Song of Songs 4
In this chapter is contained a large commenrlatioB. of the church’s beauty by Christ: first more particularly, by an enumeration of several parts, as her eyes, hair, teeth, lips, temples, neck, and breasts, verse 1 — 5, and more generally, ver. 7, and having observed where he himself was detormined to go, be invites her to ‘go with him; which he enforces, partly from the danger she was exposed unto where she was, verse G, 8, and partly from the comeliness of her person and graces in his esteem; with which he was ravished, and therefore was extremely desirous of her company, ver. 9 — 11; and then enters into Pome new description of her, as a garden and an orchard, as a spring and fountain, verse 12 — 14. All which she makes to be owing to him, verse 15. And the chapter is closed with an order from Christ to the winds, to blow on bis gai’den, and cause the spices of it to flow out; and with an invitation of the church to Christ, to come into his garden, and recreate himself there, verse IG.
Verse. 1. Behold thou art fair, my love, behold thou art fair; thou hast dovti’s eyes within thy lodes; thy hair is as a fork ofyoats, that appear from mount Gilead.
In these words Christ reassumes his part in this Song, and eaters upon a commendation of his church’s beauty: which he does.
First. jMore generally by asserting it, wlieu he says, “Behold thou art fair,” &c., in which geueraicommeudatioii ol her beauty, we have, 1st. An affectionate character given to her, “my love.”
2ndly. Something asserted of her, that she was fair. 3rdly. This assertion repealed. 4tiily. To this assertion the world behold prefixed. This coinmendaliou we have already met with, expressed in the same words, ia chap. i. 15, where this kind and loving character has been opened: in what sense the church may be said to be fair, shown; as also the reasons of Chi’ist’s repeating this assertion, and prefixing to it the word beliold, are given. The reasons why these words are again mentioned by him, perhaps may be to show how much his heart was taken with her beauty; that his love to her was the same as ever it was, notvvithstaudirig her sleepy frames anduubccGming carriage to him; as also, because she might stand in need of the fresh discoveries of his love.
Secondly. He gives some particular instances of her beauty in this and the four following verses.
Vid Yalcut iii loc.
1st. He describes the beauty of her eyes, and asserts, that she has dove’s eyes within her locks; in which words we are to consider. 1. W hat we are to understand by her eyes. 2. Why they are called dove’s eyes. 8. Why they are said to be within her locks.
1. By the church’s eyes we may understand, either the ministers of the Gospel, who are to the church what eyes are to a human body; they are placed in the more eminent part of C/hrist’s body, the church, to watch, overlook, guide, and direct the other members of the body: or else, by them may be intended] the eyes of the understanding, being illuminated by’the divine Spirit; and more especially the eye of faith, by which a soul.enliglitened by divine grace, beholds the glory, fulness, and suitableness of Christ, and looks to him alone for life and salvation.
2. These eyes are called doves. Why ministers of the Gospel are cowpared to doves, and the eye of faith said to be a dove’s eye, have been already shown on chap. i. 15.
3. These eyes are said to be within her locks; which, if applied to the ministers of the Gospel, may denote, 1. The imperfection of their light and knowledge, and that a great deal of darkness and obscurity attends them: they know but in part, and prophecy but in part; as eyes under the locks, being covered with them, cannot see so clearly, as when they are removed from them; so the ministers of the Gospel cannot see so clearly into Gospel-truths in this state of imperfection, as they shall, when these locks of darkness are removed; for then they shall see eye to eye; their knowledge of Christ is imperfect now; their light into Gospel-truths is weak and dim; and proportionate to their light and knowledge do they preach; the apostle Paul, who had the greatest light into the Gospel, and the largest share of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, that perhaps, ever any man had, yet desired to know more of Christ, and the power of his resurrection, Phil. iii. 10. 2. It may be expressive of their modesty and humility; locks being decently tied up, as this word signifies,” is an evidence of modesty, as the contrary is of wantonness; the ministers of the Gospel, though they have the greatest gifts bestowed upon them; yet reckon themselves less than the least of all saints; for notwithstanding all their parts, gifts, and graces, they do not think themselves sufficient, either to think or speak anything as of themselves; but acknowledge that their sufficiency is of God, who only hath made them able L.inisters of the New Testament; and whenever their labours are blest and owned, either for the comfort and edification of God’s people, or for the conversion of sinners, they ascribe it not to themselves, but to the grace of God that is withjthem. 3. This phrase may be added, to set forth their beauty; eyes,
from under or within the locks decently and modestly bound up, look very beautiful; or under locks of hair, plaited and curled about the face, so that the eyes are but just seen, which add to the beauty of them: the ministers of the Gospel appear beautiful, not only to Christ, who has counted them faithful, and put them into the ministry; but also to those to whom they are made useful, either for comfort and establishment, or for conviction and conversion; to these, even the very “feet of him that briugeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, are beautiful,” Isa. lii. 7.
But if by these dove’s eyes we understand the enlightened eyes of the understanding, and particularly the eye of faith; then this phrase perhaps is used to denote, 1. The imperfection of faith: the greatest believer has need to pray, with the apostle, “Lord, increase our faith;” there are some, to. vaTepriuaTa, somethings lacking, some deficiencies in faith which need perfecting; it is true, “faith is the evidence of things not seen,” yet oftentimes it is very dark and obscure: indeed, when compared with Old Testament saints, believers under the New may be said with open face to behold, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord; but when compared with saints, possessed of the beatific vision, they see but through a glass darkly; their eyes are within their locks. 2. To show us what a modest grace faith is: it looks alone on Christ, it lives only on him; it receives all from him, and gives all the glory to him; it ascribes nothing in man’s salvation to itself, nor to any thing done by the creature, but all to Christ and his grace; and so excludes boasting, as the apostle says, Rom. iii. 27, “Where is boasting then? it is excluded. By what law? of works? nay; but by the law of faith.” Had works any thing to do in man’s salvation, boasting would have been encouraged and established; but God of his infinite wisdom has ordered it, that it should be of and through faith; that it might appear to be of grace, and not of works, lest any man should boast. 3. To set forth how beautiful faith is in Christ’s eye, and how much his heart is taken with it; as appears from the ninth verse of this chapter, where he says, “Thon hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes,” that is, with the eye of faith.
2ndly. He describes her beauty by her hair, which he says, “is as a flock of goats that appear from mount Gilead;” that is, like the hair of such a flock of goats, so Ben Melech; which in some couutries, hangs down like the locks of women’s hair plaited; and is thought to be most like human hair, 1 Sam. xix. 13; in the hair of women their comeliness greatly lies, and without which they are not pleasing, as Apuleius- ob-
irras’? intra ligamina tua, some in Vatablus; vittani tuam, Cocceius; constrictam comam tuam. Michac’lis, so .Tarehi; vjd. Horat. Carmin. 1. 2. ode II.
V. 23, 24. Crines connexi. Propert, 1. 2. eleg..’i. v- 23. yElian. de Animrd. 1. 16. c 30.” Mcfcaraorph. 1. 2.
13.J
serves: It is comparcil not to such hair for length and sleekness, as for the colour of it, being yellowish, which with women formerly was in esteem, and reckoned graceful; and great care was taken to make it look so, even as yellow as gold j“” nor was it unusual to compare the hair of women, and represent it as superior to a fleece of the choicest flock ;* women in former times had their perukes made of goat’s hair, This may be understood, 1st. Of the outward conversation of the saints; which may be compared to hair, for the following reasons.
1. Because as the hair is for covering, 1 Cor. li. 15, so is a well-ordered and gospel-conversation a covering to the saints. A believer has many coverings; he has more garments than one; he is clothed with “the garments of salvation, and covered with the robe of Christ’s righteousness; this is his justification, and what gives him a title to glory: he has also the garment of sanctification, which is curiously wrought by the Spirit of God; and Ibis makes him meet for the King’s presence: and he has, besides these, his conversation-garments, which he is to watch and keep from being spotted with the flesh, and to wash them and make them white in the blood of the Lamb; but these cannot cover sins, nor skreen him from divine justice; this only the righteousness of Christ can do, by which his sins are so covered, that when they are sought for they shall not be found; but his outward conversation is” a covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in,” so as to be hid and secured from divine justice; if he was only to appear herein before justice, these very clothes would both abhor and condemn him: nor can they make him meet for the King’s presence; this only the garment of sanctification can do: but then the outward conversation of the saints is a cover and a fence against the reproaches of the world; for though they have not whereof to glory before God, yet at some times and in some cases they may lawfully do it before men, and say, as Samuel did, “Whose ox have I taken? whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed, or of whose hand have 1 received any bribe?” thus their conversation is a cover and fence unto them; and is of service to make those” ashamed who falsely accuse their good conversation in Christ, and to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. 2. As hair is very ornamental to the believer: as garments, though they do not make, as yet they adorn the man; so a good conversation, though it does not make, yet it adorns the Christian. It is decent and becoming the Gospel of Christ Jesus; it adorns the doctrine of God our Saviour, and recommends religion to others. 3. As hair that is ordered aright, and well taken care of, so y3 a well-ordered conversation; that is, such an
* Virgil. iEneid. 4. prope finem, aurea csesaries, neid. 8. v. 659. Vid. Barthii Animadv. ad Claudian. de rapt Troserp. 1. 3. c. 86. Qua crinc
one as is ordered, according to the rule of God’s word, and by God himself; for the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord:” David knew this full v.-ell that God did so, and that he himself was insufficient for it; and therefore he thus prays, “order my steps in thy word,” that is, according to thy word, which is the rule of faith and practice: and such a conversation as this being like a well-set and ordered head of hair, is very grateful and well-pleasing to Christ; therefore he says, “to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God,” Psalm 1. 23. 4. As the hair upon the head is conspicuous and manifest to all, so is the conversation of the saints: that they are justified by Christ’s righteousness, and sanctified by his Spirit, are not seen and known of all men; but their outward conversation is manifest, and so it should be; “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” Matt. v. 16. 5. As hair has its dependence upon, and influence from the head; so has the outward conversation of the saints its dependence on, and influence from the grace of the Spirit: a graceless professor, though he may keep up a moral conversation for a time; yet it will drop off from him like leaves from the trees in autumn, or like hair that is shed from the head after a violent distemper; the “root of the matter” not being in him: the difference between a man of grace and a graceless professor, is elegantly given by Jeremy, chap, ivii. 5 — 8, the one is like the “heath in the desert,” dry and barren; the other is like a “tree planted by the waters,” moist and flourishing; “his leaf is green,” and “he ceaseth not from yielding fruit.” Thus the outward conversation of the saints may be compared to hair: and what may farther confirm this sense of the words, is that the apostle Paul, in 1 Tim. ii. 9, 10, instead of broidered hair, recommends shamefacedness, sobriety, and good works, as more becoming godliness; and the apostle Peter, in 1 Pet. iii. 3, 4, instead of plaiting the hair, exhorts to an adorning with the “ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.”
Now this hair of the church’s, or the outward conversation of the saints, may also be compared to a “llock of goats which appear from mount Gilead;” or, on mount Gilead, as Noldius. Gilead was a very proper place for cattle. Numb, xxxii. 1: and no doubt the goats which were fed there, as were usual on mountains,^ were fat and fruitful: and being in large numbers, and kept in good order, might appear from this mount, to distant spectators, beautiful and magnificent; their hair particularly might be long, smooth, sleek, and glistering, and look very beautiful and lovely; especially in the morning at sunrising,
vincit Boetiei gregis vellus, Martial. 1. 5. ep. 38. f Hoediua tibi pelle, Ibid, 1. 12. ep. 38. Theocrit. Idyll. 3.T. 1,3.
l.’J6
that glancing on tlicm, with its bright and glittering rays, they were very delightful to behold; so R. Jouah, from the use of the word in the Arabic language, which signifies the morning, interprets it, “which rise early in the morning:” and which, as Schullens’’ observes, some render, “leading to water early in the morning:” the Vulgate Latin version is, “that ascend from mount Gilead;” from a lower to a higher part of it; which Bochart approves of it.’ So saints, being fruitfvd in every good word and work, and orderly in their lives and conversations, appear even to the world amiable and lovely; they are like to the he-goat, “comely in going,” Prov. XXX. 29 — 31; nay, to a Hock of them on mount Gilead. Or else,
2ndly. By her hair, we may understand the inward thoughts of her heart.’’ For, 1. As hair arises from and has its dependence upon the head, so do thoughts from the heart; it is out t)f the heart all evil thoughts proceed; Matt. xv. 19, “out of the heart proceed evil thoughts,” &c., and so all good thoughts, which are likewise formed and cherished there by the Spirit of God. 2. As the hairs of the head are numerous, so are the thoughts of the heart: a believer has many thoughts of heart; there is a multitude of thoughts within him, Psal. iciv. 19; concerning the corruption of his nature, the sinfulness of his actions, and his frequent backslidings from God; a multitude of thoughts concerning Christ and his grace, and the glories of another world. 3. As the hair of the head is weak, and easily moved and tossed about by the wind; so are the thoughts of a believer’s heart, sometimes this way and sometimes another; and are like the eyes of fools in the ends of the earth, unless fixed and established by the Spirit of God upon proper objects. 4. Being rightly ordered by the Spirit of God, as a well-managed and well-ordered head of hair, they are exceedingly admired and valued by Christ Jesus; for he has a “book of remembrance written,” not only for them who speak of him and fear him, but also for those who think upon his name, Mai. iii. 16.
And as the thoughts of a believer’s heart, thus fixed, managed, and ordered by the Spirit of God, may be compared to hair, so likewise to a flock of goats on mount Gilead; and then may they be so, when they ascend on high, and dwell upon the everlasting, unchangeable, and boundless love of God in Christ; which love has its heights and depths, its lengths and breadths; when they soar aloft, and dwell upon the everlasting covenant of grace; which covenant “is ordered in all things and sure,” filled with all spiritual bh.’ssings and precious promises; when their thoughts arc composed and settled upon the cousidcraliou of Christ’s person, fulness, blood, and riglitconsucss; when they are employed about
I” Animadv.in loc.
llierozoic. par. 1. 1. 2. c- 5. col. 628.
and concerned in the contemplation of the sublime doctrines of the gospel, and the invisible realities of another world; all which are things that are above; then may they be said to be like a flock of goats which appear from mount Gilead. But,
3rdly. I rather choose to understand, by the hair, believers themselves. Thus the people of Israel and inhabitants of Jerusalem are represented by hair, Exek. v. 1 — 5. Now believers may be called so, 1. For their number; the hairs of a man’s head are numerous; therefore when the Psalmist declares the large number of his sins and transgressions, he makes use of this metaphor, saying, “they are more than the hairs of nij head:” indeed believers, when compared with the world, are but few, a small number, a remnant, and a little flock; yet considered and viewed by themselves, and when all together, they are a great multitude which no man can number. Rev. vii. 9. 2. For theirgrowing upon, and receiving nourishment from Christ, the head: the hair grows upon the head, receives its nourishment from it; Christ is the Head of his body, the church; believers ai’e the hair which grow upon, and grow up into this head: and from thence do they receive all their grace and strength, their life and liveliness, their food and nourishment, and so increase with “the increase of God,” Eph. iv. 15, 16, Col. ii. 12. 3. For their weakness in Themselves, and dependence on Christ, the Head: hair is a weak thing of itself, and has its dependence on the Head; believers are weak in themselves, and can do nothing of themselves w-ithout him; their dependence is on him for strength, as well as tor righteousness; and it is only through him strengthening them, that they do the things they do. 4. For their being an ornament to Christ,’the Head; hair is an ornament to the head; “the beauty of old men is the grey head:” Saints are the ornament, beauty, and glory of Christ: they are a crown of glory and a royal diadem in his hand, and upon his head. 5. For their valuableness to him, and the care he takes of them: a well-set head of hair is highly esteemed, and is taken much care of among men; but this cannot be more valued, and taken more care of, than believers are by Christ: he values them as his jewels and peculiar treasure, he will not lose one of them; the hairs of our head are all numbered, and so are all the hairs cf Christ’s head, and not one of them shall be lost; it is true, those who are only nominal professors, and only by an external profession hold to the head, not being rooted in him, shall be shed from thence; but so shall not one of those who are one Spirit with him, and grow upon him.
Now saints may be compared to a flock of goats on mount Gilead. (1). They may be compared to goats; it is true, this word is used of carnal and Christless sinners; who are called so in opposik So Tres I’atres apud Theodoret in loc.
tion to, and coutradistinctiou from Christ’s sheep; but these creatures being offered up in sacrifice under the old law, prefigured Christ, Exod. xii. 5, and therefore we need not wonder that saints bear this character, who are enabled to present themselves to God, holy, living, and acceptable sacrifices; as also, perhaps they may be so called, on the account of the remainder of sin and corruption; for in them, that is, in their “flesh, dwells no good thing;” and are stinking and’ abominable in the esteem of the world, reckoned by them the offscouring and refuse of all things, as well as mean and vile in their own eyes. 2. May be compared to a flock of them, because they belong unto and are auder the care of one and the same shepherd, folded in the one and the same fold, and fed together in one and the same pasture; as also, on the accour.t of their social worship, their assembling and walking together in the faith and order of the Gospel. 3. To a flock of them on mount Gilcad; they have a good pasture upon a goodly mount; they live and feed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, that great mountain, which shall ere long fill the whole earth; here they find the best of pasture, and become fat and flourishing, like the goats on mount Gilead; here they live and dwell safely, secure from danger, and out of the reach of enemies; their “place of defence is a munition of rocks, their bread is given them, and their waters sure,” Isa. xxxiii. 16.
Verse 2. T//// teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, ichich came vp from the washing: whereof every one hear twins, and none is barren among them.
These words contain the third particular instance of the church’s beauty, viz., her teeth. “Which were like the teeth of sheep, as their eyes were like the eyes of doves, and her hair like the hair of goats; and Galen long ago observed,! that human teeth are much like the teeth of sheep, in figure, order, and structure, as well as are small and white, neatly set, innocent and harmless; not ravenous and voracious, cropping only herbs and grass, the whiteness of the teeth is chiefly intended, in which the beantj of them lies;” and for which they are sometimes compared to Parian mtirblc or whiteness,” These are compared.
I. To a “flock of sheep.”
II. To a flock of sheep “even shorn.”
III. To a flock of sheep that are just “come up from the washing.”
IV. To a flock of sheep that are fruitful “whereof every one bear twins,” &c.
her teeth we may understand.
1st. The ministers of the Gospel ;° the Targum interprets it of the priests and Levites; and other Jewish writers’” of the disciples of the wise men. Ministers may be called the church’s teeth,
‘In Salazer apud Marckium in loc. “‘Candid ati denies, veuustis oculis, color suavif, Cicer. Tuscul. Quicst 1. 6. c. iG.” Thcocrit.
1. For strength; (ecth arc strong, being of a bony nature; and indeed the work that is allotted to them requires strength; the ministers of the Gospel are Christ’s strong men; who are, or at least need to be, “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus;” they have need to be “strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might;’”’ for their work is great, and requires it, which is to labour in the word and doctrine; a work so great, arduous, and difficult, that the great apostle Paul, notwithstanding all his gifts and grace, said, “Who is sufficient for these things?” they have need of strength to quit themselves like men in the defence of the Gospel, for which they are set, against all opposers and gainsayers; they have need of strength to withstand Satan’s temptations; for he generally bends his bow, shoots his arrows, and casts his fiery darts most at them; they have need of strength to bear the world’s reproaches and persecution, of which they generally have the greatest share, and to sustain the infirmities of weaker saints, which are not few. 2. For their sharpness; teeth are sharp, and they ought to be so upon many accounts; the ministers of the Gospel, though they are not to be like that generation, “whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw-teeth as knives,” to devour the flock; nor like ravenous wolves, who will not spare it, but prey upon it, for they are tD use meekness and tenderness; yet in some cases, they are to use sharpness also, according to the power that Christ has given them, and lodged in them; as when persons are unsound in the faith, and corrupt in their morals; also as sharpness is necessary to teeth, that they may penetrate into, chew, and prepare the food for the stomach; so is it necessary to ministers of the Gospel, that they have abilities to penetrate into Gospel-truths, in order to feed souls with the B read of Life. 3. In nothing can they more fitly be compared to teeth, than in their preparing food for souls; as the teeth break the food, chew it, and prepare it for the stomach; so ministers of the Gospel break the bread of life, make hard things plain, easy, and intelligible; for|not only in Paul’s epistles, but in many other places of scripture there are some SvcrvSriTa, “things hard to be understood.” Now it is the work of the Gospel to open and explain those difficult passages, remove the hard shell that is over them, that souls may eat the kernel; nay, they not only break the bread of life, but chew it, i. e., meditate upon the word, and digest the doctrines of grace themselves, that so they may not propose unto, or set before persons crude, raw,and undigjsted food: but having chewed, digested, and well prepared it, they then present it to them; for these are the church’s teeth, which cuti and rightly divide the word of truth, and give to every one their “portion of meat in due season.” Now these teeth of the church.
Idyll. 6. v. 37, 38. So Psellus and Isidore in
loc. P Vic Yakut in loc.
