57. 2. and Psal. 132. 3. 2. For the mutual fellowship of Husband and Wife So then by this is holden forth the excellent refreshing and soul-ease that a believer may have in the injoying of Christ There is no bed that can give quietnesse rest and solace like this Again it 's
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.
Believers are often exceeding unanswerable to the relation that is betwixt Christ and them and may suffer Christ to stand long waiting without 4. It affects Christ much and is a suffering to him and a kind of putting him to open shame and a crucifying again of the Son of God to be kept out of hearts by unbelief and there can be no pardonable sin that hath moe and greater aggravations than this for it is cruelty to kind Jesus Christ. 5. Believers even when Christ is in good terms with them may fall in this fault 6. Christ is a most affectionat suiter and patient Husband that thus waits on even when he is affronted and gives not over his kind suit Who would bear with this that he bears with and passeth by and continues kindly notwithstanding Many strange and uncouth things are comported with and over-looked betwixt him and believers without hearing that the world could not digest 7. Out Lord Jesus hath not spared himself nor shunned sufferings for doing of his people good Iacob's care of and suffering for Labans flocks and Nebuchadnezzar his humiliation was nothing to this 8. The love of Christ is manifested in nothing more for his people than in his sufferings for them and in his patient on-waiting to have the benefits thereof applyed to them 9. Christ's sufferings and his affectionat way of pleading from them should melt hearts in love to him and in desire of union with him and will make the refusal exceeding sinful and shameful where it is given O so strong arguments as Christ hath to be in on the hearts of his people and how many things are there to plead for that Vers. 3. I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them The Brides answer is here set down but O! how unsuitable to that which was his carriage He stands she lyes He without she within He calls friendly she ungrately shifts it at best As if a wife should answer her husband so calling I am now in bed and have put off my cloaths and washen my feet and so have composed my self to rest I cannot rise it would hurt me to rise So doth the Bride thus unreasonably and absurdly put back this fair call upon a twofold shift both which are spiritually to be understood as the sleep and opening formerly mentioned were In it consider 1. The answer 2. The manner of it 3. The particular grounds which she layeth down to build it on And 4. The faults of this reasoning of hers which at first may be concluded to be unsound The answer in general is a denyal as the event clears and it 's like that Luk. 11. 7. I am in bed and my children with me trouble me not c. Yea how can I put them on These words being the interrogatinonot of one doubting but of one shifting imply a vehehement denyal as if it were a most unreasonable and impossible thing for her to give obedience to what was called for which shews that Christ may get most undiscreet refusals to his fairest calls Which refusal is thus aggreged 1 It was against most powerful and plain means The most powerful external Ordinances may be frustrat even Christ himself in his Word when he preached in the dayes of his flesh had not alwayes successe 2. It was against her light she knew it was Christ's call Even believers may fit challenges against their light and sin wittingly through the violence of tentations though not wholly willingly 3. She had invited him by prayer Chap. 4. 16. yet now lyes still Which lets us see 1. That believers in their carriage are often unsuitable to their prayers There may be and is often a great discrepancy betwixt these And 2. Often believers may be more desirous of an opportunity of meeting with Christ or any other mercy when they want it than watchful to make the right use of it when they have gotten it Her way is to give some reasons for her refusal as if she could do no otherwayes and were not to be blamed so much for her shifting of Christ as the words how can I c. import Observe 1. The flesh will be bruidy and quick in inventing shifts for maintaining of it self even against the clearest convictions and duties 2. It 's ill to debate or reason a clear duty often Satan and the flesh gets advantage by it 3. Folks are oft-times very partial in examining their own reasons and are hardly put from their own grounds once laid although they be not solid and the most foolish reasons will be convincing to a spiritual sluggard who in fostering his ease seems wiser to himself than one who can render the most concludent arguments and strongest reasons to the contrary Prov. 26. 16. The opening of the particular reasons will clear this The first is I have put off my coat and the conclusion is how can I put it on Putting off the cloaths is an evidence 〈◊〉 betaking themselves to rest as keeping them on is a sign of watching as in Nehemiah 4. 23. None of us put off cloaths 〈◊〉 to washing Hence keeping on of the cloaths is borrowed to set out spiritual watchfulnesse and hiding of spiritual nakednesse as Rev. 16. 15. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walk naked And on the contrary putting off of cloaths signifieth not only a spiritual drousinesse but a high degree of it as having put off and fallen from that tendernesse and watchfulnesse in her walk wherewith she was cloathed Chap. 4. 