<i Vp6uT0navru, 2 Tim. ii. 15.
the ministers of the Gospel, may be compared,
I. To a flock of sheep, and to their teeth, for their harmlessness and innocence. They are sent forth by Christ as “sheep among wolves;” and so they live like sheep, useful to many, but hurtful to none; live harmless and inoffensive lives, though exposed to a variety of evils, for the sake of Christ and his Gospel: “they are counted as sheep for the slaughter;” and yet like sheep, they patiently bear all without murmuring, in imitation of their dear Lord, who was led like a lamb to theslaughtcr,audlike the sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth, Isa. liii. 7-
II. To a flock of sheep even shorn. There is no word in the original text for any animal, neither sheep nor goats; it is only “to a flock of shorn ones;” and maybe supplied from the preceding verse, “a flock of goats even shorn:” for in some countries, particularly in Cilicia, goats were shorn, as sheep in other places;’’ and so in Lycia -.’ but inasmuch as the word sheep is in a parallel text, chap. vi. 6, it seems best to supply it so here: and the comparison is to iheir teeth, that are equally alike in bigness and size; do not stand out nor rise up one above another; but are as if they had been cut, and planed, and made alike, as some ’ render the word; which is a better rendering, since sheep are not shorn before washing, but after it; nor is the word ever used of shearing wool; which may denote the equality of the ministers of the word, having such an agreement with each other, as the cherubim in Solomon’s temple, which were of “one measure and one size,” 1 Kings vi. 25. Now the ministers of the Gospel may be compared to such teeth, 1. Because they are equal in power and authority; though one may be superior to another in gifts and grace, in parts and learning, yet one has not a superior power and jurisdiction over another; for, as Christ says to his disciples, Matt. xx. 25, 26, “the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them; and they that are great exercise authority upon them; but it shall not be so among you; but whosoever shall begreatamongyou, let him beyourminister;” no such dominion and authority are allowed by Christ to be exercised by one minister, pastor, or bishop, over another; they are like to the teeth of sheep that are even; one is not higher than another, nor superior to another in power; Peter was not above the rest of the apostles. 2. They have all the same commission, and are sent about the same work: the disciples of Christ were equally sent to preach the Gospel to every creature; and the commission now is of the same and of as large extent as ever; and the same commission that is given to one minister, is given to another; for they are all sent to preach one and the same Gospel, in the full extent of it; not one part of it is assigned to one, and another part to another, but
‘Aristot. Hist. Animal. 1. fi. c. 28. Plin. 1. 3. c. .50. iElian de Animal. 1. Ifi. c. 30.
’ niaiapca-sa.vcl.dedolatai.r.ochart. llicrozoicpar. 1. 1. 2. c. 45. col. •183, scquarum, Junius and Tremellus;;
the whole is assigned to them all; for a different Gospel is not given in commission to one to preach than what is given to another; thoua;h their manner of preaching, and their success in their ministry, may not be alike. 3. They may be said to be as the teeth of sheep even, on the account of the harmony and agreement there is between the doctrines which they preach: though there may be a diversity of gifts, and one minister may have more Gospel-light and knowledge than another, yet the doctrine of grace, preached by them, is one and the same; it is one and the same Jesus whom they preach; one and the same way of salvation which they show; and one and the same heavenly inheritance which they are pointing at; which harmony and agreement of doctrine will more manifestly appear, when the “watchmen shall see eye to eye,” even at the time “when the Lord shall bring again Zion,” Isa. lii. 8. 4. These teeth ot the church may be said to be like to the teeth of sheep even, to denote their mildness, meekness, harmlessness, and innocence; sheep not having teeth or tusks, standing out more, or rising up higher than the rest, as ravenous beasts, such as lions, bears, &c., but are all equal and even; so such ministers do not devour, but feed the flock! do not assume a lordly and domineering power over them; but, behaving themselves ‘quietly and peaceably among them, seek their good and welfare, and not their hurt.
III. To a flock of sheep just “come up from the washing;” and so are white and clean; which is another thing in which the beauty of teeth consists; for it is not only requisite that they should be even, so as one does not grow out from, nor rise higher than the other; but likewise that they should be white and clean, like sheep that are just come out of the washing-pit: which some” think intends baptism; though it may be better understood “of the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost,” which the ministers of the gospel ought not to be strangers to; for he that is not “born again of water, and of the Spirit,” as he sh.ill neither “see nor enter into the kingdom of heaven “himself; so he is not fit to preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven to others: though I rather think it intends the pure and unspotted lives and conversations of Christ’s ministers; who, being persons that hate the garment spotted with the flesh,” and who “have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the lamb,” become examples to the flock, not only in faith, but in purity of conversation,
IV. To a flock, of which “every one bears twins, and there is none barren among them.” The figures are just and beautiful; it is common with sheep to bear twins or more in the eastern countries, as the philosopher* observes: these may answer to the two rows of teeth, and the word statura aqnaliuni Cocceius; vid. Aben Ezram in loc. and K’mchiumin lib. shorash. rad. 3Sp.
Isidore, Fo’iot, Alcuin, and Cottin in loc.” Aristot. de animal. 1. 6. c. 19.
•1
for teeth is in the dual number; and when these are white, clean, and equal, are well set, and not one is wanting, none is rotten, nor shed, nor fallen out, look very beautiful. This is to be understood of the fruitfulness and successfulness of their ministry, in begetting and bringing forth many souls to Christ; which was more especially verified in the apostles and first preachers of the gospel, whose ministry, after an extraordinary manner, was blessed and owned for the conversion of many sinners; three thousand were converted under one sermon; the savour of Christ’s “knowledge was made manifest by them in every place;” they bore twins to Christ, and were instrumental in the conversion of many, both of Jews and Gentiles; they went forth bearing and sowing the precious seed of the gospel; and returned, “bringing their sheaves with them,” having reaped a glorious harvest: they travailed in birth, till Christ “was formed in souls;” and they did not travail in vain, for he that brought to the birth, caused to bring forth.
2ndly. Or else by teeth, if applied to particular believers, we may understand meditation and faith, by which they feed on divine and spiritual things. 1. By meditation a soul feeds on Christ, on his person, blood, and righteousness; and finds a pleasure, a sweetness, and delight therein: it is sometimes, as in Psalm lxiii. 5, 6, satisfied as with marrow and fatness, when it remembers Christ upon its bed, and meditates on his love and grace in the night-watches; by it a believing soul feeds upon the gospel, its truths, and promises, and receives much refreshment from thence; like Jeremy, chap. xv. 16; it finds the word by meditation, and eats it, and it is the joy and rejoicing of its heart. Now meditating souls may be very well compared to a flock of sheep, which are clean creatures, and chew the cud; for these chew the word of grace, and ruminate upon it; and to a flock of sheep even shorn, being in some measure rid of the old fleece of vain, carnal, and worldly thoughts; and are come up from the washing; being cleansed in some measure from their former filthiuess and uncleanness of their minds, they ascend heavenwards in their thoughts, desires, and afi”ections, which they employ by meditating upon pure, spiritual, and heavenly things; and such souls are usually fruitful; they are not barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ and his gospel; but generally bring forth the twins of prayer and praise: meditation fits a man for prayer, and fills him with praise; meditating souls are commonly praying and praising ones; for whilst they are musing, the fire burns, and then speak they with their tongues, either in prayer or praise; it puts them either upon praying to God for a mercy, or upon praising him for one. 2. By faith a soul feeds on Christ and his grace: faith serves a great many purposes; it is the
‘Yoma, c. 6. s. «. in Misnah.
soul’s eye, by lhich it sees Christ; and its feet, by which it goes to him; and the hand, by which it receives him and lays hold on him; and likewise the teeth, by which it feeds upon him: faith is expressed by eating his flesh, and driul<ing his blood, in John vi. 56, “he that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” Au oral, corporal manducation, is not here intended, but a spiritual one, which is by faith: faith feeds on Christ, the Bread of Life, and eats that hidden manna, the food of the wilderness, lives wholly and entirely on him; which grace is peculiar to Christ’s sheep, and therefore is called the “faith of God’s elect;” and the reason why others do not believe and live upon him, is, because they are not of Christ’s sheep; and though in some persons it is strong, and in others weak, yet it is in all alike precious faith in its own nature, and to Christ Jesns: these teeth are even, and so fit for eating; faith is alike as to quality in all believers, though not as to degree; and, like Judah’s teeth, is white with the milk of the word, is pure, unfeigned, and sincere; and is always fruitful, attended with good works; and more especially bears and brings forth those twins, love to Christ, and love to the saints; for “faith works by love,” Gal. v. 6.
Verse 3. T/i// lips are like a ihre ad of scarlet, and thy speech is comely; thy temples are like a piece of pomegranate within thy locks.
In these words Christ proceeds to give the fourth and fifth instances of the church’s beauty; and says,
I. That her “lips are like a thread of scarlet,” &c.
II. That her “temples are like apiece of pomegranate.”
I. Her lips are compared to a thread of scarlet. The Targura on this place, by eyes, understands the princes and wise men of Israel, who sat in the sanhedrim, and enlightened the world; by the hair, the rest of the people of the land, in verse 1; by teeth, in verse 2, the priests and Levites, who offered the sacrifices, and eat the holy flesh; and by lips here, the lips of the high priest, who (as the Targum expresses it) by his prayer on the day of atouement, changed the transgressions of the people of Israel, which were like to a thread of scarlet, and made them white as wool. It is a received tradition among the Jews,* that when the scape goat was sent into the wilderness, a scarlet thread was tied to the templedoor, and when the goat was come to the wilderness, the scarlet thread turned white; which was not only a sign of the goat’s arrival thither, but also a token to them of the remission of their sins, according to Isa. i. 18, “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;” and they tell us,’’ that this scarlet thread ceased turning white forty years before the destruction of
I y Talmud Yoma, fol. 39. ‘i.
the temple; which was about the time that Christ, the great sacrifice for sin, was offered up. R. Aben Ezra thinks, by the eyes are meant the prophets, who in scripture arc called seers; by the hair, the Nazarites; by the teeth, the strong and mighty men; and by the lips here, the singers who sung the high praises of God. R. Solomon Jarchi expounds it, of the beauty and comeliness of the lips, in maldug and keeping promises; as the spies did to Rahab the harlot, whose token to know her house by, was a Hue of scarlet.
Lips are the instruments of speech; and by, the church’s lips here, are meant her words, which the following expression, “and thy speech is comely,” manifests and confirms; which are compared to a thread of scarlet; to a thread for thinness, and to a thread of scarlet for colour, for these two things, thinness in substance and redness of colour, are the beauty of the lips: thin, red lips being beautiful, as well as white teeth; so the beautiful Aspasia had red lips,^ and teeth whiter than snow: hence we sometimes read of red and purple lips :* and which were not only expressive of beauty, but of health, and of a sound constitution. Now by the church’s lips, or words, are meant, either,
1st. Her prayers: Christ’s prayers are, in Psal. xxi. 2, called the request of his lips, and so may the church’s prayers, and every believer’s, be called the request of their lips; which may be compared to a thread of scarlet, 1. For thinness. The prayers of believers are not filled with great swelling words of vanity, but with humble confessions of sin; bewailing the corruption and depravity of their natures; earnestly imploring views of pardoning grace, and the discoveries of God’s love to their souls: acknowledging that they are unworthy to receive the least mercy and favour at the hand of God, but deserve the severest strokes of his justice, and the highest instances of his displeasure; they do not address the throne of grace with vanity and pride, but with an humble boldness, and oftentimes under a great deal of brokennes3 of soul; being conscious of their own guilt, and filled with a sense of God’s majesty and greatness; was it not for the Mediator Christ Jesus, and his precious blood, which is carried within the vail, and his spotless righteousness, which they are allowed to plead, they durst not presume to approach the Divine Presence; they do not exalt themselves, and magnify their works of righteousness, nor extenuate their sins and transgressions, but are silent in the one, and frankly acknowledge the other, with all their aggravating circumstances; they do not act like the proud Pharisee,’ Luke xviii. 11 — 13, who” stood and prayed thus with himself; God, I thank thee, that 1 am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican; I fast twice in the week, I give tythcs of all that 1
’ iElian. Var. Hist. 1. 12. c. 1.” XctXea jruppo,
Theocrit. IJyll. 15. Purptireis labellis.Ovid. A.mor.
possess;” but like the poor publican, who stood afar off, and “would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner;” the lips of the puhlican, in this prayer, were like to a thread of scarlet. 2. For their constaucy and continuance in them: the prayers of believers are like one continued thread of scarlet; no sooner me souls born again, but behold they pray ;, and they continue, or at least ought to continue praying souls all their days. Christ spoke a parable to this end, that “men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” and the apostle, Col. iv. 2, exhorts believers to “continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;” not that it is intended, in these places, that persons should always be actually engaged in this duty; but that believers should be often at the throne of grace; and when they are there, be importunate for the blessing they stand in need of; watch for a return of their prayers, and then be as diligent to attend the throne of grace with thankfulness; and when this is the common and constant course of a believer’s life, his lijjs may be said to be like to a thread of scarlet. 3. For the fervency of them; the scarlet colour may denote the ardency, warmth, and fervour of a believer’s spirit in prayer; such a warm, fervent, praying soul was Jacob, who wrestled with God, and would not stir without the blessing, but, “as a prince, had power with God, and prevailed;” and such an one was the Syrophcenician woman, who would take no denial from Christ; and such an one w’as Elias, James v. 16 — 18, who prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not; and again he prayed that it might rain, and the heavens gave rain; for the “effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much:” now w’hen believers are thus fervent and importunate in prayer for the mercy or blessing they want, then may their lips be said to be like a thread of scarlet. 4. Because a believer’s prayers are all tinctured with the blood of Christ, and so become like a thread of scarlet; they are all presented through Christ’s mediation, being perfumed with his much incense; a believer does not put them up in his own name, but in the name of Christ; he pleads not his own worthiness, but the precious blood of Christ, and expects that they will meet with acceptance only through his mediation. 5. For their acceptableness with God; the scarlet colour is the best of colours, and most highly esteemed of; the prayers of the saints being offered up in faith, and in the name of Christ, being presented through his mediation, are very acceptable to God; they are pleasant music in his ears, and sweet fragrant odours in his nostrils; he is so far from despising the prayer of the destitute, that he delights and takes pleasure in it; it is like a thread of scarlet to him. Or else, by the church’s lips, we may understand,
1.3. eleg. 13. Labiasque modicas purjmrautes, Apul. Uet.imorph. 1. 10, Labella rosea, Catullus.
2ndly. Her praises: as prayer is called the request of the lips, so praise is called the fruit of the lips, Heb. xiii. 15; as with our lips we pray to God, so with our lips we praise him: and the lips of believers in praising, as well as in praying, may be compared to a thread of scarlet. 1. They arc thin, like a thread of scarlet; they are /lot fiUi’d with big swoleu praises of themselves, and of what they have done; a believer takes the advice the wise raau gives, Prov. xxvii. 2, “Let another praise thee and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips;” he docs not speak in the commendation of himself, but of the goodness and grace of God; he praises him for all temporal mercies, for his being, the preservation of it, and for all the mercies of life, which make it comfortable; acknowledging that he is not worthy of the least of the mercies which God has shown him; and then his praises and thanksgivings rise higher for spiritual ones, for those all spiritual blessings, with which he is blessed in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; how does he adore, admire, and praise distinguishing love and grace, that such a poor, blind, ignorant creature as he, should be called out of darkness into marvellous light! that such a guilty wretch should be justified by Christ’s righteousness from all his sins 1 that such a filthy creature should be washed and cleansed in Christ’s blood, and have all his iniquities pardoned through the same! that he should be adopted into God’s family, and be made an heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ Jesus! how thankful is he for the Gosple and the ministers of it, which have brought him the news of, and showed him the way unto life and salvation by Jesus Christ I and, above all, how thankful is he for Christ, that unspeakable gift of God’s love. Now when the lips of believers, in praising, move in such a strain as this, then may they be said to be like a thread of scarlet. 2. The praises of believers are compared to a thread of scarlet, for the heartiness, sincerity, and affection that go along with them; as they draw nigh to God with their mouths, and honour him with their lips, so their hearts are not far from him, all the while they are praising, the fire of love burns within them; their souls are inflamed with it, and their lips look like scarlet, being touched with a live coal from off God’s altar. 3. For the acceptableness of them through Christ’s mediation; our pi”aises, as well as our prayers, must be tinctured with Christ’s blood; they must be offered up by him; for no other way are these sacrifices well pleasing to God, or accepted with him. Or,
3rdly. By her lips may be meant the doctrines of the gospel, delivered by her ministers; which are the church’s lips, that “drop as an honeycomb,” and publish the glad tidings of peace, life, and salvation to poor souls. Now these doctrines of grace, delivered by them, may be compared to “a thread of scarlet,” 1. Because they are spun out of the scriptures: all scripture being, divinely
inspired, 0f6Trvev(rTo, breathed by God, “is profitable for doctrine,” as well as for other things; it is the fountain from whence all the doctrines of grace spring; and the Lydian stone, by which they are all tried; for whatever is not according to this “law and testimony,” is not to be received: hence Christ advises to “search the scriptures,” and the noble Bereans are commended for doing so.
2. This scarlet thread of the gospel, being spun out of the scriptures, is smooth and even; there is au harmony and agreement in truths of the gospel; there is no jar and discord among them: this great trumpet does not give an uncertain sound; the doctrines of it are not yea and nay, contradictory to one another and truth itself, but are all of a piece, like one single “scarlet thread;” there is a close connection between them; they are linked and chained together, and cannot be separated; they look like, and are answerable to one another; there is a proportion or analogy of faith, according to which they are all measured.
3. The great subjects of the gospel are the blood, death, and sufferings of a crucified Christ; we says the apostle, 1 Cor. i. 23, “preach Christ crucified;” a crucified Christ was the sura and substance of their ministry; therefore the gospel, and the doctrines of it,may well be compared to a “scarlet thread:” the chief doctrines of the gospel are that the pardon of sin is procured by Christ’s blood; that he has made peace and reconciliation for sinners by the blood of his cross; that sinners are justified by his blood, and so shall be saved from wrath to come; that Christ sanctifies his people with his blood, and has by it opened the gates of heaven for them; that it is by that he himself has entered into the holy of holies, and by which saints have a right so to do. Now these are the scarlet-coloured doctrines of the gospel; which, 4. Are valuable, precious, and highly to be esteemed of as scarlet; they are comparable to gold, silver, and precious stones; which angels desire to look into, and are by saints preferred to their necessary food; yea, are dearer to them than their lives, or any thing in life; witness the fines, imprisonments, loss of goods, racks, tortures, and death itself, which they have voluntarily and cheerfully undergone for the sake of it; thus her lips are like “a thread of scarlet.”
It is further added, “and thy speech is comely:” which words are exegetical of the former; and manifestly show what is intended by her lips, namely, her speech; which is said to be comely, that is, graceful, amiable, and to be desired. And so is, 1. A believer’s speech concerning Christ. When believers speak to others of what Christ is unto them; how he is “of God made unto them wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption;” and of what he has done for them, in atoning for their sins, bringing in an everlasting righteousness, and saving them from sin, law, death, and hell; when they speak of the glories of his person, the picciousness and efficacy of his
IV.
blood, the excellency Jof hia righteousness, and completeness of his sacrifice: when believers speak “often one to another” of these, “he hearkens and hears,” listens as it were to hear what they talk of, and puts it down in the “book of his remembrance,” as being well pleased with it. 2. The speech of a believer is graceful and comely to Christ, when they speak for him, in vindication,; of ’ his ‘person, people, truths, and ordinances; for he says. Malt. x. 32, “whosoever shall confess me’rhefore men, him will I confess also before my Father in heaven.” 3. The speech of a believer to Christ is exceeding grateful and well-pleasing, whether it be in prayer or in praise, as has been already shown; hence Christ says, chap. ii. 14, “let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.” 4. It may intend the gracefulness of a believer’s speech in his common conversation: it being attended “with grace,” “and seasoned with salt, ministers grace unto the hearers;” is not infectious, pernicious, and destructive, as the corrupt and unsavoury communication of the wicked is; but tends to the pleasure, profit, and edification of others.
II. Her temples are next commended in these words which is the fifth particular instanced in the church’s beauty; “thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.” R. Aben Ezra interprets these words of the priests, who had pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, round about the hem of the epiiod which they wore: but the Targum, on the place, understands by the temples, the king who was the head of the people of Israel, and was full of good works, as the pomegranate is of kernels; and by the locks, the governors and princes, who were next to him: but it seems more agreeable, that ecclesiastical cflBcers are here intended, whom Christ has placed in his church, to take care of the discipline of his house, as well as to maintain and defend the gospel.
That there is, and ought to be, such officers in churches, who have the presiding, ruling, governing power therein, not only the nature of societies, but the scripture also doesabuudautly confirm, more especially the following ones; “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, &c.. Obey them that have rule over you, &c., He that ruleth with diligence,” 1 Tim. v. 17, Heb. xiii. 17, Rom. xii. 8. Their work is not only to preach the gospel, and feed the flock with wholesome food; but to admonish, warn, and rebuke those who stand in need thereof; to lay on and take off censures, to open and shut the doors of the church, that is, in admission and excommunication of members. Now this power is originally in the church, and only derivately in them; they are but the administrators of it, in the church’s name: they have no despotic,
“jnpl tenuis faciei pars, Marckius; tenuior, Micbaelis; vid, K. David Kimcbium, in lib. shorash.
arbitrary, and tyrannical power, lodged in their hands, to rule at pleasure; but are limited by the laws of Christ, which he has provided for the orderly government of his house, which they are to see put into execution. Now these may be called.
First. The church’s temples.
1st. The temples are called, in the Hebrew tongue, by a word** which signifies thinness and tenderness; because the temples have but little flesh upon thera, and are covered only with a thin skin; which may teach us. 1. That those persons who are called to such a work and office in Christ’s house, though it cannot otherwise be but they must have flesh as well as spirit in them, being men of like passions and afi’ections with others; yet these more especially ought not to live in and walk after the flesh; there should be a less appearance of carnality in them, and a greater discovery of spiritual-mindedness, and of the life and power of godliness in their conversations; therefore the apostle is very particular in giving their characters, 1 Tim. iii. 1 — 7, Titus i. 6 — 9. 2. It may also teach us, that there ought to be a great deal of tenderness in them, and used by them in the discharge of their work; for in so doing, they are like to be most successful: admonitions and reproofs for sin, mildly and tenderly given, are often kindly taken; they are like “an excellent oil, which does not break the head,” but wins the heart: tender-heartedness is requisite in all Christians, but more especially in officers of churches, who are to deal as tenderly with persons, as surgeons do in dressing wounds, or in setting broken or dislocated bones; hence the [apostle, in Gal. vi. 1, uses a metaphor taken from them, “you that are spiritual restore,” KaTopTi|6Te, joint in, or set in joint again, “such an one in the spirit of meekness;” though it is true, in some cases sharpness is to be used; as when there is a gangrene in a member, which endangers the body, there must be a cutting off, an amputation of the member; so persons, when all means have been tried for their recovery and restoration, and there is no reclaiming them from an error in doctrine or practice; they are not only to be rebuked sharply, but to be cut off from the body, the church.
2ndly. The temples are called in Greek, Kp6Ta(j)oi,’^ from the evident beating of the pulse there: now as a person’s constitution may be judged of by the beating of his pulse; so may the constitution of a church by her temples, the officers, in their administration of affairs; if church discipline is neglected, and Christ’s laws are not put in execution against delinquents, the church is in a bad state, and in an unhealthful and dechning condition; and on the contrary, when officers are lively, zealous, and diligent in their work, and all things are kept in a j ust order and decorum.
rad- Ppl.
Tlapti TO KpOTCIV Tl) ui(l»iv
the church is then in an healthful and flourishing condition.
3rdly, The temples a.re placed between the eyes and the ears; and church officers being called so, teaches us that they have need of both in managing the affairs of Christ’s house. Christ indeed, being God omniscient, “shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears;” but we have no other way of judging than by the sight of our eyes, and by the hearing of our ears, and therefore both are to be employed: the gars of the church-officers are to be open, without respect of persons, to rich and poor, high and low; they are to hear complaints and charges exhibited, if introduced in a regular manner, and then the evidence to support these complaints and charges; they must also hear the answers of the person or persons accused and complained of, and must not shut their eyes against clear light and plain evidence.
Secondly. These temples are said to be “within the locks;” under locks of hair plaited and curled about them; expressive both of secrecy and beauty: which may teach us. 1. That admonitions, in case of private offences, ought to be given privately, according to that golden rule given by our Lord, Matt, iviii. 15 — 17, “If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him bis fault between thee and him alone;” let no one know it before thou hast told him, and let none be with thee when thou dost; “if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother;” therefore for ever after never speak of it to others, nor upbraid him with it; “but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established; and if he shall neglect to hear them,” matters being thus prepared, “tell it unto the church;” and then thou shalt have witnesses to support and make good thy allegations. This rule is so plain and easy, that one would think, none could mistake or go aside from it; and was it but closely adhered to, would prevent a great deal of scandal and reproach that is cast upon religion, as well as a great many disturbances, occasioned in churches by the neglect of it: and in so doing, the church’s temples, in this branch of the administration of discipline, may be said to be within her, locks; though it is true, in case of public offences, admonitions and rebukes are to given publicly, that.“others may fear,” 1 Tim. V. 20. 2. It may also teach as, that all the affairs and concerns of churches ought to be kept private, and not blazed about in the world; their debates and determinatiens ought not to be told to other churches, unless there is a necessity for it; much less told in Gath, and published in the “streets of Askelon;” for every particular church should be as a “garden inclosed, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed,” Cant. iv. 12. 3. The
po in riTED aif liiTvpuv pour, Sept. sicut fragmen mali punici, Vulg Lat. and Montanus. ‘T Bab.
temples being within the locks, may denote the humility of church-officers in their work; they lie hid under the hair, the rest of the believers; they do not rise up above them, though they aie taller and higher than they are in gifts and grace, as well as by virtue of their office and station ia the church; yet they are, in their own esteem, “less than the least of all saints:” they do not assume to themselves a domination and lordly power “over God’s heritage;” they do not impose their seutiments upon churches for final determinations in cases; but humbly submit themselves, preferring the judgment of the church to their own private ones; they become “all things to all, that they may save some.” 4. May be expressive of the beauty of church-discipline: that church appears very beautiful, like the “temples within the locks,” where the gospel is faithfully preached, the ordinances purely administered, and the laws of Christ’s house strictly regarded. Believers, who walk together in the order, as well as in the faith of the gospel, appear very beautiful, stately, and magnificent to spectators; they are “like a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariot;” or like a garden, with a variety of flowers, well weeded and taken care of; or an “orchard of pomegranates,” well dressed and managed: on the contrary, a church, in which no regard is had to order and discipline, is like “the field of the slothful, and the vineyard of the man void of understanding,” which is all overrun “with thorns and nettles,” its fence and “stone-wall being broken down.”
Thirdly. These temples are said to be “like a piece of a pomegranate; not of the tree, but of the fruit, the shell or rind being broken; so the Septuagint render it.’’ The laud of Canaan was a laud of pomegranates; they grew there in great plenty, and therefore are frequently mentioned in this Song.
1st. The fruit, when the shell or rind is broken, appears to be full of grains or kernels, and therefore is a jwmegranate; and it is the nature of this fruit, that if it hangs longer on the tree after it is fully ripe, it will burst and open of itself,*^ and its kernels will become visible; one of the mansions of the Israelites is called by them Rimmou-parez, Numb, xxsiii. 19; the pomegranate of rupture, or the bursteued pomegranate, where probably they found such. And the church’s temples are said to be like to such a bursteued and broken piece of pomegranate, that is full of kernels, and visible; because those who are called to such work and office in the church, as has been mentioned, should be men “full of the Holy Ghost,” as Stephen was; they should be as full of the gifts and graces of the Spirit, as the pomegranate is of kernels, that they may be capable of discharging the work aright; Christ knows full well that they stand in need of such,
Zebachim, fol. 88. 2. and Closs. in ibid.
and therefore, as he has “received gifts for men,” so he “gives them to men,” to qualify them for the work of the ministry, and for the well-ordering and governing of his churches; and yet, notwithstanding all that they receive, they are obliged to say, with the apostle, “Who is sufficient for these things?” And as they should be men full of the Spirit, so likewise full of good works; and these visible to men, even as the kernels of a burstencd pomegranate;’ their “light should shine before men;” they should have a good report of them that are without, and be examples to those that are within; and when they are so, then may the church’s temples be said to be “like a piece of a pomegranate within her locks.” j Iso the pomegranate, when broken, appearing to be full of kernels, all set in a beautiful order, and joined to each other, may be e.tpressive of that union, harmony, and consent of church-members, with their officers, in acts of discipline; censures are laid and taken off, members are received or rejected, not by some single person or persons, but by the joint consent and unanimous voice of the whole church.
2ndly. As this fruit is full of kernels, so, when broken, there springs from it a rcdish, purple, sweet, and delightful juice: hence we read of the “juice of the pomegranate,” chap. viii. 2, which the church would cause Christ to drink of; and nothing is more delightful in Christ’s eye, odorous to his smell, and sweet to his taste, than this juice of the pomegranate is; namely, a pure administration of his ordinances, and a strict regard and close adherence to the laws of his house: nay, even to believers themselves, result from hence pleasure, delight, and satisfaction.
3rdly. The fruit of the pomegranate is very useful in medicine. 1. For repressing the heat of choler, and malignity of fevers.^ God’s children too ofLeu fall out by the way; there are frequently differences and divisions among them: many of them are of hot, fiery, and choleric dispositions: do not know “what spirits they are of,” and at every turn are, like the disciples, for calling “for fire from heaven” upon those who have disobliged them. Now officers in churches are like a piece of a pomegranate; they allay and repress these heats, by wholesome advice and proper admonitions; they are instruments in making peace, and reconciling differing brethren; and either remove the causes of contention, or else, with the consent of the church, remove those who are the cause of these divisions and contentions. 2. For stopping the fluxes of the belly y the pomegranate is of an astringent nature, the kernels bind more than the juice, and the shell or riud more than either, theofficersof churches are
‘So the Jewish writers interpret the words ot the Israelites, as full of good works, as the pomegranate is of kernels. T. Bab. Eruvin.fol. 19. I and T. Bab, Chagigah. fol. 20. I. Targura and R. Sol. Jarchi in loc. e Fernel. Method. Medend. 1.
5 c. 3. h Plin. Nat. Hist. 1. 23, c. 6.
Plin. Nat. Hist. 1. 23. c 6. Vid. Michuseful in putting a slop to loose and disorderly practices, by warning, admonishing, rebuking, or withdrawing from those who walk disorderly. 3. For comforting the stomach and bowels:’ so these officerscomfortthechildrenofGod; for as they warn “the unruly, so they comfort the feeble-minded, and support the weak,” by directing them to the person, blood, righteousness, and fulness of Christ Jesus; by delivering the sweet doctrines, and opening the precious promises of the Gospel.
Thus church -officers, in managing the affairs of Christ’s house, in conjunction with his church, may be called her temples, which are “like a piece of a pomegranate within her locks;” or her veil,’’ as some render it; so Symmachus covered with a veil, as her eyes were, ver. 1; and here her cheeks; and so the Septuagint renders the word in Isa. xlvii. 2; such veils, covering those parts, were worn by women in the eastern countries, expressive of their modesty; and what was latent and much out of sight, seemed more beautiful. Likewise the temples, taken in a large signification, not only intend that part of the face, between the ears and eyes, and upwards, but include the cheeks also; and so the Septuagint’ translate the word here: the purple juice of the pomegranate well expresses the colour of them, which is their beauty; hence we often read of purple cheeks as beautiful,’” and of rosy ones blushing through shamefaeeduess and modesty :■> a pomegranate cut affords a very agreeable resemblance of a beautiful cheek; and in Talmudic language, as Jarchiobserves, the cheeks are called ‘E><1 ‘DQli, the pomegrauales of the face. And these being compared to a “piece of pomegranate within her locks,” may denote her modesty, shamefaeeduess, and beauty. 1. Her modesty: the cheeks are the seat thereof, and being within her locks, give the greater evidence of it. The church of Christ, or believers, are very humble and modest; they think the worst of themselves and the best of others, and so take the apostle’s advice, Phil. ii. 3, “Let each esteem others better than themselves:” they are apt to think every saint lias more grace and less sin and corruption in them than they have, and esteem themselves the least of saints and the chief of sinners; they frankly acknowledge that all they have, and all they are, is owiug to the grace of God; that whatsoever they hav», either of nature or grace, whether temporal or spiritual, they have received from him: and whatever they are, they say it is by the grace of God they are what they are; they do not envy the gifts and grace of God, which are bestowed on others, but could wish, with Moses, Numb. xi. 29, that “all the Lord’s people were prophets;” yet they could be glad of
aelis Not. in Lowth. Prelection. 31. p. 16-5.
1 MTiXoi, aH, Sept. gena tua, Pagninus; gena; tuas, Vulg Lat. and Cocceius. ■” Purpureas genas,
Ovid. Amor. 1. 1. eleg. 4. Statii Thebaid. 1. 1. v. hZ%. Ausonii Parental 23. v. 16. Purpurissatas genas,
Apuleii Apo’.Og, p. 239.” Vohtr,v nap(Lt.rw, &C.
Museus de Hero, &c. v. 191, IG.’j.
more themselves, and are not puffed up with what they have, and therefore are far from despising others who are inferior to them; they are willing to be instructed by, and receive admonition from the meanest saint: they are very sparing in speaking of themselves; like theirdearLord, their “voice is not heard in the street;” and, whea they do open their mouths, it is not in commendation of themselves and their own righteousness; but in lamenting the depravity and pollutiou of their nature, in acknowledging the imperfection of their obedience, and that when they have done all they can, they are but unprofitable servants. 2. Her shamefacedness and blushing; which is elegantly set forth by the broken piece of the shell or rind of the pomegranate, tinctured with the red and purple juice thereof: a believer oftentimes blushes before God under a sense of sin, and especially when committed against love, grace, and mercy; thus we read of Ezra, chap. ix. 6, that he was “ashamed, and blushed to lift up his face to God, because that grace had been showed them from him; and he had left them a remnant to escape, and had given them a nail in his holy place, and had extended mercy to them in the sight of the kings of Persia;” and yet, after all this, they had forsaken his commandment: it is this which cuts and grieves a believer’s heart, and fills his face with shame and confusion; and never more is he put to the blush, than when he views sin in the glass of pardoning grace, and pacifying love, according to Ezek. xvi. 63, “That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee;” then are their cheeks like a piece of a pomegranate within their locks, or under a veil; they blush when no eye sees them, and for that which none ever saw or could charge them with: and whenever they are charged with or reproved for sin, they have not a brow of brass to outface the charge, but soon discover their consciousness of guilt by the blushing of their countenance. Moreover, whenever they cast their eyes upon their own righteousness, they are ashamed of it, it being nothing but filthy rags, and “as an unclean tiling;” and oftentimes, when they come into Christ’s presence, not having that holy boldness and confidence of faith in him, they hang their heads, and dare not so much as lift up their eyes to him; wherefore he says to them, as in chap. ii. 14, “Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely;” and that in order to remove their fears, cheer their souls, and encourage their faith. 3. Her beauty: when a pomegranate is broken, there appears a reddish juice, like blood, as Pausanius “remarks: iuterspread between the white kernels, which gives a lively idea of her beauty; she being, as she says of her beloved “white and ruddy,” and so a perfection of beauty: her modest dress and blushing looks: her temples
Bceotica, sive 1.9. p. 578.
or cheeks being within her locks, or under a veil; and these like a piece of a pomegranate, made her extremely beautiful in Christ’s eyes; modest and humble souls he fixes his eye on, and delights to dwell with; to these he will give more grace, and will beautify them yet more with his salvation.
Verse 4. Thy neck is like the tower of David, luilded for an armoury; whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.
In this verse Christ proceeds to give a sixth instance of the church’s beauty, and compares her neck to the tower of David, &c. The Targum, by her neck, understands “the chief ot the session or great council,” who, for his works and worthiness, was like David king of Israel: R. Abeu Ezra expounds it of the king, and the bucklers and shields of the princes: R. Solomon Jarchi interprets the neck of the chambers of hewn stone, where the great council sat, which, he says, was the strength and fortress of Israel; the bucklers or shields, the law, which is a shield or buckler to Israel, which God hath commanded to a thousand generations: and others of the Jewish writers? think, that by the neck, the house of the sanctuary or temple is intended. Though rather, by the church’s neck are meant, either.
First. The ministers of the Gospel; who, 1. As the neck, are placed next the head, in the more eminent part of the body, they are set above the rest of the members; but yet in subjection to Christ, the Head; they are fixed between the head and the body, and are ruled by the one, and govern the other; but with no other laws but what are given forth by the head. 2. As the neck, they are adorned with chains of gold, which are the gifts and graces of the Spirit; which, in a variety, are given to them, to make them both beautiful and useful in the place wherein they are set. 3. As the neck joins to the head, so they hold to the Head, Christ Jesus, and nothing can separate them from him; the flatteries and allurements of the world cannot draw them; nor its terrors, reproaches, and persecutions, drive them from Christ; but they still espouse his cause, vindicate his person, preach his Gospel, and hold fast their profession, though it be with the peril of their lives. 4. As the neck, they bear up and support the Head, that is, the name, cause, and interest of Christ Jesus; so the apostle Paul is said to be “a chosen vessel, to bear Christ’s name among the Gentiles,” Acts ix. 15; and Pselles, an ancient writer, thinks that he is here particularly meant. 5. As the neck joins the body to the head, so they bring souls near to Christ who are afar off; and that by preaching “peace to them that were afar off, and to lead them that are nigh;” they show souls the way of salvation, and direct them to a crucified Christ;
p Vid. Zohar. in Gen. fol. 1 14, 3. and Yalkut in loc.
tlipy woo and beseech them, and are the iDstruments of espousing them to him. 6. As the neck is (he means of conveying food to the body; so the)’ are the means of conveying spiritual food to souls from Christ; all spiritual food and nourishment is derived to the members from Christ the Head; and very frequently, through the ministry of the word: Christ gives his ministering servants light, liuowledge, and understanding in Gospel truths, that they may feed others therewith; he breaks the bread of life, and gives it to them, that they may give to every one their portion; as he took the loaves, and distributed to his disciples, and they to the multitude. Now this neck of the church may be compared to the tower of David.
The tower of Davidi was either the stronghold of Zion, which he took from the Jebusites, and rebuilt; or some other tower, erected by him for an armoury, wherein his worthies or mightymen hung up their shields; such an one as the house of the forest of Lebanon, afterwards built by Solomon, was, where he put two hundred targets, and three hundred shields, all made of beaten gold: and therefore mention is made in Isa. xxii. 8, of the armour of the house of the forest.” Now the ministers of the Gospel may be compared to David’s tower: the Lord says of Jeremy, chap. vi. 27, “1 have set thee for a tower and for a fortress among my people.” I. They may be compared to the tower of David for its height; towers are usually built very high, and, no doubt, this tower of David’s was built so; Mr. Sandys’ says it stood aloft ia the utmost angle of a mountain, vfhose ruins are yet extant: ministers are set in the highest post and place in Christ’s house; are called with the high calling of God, to the greatest work therein, and are endowed with the largest measures of gifts and graces for it, and ought to be highly esteemed of for their works’ sake. 2. For its erectness: towers are built erect, and for this reason the neck is compared to one; the beauty of the neck consisting in its straightness and uprightness; which may set forth the integrity and uprightness of ministers, both in doctrine and conversation: as Christ has counted them faithful,
‘Turris David. Munita and excelsa valde, quae in duarum voraginum angulo, in prseruptse rupiscolie ex quadris lapidibus, ferro and plumbo indissolubilitercompaginati.<!, aDaviderege ediflcata erat. Ciijus singulan’s fortitudo and egregia pulchritudo ad commcndationem sponsiE Christi, quje est «cclesyia. a Solomone producitur, cura ait, Sicut turris David, collum tuum, &c. Adrichom. Theatrum Terrje SauetcP, p. 168. b. Travels, p. 139. Tbe
Hebrew word nvc’jn is only used in this place, and is left untranslated by the Septuagint. Jewish writers differ about the sense and dcriv.if on of it. Seme, as R. Aben Ezra observes, take it to be a compound word, of nb.l to hang, and nTD mouths or edges, that is, of swords; and so suppose this tower to be buijt to hang up swords in; which agrees well enough w:th our translation, and with Junius and Tremellius’s version, who read the word, ad armaria. Others think, that it is compounded of W an heap,
and put them into the ministry, and has put the word of reconciliation into their hands, so they will not let it go; but will hold fast the faithful word whatever it cost them, or whatever be the consequence of it: moreover, they are as careful to hold it forth in their lives, and to exercise a good conscience void of offence, both towards God and man. 3. For its strength: towers, as they are built high and upright, so they are usually built strong; and no doubt but this tower of David’s was: the ministers of the Gospel, like towers, are strong and immoveable, cannot be easily moved away from the hope of the Gospel; bonds and imprisonment will not move them, nor death itself scare them from it; but, like strong towers and walls of brass, they stand the batteries of Satan and the world. 4. Towera were built for defence, and so perhaps was this of David’s: ministers of the Gospel are set for the defence of it; and they have been enabled so well to do it, that it has not been in the power of the enemy hitherto to take and destroy it. 5. Sometimes they are built to watch in; thus we read of a watch-tower, in Hab. ii. 1; ministers of the Gospel are represented as watchmen, whose work is to give warning of, and to prevent approaching danger, and to watch over and for the souls of men. 6. This tower of David was built for an armoury,” on which were hung a thousand bucklers, &e.; this may intend that furniture which ministers have for their work; and that iravoirXla, or whole armour of God, which they are supplied with out of the scriptures, to defend the Gospel against all opposers. And so.
Secondly. By the church’s neck, which is compared to “the tower of David,” may be understood also the scriptures of truth; which, 1. As the neck is joined to the head, and being erect, discovers and makes it conspicuous; so the scriptures being near to Christ, point him out, lead and direct souls unto him; they hold him forth, and discover him to them; and therefore Christ exhorts us, John v. 39, to “search the scriptures,” and for our encouragement declares, that they testify of him. 2. They are the means of conveying s])iritual breath to souls: the words which Christ speaks, and when he speaks them to
and nVE mouths, edges, oi corners; and so intends an heap of stones, built up very high and strong, cut in various forms and corners; so Kimchi, in lib. Shora-h. rad ^”^n which are no other than the pinacl-’s or battlements of towers; accordingly Aria.s Montanus renders the words, celsa acumina; and Cocceius translates it, in molem pinnarum. Others derive it from f]bn to teach; and suppose it to intend some very beautiful strui’ture, which might serve as li pattern, and be very instructive to artificers, 80 Jarchi in loc. though R. Jonah in Kimchi, lib. Shorash. rad ^’’3? thinks, that it was designed to show travellers their way: accordingly Pagnine reads it, ad docendum tran.«euntes: and the Tigurine version, ad usum divigendi homines; in w hich sense it may easily be applied to the ministers of the Gospel, whose business is to show men the way of salvation; and to the word of God, which is a light to our feet, and a lanthorn to our paths.
the soul, “they are spirit, and they are life;” and when attended with an almighty power, they make “dry bones live,” and become the “savour of life unto life” to dead sinners. 3. They are the means of couveying spiritual food, as well as spiritual breath; as through the neck our breath is drawn, and food communicated to us, so through the scriptures we have spiritual breath and spiritual food; they supply us with that which is nourishing and satisfying, delightful, and pleasant, sweeter than the “houey or the honey-comb.” 4. As the neck is beautified with chains of gold; so are the scriptures bespangled with glorious truths and precious promises, where every truth is a golden link, and every promise a pearl, to a believing soul.