11. and is now somewhat setled in her carnal ease and security From this she argueth how shall I put it on The force of the reason may be three wayes considered 1. As it imports a difficulty in the thing how shall I do it O it 's difficult 2. As it imports an aversnesse to it in her self It stands against her heart as a seeming unreasonable thing as Gen. 39. How shall I do this great wickednesse c. 3. A sort of shame may be in it I am now out of a posture and I think shame to rise and to be seen Which shews 1. That it 's hard to raise one that hath fallen into security 2. To lazy souls every thing looks like an insuperable difficulty their way to duty is as an hedge of thorns Prov. 15. 19. and there is a lyon in their streets and sometimes as it were even in the house-floor when any duty is pressed upon them that would rob them of their carnal ease Prov 26. 13. and 22. 13. 3. It 's much for one in a secure frame to wrestle with their own indisposition it 's a wearinesse then to take the hand out of the bosome Prov. 26. 15. 4. It 's not a commendable shamefastnesse but must needs be a very sinful modesty that keeps one from duty It was indeed more shameful to lye still than to rise Her second ground is of the same nature
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
and they have a low esteem of Christ and prefer their idols to him 9. This mistake is a great cause of Christ's being slighted in the world that they think other beloveds as good as he and other life 's as good as the life of holinesse therefore they go to the farm plough market and make light of Christ Matth. 22. 4. 10. The questioning of this grand principle of corrupt nature that Christ is no better than other beloveds or the inquiring whether he be indeed better than these is one of the first rises of a souls making forward to enquire for him 11. The growing of the esteem of Christ in a soul and the decay of the esteem of all idols formerly beloveds go together as the one stands the other falls as the one grows the other decayes 12. The right up-taking of Christ's worth is the great thing that commends Christ to a soul therefore the Bride describes him afterward and the through conviction of the vanity of all other things looseth the grips of our affections from them and makes way for setting up Christ more high 13. The convincing-carriage of a believer may stir and raise an exercise in these that formerly were secure And God can make the words of a private humble Christian the rise of a serious enquiry after Christ in another Thus her serious charging of them doth so stick to them as if that word I charge you had pierced them 14. Nothing more adorns the Gospel and commends Christ and makes him lovely to others than the convincing serious carriage of believers 15. These who are not acquaint with Christ's worth or the exercises of believers are ready to wonder what moves them and puts them to make such a stir about Christ more than others that live satisfied and contented without him BRIDE Vers. 10. My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand From vers 10. to the end which contains the fourth part of the Chapter the Bride speaks and in answer to the daughters of Ierusalem their question in a sweet pithy taking-manner commends her Beloved She is not long in returning answer to their question as being fully clear and ready to demonstrate Christ her Beloved his worth above all and as impatient that any other should be put in competition with him especially by the daughters of Ierusalem whose edification she studies by this to promove instantly she steps in with a large commendation of Christ though in few words whereby she doth so demonstrate him to be an Object infinitly worthy to be her souls Beloved beyond all others that Chap. 6. 1. they as convinced yield acknowledging that her Beloved was preferable to all other beloveds and that therefore they are ingaged to love and seek him with her In this commendation she 1. asserts Christ's preferablenesse in the general vers 10. 2. She confirmes and illustrates it in particulars to vers 16. And then 3. Vers. 16. sums it up in an universal expression as being in it's particulars inexpressible Lastly Having fully proved her assertion she resumes the conclusion as unanswerable This saith she is my beloved a singular beloved indeed and therefore it 's no wonder that I am so serious in pursuing after him and so sick of love to him and so much pained at the very heart for the want of him The first general in this 10. vers sets out Christ positively and comparatively Do you ask saith she what my Beloved is he is a non-such an incomparable Beloved he is white and ruddy O so lovely as he is in himself and being compared with all others he hath the preheminence by far as being the chiefest among ten thousands By white and ruddy we are to conceive Christ's qualifications according to the strain of the Allegory there being no bodily qualification set out here Christ at that time not being incarnat yet even then was he white and ruddy The due and just mixture of these colours maketh a man lovely and evidenceth a good complexion of body so by them in Christ is understood a concurrence of all fit qualifications and excellencies that may make him lovely to the soul when by faith looked upon and taken up there is sweet beauty and comelinesse or a comely beautiful sweetnesse that lusters and shines in him through the excellent qualifications wherewith he is furnished as the Husband of his Church that ravisheth spiritual affections far beyond the greatest beauty that can be in the fairest face for indeed he is fairer than the sons of men There is nothing that may make a Mediator lovely but it is here Again as if that did not fully set out his amiablenesse she adds He is the chiefest among ten thousand This is a definite great number for an indefinite In sum it 's this there are many beloveds indeed in the world but compare them all with Christ they are nothing to him without all controversie he is the chiefest 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. For though there be gods many and lords many to the world yet to us there is but one God and one Lord Iesus in all the world there is but one Christ. The word used here is He is the standart-bearer or it may be rendered passively He is standarted above ten thousand all tending to the same scope Love kyâ—hes it's â—ethorick in seeking words to prefer Christ as having indignation that his precedency and preheminence who is above all things Col. 1. 