Now this ueck of the church, the sacred scriptures, may very justly be represented by “the tower of David.” I. For height: the scriptures are an high tower; the truths and doctrines contained therein are sublime; they are out of sight, beyond the reach, and above the capacity of a natural man; they are things which the carnal eye hath not seen, the carnal heart cannot conceive of, and which are only known, judged, valued, and esteemed by the spiritual man, to whom the Spirit of God has revealed these deep things; for there are heights and depths in the sacred volumes, which require an eagle’s eye and an angel’s heart. 2. For strength, firmness, and immoveableness: Satan and his emissaries have used all their art and cunning, and employed all their power and might to remove the scripture out of the world; but they have found it “a burdensome stone” unto thtm; “the gates of hell” and earth have not been able to “prevail against it;” it has stood, and ever will, immoveable as a rock, and impregnable as a tower. 3. It is like David’s tower, “built for an armoury, whereon hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.” From hence are saints furnished with spiritual armour, 1. To repel Satan’s temptations: when that enemy of souls set upon Christ in the wilderness, and threw his fiery darts and poisoned arrows at him; he defended himself, and vanquished the enemy with bucklers and shields, and the like pieces of armour taken out of his armoury; he repelled and weakened the force of his temptations, by saying, at every assault of the tempter, “It is written,” so or so: and thus likewise believers are enabled to do more or less; there is no better weapon to engage with that enemy thau “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;” neither is there a better storehouse, and magazine of spiritual armour, than the scriptures be; the reason why those young men, in 1 John ii. 14, are said to “overcome the wicked one” is, because the word of God abode in them. 2. To defend the gospel, and refute erroneous doctrines: thus Christ refuted the errors of the Pharisees concerning the law, and of the Sadducees concerning
the resurrection from the dead, and proved the spirituality of the one, and confirmed the truth of the other by scripture testimonies: so Paul and Apollos mightily convinced the Jews, and proved from the scriptures, that Jesus was the Christ, the true Messiah; for, as in 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17, “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is proGtable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God,” every believer, and more especially a minister of Christ, “may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to every good work;” and particularly to defend truth, and refute error, for which he may be abundantly supplied out of this armoury; for here “hang a thousand bucklers,” and these are “all shields of mighty men;” which mighty men may use, and by which they may perform mighty actions, and do great exploits. Thirdly, By the church’s neck, which is compared to “the tower of David,” we may also understand the grace of faith; and 1. As the neck is united to the head and members, so believers, being united to Christ, lay hold upon him by faith, and closely adhere to him; by faith Christ dwells in our hearts, and by faith we dwell in him, being one with him. 2. It bears up and exalts the head; there is no grace which brings that glory to Christ, and honours hira, as this does; it is a soul-emptying, self-abasing, and Christ-exalting grace. 3. Through it is conveyed, and by it are derived from Christ, the Head, all life, food, and nourishment to oar souls: it is by faith we live on Christ, and receive life, and the comfortable supplies of it; all food and uonrishmeut comes from Christ, the Head, which faith receives and conveys unto us. 4. It is adorned with other graces and good works: the other grace of the Spirit, such as hope, fear, love, humility, patience, self-denial, &c., are like chains of gold about this neck; besides there are also the fruits of righteousness which attend it, and make it look very beautiful and amiable. 5. It is like to the neck for erectness; it looks not downwards, but upwards to Christ, who is,” the Author and Finisher of it; it is attended with an humble boldness, an holy confidence, and a becoming cheerfulness.
This may now be compared to “the tower of David,” 1. For its height: the author of this grace of faith is the Most High God: it has its original from above; its object is Christ, who is “made higher than the heavens;” and to him it looks, on him it lives, in him it dwells: and is still pressing on toward” the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” 2. It is like a tower builded for an armoury; faith is the believer’s defence, his buckler and shield, whereby he is enabled “to quench the fiery darts” of Satan: faith makes use of God as its shield, being encouraged so to do, by the declaration of grace made to Abraham, Gen. xv. 1, “Fear not, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great rev.’ard.” Faith
improves and makes use of every perfection in God, as a shield, his love, grace, power, faithfulness, &c., faith makes use of all God’s promises as such, there is never a promise in the gospel, but will serve for a buckler and shield for faith, which believers, atone time or another, have also used as such; but more especially, faith uses Christ as such, who is the believer’s sun and shield, and will give grace and glory to them, and will withhold 110 good thing from them -. Christ indeed rather than faith, is a storehouse and magazine of armour, whereon hang a thousand bucklers: in whom an inexhaustible, overflowing, and all-sufficient fulness of grace dwells: from whence faith is furnished with all sorts of grace, and every needful piece of spiritual armour.
Verse 5. Thy two breasts are like two young ror.s that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
These words contain the seventh and last particular instance of the church’s beauty; in which her breasts are compared to “two young roes” very elegantly exposing the beauty of him; they are compared to “two young roes” for smallness, large breasts not being accounted handsome, “to young roes that are twins,” because they are of equal size and bigness, not one larger and higher than the other, for that would be a deformity; and to “two young roes that feed among the lilies,” which are fat and plump, and so well expresses the fulness of them, they being not dry and empty breasts: such are sometimes called sororiantes as if they were sisters, being alike; and full and distended with milk, reach and join to, and as it were kiss each other as such; or, “two fawns, the twins of a doe:” providence, as Plutarch” observes, has given to women two breasts, that, should they have tvvius, both might have a fountain of nourishment: and though the hind, for the most part, brings but one roe at a time; yet the philosopher observes,™ there are some that bring twins. Now by the church’s breasts, we may understand either.
First. The ministers of the Gospel. The Targum here makes mention of the Jews’ two Messiahs: which is a Talmudic fiction, and shows the work, to be a later one than what is pretended: the words are thus paraphrased in it: “Thy two redeemers which shall redeem thee, Messiah sou of David, and Messiah son of Ephraira, are like to Moses and Aaron, the sons of Jochebed, who are compared to two young roes that are twins; who, in their integrity, fed the people, the house of Israel, forty years in the wilderness, with manna and fatted fowls, and water of the well of Miriam.” And agreeable to this paraphrase, other Jewish writers would have Moses and Aaron here intended, who suckled and fed the people of Israel,
and as twins, were very like one another. Bat I think they may be much better applied to the ministers of the Gospel; who impart the “sincere milk of the word” to persons; deliver the sweet, comfortable, and nourishing doctrines of grace: which may be compared to milk out of the breasts, with which they feed them, as the apostle says, 1 Cor. iii. 2, “I have fed you with milk;” which is nourishing to new-born souls, suitable to their natures, and easily digested by them. Now these breasts of the church, the ministers of the Gospel, may be compared,
1st. To two young roes, which are, 1. Loving and pleasant creatures; “let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe;” &c., Prov. v. 19; ministers of the Gospel are loving and affectionate to such souls, more especially who are born again under their ministry, whom they feed with the milk of the word; they are as fond of them, and bear as great an affection to them, as the tender mother or nurse do to their sucking babes, according to what the apostle says, 1 Thess. ii. 7, 8, “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children; so being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the Gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear to us:” than which nothing can be more passionately spoken, nor in a more lively manner represent the strong affection and tender love and regard that ministers show, to souls: moreover as they are as the loving hind unto souls, so they are as the pleasant roe in their esteem; they love them, and are loved by them; they appear exceeding beautiful and lovely in the eyes of those to whom God has made them useful; for the very feet of them that bring glad tidings are beautiful to them. 2. Those creatures are sharp-sighted ones; ministers of the Gospel, having their understandings opened, their judgments informed, and their souls led by the Spirit of God, into ‘“’ the truth, as it is in Jesus,” have light, knowledge, and penetration into the scriptures of truth, and are capable of directing and guiding the feet of, and showing the way of salvation unto others. 3. They are swift creatures; thus the apostles and first ministers of the Gospel, like young roes, ran, spread, and carried the Gospel all over the Gentile world; “their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world:” and it may also denote in general, how expedite and quick of dispatch ministers are in doing of the Lord’s work, notwithstanding a great many difficulties are in the way: yet, like young roes, they leap over these mountains, and skip over these hills, and are “not slothful in business, but fervent in Spirit, serving the Lord.” 4. Here is only mention made of two young roes, and that to suit with the number of her breasts; and two breasts being sufficient for
•Papilla; sororiabant, Plauti Frivolari, Fragm. 1. 7. Mammas sororiantes, Plin. 1. 31 c. ti. “De Liberis Educaud. vol, 2. p. 5.” Aristot, de
Animal. 1. 6. c 29.
and Yalcut in loc.
K. Sol. Jarchi, Alshech,
one person, denotes the sufficient nnuiber of ministers which Christ provides for his church: when he had sent out the twelve apostles, he afterwards sent ot:t other seventy disciples, and these he sent out “two and two;” and so in all ages of the world, as he has removed some, he has sent others, and when there has been want of snob workmen in his vineyard, he has prayed “the Lord of the harvest” to send forth more labourers; and as the fruit of his ascension and intercession, sufficient gifts have been given to a competent number of men to fit them for the ministry, for the good of his body, the church.
2Qdly. They are compared, not only to two young roes, but to young roes that are twins: which is expressive of their equal authority, joint commission, and harmony of doctrine, as has been already observed on ver. 2.
3,rdly. They are compared to two young roes that “feed among the lilies; the lilies of the field,” for such they- were. Matt. vi. 28; and we sometimes read of harts and hinds being among lilies.?^ Now the lilies, among which the ministers of the Gospel feed, are either, 1. The scriptures, which they make their principal study, and the mean subject of their contemplation; here their own souls are delighted, comforted, and instructed, and so become useful in comforting and instructing others; from whence they gather food for themselves, and being nourished viith the wholesome words of faith and sound doctrine, they are capable of feeding others also. Or, 2. The saints; in what respects the people of God may be compiired to lilies, has been shown on chap. ii. 2, among these the ministers of the Gospel feed, and and to these they break and impart the bread of life. 3. It may be observed, that it is where Christ himself feeds, as in chap. ii. 16. The ministers of the Gospel feed where Christ feeds, and Christ feeds where they do; the great end of the Gospel-ministry is, not only that saints may have communion one with another, but also with their Head, Christ Jesus. Would any therefore enjoy communion with Christ? Are any desirous of knowing where Christ feeds? he feeds where his ministers do, and that is among the lilies, in the congregation of the saints; it may serve then as a direction to such, to sit under a Gospel-minister. Or,
Secondly. We may understand by the church’s t wo breasts, the two Testameuts, the Old and the New. A Jewish writer,^ would have their two laws here intended, namely, the written law, and the oral law; the written law is that which was written on the two tables of stone; the oral law is what they imagine God’ gave to Moses by word of mouth, which he gave to Joshua, and so was banded down from one to another, and makes up the volume of their vain, unprofitable, and numerous traditions, called the Jlisnah: but it is much
y En aipicis ilium, Candida qui medius cubat inter lilia, cervum? Calphurnius apud Bochart. Hiorozoic
better applied by another of them,” to the two tables themselves, on which were written the ten commandments, five on one table, and five on the other; and so, like two young roes that are twins, answered one another: though the two Testaments, the Old and the New, seem to bid much fairer to be the sense of these words; which two breasts contain and impart the whole “sincere milk of the word,” and afford everything that is nourishing and refreshing to believers; here is milk for babes, and meat for strong men; and, like “two young roes,” are exceeding pleasant and delightful to believers; they rejoice the heart, cheer the spirits, and fill the soul with a universal pleasure; and as two young roes that are twins are alike, there is a harmouy and agreement between them; they look to one another as the two cherubim over the mercy-seat did. They agree, 1. In the person, office, and grace of Christ: the Old-Testament has said nothing concerning the Messiah, what he should be, do, or suffer, but what the New-Testament has fully confirmed and more clearly discovered; and the New-Testament says nothing of Christ, his person, office, and grace, but what the Old bears a testimony to; and therefore, says Christ to the Jews, John v. 39, “search the scriptures,” that is, of the Old Testament; “for they arc they which testify of me.” (2). They are alike in their doctrines; the doctrines concerning Christ’s person, the remission of sins by his blood, justification by his righteousness, &c., are the same in both Testaments, notwithstanding they were spoken at “sundry times, “and delivered in” divers manners;” though perhaps they are more clearly revealed in the one than in llie other: the apostle Paul, that great asserter of the doctrines of grace under the New Testament, said no other things than what Moses and the prophets said under the Old. 3. The promises and prophecies of the Old-Testament have their completion in the New; there was nothing promised to be done, or prophesied that should be, but what has been exactly fulfilled and brought to pass; neither is there scarcely any thing in the New Testament, but what was promised and prophesied of under the Old. 4. The types and figures of the old law are exactly answered in the New-Testament: the law was nothing else but a shadow of good things to come;” the passover lamb, the brazeu serpent, the rock, and manna, the Jewish sabbaths, sacrifices, new moon, washings, and purifications, all prefigured and had their fulfilment in Christ Jesus: there is scarce any thing in the New-Testament, but what was typified under the Old; and nothing prefigured under the Old, but what has its completion in the New; and thus are they like two young roes that are twins: and they may also be said to be like roes that “feed among the lilies,” because they abound with the lilies of gospel promises and gospel-docpar. 1.1.3. c. 24. col. 024. R. Aben Ezra in loc. K. Solom. Jarcbi in loc. so in Yalkut in loc.
trines; these two fields are full of them; there are “exceeding great and precious promises,” and heavenly and delightful truths, which make for the consolation, edification, and instruction of God’s people. Or,
Thirdly. By the church’s two breasts may be intended, the two ordinances of the gospel, baptism, and the Lord’s supper; which are not dry breasts, but the breasts of consolation, out of which believers suck and are satisfied; in the Lord’s supper, by faith they “eat the flesh,” and “drink the blood” of the Son of God, and feed upon the bruised and broken body of a crucified Jesus, and in so doing, receive much strength and nourishment; in the ordinance of baptism, they look to a buried and risen Jesus, behold the place where their Lord lay, “who was delivered for their offences, and rose again for their justification;” and oftentimes go away, as the eunuch did, rejoicing: now these, like “two young roes,” are exceeding pleasant and delightful to believers, when they have the presence and Spirit of God with them, and the discoveries of his love unto them; for then are wisdom’s ways, “ways of pleasantness, and all her paths, paths of peace.” Again, like two roes that are twins, they are both instituted by Christ, both lead the faith of God’s children to him; they both require the same subjects, namely, believers, and ought to go inseparably together; he that has a right to the one, has an indubitable right to the other; and he that subjects to the one, should also to the other; for so did the first primitive Christians, who, as soon as converted, were baptized, and the same day joined themselves to the church, and stedfastly continued in holy fellowship and communion with it; a practice to be imitated and followed by us now. Moreover, these may be said to “feed among the lilies,” because they are all acknowledged, received, and submitted to by the saints, who are compared to lilies; who not only entertain them, but maintain and vindicate them against all opposers.
There are some,’’ who think by the church’s breasts are meant, love to God, and love to our neighbour, which are the two great commandments of the law; and therefore love is said to be the “fulfilling of the law.” Now “we love God, because he first loved us,” and we love the saints, because they are loved with the same love, redeemed by the same blood as we are, have the same grace wrought in their hearts, as we ourselves have, and all as the fruit and effect of divine grace; and being thus filled with a sense of God’s love, they become very fruitful in good works, and, like “two young roes,” are exceeding pleasant and delightful to Christ; and therefore he says, in ver. 10, “How fair is my love, my sister, my spouse,” &c., both to me and to my
Bernard and Carpath. in Sauct. in loc. Vid. Ainsworth and Sanct. in loc. Shilte
Hagibborim, c. 88. fol. 95. 4. -i Florus de Gest.
saints: and like two young roes that are twins, are wrought at one and the same time in the soul; bear a very great resemblance to each other in their natures, properties, and usefulness, and do inseparably go together; for where there is love to God, there will be love to the saints: for to say we love God, and do not love our brother, is a manifest contradiction, as the apostle John says, 1 John iv. 20, “He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen;” and these being fed by scripture-precepts and examples, grow and increase abundantly, like two young roes which are fat and plump, feeding among the lilies: but the other senses of the words before-mentioned seem better to agree with them.
Verse 6. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
Some’’ think these are the words of the church; who, not being able to bear any longer to hear herself so highly commended, as in the preceding verses, resolves to betake herself to some private place, where she might be out of the hearing of such praises and commendations: or else, being under great temptations and darkness of soul, resolves to go to the mountain of the Lord’s house, the church of Christ, and there in reading, meditation, prayer, and other exercises, wait for his presence, and the manifestations of himself unto her: or rather, being in distressed circumstances, she is resolved to go to Christ himself, “the rock that is higher than” she; who, for the odour of his sacrifice, the fragrancy of his intercession, and sweet-smelling garment of his righteousness, may be called “the mountain of myrrh,” and “hill of frankincense,” as he is “a bundle of myrrh,” in chap. i. 13. But I am rather inclined to think, that they are the words of Christ; in which we are told.
First. The place where he resolves to go to and abide; “the mountain of myrrh, and hill of frankincense;” which 1 apprehend intend one and the same place; though two places in Arabia were so called.” The allusion may be to mountains and hills, where those odoriferous plants grew; such as were in or near Judea. It is said of Pompey the Great, that when he passed over Lebanon, after-mentioned, ver. 8, he went through sweet-smelling groves, and woods of frankincense and balsam ;^ and Lebanon is thought by some,’ to have its name from the frankincense that grew upon it; though rather, from the whiteness of the snow continually on it, and is, in the Targum of ver. 8, called “the mountain of snow;” see Jer. xviii. 14. Secondly. How long he proposes to continue here; “until the day break, and the shadows flee away.”
Roman. 1. 3. c. 5.
ient. Urb. c. 6. p. 14.
Vid. Gabriel Sisnit. de Or-C]
Now by “the mountain of mynh, and hill of frankincense,” most of the Jewish writers understand the temple, which was built on mount Mori;fh, 2 Chron. iii. l.the place where Abraham offered up his son Isaac; in which mountain as the Lord then, so frequently in after-ages, especially when the temple was built, appeared unto his people. Now the temple may be called “the mountain of myrrh, and hill of frankincense,” either in allusion to Moriah, the name of the mountain on which it was built: which perhaps might have its name originally from the abundance of myrrh which grew upon it; or else, because in it was the holy anointing oil, one ingredient in which was “pure myrrh;” and also the incense, which was made of “pure frankincense,” together with other spices; which was likewise put upon their meat-oiferings, which were there olFered up unto the Lord: and this sense of the words is not altogether to be despised; for in the temple, ‘Caz shechinah or Divine Majesty dwelt, until Christ came in the flesh, when the gospel-day broke, and the shadows of the ceremouial law vanished, fled, and disappeared, as has been shown in chap. ii. 17. Though I think rather, by “the mountain of myrrh, and hill of fraukiucense,” is intended the church of Christ ;^ where he has taken up his residence, and resolves to dwell unto his second coming; which may be compared to a hill or mountain. 1. For their height: hills and mountains are higher than any other parts of the earth; and so is the church of Christ than the rest of the world; saints are higher in Christ’s esteem than all the world besides; and are exalted by his grace, and dignified with favours by him above all others; and however low and mean they may now appear in the eyes of the world, the time is coming when this “mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills,” Isa. ii. 2. 2. For their immoveableuess: hills and mountains cannot be removed; no more can the church or believers in Christ, Psalnou cxxv. 1; for “they that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever:” they shall never be removed either from (/hrist’s hands or Christ’s heart; they shall never be removed from a state of justification to a state of condemnation; they are secured by electing love, and preserved in Christ Jesus; they are held fast by covenant-bands, and are built upon “a sure foundation, upon a rock,” against which “the gates of hell can never prevail.” 3. For being places where trees grow, as oaks, cedars, olives, &c., and famous for these were Bashan, Hermon, Lebanon, the “mount of Olives,” &c., in the church of Christ are “trees of righteousness,” which, being planted by Christ’s Father, flourish
‘Targum, R. Aben Ezra, and R. sol. Jarchi in loc. and Zoharin Gen. fol. 75. 1. Alshech interprets it of mount Sinai, and the day-break of the captivity of
like palm-trees,’ and grow like cedars in Lebanon. 4. For being places of pasture for cattle; such were Bashan, Carmel, and Gilend -. in the church of Christ there is pasture for all his sheep; there plenteous provisions of grace are made; “a feast of fat things,” wine mingled, bread prepared, and a tablesufficiently furnished forallChrist’sfriends and guests, in this his hoJy mountain, the church. 5. la hills and mouutaias worship uned to be given, and sacrifices offered up to God, as may be collected from the discourse of Christ with the woman of Samaria, John iv. 20, 21, as well as from other l)laces of scripture: in the church of Christ the worship of God is maintained, the word of God is preached, his ordinances are administered, and the sacrifices of prayer and praise are off’ered up to him in the name and through the mediation of Christ Jesus. And as it may be compared to a mountain and hill, so likewise to “a mountain of myrrh, and hill of frankincense.” (1.) Because of the fragrancy of those graces with which the church is perfumed: hence she is said, in chap. iii. 6, to be “perfumed with myrrh and frankincse, with all powders of the merchant;” and in this chapter, ver. 10, the smell of them is said to exceed all spices; and that more especially when they are in exercise; so grateful, well-pleasing, and sweet-smelling are they then to Christ Jssus. (2.) Because of sacrifices which are of “a sweet-smelling savour, that are offered up here, as the sacrifices of prayer, which, in Rev. v. 8, are called odours; and are more especially so to God the Father, when they are ofl”ered up through Christ’s mediation, being perfumed with his much incense; here are also the sacrifices of praise, which are of an exceed! ug grateful and delightful odour to God; for being offered up to him through Christ, these spiritual sacrifices become acceptable to him. (3.) Because of that pleasure and delight which Christ takes in his people, and that sweet coiamuuiou which they here enjoy with him; so that to them both it is “a mountain of myrrh and hill of frankiucense;” where the one concludes, it is good to be, and the other resolves to stay “till the day break,” &c. The saints are “the excellent in the earth,” with whom Christ delights to converse, and’ to whom his “goodness extends;” he says, “the lines are fallen to him in pleasant places;” and that he has a goodly heritage assigned him by his Father; inasmuch as they are his to live and dwell with him for evermore: and to the saints, Christ’s “tabernacles are amiable” and lovely; they count “a day spent in his courts, better than a thousand elsewhere;” because there they see him, and have fellowship with him, whom their souls love. Now in this “mountain of myrrh, and hill of frankincense,” Christ, as he delights, so he resolves to
Egypt. B So the Cabalistic ‘doctors by these
understand malcuth, the congregation of Israel, or tJie chm-ch, Lexic, Cabal, p. 229. 277.
“dwell, until the day break,” &c. Which is, 1st. Uatil the day of grace breaks in upon every elect soul. All that the Father hath loved with an everlasting love, and hath chosen in Christ before the world began, he put into his hands; who, upon the reception of them, laid himself under obligation to redeem them by his blood, and bring them safe to glory; and as he has already done the former, he is now doing the latter, through the ministry of the word; and therefore the preaching of the gospel, a standing ministry, and a church state, are continued on earth; in which he will stay, until every one of those other sheep are called by divine grace, whom he has laid himself under obligation to bring in; and now, when grace breaks in upon a poor sinner’s heart, it is like the break of day unto him; light springs into his understanding, which before was darkened; he was darkness itself, is now made light in the Lord; and is no more reckoned among the children of the night, but among the children of the day; for now the shadows of ignorance and infidelity are fled away; the scales of darkness are fallen from his eyes, and in God’s light he sees light: he now sees his lost and undone state without Christ, the corruption and depravity of his nature, and the plague of his own heart; he sees the impurity and imperfection of his own righteousness, and the glory and fulness of Christ’s; he sees Christ as a proper, suitable, able, and willing Saviour; he sees things he never saw before, and which will ever remain invisible to a carnal eye. Now until the day of grace has thus broken in upon every elect soul; and the shadows of blindness, ignorance, and infidelity, are thus fled and gone: Christ has taken up his residence, and will dwell in his church, which, to him, is a mountain of myrrh and hill of frankincense. Or else,
Sndly. Until the day of glory breaks; that everlasting day, in which there will be no more night; when all shadows of darkness, infidelity, doubts, and fears, will flee away; when saints shall be attended no more with the long, tedious, and dark nights of afflictions and sorrows, and shall stand in no need of shadowy ordinances; but shall enjoy Christ, the sum and substance of all, and dwell and be delighted with him perpetually, upon the everlasting mountains of spices, as has been shown on ch. ii. 17.
Verse 7. Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee.
(/HKiST having mentioned some particular parts of the church, wherein she appeared very beautiful; in describing of which his soul was so taken with her beauty, that he resolves to dwell with her till his second coming; and now, lest it should be thought that there was a defect of beauty in the parts not mentioned, he sums up
all in this general commendation; “Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee:” which commendation may regard the church in some particular period of time; or, in general, be expressive of the fairness and beauty of the church, aad every believer in any age of the world. A learned Jewish writer,** would have the words referred to the days of Solomon; in which, he affirms, all Israel were righteous: and another’ to the time when Israel received the law from mount Sinai; when, it is said, there were none lame, blind, and dumb, among them: but they much better agree with the primitive and apostolic church, that was gathered by the ministry of the apostles after Christ’s ascension, which is the mind of some Christian expositors;’’ and indeed the church then bid as fair for this character, as in any other period of time whatever. Therefore, it may not be amiss if we consider how well it agrees with it; which will appear, if we observe,
Pirst. The pure doctrines of grace which were then preached; the doctrines of the gospel by the first ministers thereof, were fully preached; they kept back nothing that might be profitable to the church’s upon any pretence whatever; they shunned not to declare all the counsel of God, whatever was the consequence of it; and this they did in all sincerity and godly simplicity: they used no artful methods to conceal their principles, but renounced those hidden things of dishonesty; they did not handle the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commended themselves to every man’s conscience; they did not corrupt the word of God,’ and blend it with their own inventions, but as of sincerity, but as of God, being sent by him, in the sight of God, so spake they in Christ; and were always jealous, lest the souls they ministered to should be seduced and drawn away, by cunning and artful men, from the simplicity of the gospel: they were careful to deliver those doctrines consistently; their trumpet did not give an uncertain sound; their word was not yea and nay, sometimes one thing, and sometimes another, to the dishonour of the gospel, and the confusion of souls, but was all of a piece; they preachedagreeable to theanalogyof faith, and were very solicitous to keep to that rule, and not swerve from it: and with a great deal of warmth and zeal they adhered to these truths; bravely withstood all opposers, feared the faces of none, and studied to please no man; but were bold in the name of God to speak the gospel of God, though with much contention; and however weak, mean, and contemptible their ministry might appear to the world, it was attended with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, and was made useful for the conversion of thousands of souls: for these truths being received
‘’ R. Aben Ezra in loc. ‘Vid. Yalkut in loc.
Brightman and Cotton in loc. ‘KaffiyXfi/ovTev, caupouantes sermouem Dei; metaphora sumpta est
ab hospitibus and cauponautibus, quibus m more est vinum aqua corruinpere, Aretjus in 2 Cor. ii. 17.
in the love thereof, wrought eifectually in them that believed: and were constantly adhered to and retained by them, maugre all the opposition of men and devils.
Secondly. If we consider the nature of their worship, which was pure and spiritual: the ordinances were kept by them, as they were delivered to them: were not mixed with human inventions, and, to their eternal honour, were constantly attended on by them: they were very frequent and fervent in the duties of fasting and prayer, and did nothing of moment in the church without them: all the parts of religious worship were performed decently and in order by them; in all things they sought the glory of God, and the consolation and edification of each other.
Thirdly. If we take notice of their discipline, which was strict, and according to rule: proper officers were chosen by the joint suffrages of the church; ministers were by them set apart for the ministry; and deacons chosen by them to take care of the poor, and serve the tables: church censures and excommunications were administered by the whole body, and that with a great deal of success; in case of private offences, they gave private admonitions, and for public crimes, rebuked before all, that others might tear: those who were errouous in principle, they sharply reproved: and such as were disorderly in practice, withdrew from; an heretic after the first and second admonition, they rejected; and such who were the authors of division, and causes of contention, they carefully marked, observed, and avoided.
Fourthly. -If we take a view of their Christian communion and fellowship with each other; they lived in entire unity andharmouy with each other; they were all of one heart and of one soul; one soul did, as it were, dwell in, and actuate all their bodies; they had a great deal of sympathy for each other in all distresses, whether inward or outward, and freely communicated to each other; they wept with those that wept, and rejoiced with those that rejoiced; they kept Christ’s new commandment, and entirely loved one another; and in so doing, gave an evidence of their being the true disciples of Christ; so that the very heatheustook notice of it, and could say, “See how they love one another!” ™ which, though they could not condemn, yet it was not very grateful to them.
Fifthly. Their conversation was as becomeththe gospel of Christ Jesus: they held the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience; that grace, which was reveakd unto them, and wrought in them, taught them to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; and in so doing, they adorned the gospel, honoured their profession, stopped the mouths of gainsayers, and recommended religion to others; and thus the primitive church much continued for the first three hundred years after
Christ: but we are not to imagine, that there were no blemishes and imperfections in her during all this time; for there were many, and more especially towards the latter end; but, being compared with the state of the church in after ages, she might then be said to be all fair, and no spot in her. But I rather think the words are not to be limited to the church in any one period of time, but are applicable to her and to all believers in any age of the world; who are all fair, not upon the foot of their own works, as the Targum on the place intimates; for all their righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and so are far from making them appear fair and beautiful in Christ’s sight; but they are so, being justified by his righteousness, washed in his blood, and sanctified by his Spirit; and so shall be at last presented to him “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing,” Eph. v. 27.
The title and character which Christ here gives to his church, “my love,” I have already met with and explained in chap. i. 9. It is here predicated of her,
1st. That she is all fair. She is said to be fair, and is called by Christ, his fair one, and the fairest among women, before; but here, all fair: To show,
1. That she was a perfection of beauty, being made perfect through that comeliuess which Christ put upon her: believers are perfectly justified by Christ’s righteousness from all sin; stand complete in him, and so are esteemed all fair by him; and in respect of sanctification, there is a perfection of parts, though not of degrees; there is a perfect new creature in all its parts, though it is not as yet grown up to be a perfect man in Christ; even as a new born babe, which has every part and limb in just proportion, may be said to be perfect, though it has not as yet grown up to the stature and bigness it will do, if life is continued.
2. That the whole church, and all the true members thereof are so; all of the church, every member, every individual believer, is fair in Christ’s eye; the meanest and weakest believer, as well as the greatest and strongest, is made perfectly comely with Christ’s comeliness, and equally accepted in the beloved. 3. He says so of the church, to manifest the exceeding greatness of her beauty, and how much his heart was taken with it, that he, the king, greatly desired it, and delighted to be in her company. 4. To comfort her, banish her doubts and fears, and strengthen her faith; who, seeing her own vileuess and sinfulness, and spots and blemishes, might be ready to despond in her mind, and call in question her interest in Christ, and his righteousness; therefore he says; “Thou art all fair, ray love:” I do love thee, thou art exceeding fair and beautiful in my eye; all of thee is fair and beautiful; thou art fairer than all others, being adorned with my grace, and clothed with ray righteousness.
Vide, inquiunt, ut invicem se diligant, Tertull. apolog. c. 39. Sic mutuo, quod deletes, amore diligimus, quoniam odisso nun novimus. Sic. nos, quod invidctis, fratres vocamus, ut uuius Dei parentis homines, ut consortes fidci, ut spei cohxtredes, Minut. Filix Octav. p. (mihi”) 35.
2ndly. He asserts that there was no spot in her; which is not to be understood, 1. As if there was no sin in believers; for this is contrary to all the experience of God’s children, as well as to express texts of scripture; the humble coufeasions and ingenuous acknowledgments of saints in all ages, their frequent groans and complaints of the weight and burden of it, are plain proofs to the contrary; their ardeut prayers at the throne of grace, for the manifestations of pardoning love, that God would cleanse them from seciet, and keep them back from presumptuous sins, not only testify their commission of sinful actions, but also their sense of indwelling corruptions; and their daily slips and falls loudly proclaim the depravity of their natures; to imagine that we have no sin in ns, is but to deceive ourselves, and to give an evidence to others, that the truth is not in us; therefore, when Christ says of his church, that there is no spot in her, we are not to understand it in this sense. Nor, 2. As if the sins of God’s people were not sins; for, though they are justified by
Christ’s righteousness from all’sin, and have all to Christ and his church: This, says he, is a
great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and
a large and full commendation of his church’s beauty, and having his heart exceedingly taken with it, so that he could not bear a distance from her: invites her, as his spouse and bride, to go along with him, and look otf from the several places mentioned. In the words are,
I. A special title given her, expressive of the nearest relation to him; “my spouse.”
II. A kind invitation to go along with him, enforced with the most powerful arguments.
I. A special title is given to her, “my spouse.” This is a new one, which we never met with before: He had called her his love, his dove, and his fair one, but never, till now, his spouse; which is expressive of that near relation and strict union that is between Christ and his church, which union is represented by several things in scriptore, as by the union of the head and members, vine and branches; but by none more strongly than by the conjugal union of husband and wife, by which they become one flesh; which the apostle, Eph. v. 32, taking notice of, applies
their sins pardoned through Christ’s blood: yet their sins do not hereby cease to be sins: pardon of sin and justification by Christ’s righteousness, free souls from an obligation to the punishment due to sin, but do not destroy the nature of sin: violations and breaches of God’s righteous law, made by his own people, are equally esteemed sins by him, as those made by others; and though he never will inflict his vindictive wrath upon them for their sins; yet he does oftentimes, in a fatherly manner, chastise them for them, and brings them under a sense and acknowledgment of them before him. But, 3. The church and all believers are so in Christ’s account; though they have sin in them, and have committed sin, and, through infirmity, continue to do so, yet sin is not reckoned and imputed to them; for, being clothed with his spotless righteousness, he looks upon them as if they had no spot in them; and they are so corered with it, that when their sins are sought for by divine justice, they shall not be found, nay, God himself having accepted of Christ’s righteousness and imputed it to them, sees no iniquity in Jacob, nor perverseness in Israel: though all sin is seen by him, in articulo providenlia, in the article of providence, and nothing escapes his all-seeing eye; yet, in articulo justificationis, in the article of justification, he sees no sin in his people, so as to reckon it to them, or condemn them for it; for they all stand unblameable and nnreproveable in his sight; and Christ will ere long present them in open view to men and angels, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.
Verse 8. Come with me from Lebanon, (my spouse) with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, Jrom the lions’ duns, from th& mountains of the leopards.
(‘HBibT haviiij.’, ill liie verse? going before, civcn
his church:” Christ and his church being espoused together, become one spirit; hence it is that they are called by the same names: Christ is called by the name of Israel, which is the church’s name, and the church is called by the name of Christ; hence all that Christ has is the church’s, and all that the church has is Christ’s; her debts become his, and his grace becomes hers; there is a mutual interest of persons and things; and that which crowns all, is, that this union is indissoluble: this band can never be broken, nor this marriage-knot be ever untied.
I shall now very briefly show you, 1st. How the church came to be the spouse of Christ. 2ndly. Why she is first called so here.
1st. How the church came to be Christ’s spouse; a person so much beneath him, at such a distance from him, and so unlovely and unlikely in herself, it may justly seem strange and be wondered at, how she came to be so nearly related to him. And here aow observe, that the Lord Jesus Christ from all eternity pitched his love upon her: that he loved her from thence, is manifest from his suretyship-engagements for her; he asked her of his I’ather, who had a right to dispose of her, and he gave him his heart’s desire, and did not withhold the request of his lips from him; which request being made by the Son, and consent given by the leather, he then betrothed her to himself for ever, and that in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies; and resolved to bestow that grace upon her, which should cause her to know, own, and acknowledge him to be her Lord and Husband: but notwithstanding this, at present here was an actual consent of her own wanting; wherefore he sends his ministering servants in the several ages of the world to obtain it: these are sent to display his greatness, discover the richness of his giace, and speak of all
SONG 01-’ SONGS.
his glories; which, being impressed upoa souls by the mighty power of his Spirit and grace, they are willing to give up themselves to him to be his for ever, to love, owu, and acknowledge him as their Lord and Husband; which may be called “the day of their espousals” lo him: but all this will more visibly and gloriously appear, when all the elect are gathered in, and every soul of them made willing to be a holy spouse unto him: then shall the nuptials be solemnized, and that voice should be heard in heaven, “the marriage of the Lamb is come;” whose wife, being “as a bride adorned for her husband,” shall be received by him, and enter with him into the marriage chamber, where they shall spend an endless eternity in the enjoyment of each other.
2ndly. Why she is first called so here; she is in the following verses, and in other parts of this song, frequently called so, but never before this time. (1). Being all fair, without any spot or blemish, being prepared by his grace for himself, and having a grant from him to be “arrayed in fine linen, clean and white,” he calls her his spouse; for now she looked something like one, having on the wedding garment, Christ’s spotless righteousness. (2). The marriage was now consummated, “the day of his espousals” was over, which is mentioned in chap. iii. 11, for all that comes between that and these words, is a commendation of his church’s beauty, which his heart was wonderfully taken with on his marriage-day; and when he had finished the commendation, salutes her with this title, my spouse. (3). The mentioning of it here, may be also to prevail with her to go along with him. Where should a wife be? or with whom should she be, but with her husband? I am thy husband, and thou art my spouse and bride; and therefore both duty and affection to vne should oblige thee to go along with me: so that the import of the words is much the same with those; “forget thine own people, and thy father’s house, so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty; for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him,” Psalm xlv. 10, 11. Which leads me to consider,
II. The invitation he gives her to go along with him, “Come with me, my spouse,” &e., or, as the words may be read, “Thou shalt come with me,”° &c., for whatever Christ invites and exhorts us to, he must give us grace and strength to perform, and, blessed be his name, he does.
Lebanon, from whence she is exhorted and invited to remove, was a goodly mountain, on the borders of the land of Canaan, northward; it was famous for odoriferous trees, and especially for cedars, wherefore frequent mention is made of it in this song; this was that “goodly mountain
‘Nian veiiies, Pagniuus, Montanus, Mercerus. Junius and Tremellius. ° See Lightfoofs
Works, vol. 1. p. 76. and Bedford’s Scripture CJironology, p. 607. P Targum and R. Aben Ezra in
loc. 1 R. Abendana; not. in Miclol Yoplii, E. Sol. Jarchi in Zech. xi. I. ‘Talmud Yoma.fol.
and Lebanon,” which Moses had such a desire to see before his death, Deut. iii. 25, the allusion may be to the bringing of Pharaoh’s daughter, whom Solomon married, from the house of the forest of Lebanon, where she might be first placed, to the house he built for her, when it was prepared to receive her,” 1 Kings ix. 24. Some of the Jewish writers think, that a mighty conflux of people to the temple, from all parts of Judea, and even from among the uncircumcised, who are compared to lions and leopards, is here intended: but rather, we are to uuderstaud the words as an exhortation, to remove from the teraple and from Jerusalem; for perhaps by Lebanon here, may be meant the temple, as in Zech. xi. 1, “Open thy doors, 0 Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars;” which, by some Jewish writers,“i is expounded of the temple, and the destruction of it: for they tell us,’ that forty years before the destruction of it, the gates of the temple opened of themselves; at which R. Jochanau Ben Zaccai, as if affrighted, rebuked them, and said, “Now know I that thy destruction is at hand, according to the prophecy of Zechariah, the son of Iddo, Open thy gates, O Lebanon,” &c. The temple might be called so, because it was made of the wood of Lebanon, of cedars which were brought from thence, and because the frankincense which grew there, was daily burnt in it, and the glory of it was brought into it. Now in Christ’s time the temple was become a den of thieves, as he calls it, in Matt. sxi. 13; and in the apostles time was a den of lions, and a mountain of leopards; was full of painted and spotted hypocrites, and cruel persecutors; wolves in sheep’s clothing, who made havoc of the church, and persecuted the saints from place to place; wherefore Christ removed from them, broke up housekeeping with them, and left their house desolate unto th em; he took his gospel from them, ordered his ministers to depart far hence to the Gentiles, and calls forth his people from among them, to go along with him thither, “Come with me from Lebanon, ray spouse,” &c. Also he bids her look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Ilermon: Amana’ was a mountain, which divided Cilicia from Syria; from whence perhaps the river at the foot of it took its name, which in 2 Kings v. 12, is called Abana, but in the keri or margin it is read Amana: and so the Targum here expounds it of the people which dwelt by the river Amana: R. Solomon Jarchi would have it to be a mountain in the northern border of Israel, and that it is the same with mount Hor ;* and indeed, in every place where mention is made of mount Hor, the Targum of Joaathan* always renders it, Taurus
39. 2. run. 1. 6. c. 22. Pompon Mela, 1. 1. c.
12, and solin. c. h.
‘So Talmud. Hieros. Challah, fol. 60. 1. and Sheviith, fol. 37. 4. In Numb. 20. 22, 25, 27.
and xxxiv. 7, 8. Deut. xxxii. SO.
Umanns; for Amanus, according to Ptolemy, was a part of mount Taurus; it is joined with Libanou by Josephus,”’ and was a part of it, where the snow lay all the summer; as it is both with that and Carmel by ^lianus.^ Shenir and Ilermon were one and the same mountain, called by different names: Herraon perhaps was the common name to the whole mountain; and that part of it which belonged to the Sidonians, they called Sirion; and the other (lart which belongei to the Amorites, they called Shenir, Dent. iii. 9. Now all these mountains may be called dens of lions, and mountains of leopards, not only because they were inhabited by those wild beasts,’’ but because they were inhabited by cruel, savage, and tyrannical persons, and by thieves and robbers, and such like persons, and especially Amana, as Strabo,^ Cicero,* and Plutarch’’ relate; and which appears also from what Lucan says, in his Pharsnlia, lib. 3, ver. 244.
Venere feroces,
Cappadoces duri populus nunc cultor Amani.