17. should so much as once be questioned It 's like that in these times the most comely persons were chosen to carry the standart a piece of dignity being thereby put upon them So then if all the most choice comely and excellent persons in the world were mustered together Christ would be preferred eminently and deservedly above them all Whence Observe 1. That Christ is the most lovely and excellent Object that men can set their eyes on that they can cast their love and affection upon There is not such 〈◊〉 one as Christ either for the spiritual soul-ravishing beauty that is in him or the excellent desirable effects that flow from him O what a singular description is it which follows if it were understood â—2 Christ is the most singularly excellent Husband that ever was closed with Under that relation he is commended here as singularly lovely and loving It 's a most honorable comfortable happy and every way satisfying match to have him for a Husband 3. Christ's worth in it self is not expressible and whatever he can be compared with he doth exceedingly surpasse it 4. Where right thoghts of Christ are there is nothing admitted to compete with him other excellencies and beloveds are in their greatest beauty darkned beside him he is set up as chief and they are not to be taken notice of beside him but to be accounted losse and dung 5. Christ's absence when believers are right will never lessen their esteem of him but even then believers will be warm and fresh in their
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
beside It 's a good sign where Christ's lips are so lovely Vers. 14. His hands are as Gold-rings set with the Beryl his belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphirs The sixth and seventh particulars instanced to commend Christ are in vers 14. The sixth is his hands The hands are the instruments of action as the lips are of speaking They are commended that they are as Gold-rings that is as men or womens hands are adorned with Gold-rings so his hands have a native lovelinesse beyond these yet this commendation as all the former answers not fully therefore it 's added they are set with Beryl This was a precious stone put in Aaron's breast-plate Exod. 39. 13. To be set with it signifies as preciousnesse so rare artifice and such is seen in the right setting of precious stones By our Lord's hands may be understood that powerfull activity whereby he is fitted to bring about what he pleaseth and that power which he exerciseth especially in the works of grace as on vers 4. was cleared Or we may understand the effects produced by that his power or his works which are exceeding glorious as Psal. 109. 27. That they may know O Lord that this is thy hand that is that thou Lord hast done it So his hands signifie such works especially wherein his Divine power art and skill doth manifest themselves for the good of his people Both agree well together for excellent power and skill produce excellent effects and excellent effects demonstrat the excellent qualifications of the worker this being a main piece of Christ's commendation and which doth hold him forth to be exceeding lovely above all to the believer which is the scope may well be taken here as the meaning especially being subjoined to the commendation of his words for our Lord Jesus doth not only say well but also doth well he is a prophet mighty both in word and deed Luk. 24. 19. The commendation suits with his works as if there were none of them but what are adorned as it were with excellent Gold-rings there being much glory grace wisdom and skill shining in them all they are honourable and glorious Psal. 111. 3. Yea great and marvelous are the works of the Lord God Almighty Rev. 15. 4. These are the deserved epithets of his actions In sum it is as if she had said Ask ye what my beloved is more than others If ye saw but a glimpse of the white and red that is in his cheeks and if ye heard the sweet words that proceed from his mouth and if ye knew the excellent works which he hath performed even to admiration for the good of his people and how much lovelinesse appears in all these ye would no doubt say with me He is the chiefest among ten thousand Obs. 1. Christ is an active husband having hands and working with them for the good of his Bride A piece of his work we heard of chap. 3. 9. in that noble Chariot He is no idle spectator he worketh hitherto Joh. 5. 17. 2. All our Lord Jesus his works are exceeding excellent and beautiful and when rightly discerned they will appear wonderful honourable and glorious as proceeding from him who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working Isa. 28. 29. What a curious and excellent piece of work is that Chariot or the Covenant of Redemption signified thereby chap. 3. 9 There are many shining well-set Jewels and Rings upon every finger of his hands There is nothing that can be done better than what he hath done The works of Christ in our redemption do hold forth infinit skill and gloriousnesse to be in the worker all of them are so wisely contrived and exquisitly execute 3. Christ's works do exceedingly endear him and that deservedly to his people and do infallibly demonstrate his worth above all beloveds in the world Who is like unto him and who can do great works such as he hath done This makes heaven to resound with the praises of what this beloved hath done for his people 4. Believers would be acquaint both with Christ's words and his works and would be well vers'd in the knowledge of the excellencies that are in them both that so they may be the more affected with him themselves and be more able to commend him to others 5. Where Christ is lovely all his works will be delightsome and it 's by acquaintance with and observation of his excellent works that the hearts of his people come to take him up and to be rightly affected with him 6. As ignorance of the excellency of Christ's works especially of the work of Redemption makes many slight Christ and prefer others to him for she would discover the daughters of Jerusalem their mistake of him by instancing this amongst other things so it 's a kindly-like thing to have a honourable esteem of Christ's works in the heart 7. Although the devil and mens idols seem to promise much to their lovers when they suit and intice them yet never one indeed can equal Christ or compare with him in respect of what he hath done for his Bride and this sets him up incomparably above them all His hands in respect of his magnificent works are adorned as it were with Gold-rings whereas they have hands but work not for the help and relief of their lovers Psa. 115. 7. The seventh part of this demonstration of Christs worth is from his belly The word in the Original is the same word which vers 4. is rendered bowels and we rather use it so here as it signifieth bowels the native signification of it as not knowing why it should be altered in this verse especially considering that wherever it is attributed to God it 's translated bowels as Isa. 63. 15. where is the sounding of thy bowels and Ier. 31. 20. my bowels are moved for him Reading it then thus his bowels are as bright ivory c. The words at the very first would seem to signifie the intense love and tender affection wherewith our Lord Jesus who is full of grace is filled and stuffed to say so for the behove and good of his people so that no mother is so compassionatly affected towards the fruit of her womb as he is toward his own This exposition is 1. confirmed from the ordinary signification of the word bowels when it is applyed to God as Isa. 63. 15. and Ier. 31. 20. and it is borrowed from the affection that mothers have to their children whose bowels yerns on them as 1 King 3. 26. and so Ioseph was affected toward his brethren Gen. 43. 30. Hence the word both in the Hebrew and Greek in the Old and New Testament which is made use of to set forth the Lords tender compassion flowes from a root that signifieth bowels 2. The scope will confirm this for is there any thing that makes Christ more lovely and admirable than his love which makes the Prophet cry out Mic. 7. 18. who is a God like unto thee that
hath given the promise of his presence Believers are to him as Tirzah and Ierusalem the most beautiful Cities of that Land for the time Or the first similitude taken from Tirzah may look to outward beauty for Tirzah was a beautiful City and the other similitude taken from Ierusalem may look to Church-beauty as the Ordinances were there and so the sense runs my love thou art to me as the most excellent thing in the world yea as the most excellent thing in the visible Church which is more precious to him than any thing in the world 3. She is terrible as an army with banners An army is strong and fearful a banner'd army is stately and orderly under command and 〈◊〉 readinesse for service an army with banners is an army in it's most stately posture The Church is terrible as such an army either 1. Considered complexly or collectively her Ordinances have power authority and efficacy like a banner'd army So the Churches spiritual weapons are said to be mighty and powerfull through God 2 Cor. 10. 5 6. This being compared with the 9. and 10. verses may have it 's own place But 2. the scope here and the words following look especially at the statelinesse majesty and spiritual valour that is in particular believers who are more truly generous valorous and powerful than an army with banners when their faith is exercised and kept lively they prevail wheresoever they turn they carry the victory over the world 1 Joh. 5. 4. over devils which are enemies whom no worldly army can reach but by the power of faith they prevail even to quench the violence of fire as it 's in Heb. 11. 34. and by faith they waxed valient in fight But mainly this holds in respect of Christ himself they prevail over him in a manner by their princely carriage as Iacob did Gen. 32. 28. As a prince hast thou had power with God and men and hast prevailed See Hos. 12. 