Shenir and Hermon were formerly, as Jarchi observes, the dens of those lions, Sihon and Og, kings of Bashan and of the Amorites; unless they should rather be thought to be the proper names of some places about Lebanon, for Adrichomius“^ says, “The mountain of the leopards, which was round and high, was two miles distant northwards from Tripolis, three from the city Areas southward, and one from mount Lebanon.” Now from the tops of these mountains Christ would have his church look, and take a prospect how the gospel was received, what numbers of souls w’ere converted, and how churches were planted in Phoenicia, Cyprus, Cyrenia, Antioch, &c., though it was contemned, rejected, and persecuted by the Jewish nation; so that the words may be understood of Christ’s carrying his gospel into the Gentile world, andsncceeuingin it, and calling his people to take notice of it. Or else.
This may intend in general Christ’s call to his church and people, to leave the society of, and come out from among the wicked men of the world, comparalde to lions and leopards, and to go along with him, as in 2 Cor. vi. 17, and Rev. sviii. 4. And here are two sorts of arguments, which he makes use of to enforce this upon them.
I’irst. That the persons from whom he exhorts them to remove, were no better than lions and leopards; and to converse with them, was no better than to dwell in the dens and mountains of such. 1. Wicked and ungodly persons may be compared to lions, especially those wjio are of a cruel and persecuting nature: hence David, baing among such, says, “my soul is among lions;” he frequently represents the wicked as such, and desires deliverance from them: likewise the
“Antiq. 1. 1. c. 6. s. 1.” De Animal, i. 5. c. Sfi.
y Vid. Aristot. Hist. Animal I. 6, c. 3. Plin 1 8 c. 16. and Brocard in Cocceii Lexic. p. 123.
GeoRraph. 1. 14. p. 405. and 1. 1. Ifi. p. 517.
All. Attic. 1. 5. ep. -M. I- III VitaCiceron.
V. ^70. ‘Mens leopardorum rotuudus and alius
apostle Paul calls a persecuting Nero, “the lion,” out of whose mouth it pleased the Lord to deliver him. 2. They may be compared to leopards, (1.) For their being full of spots; the leopard is not fuller of spots, than the sinner is of sin; as the one is natural, so is the other; and as the leopard cannot change one spot, nor make any alteration in his nature; no more can the sinner change his own heart, nor by any power of his own remove the spots and stains of sin; as Jeremy says, chap. xiii. 23, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” (2.) For their craftiness and cruelty, as is manifest from Jer. v. 6, Hos. xiii. 7- .Sllianus reports,“* that when the leopard is in want of food, it hides itself among the thickets, so as it cannot be seen; and, by the sweetness of its odour, draws the fawns, does, wild goats, and such like animals to it; and when they are near, breaks out of its lurking-place, and makes them its prey: other artful methods it makes use of for the’ same purpose, as is recorded by others f which is a just emblem of the craftiness and cruelty of wicked <and ungodly men, who use all the stratagems to ensnare, and exercise all the cruelty tlicy can devise upon those who are “quiet in the land,” (3.) For their swiftness; so in Ilab. i. 8, the horses of the Chaldeans are said to be swifter than leopards: wicked men, though slow and backward to that which is good, yet are swift to do mischief; no sooner do their hearts devise wickedness, but their feet run to accomplish it.
Secondly. The second argument he uses with her to quit the society of wicked men, is, the enjoyment of his own company, which is far preferable to theirs; “Come with me, my spouse.” L Christ’s company is much more pleasant than theirs; though the ways of sin may seem pleasant for a while, yet at length they will appear no other than the haunts of lions and leopards; though the company of sinners may seem now sweet and delightful, they will be found at last to be more bitter than death; but Christ’s ways are always “ways of pleasantness.” it is good i’or the believer to be always in his company, where he iinds solid pleasure, and inexpressible delight; more than ever he did in the tents of wickedness. 2. It is more profitable: the company and conversation of wicked men is hurtful and pernicious; “evil commimications corrupt good manners;” but the company of Christ is always profitable: a believer always gets something by it; it has a mighty influence upon the inward frame of his soul, and upon his outward walk in the world’; it makes him both comfortable in himself, and
est, qui contra aquilonem a Tripoli daubns, versus austrum a civitate Areas tribus, aLibano autom uno niiliario distat, Adrichomii 1 lieatriiro Terras Sanctm. p. iRn. l. “f De Animal. !. 5. c. 40.
Soliu. c. 27. FranlziiHist. Animal, par. I c. 8.
useful to others; so that he sustains no loss, but undoubtedly is a gainer, who parts with the coml)any of the men of the world for Christ’s. 3. Christ’s company is much more safe than theirs: the company of wicked men is always dangerous; there is danger not only of being infected with their sins, but also of partaking of their plagues; it tends to ruin here, and leads to everlasting destruction; but the believer is always safe in Christ’s company, in what place or condition soever he be; though he walks through the waters of affliction, and fire of tribulation, nay, though through the valley of the shadow of death; yet he is always safe, being guided by his counsel, supported by his hand, and comforted by his presence. Now Christ in all this discovers a great deal of cave over, and affection to his church and people. One would think she cannot withstand a request, delivered in such an affectionate manner, where her own comfort, profit, and safety, are so much concerned. Who would dwell in lions’ dens, and in the mountains of the leopards, when they might have such agreeable and delightful company as Christ’s is? which is to be valued and preferred before this world, and all the things of it; though God’s owu children are too apt to be taken with them; and therefore have need, as here, to be called to look off from them to things that are spiritual and heavenly; and not take up their rest and satisfaction in those things and places, where lions dwell and leopards walk.
Verse 9. Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister,
my spouse: thou hast ravished my heart
with one of thine eyes, with one chain of
thy neck.
CHRist, having invited his church to go along with him, here discovers the reason of it, because his heart was ravished with her; he had such an affection for her, that he could not bear to be at a distance from her. In these words, consider,
I. The titles given to her; “my sister, my. spouse.”
II. What he declares to her; “thou hast ravished my heart,” which expression is doubled.
III. What it was his heart was so taken with, which had such a mighty influence upon him; “with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.”
I. I shall consider the titles he gives unto her, and they are two, “my sister, my spouse;” one of which, namely, “my spouse,” has been explained in the former verse, and is here repeated to show his affection to her, how much he delighted in her under this character; as also, to assure her of the truth of it, as well as to manifest his satisfaction in this relation, and that he was not ashamed to own and acknowledge her as such: the other title, “my sistei’,” we have not met before. Novt Christ may call the church his sister, 1. More amatorio, it being a lovestrain;’ and this being a love-song, where Christ
‘Sive tibi coujux, -sivi.’ futuia soror, Tibullus.
and his church are expressing their love to each other; such a title as this cannot be looked upon as an improper one: it being an endearing expression, used by husbands to their wives; as by Raguel to Edna, Tobit vii. 8, and by Tobias to Sara, chap. viii. 4. 3. More Hebrceorum: it being usual with the Jews to call those of their own kindred and coitntry, brethren and sisters, and with none but such were they allowed to marry; and perhaps to this the apostle has a respect, 1 Cor. ix. 5, “Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife?” &c., agreeable to this, Christ calls his church his sister, whom he had espoused to himself. 3. He may call her so on account of his incarnation; he assuming the same nature, and partaking of the same flesh and blood the children did; and so being of one and the same mass and lump with them, is not ashamed to call them brethren; which, it may be, is intended in that wish of the church’s, chap, viii. 1, “O that thou wert as my brother!” &c., that is, 0 that thou wert incarnate! that we were of the same flesh and blood, and thereby thou appear to be my brother, and I thy sister. 4. On the account of her adoption: God has by his sovereign, free, and distinguishing grace, adopted all his elect into his family, and has in his covenant of grace declared himself to be their Father, and them to be his sons and daughters; and now, being the sons and daughters of the same Father as Christ is the Son of, they become his brethren and sisters, which he acknowledges, John XX. 17. 5. Being bora again, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, they bear this character; and are so in Christ’s esteem, according to what he says, Matt. xii. 50, “Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother and sister, and mother:” Christ bears all relations to his people, and is willing to own them in all relations to him. 6. Perhaps the church is here first called Christ’s sister; because Christ having called his people out of Judea’s land, and gathered a church among the Gentiles, that little sister spoken of in chap. viii. 8; it might hereby appear that he had a real affection for her, that she was valued by him, and neai’ly related to him.
II. What he declares unto her, is, that she had “ravished his heart.” It is but one word in the Hebrew text, and is used in this form and sense no where else, but twice in this verse; for Christ’s love being so unspeakable and inexpressible, he coius, as one? well “observes, new words to discover it by; it is variously rendered, and perhaps by laying the several versions together, it will appear more fully what is intended by it. 1. The words may be rendered, “thou hast heartened me, or put heart into me,” and caused me to be of good cheer; so Cocceius and Schmidt: the word is used in this sense, in the Syriac Testament, in Matt. ix. 2, and 1 Thess. v. 14, and
8 Durham in Loc.
then the sense may be this; the love which I bear unto thee, the charming ideas of thee, which I always carry in my mind, and the “joy which was set before me,” of having thy company and presence for ever in glory; have made my heavy sufferings easy, animated me as man and Jlediator, and cheerfully carried mc through them all for thy sake, heb. xii. 2. 2. Others read them, “thou hast unhcarted me;” thou hast taken away my heart, and stolen it from me, so that 1 have no heart left in me, so the Septuagiut; which reading R. Aben Ezra confirms. Sometimes fear throws persons into such a condition, that they are as if they had no heart, spirit, life, or soul in them; as the Canaanites in Jadg. v. 1; sometimes wonder and surprise; thus the queen of Sheba, when she had seen Solomon’s wisdom and glory, it is said, “there was no more spirit in her;” and sometimes love has such an influence on the heart, and so it had here on Christ; it was so powerful, that it had taken away his heart; “thou hast ravished my heart,” that is, thou hast taken it away from me, as it were, by force and violence, that it is no longer mine, but thine; thou art master over it, and hast the command of it,*” having claimed it to thyself as thine own. 3. It is rendered by others, “thou hast drawn my heart unto thee,” so R. Solomon Jarchi; or, “brought me near,” or “caused me to draw nigh:”’ that our hearts should be drawn to Christ, by views of his loveliness, and discoveries of his love to us, is no wonder; but that Christ’s heart should be drawn to us, in whom were neither love nor loveliness, is surprising; which shows the exceeding greatness, freeness, and richness of Christ’s love. 4. It may be read, “thou hast coupled ray heart with thine;” and in this sense the Talmudists use the word -.^ Christ’s heart and a believer’s are so knit, joined, and coupled together, that they are but one heart, one soul, and one spirit; “he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit;” all the powers of hell and earth, united together, are not able to disjoin and separate, either a believer’s heart from Christ, or Christ’s heart from a believer. 5. The Targum paraphrases it thus, “thy love is fixed upon the table of mv heart;” it is written there in legible characters, which can never be erased; the church is not only engraven on the palms of Christ’s hands, but also upon the table of his heart: and so the church has what she wished for, chap. viii. 6, “Set me as a seal upon thine heart:” Christ’s love to the church is so rivetted and fixed in his heart, that there is no removing it; “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” 6. It is translated by others, “thou hast wounded my heart,” so the Vulgate Latin; which reading is
i” ‘•sna’? vendicasti tibi cor raeum, Tigurine version: occupasti.Luthorus, Marckius. ‘Glosp. in T. Bab. Sabbat, fol..’iS. 2. and 88. 2. In Sabbat, fol. 5. 2. and Avoda Zara; fol. 2. 2. in Misnah. Vid. Buxtorf. Lex. Heb. in rad. 21”? and Lex. Talmud, p. llfi. Cor copulasti mihi. uxtorf. Hettinger, Smegma, p.
not to be despised; R. David Kinichi’ owns it: Christ’s heart was wounded with one of love’s darts,“” with an arrow shot from one of the church’s eyes; which is expressive of the force and power of love, with what vehemence it dwelt in, and what iiidiience it had upon the heart of Christ.
Now this expression is repeated, to show the vehemency and passionateness of his love, and the exceeding greatness of it; as also to assure her of the reality of it; that he was hearty and sincere in it; and did not say this by way of compliment to her as lovers too often do; nor was it a word which was rashly spoken by him, or that dropped from him at unawares; but as it proceeded from his heart, so it was spoken by him in a deliberate manner; therefore he repeats it, not to correct, but to confirm it.
Hence we may conclude what interest a believer has in Christ’s heart. What may he not expect? what can he want? what need he fear, that has so great a share in Christ’s heart? and what reason has he to give Christ his heart, who has so much of Christ’s ?.
III. I shall now take notice of the things with which Christ’s heart was ravished. 1. “With one of the church’s eyes;” the eye is an attractive of love;° and therefore it is said in Prov. vi. 25, “Neither let her take thee with her eyelids.” By the eye, with which Christ was so taken, may be meant, the eye of faith; by which a soul looks on him, and loves him; beholds his fulness, and wishes for an interest in him; and looks to him, and expects from him alone life and salvation: He says, it was with one of her eyes; which shows that a believer has more eyes than one; and therefore we read of “the eyes of their understanding,” Eph. i. 18; but it was with this eye of faith, by which she looked to him, and believed on him, that his heart was so ravished; and that but with one look from it, or glance of it, as both Junius and Ainsworth read it; nay, though but a very glimmering one; for faith, even in its lowest degree, is exceeding precious to Christ Jesus; which shows how easily and quickly a couquest is gained over Christ’s heart by faith; his heart must needs be full of love to believers, since it is ravished and overcome even with a single glimmering look from faith’s eye; and if so, how much will his heart be ravished, when we shall see him “face to face, just as he is; “take a full view of him, look at him, and feed our eyes for ever upon the unutterable glories of his person? 2. “With one chain of her neck:” the neck is a beautiful part of the body, and being agreeably adorned, is exceeding enamouring: the Vulgate Latin version is, “with one lock of hair of thy neck,” so Aquila; which hung down in it, and
1G2. ‘In lib Sliorash. rad. 23’?. Sagittiferi amores, Stattii Sylva, 1. 3. ode 3. v. 131.
“Tur 7rui/T€t eir oixfxaaiv ‘ifiepot ivTi, Theocrit. Idyll.
18. Perque tuos oculos qui rapuere meo.’s, Ovid. Amor. 1. 3. eleg. 10. Vid. Barthii not. ad Claudian. De Nupt. Honor, v. G.
looked very beautiful, and with which lovers are sometimes taken.” By the neck, we may also understand faith, as we have observed on ver. 4, it beint; neither unusual uor improper to represent one and the same thing under different metaphors: and by the chain, may be meant the graces of the Spirit, which, being linked and chained, do inseparably go together: and being put about this neck of faith, makes it look very beautiful: every grace is as a golden link or precious pearl in Christ’s esteem; who having beautified his people with them, takes the utmost delight in viewing them; and whilst he is observing how beautifully they are adorned there-with, his heart is ravished with them.
Verse 10. How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
Christ having; declared in the preceding verse, hnw much his heart was delighted in, and ravished with the faith of his church; now proceeds to show how well pleased he was with her love, and other graces of the Spirit, in these words; where,
I. The excellency of her love is set forth.
ir. The sweet smell of her ointments is commended.
I. He gives some excellent characters of her love to him, Christ is the objdct of a believer’s love; and he is well pleased with that love which they show to him: the nature of this love, its spring and actings, have been shown already, on chap. i. 3, where it has been observed, that it is superlative and universal; a believer loves Christ above all, and all of Christ; it is, or at least ought to be, constant and ardent, and is always hearty and unfeigned; it springs and arises from views of Christ’s loveliness, and sights of his suitableness and fulness, from a sense of his love, and a discovery of union and relation to him; and is heightened and increased by enjoying communion and fellowship with them; it manifests itself by a regard to his commands and ordinances, his truths, his people, and his presence, and by parting with, and bearing all for him, as has there been more largely shown. Now of such a love as this he says, 1. That it is fair; “How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse 1” the titles and characters he gives her, have been already explained; it was prqper to repeat them here, that whilst he was commending her love, he might show his own; and assure her of the relation she stood in to him, and that he had an undoubted right to the affections of her heart: he here says, that her love to him was fair, that is lovely, delightful, grateful, and acceptable; and it appears to be exceeding well-pleasing to
° Ain-apa Trap auxei/a (reier iSeipa, Theocrit. Idyll. .5.
Caesariem effusa nitidam per Candida colla, Virgil. Georgic. I. 4. v. 337. Coma; per levia colla iluhim; for those persons, ha dee]are9,are the objects of his love, to whom he manifests himself in a way of special grace and favour; he overrules all things here for their good; he gives them more grace, has prepared glory for them, and will preserve them safe unto it: not that their love is the meritorious and procuring cause of all this, nor the condition of their enjoying it; for his love to them has resolved all these things for them beforehand, and is the cause of theirs; but when it is wrought in their souls, and discovers itself to him, he is pleased to show by those instances of his grace, how fair and lovely it is in his sight. 2. He says, that it is “better than wine:” he here asserts the same of her love, which she had of his, in chap. i. 3. Christ and the church, in this Song, do frequently gather up each others words, striving, as it were, to outdo each other in their expressions of love; but Christ will in no wise come behind, and be autdane by his church and people; though it may well be wondered at, that Christ should have the same to say of our love, as we have of his; yet so it is: he here declares, it is “better than wine,” that is, more grateful and pleasant, more refreshing and reviving; “wine makes glad the heart of man,” Psalm civ. 15; but it cannot cheer, and make glad the heart of man, more than a sinner’s love does the heart of Christ: wine was used in feasts, and counted a principal part thereof; therefore the “house of feasting” was called the “house of drinking,” that is, wine, Eccles. vii. 2; the feast which the rich Pharisee made for Christ, was not, as one? well observes, thought so much of by him, nor half so entertaining to him, as the love which the poor woman showed him: wine was used in the legal sacrifices; but the wine of legal sacrifices, or any external performance, is not so valued by Christ as a sinner’s love is; and indeed no duties or performances whatever are acceptable to him, unless love be the inward principle from whence they flow, and by which they are acted. 3. He sets off the greatness and excellency of it, by using a word of the plural number; “How fair are thy loves,’’ how much better are thy loves,” &c., which may be expressive of the several actings of it towards him, for it discovers itself in various ways: and also of the several fruits which accompany or spring from it; all which serve for the greater commendation of it. 4. The manner of the expressions, which is by wav of interrogation and admiration; “How fair! &c., how much better!” &c., as if it could not be well expressed, how fair and lovely it was; which is an evidence of the valuableness of it, or at least an indication how much Christ esteemed it; Christ’s love has its heights and depths, and lengths and breadths: and to hear souls speak afentes, propert. 1. 2. eleg 3.v. 13. p Durham in loc. 1 “[‘“”n amores tui, Pagninus, Blontarus, &c.
ter such a manner, concerning that, need not to be wondered at; but to bear Christ express himself after this manner, concerning ours, is strange and surprising.
II. Her ointments are next commended, and the smell of them: in chap. i. 3, we read of Christ’s ointments, here of the church’s; in both places one and the same thing is intended, namely, the graces of the Spirit; why these are called ointments, have been there shown. These ointments, or graces of the Spirit, are first. Christ’s and then the church’s -. the head is first anointed with them, and then the members; he without measure, but they in measure; which being poured forth upon them, and they anointed with them, the smell of them is exceeding grateful to him: the smell of these ointments intends the actings and exercises of grace upon him; which are very delightful to him, and preferred by him to all spices, even to all that were used ia the holy anointing oil, Exod. xxx. 23, 24; that was not so valuable as this “anointing which leacheth all things;” nor the smell of that so much esteemed by Christ, as this is.
Verse 11. Thy lips, 0 ray 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.
Christ having declared, in the two former verses,
how much his heart was taken with the failh
and love of his church, and delighted with the
the effectual, fervent, 4vepyovfj.i]vri, the inwrought “prayer of a righteous man availeth much,” James v. 16; so they are sweet, pleasant, delightful, and acceptable to Christ: “the prayer of the upright is his delight;” the prayers of the meanest believer are as delightful music in his ears, as sweet-smelling odours in bis nostrils, and like the honey or honey-cumb to his taste. 2. In praises: Christ has done great things for his church and people in the redemption and salvation of them; and therefore praise becomes them; it is their duty: and as this work is oftentimes pleasant to their own souls; so in discharging it, they often drop things in the praise of Christ’s person and grace, which are exceeding grateful and well- pleasing to him. 3. In confessing Christ’s name, and owning bis truths before men: this is a work exceeding necessary, and a duty highly incumbent on God’s children; at every opportunity, and whenever they are called to it, they ought to do it; and as the omission ot it is much resented by Christ, so the performance of it will be graciously rewarded, as appears from Matt. x. 32; thus Paul, both at Jerusalem and at Rome, and many other martyrs and confessors, have, in the behalf of Christ and his gospel, dropped words like the honey-comb. 4. In the ministry of the word: the church’s lips are the ministers of the gospel, so Theodoret; whose business is to deliver, not so much “the senses of the law,” which is Jarchi’s note on the words, as the doctrines of the gospel:
smell of her ointments, here, with pleasure, takes I these lips drop” the wholesome words of our
notice of her mellifluous language, and sweet- Lord Jesus Christ;” and not words which eat
mellins dress. Two things are here commended like a canker, but words, which, like the honey
in her;
I. The sweetness of her speech.
II. The smell of her garments.
I. The sweetness of her speech: Christ’s heart was not only ravished with her sparkling eye and dazzling chain, but also with her charming lips end graceful language; “Thy lips, O my spouse! drop as the honey-comb,” &c., her lips dropped things for matter like the honey
comb, are “health to the bones.” 5. In common conversation: the lips of the saints do frequcHtly therein drop words pleasant and delightful; which tend to the edification of those with whom they converse, and “ministers grace to the hearers;” and so are like the honey-comb, both pleasant and profitable.
2ndly. Her lips dropped these things in such a manner as the honey comb does; 1. Freely,
comb; and these things in such a manner as the and without pressing or squeezing; a soul that
honey-comb does: so the speech of persons, flowing from the mouth and tongue, is said to be sweetsr than the honey-comb;’ and lovers are said to be sweeter to one another than the sweet honey.^
First. Things for matter like the honeycomb; “Pleasant words,” says Solomon, Prov. xviii. 24, “are as an honey-comb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” Such pleasant words, which are as the honey-comb, drop from the church’s, and from every believer’s lips. 1. In prayer; so the Targum expounds these words of the priest’s lips, dropping as the honey-comb, when they prayed in the holy com’t. The believer oftentimes drops things in prayer; which, as they are profitable to himself and others, for
Vid. Theocrit. Idyll. 21. v. 26. 27. Homer. Iliad, i 1. v. 249. Plauti Asinaria, act
has received the “grace of God in truth, cannot but speak of the things which he has heard and seen: being full of matter, his belly is as wine which hath no vent, and is ready to burst, like new bottles;” therefore he must speak, that he “may be refreshed:” there needs no other constraint to be laid an him, than what he feels in his own breast. 2. Gradually: the honey-comb does not pour out all at once, but by degrees; a man of grace, like the virtuous woman in Prov. xxxi. 26, opens his mouth with wisdom, and not like the fool who pours out his foolishness, and utters all his mind at once; but delivers his words with moderation and discretion, and observes proper seasons and opportunities to speak his mind: now a word fitly, prudently, and season-
3. sc. 9. v. 21.
ably spoken, is like apples of gold in pictures of silver;” for as we are to walk, so are we to “talk in wisdom,” both to those “that are without,” and to those that are within. 3. Constantly: the hoaey-comb, though it drops gradually, yet it keeps constantly dropping; so a believers’ speech should “be always with grace;” He should be always praying or praising, or dropping something which may tend to the magnifying of God’s grace, and the good and edification of souls.
These words in general show the choiceness of a believer’s discourse; that it is not any thing that is the subject of it; no common and ordinary things which he is speaking of, but what are choice and excellent; as the honey which drops from the honey-comb is esteemed the best, being what we call life-honey; as also, how much Christ’s heart was taken with it, and his affections drawn by it; it had a mighty influence upon him, and strongly engaged his heart towards her; see Prov. v. 3. Now the reason why her lips dropped after this manner, was, because “honey and milk were under her tongue;” and therefore they could not well drop otherwise-. The ancients had a sort of food of this mixture, called by the Greeks meligala and sometimes candylos which was the same composition: according to Galen,“’ it was not safe to take milk, particularly goat’s milk, without honey; Jove is said to be nursed with such a mixture: and this being very grateful to the taste, the speech of the church for pleasantness is compared to it; so Pindar compares his hymn or ode to honey, mixed with milk, as being sweet and grateful; and in Plautus,’’ it is said, “your words are honey and milk:” and it may be farther observed, that such a mixture of milk and honey, with poppies in it, was given to the new married bride, when brought home to her husband;” which was now the case of the church. By “milk and honey,” may be intended the aboundings and overflowings of grace in a believer’s heart, which thereby is made like Canaan’s land, “flowing with milk and honey;” now out of the abundance of this grace, received into the heai’t, the mouth speaks: or else, by them may be meant the doctrines of the Gospel; which may very well be compared thereunto, words sweeter than honey and milk.’’ 1st. To honej. 1. The Gospel is gathered out of the choice flowers of the scriptures: the ministers of it, “who labour in the word and doctrine;” are the bees, who come laden with the honey of the Gospel, into the hive of the church, by which souls are delighted and refreshed. 2. It is like to honey for its sweetness: thus David could say. Psalm cxix. 103, by experience,” How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey
Vid. Cohen de Lara, Ir David, p. 52. the word is used in T. Hieros, Challah, fol. 57. 4.” Athen.
Deipnosophist. 1. I. c. 8. p. 9. and 1. 14. c 13. p. 644. Suidas in voce KaiuXoo?. Aristoph. Pax. and riorent. Christian, in ib. p. 033.” Lib. de
Bono Sapore, c. 4. Lactant. de Fals. Kelig. 1.
to my mouth:” a gracious soul, who feeds on the Gospel, and tastes the sweetness of it, finds it, as Ezekiel did his roll, “like honey for sweetness” in his mouth: and so it is always thus grateful to a spiritual man, who has a proper gust and relish of it. 3. Like honey, it is of a nourishing nature: honey was not only the food of babes, but of grown persons, as appears from Isa. vii, 15, 22; the Gospel has in it food both for children and for strong men, and that which is exceeding nourishing to both. 4. Like the honey which Jonathan ate of, it eulightens the eyes: when the Spirit of God introduces it into a sinner’s heart, it gives light there, as the psalmist says. Psalm cxix. 130, “the entrance of thy words giveth light;” it gives light into a man’s self, into bis lost and miserable state by nature; it gives light into the impurity of his heart, and the imperfection of his obedience; it gives light into the person, grace, and righteousness of Christ; and is an instrument, in the Spirit’s hands, “to guide his feet in the way of peace.” 5. It is like the honey the Israelites sucked out of the rock in the wilderness: the rock is Christ, from whence the honey of the Gospel flows; he is the Author, and he is the Subject of it, Or, 6. It is like the honey Samson found in the carcase of the liou: Christ is the “lion of the tribe of Judah;” in whose slain body and precious blood, the honey of Gospel-grace is to be found by poor sinners, who feed upon it.
2adly. As the Gospel may be compared to houey, so likewise to milk; it is called the “sincere milk of the word:” which is not mixed and blended with human doctrines, but is free from such adulterations; and so is exceeding profitable, and no ways hurtful to the souls of men. Lit may be compared to milk, because it is easy of digestion, and therefore proper food for new-born babes: hence the apostle fed the Corinthiaus with the milk of the word, and not with the strong meat thereof; because they were not as yet able to bear it, could not digest it; but the plainer and more easy truths of the Gospel are like milk, easy of digestion to souls that are born again; though even these to a natural man are hard sayings, which he cannot bear. 2. Like milk, it is very nourishing; Christ’s new-born babes grow hereby, being “nourished up in the words of faith, and of good doctrine.” 3. Mili< is of a cooling nature, and useful in abating the violence of inflammations f so the gospel, being applied by the Spirit to a poor sinner, who has been under a work of the law, represses the violence ofthosc inflammations raised in hisconscience, by a fiery law’s working wrath there; which is wonderfully allayed by the milk of the Gospel,
1. c. 22. y Nemea, ode 3. p. 10, 11.
find the application of the exceeding great and precious promises of it, which lead the soul to the ))erson, blood, and righteousness of Jesus Christ.
4. Milk is esteemed useful to persons in consumptions, and therefore a milky diet is usually recommended to them; sin is a wasting and consuming distemper, which is only cured by bringing the milk of the Gospel: which, when powerfully applied by the Spirit of God, is “the savour of life unto life;” and will not only recover a person that is far gone, and in the most declining condition, but also restore him from death itself.
Now when these are said to be under her tongue, it intends either, 1. That they were in her heart; so Psal lxvi. 17, “he was exalted with my tongue,” or he was exalted under my tongue, that is, in my heart; it was in my heart to exalt him, I purposed and designed it: so here “honey and milk are under thy tongue,” that is, they are in thy heart; it is one thing to have a notion of the Gospel in our heads, and another thing to have it in our hearts by a comfortable experience. 2. It supposes that she tasted the sweetness of those truths; she rolled them as a sweet morsel under her tongue, as Job xx. 12; resolving to have all the pleasure and satisfaction which might arise from thence. 3. That these were the constant subject of her meditation, Psal. x. 7; having tasted a sweetness in them, which drew her affections to them, her thoughts were always employed about them. 4. That she was always ready to speak of them at suitable times, and on ])roper occasions, having them under her tongue.
5. This shows the difference there is between a carnal, Christless sinner, and a true believer; the one has “the poison of asps under his lips,” Rom. iii. 13, and the other “honey and milk under his tongue;” the speech of the one is poisonous and infectious, and the language of the other sweet and edifying; so that as by their words they shall be justified, by their words also they may be known; their speech bewrays them, and declares to what company they belong.
II. The second thing commended in her, is t’lie smell of her garments; the ancients used to scent their garments; Calypso gave to Ulysses sweet-smelling garments;* “and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon:” in Lebanon grew many odoriferous trees, which did emit a fragrant smell to passers by, hence called “sweet-smelling Lebanon;”• so the graces of God’s people are said to smell as Lebanon, Hosea xiv. 6. By her garments here may be meant, 1. The garments of salvation, and the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Christ’s garments are said to “smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia;” now these very garments are put upon the believer, so that it is uo wonder his garments smell like Lebanon; in these believers appear before God, as Jacob did
* EijuoTo auioata, Homer. Odyss. 5. v. 264. and 21.
V. 52. lire fivpuv e/iTn-or a^Trex’”’), PosidippUS apud
Athen. Ueipuosophist. 1. 13. c. 7. p. 59G.
before his father, in the garments of his elder brother Esau, and are in his nostrils a sweet smelling savour; for the smell of their raiment to him is like “the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed;” he is exceeding well pleased with it, and with them in it. Christ smells a sweet odour, even in those garments which he himself has wrought out, and clothed his people with. Or else, 2. By them we may understand the outward conveisation-garments of the saints; which are wholesome and savoury, and not like the conversation of the wicked, filthy, of an illsmell, nauseous and infectious; when works go along with words, and practice with profession; when with lips dropping like the honey-comb, the sweet-smelling garment of a Gospel conversation is joined, how does it adorn a Christian, and render him lovely and acceptable, and causes his smell to 1)0 as thai of Lebanon? Some Jewish writers’ refer these garments to the sacerdotal garments of the priests: which were certainly typical of those, which Christ, as our high-priest, wears, and with which he clothes his people.
Verse 2. A garden inclosed is my sister, my
spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
Christ, having admired his church’s faith and love, her language, and her dress; proceeds to give farther commendations of her, and makes use of new metaphors to describe her by; in which he represents her as a well-watered and fruitful garden.
First. He says, she is “a garden enclosed:” the titles he gives her, “my sister, my spouse,” have been explained in ver. 8, 9. I shall only here enquire why she is called a garden, and that an enclosed one. And she is said to be a garden, 1. Because a garden is a piece of ground distinguished and separated from others for the owner’s use: the church of Christ is distinguished and separated from others by electing and redeeming grace; by efficacious calling grace saints are also made to differ from others, and do in their lives and conversation live separate from them; and being set apart tor God’s own use, service, and glory, are a peculiar people to himself. 2. In a garden is a variety of flowers, herbs, and plants: in Christ’s church are many members, and those of different sorts; they have gifts ditfering from one another, and grace also; some have greater gifts, and larger measures of grace than others have; but in them all there are many of those sweet flowers and precious plants. 8. In a garden, flowers, herbs, and plants, do not grow up naturally of themselves, but are either set or sown; nothing but weeds grow u]) of themselves; so in Christ’s garden, the church, and in the members of it, the graces of the Spirit do not grow up of themselves; they are sown, jdauted, and raised up by the Spirit of God;
Ai/Savu OuoeuTOf, Museus de Hero. &c. v. 48. ‘Vid. Targutn and R. Sol Jarcliium in loc. and Midrash in Mercer, in loc.
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for in their hearts naturally grow nothing but the weeds of sin and corruption. 4. The ground must be dug and prepared for the setting of plants and herbs therein: the hearts of God’s people before conversion are like fallow- ground; God is the husbandman, and they are his husbandry, this ground must be dunged, as well aa dug, before it becomes good ground, or ever these flowers, herbs, and plants will grow there, which method Christ takes with his garden, and the several parts thereof. 5. To keep a garden in order, requires a deal of labour and care; the stones must be gathered out, the plants must be watered, the trees pruned, the ground dunged, and the fences kept up: all this, and much more, does Christ to his garden, the church; he gathers out those things which offend and hinder the growth of his plants; he watches over them night and day, and waters them every moment; he lops off the fruitless bi’anches, and prunes those that are fruitful, that they may bring forth more fruit, and keep up the fences thereof, that “the wild boar of the forest” may not enter in, and destroy his garden. 6. Gardens are places where persons delight to walk: Christ walks in his garden, the church; in the midst of his golden candlesticks; you frequently hear of him in this song, that “he is gone down into his garden, to feed” there, and “to gather lilies;” nay, he not only takes his walks, but takes up his residence in his church. 7. A garden is usually but a small piece of ground; and so is C-irist’s church, in cjmparison of the wilderness and waste places of the world; it is a little flock, a small remnant, a. few that shall be saved. 8. A fruitful and pleasant place; and so is the church, when compared with the world, “which liethin wickedness,” and is overrun with the briars and thorns of sin.
Also the church is said to be a garden enclosed, 1. For distinction-sake: the church is by God distinguished from others; the fence with which it is enclosed, and by which it is made to differ from others, is the free, special, and distinguishing grace of God. 2. For protection; Christ’s church, as it is distinguished by God’s grace, so it is protected by his power; he is “a wall of fire round about it, and the glory in the midst of it;” a noble fence indeed! a glorious enclosure! Jerusalem with all its mountains, and Zion with all its bulwarks, were not so well fenced as this. 3. For secrecy: it is hidden from, and is not seen and known by the world; it is like a garden that is walled around, and closely locked and barred,^ whose flowers emit a sweet and fragrant odour, but are not seen; the saints, though they are exceeding useful in the world, yet are not known by the world; but are hid and shut up till the resurrection-morn, when
8 A’id. K. Aben Ezram in loc. by: clausit,
obserav’it, pessulurs, obdidit, buxtorf. ‘Hortu”,
regius, qui liortus conclusus dicitur; hortus erat in suburbauis Jerusalem muris undique septus and obfirmatus; atque sicut paradisus arborum, fructicam, herbarum, aromatum, florum, fructuunique ubit shall appear what they really are, for at present it does not. 4. It is compared to a garden enclosed, or locked and barred; for so the word“* properly signifies, because it is not pervious to every one, neither ought it to be; every one has not a right to enter there,it should remainenclosed, bolted, and barred, to all but those who believe in Christ; none ought to walk here but those who come in at the right door, Christ Jesus; and every one that climbs up, and gets into this garden any other way, is reckoned by Christ as a thief and a robber. 5. It is said to be a garden inclosed or locked up, because it is only for Christ’s use; therefore, in ver. 16, she desires him to “come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruit;” for this garden is only his, and the fruits of it for his use alone: in chap. v. 1, agreeable to her request, he tells her, that he was come into his garden, had gathered the fruits of it, and had eaten; it being his sole property, which others had no right unto, he keeps it enclosed, locked, and bolted. The allusion perhaps is to a garden near Jerusalem, which Adrichomius’ calls liortus regius, lz.king’ sgarden, which was shut up, and was only for his use and pleasure; which is much more likely than what Mr. Maundrel relates,’’ that at a little distance from Bethlehem, are pools of water; and below those runs a narrow, rocky valley, enclosed on both sides with high mountains; which the friars will have to be the enclosed garden alluded to.
Secondly. He says that she is “a spring shut up, and a fountain sealed;” I put these to-ether, because they seem to intend much one and the same thing; though perhaps the one may be more strongly expressive of the church’s fulness and excellency than the other; a fountain may intimate a larger qantity of water than a S])ring, and sealing signify a stronger security than bare shutting; but are both designed to inform us, that Christ’s garden was well watered, and that there is no danger of the herbs, flowers, and plants withering and perishing.
The Septuagint render the first of these expressions as before, Krjiros KeKlei(T/xeyos, “a garden enclosed,” or shut up; and so do the Vulgate Latin and Tigurine Versions, reading 1] for b:; Cocceius translates, “a he:ip locked up:” and thinks the church is compared to a heap of spices or fruits, which are locked up in a private place, that they may not be spoiled nor stolen away from the owner: Christ’s church congregated together is a heap, but not a confused one; it is like an heap of spice or fruit laid in order; nor is it a heap of anything, but of sweet-smelling spices and ])leasaut fruits, such as are mentioned in ver. 13, 14; to which add also, it is an heap that is valu°d and cared for, and therefore kept up safe under lock
ertate amoenus; mukendisque ac fovendis sensibus conveniens, and ad secessus voluptuarios idoueus; in quo erat inclytus ille sons Rogel and lapis Zoeieth, &c. Adrichomii Theatrum Terrje Sanctae, p. 170. 1. Vid. 2 Sam. xvii. 17. 2 Kings xxv. 4, Journey
from Aleppo, &c. p. 89. edit. 7.
M 2
ir.4
and key. The other version of “a spring shut up,” is more usually received and acknowledged, both by Jewish’ and Christian Expositors, which also our Trauslalors follow.
Now the church is said to be a spring and a fountain from whence waters flow, to water all the plants in Christ’s garden; which are either, 1. The graces of the Spirit, which are in her as “a well, and rivers of living water, springing up unto eternal life,” John iv. 14, and vii. 88,39; and are called waters, because they are of a fructifying and reviving nature; the plants in Christ’s garden being watered with these, revive and lift up their heads, and become’green, flourishing, and fruitful; the souls of God’s children drinking them in, and being filled with them, become like a watered garden, whose springs fail not. Or else, 2. The doctrines of the Gospel: the Gospel is thought to be the fountain, spoken of in Joel iii. 18, which should “come forth of the house of the Lord, and water the valley of Shittim:” it is with its gracious truths that the faitiifid ministers of the Gospel water Christ’s garden; the Spirit of grace does it I efficaciously, they do it miaisterially; Paul plants, j and Apollos waters, but God gives the increase; the doctrines of grace oftentimes flow in the ministry of the word, like floods of water upon the dry and parched ground, which soften, moisten, and make it fruitful; souls are refreshed, grow, and flourish thereby; their graces are revived, quickened, and drawn forth into exercise, and every thing looks gay and beautiful, as in a fruitful and pleasant garden. Now we are not to suppose that the church is so properly this spring or fountain, as Christ and his Spirit are; she has not an indeficient supply in herself, she receives all from another; but because of the abundance of grace and the means of it, which Christ is pleased to grant unto his church, therefore he calls her a spring and fountain; though she has grace enough to ascribe all the glory to him, and own him to be the alone spring and fountain from whence she is supplied, as in ver. 15, will be made more manifestly to appear.
Moreover the church is said to be “a spring shut up, a foimtaiu sealed;” springs and wells of water being highly esteemed, and much valued in those hot countries, were highly preserved; they used to roll a large stone at the mouth of them, and, for farther security, seal it; as that stone was which was laid at the month of the lions’ den, in which Daniel was cast: and that at the sepulchre in which Christ was buried: now these fountains were shut lip and sealed, not only that the waters might not be bemudded by beasts, but also that they might not be converted to the use of others; thus it is reported, that among the Persians,™ were such fountains that only the king and his eldest son might drink of; it being a capital pun-
‘R. Sol. Jarchi, R. Aben Ezra in loc. and R. David Kimclii in lib. Shorosh. rad. bb:. Athen. Deipnosopliist. 1. 12. c. 2. p..’jl.5.
ishment for any others to do so: and perhaps Solomon might have such a spring and fountain in his garden, which was shut up and sealed, and kept for his oVvn pi’ivate use, to which the allusion is here made; either at Jerusalem, or at Ethan, where he had a pleasure house; which, for the delicate gardens, walks, and fountains, and the fruitfulness of the place, he took great delight in •.” and near the pools at some distance from Bethlehem, supposed to be his, is a fountain, which the friars wall have to be the scaled fountain, here allndcd to; and to confirm which, they pretend a tradition, that Solomon shut up these springs and kept the door of them sealed with his signet, to preserve the waters for his own drinking: and Mr. Maundrel,° who saw them, says, it was not difficult to secure them; they rising under ground, and having no avenue to them, but by a little hole, like to the month of a narrow well. And if we apply this to the doctrine of the Gospel, it intends, 1. The secrecy and hiddennessof them to the men of the world; “for if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, whm the god of this world hath blinded,” says the apostle, in 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4: it is an hidden Gospel to some, a book sealed both to the learned and unlearned, who are in a carnal and unconverted state; from many it is hidden, as to the external ministry of it; and to others it remains a secret, in the midst of the clearest light, and most powerful ministrations of it; it is shut up in parables, and appears to be nothing else but dark sayings to a mere natural man. 2. That they are peculiarly intended and designed for the elect of God: it is for their sakes he has sent it into the world; and for their sakes he will continue to keep it there, maugre all opposition, until every one of them are called by powerful and eflficacions grace; “I endure all things,” says the apostle, 2 Tim. ii. 10, “for the elect’s sake, that they may also obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory;” that is, 1 preach the Gospel; and in doing it, undergo all the sufferings I do, purely upon their account; that salvation may be brought unto them, and they brought at last into the eternal possession of it; and as it is sent into, and continued in the world for their sakes, so it is only blessed to them for conversion and consolation; though the Gospel is preached to others, as well as to them, yet it does not become profitable to them, because it is not mixed with faith by them; for whilst it is the “savour of life unto life” to some, it is the “savour of death unto death” to others; and though these waters of Gospel-doctrines flow to, and fall upon others; yet is but like water that falls upon a rock, that quickly glides away, and makes no impression; and not like streams of water which run about the plants, and soak to the very/oot. The elect of God are only savingly converted.
n Joseph. Antiquitat. 1. 8. c. 8. 7. 3.
from Aleppo, p. 88, 89.