4. he had power over the Angel and prevailed And indeed no army hath such influence upon him as believers have which is such that he cannot as it were stand before them or refuse them any thing that they with weeping and supplications wrestle with him for according to his will Now that it is in this respect mainly that the believer is called terrible as an â—â—my with banners is clear 1. From the scope which is to comfort a particular believer who hath been wrestling with him already under desertions 2. The next words confirm it Turn away thine eyes from me saith he for they have overcome me What statelinesse or terriblenesse might one say is in a poor believer It 's easily answered that this is not any awful or dreadful terriblenesse that is here intended but the efficacy of faith and the powerful victory which through the same by Christ's own condescending the believer hath over him and so in his account as to prevailing with him Christ's Bride is more mighty than many armies in their most stately posture therefore saith he thine eyes that is her faith have overcome me that 's her terriblenesse turn them away I cannot to say so abide them And these three together make the believer or rather Christ's love who useth these expressions wonderful 1. The believer is beyond all the world for beauty 2. The visible Church and believers in her in respect of Ordinances and her Ecclesiastick estate is very comely and lovely and yet the believers inward beauty is beyond that also the Kings daughter is all glorious within 3. Believers in regard of the power of their faith are more terrible than armies or all military power among men Thou art saith he so to me and hast such influence on me and may expect thus to prevail with and in a manner to overcome me And so Christ is so far from quarrelling with her for her by-gone carriage now that he effectually comforts and commends her Hence Observe 1. Our Lord Jesus is a most friendly welcomer of a sinner and the sweetest passer-by of transgressions that can be there is no upbraiding here for any thing but every word speaks how well he takes with her 2. Our Lord Jesus his manifestations are seasonable and wise Seasonable that now he comes when the Bride hath left no mean unessayed and was at a stand wise that he comes not until she had found the bitternesse of her own way and was brought to a more lively exercise of faith repentance holinesse and profitable experiences therein of which we have spoken in what goeth before 3. The Lord is not displeased with humble believing and with the claiming of interest in him by his own even when his dispensations to sense are dark but takes very well with it and hath a special complâ—â—ncy in it and therefore comes in with this intimation of his love here importing his hearty accepting of her 4. The Lords commendations of his people and the intimations of his love to them are such as it may be seen he conforms and proportions them to their condition and exercise and when they have been under any long and sharp exercise as the Bride was in the former Chapter he makes when he comes his manifestations the more sweet and full as here 5. Believers when grace is exercised must needs be beautiful creatures and much esteemed of by Christ who thus commends them 6 Grace and holinesse in a believers walk is much more beautiful and acceptable to Christ than the external Ordinances though excellent in themselves as separable from it for Ierusalem that was very beautiful as to Ordinances is but an emblem of this 7. There is an awfulnesse and terriblenesse in believers as well as lovelinesse which makes them terrible to the prophane even whether they will or not a godly carriage puts a restraint on them 8. Lovelinesse terriblenesse and authority in holinesse are knit together when a particular believer or Church is lively in holinesse then have they weight and authority and when that fails they become despicable 9. The believer hath great weight with Christ he is the only army that prevails over him as faith is the only weapon being humbly exercised by which they overcome This is more fully expressed in the next verse Vers. 5. Turn away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me The first part of the fifth verse contains the amplification and heightening of the Brides lovely terriblenesse and the great instance and proof thereof is held forth in a most wonderful expression Turn away thine eyes from me and as wonderful a reason for they have overcome me saith the beloved Wherein consider 1. That wherein this might and irresistable terriblenesse of hers consisted It 's her eyes which are supposed to be looking on him even when she knew not to her sense where he was By eyes we shew Chap. 4. 9. were understood her love to him and saith in him whereby she was still cleaving to him under desertion and in
the present dark condition she was in seeking to find him out 2. This phrase Turn away thine eyes is not so to be taken as if Christ approved not her looking to him or her faith in him but to shew the exceeding great delight he had in her placing her faith and love on him which was such that her loving and believing looks ravished him as it 's Chap. 4. 9. and as it were his heart could not stand out against these looks more than one man could stand out against a whole army as the the following expression clears It 's like these expressions Gen. 32. 28. I pray thee let me go and Exod. 32. 10. Let me alone Moses which shews that it 's the believers strength of faith and importunity of love exercised in humble dependence on him and cleaving to him which is here commended for saith he they have overcome me This shews that it is no violent or unwilling victory over him But in respect of the effect that followed her looks it holds forth the intensnesse of his love and the certainty of faiths prevailing that to speak so with reverence and admiration he is captivat ravished and held with it as one that is overcome because he will be so yea according to the principles of his love and the faithfulnesse of his promises whereby he walks he cannot but yield unto the believing importunity of his people as one overcome In sum it 's borrowed from the most passionat love that useth to be in men when they are so taken with some lovely object that a look thereof pierceth them This though in every thing especially as implying defects it cannot be applyed to Christ yet in a holy spiritual manner the effects for the believers comfort are as really and certainly but much more wonderfully in Christ. These expressions are much of the same nature with these spoken of upon Chap. 3. 4. and Chap. 4. 9. and therefore the doctrines there will follow here But further from the scope and repetition Obs. 1. That the believers eyes may look that is their love and faith may be exercised on Christ even in their dark and deserted conditions and it 's their property to look alway to him even when their eyes are as it were blind through desertion he is still the Object they are set upon 2. That when these graces of faith and love are exercised on Christ they are never fruitlesse but alwayes prevail and obtain though it be not alwayes sensible to the believer 3. The love and faith of believers have weight with Christ and affect him even when he keeps up himself he may be overcome even then for the expression in the text looks to what was past 4. Faith working by love is a most gallant and holy darring thing bold in it's enterprises to pursue after to grip and stick to Christ over all difficulties as may be seen in her former carriage and most successful as to the event 5. The more stayedly and stoutly with love humility and diligence that â—aith set on Christ it 's the more acceptable to him and hath the greater commendation as the eleventh of the Hebrews and his commendation of that womans faith Matth. 15. 25. do confirm Tenaciousnesse and importunity in holding of hanging on and cleaving to Christ by faith may well be marvelled at and commended by Christ but will never be reproved nor rejected They greatly mistake Christ who think that wrestling by faith will displease him for even though he seem to keep up himself it is but to occasion and to provoke to more of the exercise of these graces in which he takes so much delight Vers. 5. Thy hair is as a flock of Goats that appear from Gilead Vers. 6. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing whereof every one beareth twins and there is not one barren among them Vers. 7. As a piece of a Pomegranate are thy Temples within thy locks The following particulars of her commendation in the end of the 5. and in the 6. and 7. verses are set down in the same words Chap. 4. 1 2 3. and therefore we need say no more for their explication only we would consider the reason of repeating them in the same words which is the scope here and it 's this Although he commended her formerly in these expressions yet considering her foul slip Chap. 5. 2 3. and his withdrawing on the back of it she might think that he had other thoughts of her now and that these priviledges and promises which she had ground to lay claim to before did not belong to her now and therefore she could not comfortably plead an interest in them now as before to remove this mistake or doubt he will not only commend her but in the same very words to shew that she was the same to him and that his respect was not diminished to her therfore he will not alter her name nor her commendation but will again repeat it for her confirmation intimating his love thereby and also for her instruction teaching the Bride her duty by these particulars of her commendation and shewing her what she should be And this commendation had not met so well with her case nor expressed so well his unchangeable love if it had been given in other terms From this we may Observe 1. as believers are ready to slip and fail in their duty so are they ready to suspect Christ to be changing towards them because of their failings they are very apt from their own ficklenesse and changes to apprehend him to be changeable also and to refuse comfort from all byâ—gone evidences and intimations of his love and from all words that have comforted them till they be restored and set right again 2. Our Bridegroom is most constant in his affection to his Bride continuing still the same and as he is the most free forgiver of wrongs to his own so he is the most full forgetter of them when they return and therefore he continues speaking to her in the same terms as formerly without any alteration as if no such wrong on her side had been committed 3. Renewing of repentance and faith by believers after failings puts them in that same condition and capacity with Christ for laying claim to his love and their wonted priviledges and comforts wherein they were before even as if such failings and miscarriages had never been 4. Our Lord Jesus would have his people confirmed and strengthned in the faith of the constancy of his love the unchangeablenesse of their interest and the priviledges following thereon And seing he thus loves his people he allowes them to believe it 5. It is not easie to fix and imprint Christ's words on believers hearts and to get them affected with them therefore often both promises and duties must be repeated and what was once spoken must be again repeated for their good especially after a slip and fit of security the same word hath need
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.
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
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
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