Journey
VEic. 13, 14]
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refreshed, and comforted by Gospel-doctrines; they are peculiarly designed for them, and eminently blessed to them; they are only for their use, and are to them “a spring shut up, and a fountain sealed.”
And if we apply it to (he grace of the Spirit, it denotes, 1. That it is hidden, unknown, and is not communicated to any but to the elect of God: the natural man knows not the things of the Spirit, namely, the grace of the Spirit in regeneration and effectual vocation; these things are mysteries to him; he is a stranger to them, and unacquainted with them; they are only communicated to, and wrought in those to whom God would make known the exceeding riches of his grace: thus things are said to be shut and sealed up, which are kept secret and hidden, and are not conveyed to the knowledge of persons, as in Esther viii. 16, Dan. sii. 4 — 9. 2. That it is safe and secure the grace of God’s people is shut up and sealed; it can never be taken away from them; their life, and all their grace, and the fulness of it, “are hid with Christ in God; and what is given forth unto them, and wrought in them, is an immortal seed, and that good part which cannot be taken away. 3. It may intend the confirmation of it to the saints; so things are said to be sealed, when they are ratified, confirmed, and made sure; grace and glory are both so to the saints; the Spirit is the author of their grace, and the earnest and pledge of their glory, by whom they are “sealed unto the day of redemption.” 4. It may signify Christ’s special property in his church, and her inviolable chastity to him; and this I take to be the most proper sense of all these expressions; she is “a garden enclosed, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed;” she is Christ’s garden and none but his; Christ’s spring and fountain, to which none has a right but himself; she is his spouse and bride, and no other’s; and being espoused unto him, as a chaste virgin, by mighty grace is kept so. The Jewish writers? geue rally understand it of the modesty and chastity of the daughters of Israel; and this sense seems to be abundantly confirmed from Prov. v. ]5 — 18. “Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well,” &c. Let thy fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Ver. 13, 14. Thy plants are an orchard nf pomegranates, xoith pleasant fruits, camphire with spikenard. Spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnatnon, vnlh all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the chiif spices.
Christ having compared his church to a garden, and observed that it was well watered, having in it a spring and fountain; he proceeds to show the fruitfuluess of it, that it abounded with the choicest trees, the most pleasant fruits, and the chief
of spices. In explaining these words, it will be proper,
I. To inquire what are iuteuded by the church’s plants.
II. Why these plants are said to be “an orchard of pomegranates.”
III. Take notice of the several trees, fruits, and spices here mentioned, and what may be meant by them.
I. Who are meant by the clnirch’s plants. The Targum and Jarchi expound of the young men in Israel; and it is not unusual in scripture to call children plants; see Psalm cxxviii. 3, and cxliv. 12; therefore, by her pkmts, may be intended the members of the church, her children, young converts, believers in Christ, who are “planted in the house of the Lord, and flourish in the courts of our God;” these are not mere education plants, who spring up in the churches, and join themselves to them, because their parents did; and espouse religion, because they were brought up in it: these are not mere outward profession-plants, who have a name to live, and are dead; have lamps, but no oil in their lamps; and have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof: such plants as these are fruitless ones; they are like the barren Cg-tree, from which three years successively fruit was sought, but none found; if ever there was any appearance of fruit on them, it never came to any thing, but withered away; and whatsoever fruit they do bring forth it is to themselves, and not to God: like Israel, of whom it is said, Hosea x. 1, that he is “au empty vine, and brings forth fruit to himself;” and the reason of this is because they have not the root of the matter in them; nor are they engrafted into, and rooted in Christ Jesns; and therefore are like the stony ground-hearers, who heard and received the word with joy, but did not last long, because they had no root in themselves; and such being none of the Father’s planting, shall be plucked up, according to what Christ says, jNIatt. xv. 13, “Every plaut which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up;” and shall be buudled together, as fit fuel for the fire, like the unfruitful and withered branches, or like the taicsin the end of the world, but these plants in the text are such who, 1. Are by divine grace transplanted from the wilderness of the world; they are Christ’s vines, which he brings out of Egypt; his fir and myrtle trees, which he causes to spring up instead of briars and thorns; these he either takes out of the wilderness, or else makes it a fruitful garden by planting them there; he calls them out of the world, and translates them into his own kingdom, whereby he enlarges his church, and of a garden makes it an orchard. 2. Who have the grace of the Spirit planted in their hearts; who works in them every sort of grace, which he raises, cherishes.
p Targum. R. Sol. Jarchi, and R. Aben Ezra in loc. T. B. Yoma, fol. 75. apud Wagenseil. Sotah, p. 240. Seder Tephillot, fol. 203. 1. ed Basil. Addi.sou’s present state of the Jews, c. 5. p. .50.
and at last brings to perfection. 3. Who are engrafted into Christ Jesus: by nature they belong to, and grow upon the wild olive: but are by grace broken off from that, and are engrafted into the true olive, Christ Jesus; they are planted into the likeness of his death, and into the likeness of his resurrection, and so receive the benefits of both; they abide in him, as the branch in the vine, and receiving sap and nourishment from him, become fruitful souls. 4. They are such who have received the ingrafted word; it has been planted in them, and powerfully impressed upon them; they have received it in the love of it; it has effectually wrought in them, and brought forth fruit in them from the very day they heard and received it. 5. Such as these who are transplanted from the wilderness of the world, and are planted in Christ, and have had his word and grace planted in their souls, have a right to be planted ministerially in his church; and being planted there, will grow and flourish. Now such plants as these are choice and select ones; they are plants of renown, and pleasant ones to God and Christ; th.;y are planted in a fruitful soil, and by rivers of water, therefore their leaf is always green; neither do they cease from yielding fruit; hence they shall never be plucked up; neither sin, nor Satan, nor the world can do it; and Christ Jesus never will; for they are his Father’s planting, in whom he is, and will be glorified, and then is he so, when they bring forth much fruit.
II. These plants are said to be an orchard, or like unto an orchard of pomegranates. The word for plants, is by the Cabalistic doctors,”) rendered waterings or rivulets; which, being derived, make her a garden of pomegranates, as full as an orchard is of til 2m: and it may be rendered gardens;’ particular churches, which make an orchard, or are like one; even a paradise, as the word is rendered by the Scptuagint, and in other versions;’ it is generally thought to be a Persiac word; see Netiem. ii. 8, but Hillerust derives it from TiD, to separate; it being a garden separate and enclosed, as before; one like Eden’s garden, exceeding pleasant and delightful; and not like an orchard of any sort of trees, but of pomegranates; of which there was plenty in the land of Canaan; called “a land of pomegranates,” Deut. viii. 8; many places in it had their names from thence, Josh. XV. 32, and xix. 13, and sxi. 24. And the church,” with her plants, may be called so, in allusion to the garden of Eden, the earthly paradise of our first parents; where the” Lord God made to grow every tree that was pleasant to the sight,
“Possunt haec etiam in ecclesia intilligi, ut ea melius accipiamusta.’iquam prophetica indicia precedentia futuronim; paradisum scilicet ipsani ecclesiam. sicut de ilia Icgitur in Cautico Canticorum;
and good for food;” in the midst of it stood the tree of life, and out of it went a river to water all the garden, and was on all accounts exceeding pleasant and delightful: in Christ’s garden, the church, are planted all manner of trees of righteousness, which are both pleasant and profitable; in the midst of this paradise of God, stands the tree of life, Christ Jesus: but with this difference from the tree of life in Eden’s garden; for Adam might not put forth his hand, and take of that; but of this, whosoever will, may pluck and eat, and happy is every one that does so: here runs a river of boundless love and grace, the streams whereof water and refresh all the plants herein, and upon all accounts is an Eden of pleasure, a paradise which Christ has made for his own pleasure and delight,” and for that reason bears this name: but these plants are not only said to be an orchard, but an orchard or paradise of pomegranates, that is, in which pomegranates grew in great plenty. The church, like the land of Canaan, is a land or orchard of pomegranates; and the church’s plants, believers in Christ, who are planted and grow there, may be compared to pomegranates, that is, not to the fruit and shell, as in ver. 3, but to the trees, 1, Because there are various sorts of them,* which bear fruit differing from each other; which may denote the difference there is in saints, by reason of their gifts and graces; they have grace and gifts differing from each other; one has more grace and larger gifts than other’s have; they are not all of an equal size and bigness; they have not all alike measure of the Spirit, and yet they are all pomegranates, trees of righteousness, of the right planting. 2. Pomegranate treesinsomecountriesarevery large; and so they were in the land of Canaan, as appears from 1 Sam. xiv. 2, and perhaps may here denote such who excel others in gifts and grace; who are officers in churches, and are set over others in and by the Lord; as by other trees, fruits, and spices, after mentioned, may be intended lesser saints, who are of a lower form in the church of Christ. 3. They are very fruitful trees: the fruit they bear, as it is full of a delightful juice, so of grains or kernels; which may denote the saints being full of grace, and all the fruits of righteousness and good works, as the Targum and Jarchi observes here. 4. They grow up straight and upright, and so denote the samts uprightness, both in heart and life; they are men of upright hearts, and of upright conversations; are looking upwards to, and growing up into their Head, Christ Jesus. 5. They do not grow any where, in any soil; the wilderness, through which
quatuor autem paradisi flumina, quatuor evangelia; ligna fructifera, Sanctos; fructus outem eorum, opera eorum; lignum vitas, Sanctum Sanctorum, utique Christum: lignum scieutiiB boni and mali, proprium voluntatis arbitrium. Aug. de Civit. Dei, 1. 13. c. 21. »” DTiD napddeiaor, paradisus,
poniarium, voluptatis and anioenitatis causa consitum, Buxtorf.” Vid. Tlin. 1. 13. c. 19.
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the Israelites travelled, could not furaish thetc i with any, though the land of Canaan couL’ when they came thither; these plants or trees of righteousness, do not grow anywhere; they are not to be found every where; they grow in Christ’s garden; in his house they are planted, and in his courts they flourish.
III. Here are several other trees, fruits, and spices, which are said to be in this garden or orchard; for it is added, with all pleasant fruits; that is, whatsoever is valuable, precious, and desirable, such as those after mentioned; as camphire with spikenard; both these have been observed in chap. i. 12, 14, but are here mentioned in the plural number, ci/p-esses, or cyprusses tcith nards ;^ the camphire, or cypress, on the account of its fruits or berries; and the spikenard, because there are various sorts of it, as nardus Italica, nardus Cellica, and nardus Indica, which last is the right spikenard; and it may be, because the leaves which grow out of the root, are like a bunch of ears of corn: saffron: it is no where else mentioned in scripture: we call it by this name from the Arabic, zaffran; it is called so on account of its yellow and goljen colour; its nature and usefulness are well known among ns; according to Schindler,^ it seems to have been read carcos, the same with crocus, which has its name from Corycus a mountain in CiLcia; so Pliny, lib. 21, c. 6, where it grew, and was the best: it is propei’ly joined with spikenard, since itself is a spice, and is called spica Cilissa i it bears a blue flower, in the midst of which are three stylets, or little threads, of a fine red colour, which are what is called saffron: calamus and cinnamon; both these were ingredients in the holy anointing oil, Exod. XXX. 23; both grow in India, and in Arabia,“^ and in Ethiopia; calamus is the sweet cane, mentioned in Isa. xliii. 24; it grows in India and Arabia; and is said to scent the air, where and while it is growing, with a fragrant smell; and cinnamon is the middlemost bark of a tree that grows in Ceylon in the East Indies; it is mentioned in Prov. vii. 17, as the harlot’s perfume, and in Rev. xviii. 13, as part of the wares or merchandise of the whore of Babylon: some say,”^ what we call cinnamon is the cassia of the ancients; Herodotus’ fabulously relates, what, from the Phojnieians, is called cinnamon, are stalks or barks, which the Arabs say, are found in the nests of certain birds. “With all trees of frankincense, myrrh;” frankincense chiefly grew in one of the Arabias, hence culled thurifera;’ and is said to come out of Syria ;8 it was used in the holy perfume, as was myrrh in the anointing oil, Exod. ssx. 23 — 34, which is a gum, from a shrub in
Arabia, of a bitter taste, but fragrant; and with both these the church is said to be perfumed, chaii. iii. 6, and aloes; either the ling-aloes, so the Targum here, of which mention is made in Numb. xxiv. 6, called agallochium, an aromatic plant, which grows in India and Arabia, and is of a sweet odour, as Isidore*” says; or the herb aloes, which is of a bitter taste, but of a sweet smell, and with which garments were perfumed, Psalm xlv. 8, Prov. vii. 17; together with all chief spices, or precious ones; Solomon’s gardens might be furnished with these from Arabia Felix, -where all sorts of spices grew, hence called aromatifera, the spice country:’ and be they what they will, they are all to be found in Christ’s garden, or what is auswerablc to them. Now by these may be meant, the several graces of the Spirit, which are to be found in all those who are plants or members in Christ’s church; which are called by these names, and compared to these fi-uits, herbs, and spices. 1. Because the graces of the Spirit are many, and therefore many herbs and siiices are mentioned;. see Gal. v. 22. 2. They are various, of different sorts; for as it makes for the pleasantness of a garden or orchard to have many trees, plants, herbs, and flowers, so to have them of different sorts; for if there were never so many, and all of one sort, it would not be so delightful: the church of Christ, and believers in Christ, as they have many, so they have various graces; there are faith, hope, love, &c.; faith is a grace differing from hope, and hope differs from faith, and love from them both. 3. They are rare and excellent; the herbs and spices here mentioned, such as spikenard, saffron, camphire, cinnamon, &c., are not to be found everywhere: they do not grow in every garden; they are very rarely to be met with: the graces of the Spirit do not grow any where, in any heart; there are but few that have them; they are exceeding rare, valuable, and precious. 4. These herbs and spices are all of them of a sweet smtU: and so are the graces of the Si)irit to Christ; they are a sweet perfume to liira: the smell of these ointments is preferred by him to all spices, in verse 10. 5. Some of these herbs and jilants cheer the heart,’’ and revive the spirits, as saffron, cinnamon, and camphire: the Spirit of God, in his operations of grace, and in exciting and drawing forth grace into exercise, wonderfully chders our hearts, revives our spirits, and keeps us from fainting and swooning fits; in the multitude of cur thoughts within us, his comforts delight our souls. 6. Some of them preserve from putrefaction, as myrrh and aloes; and therefore were used in embalming dead bodies, Johu xix. 39, the grace of the Spirit is of such a nature;
T So Junius and Tremellius, Piscator. Lexic. Pentaglott. col. 910. ‘Corvcii pressura croci,
Lucan. Pharsal. 1. 9. v. 809. Hie Cilico crocus editusarvo, Virgil. Culex. Ovid. Fast. 1. 1. v. 76. in
Ibim. V. 200. Propert. 1. 4. eleg. 6. v. 74. Plin.
1. la. c. 19, 22. Strabo; 1. I.t. p. 47S. Herodot. Thalia, c. 107. Cinnamomi and multi pastor odorie Arubs,
Propert. 1. 4. eleg. 13. v. 8. Vid. Reland. de
Vet. Ling. Ind. s. 10. p. 216. Thalia, :^ive 1. 3.
c. III. Vid. Plin. 1. 12. c. 19. ‘Plin. 1. 12. c. 14.
e Hermippus apud Athen. Dtipnosophist. 1. I.e. 21. p. 27. I” Origin. 1. 17. c. 8. Strabo. 1,
16 p. .=^38. vid. p. .^35. Femel. Method. Me-=^
deud. 1. 6. c, 7. and 1. 5. c. 17, 21.
it is by this our dead souls are quickened, by this they are kept in life, and are preserved from putrifying and rotting in sin. 7. Some of them are green in winter-time; as saffron and the aloe -.’’ grace is always alive, and ever green, even in winter-storms and tempests, though it does not always appear so to ns; it is an immortal seed which never dies. 8. Some of these grow up higher and taller than others; the calamus,™ cinnamon, myrrh, and others, grow up taller than the spikenard and saffron: now these may intend the graces of the faith, hope, and love, which rise upwards in their actings on the Lord Jesus Christ; and the latter, the graces of humility, meekness, lowliness of mind, &c. 9. All these emit the most fragrant odour, when they are either cut, bruised, or burnt; so do the graces of the Spirit, when they are exercised and tried in the furnace of affliction. 10. They are all, one way or another, more or less medicinal, and are healthful to the bodies of men; and so are the graces of the Spirit to the souls of men. Solomon understood the nature of all sorts of herbs and plants, and no doubt these are aptly chosen to set forth the graces of the Spirit by; and had we but his wisdom, we should know better how to apply them.
Verse 15. A fountain of ga’devs, a well of living
waters, and streams from Lebanon. Cheist having commended his church as a well watered garden, and declared her fruitfnlness; she breaks forth in these words, and ascribes it all to him, saying, “O fountain of gardens, and well of living waters,” &c., as the words are rendered by some:” though others® take them to be the words of Christ; but rather are the church’s. It is true, as if she should say, I am a garden, and a garden enclosed by thy sovereign grace, where the streams and flows of thy grace run and water all ray plants, and make them so fruitful as they are: but I am not the spring, the fountain from whence they flow; it is thou who art the fountain of gardens, from whence I am supplied, and am put into, and kept in the flourishing condition I am; it is not owing to myself, but it is by thy grace I am what 1 am; and therefore I will ascribe all the glory to thee. So that the church here acknowledges Christ,
I. To be “a fountain of gardens.”
il. “A. well of living waters.” And,
111. Hisgracctobelike “strearasfrouaLebanon.”
Thei’e seems to be a respect to several places,
called by these names. There was one called,
“the Fountain of Gardens,” which flowed from
Lebanon, sis miles from Tripoli, and watered all
the gardens about, whence it had its name, and
all the country that lay between those two
‘I’lin. 1. 21. c. 6. “» Ibid. 1. 12. c. I9. and Solin. c. 43. and 46.” So Ainsworth, Junius and
Trciiifllius, Piscator, Marckius.” Isidore, Coccciuj. ScluniiU, 1-louiiischins; so the Cabalistic doctors interpret the well of living waters, of malcuth,
places:? and there was another, called “the Well of living waters,” a little mile to the south of Tyre;” it had four fountains, from whence were cut various aqueducts and rivulets, which watered all the plain of Tyre, and all its gardens; which fountains were little more than a bow’s cast from the main sea; and in which space six mills were employed:’ and there is a rupture in mount Lebanon, as Mr Mauudrelr says, which runs up in seven hours travelling; and which on both sides is steep and high, and clothed with fragrant greens from top to bottom; and every where refreshed with fountains, falling down from the rocks, in pleasant cascades, the ingenious work of nature: and RauwolfF,* who was on this mountain in 1575, relates, “We came, says he, into pleasant groves, by delightful rivulets that arose from springs, that made so sweet a noise as to be admired by king Solomon,” Cant. iv. 15.
I. She acknowledges him to be “a fountain of gardens.” By gardens may be intended, either particular believers, whose souls are made like watered gardens, whose springs fail not; or rather, particular churches: Christ has more gardens than one; every particular church is a garden; such were the churches at Rome, Corinth, Colosse, Philippi, Thessalonica, and the seven churches of Asia; but though there hare been, and still are many gardens, yet there is but one fountain, from whence they are supplied, and by which they are all watered, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, as the church here owns; in him all fulness of grace dwells, and from thence believers “receive grace for grace;” he is the fountain from whence it all flows: all justifying grace flows from this fountain; in him alone is our justifying righteousness before God; by him are all the elect justified, and that from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses; in doing which abundance of grace is displayed, both in bringing it in and applying it to the ungodfy sinner; all which grace flows from this fountain: all sanctifying grace flows from hence; a holy nature, as well as a justifying righteousness, we have from Christ; he is both our sanctification and our righteousness; to him we must look for, and from him we must receive the one as well as the other: all the streams of pardoning grace take their rise from hence; Christ shed his blood to obtain the pardon of sin, and he has obtained it thereby for all his people; so that now as forgiveness of sin is according to the riches of God’s grace, it is also upcn the foot of justice, being founded upon redemption through the blood of Jesus; hence God’s justice and faithfulness are concerned in the pardon of sin, as well as his grace and mercy displayed; Christ is
or the bride, the church, Lexic. Cabal, p. 183.
p Adrlchom. Theatrum Terra Sanctae.p. 107, 108.
“! Ibid. p. 6. ‘Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. I,
2, 143. ‘Travels, part 2. ch. 12. p. 187, !88. edit.
Hay.
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“the fountain opened,” to wash in “for sin and for unclean ness;” it is his blood alone which “cleanseth from all sin” whatever. He is the fountain of all the blessings and promises of the everlasting covenant; of all that light and life that we arc made partakers of; of all that strength and wisdom that are given forth to us, to act for him in our several stations of life; and of all that joy, comfort, and peace in believing, which our souls are at any times possessed of. He is the fountain of all fructifying and persevering grace, by which the plants in his garden become fruitful, and continue to do so: in short, he is the fountain from whence all his churches are supplied not only with grace, but with the gifts of the Spirit; he is ascended on high, “that he might fill all things;” he is filled himself as Man and IMediator, with the Spirit, without measure; he has received “the promise of the Father,” and plentifully sheds it abroad among his people; he fills his churches with members and officers, and all these with suitable gifts and graces for their respective places; all comes from this “fountain of gardens.”
II. She declares him to be “a well of living waters:” we read, in Isa. xii. 3, of wells of salvation, in the plural number, which intend the same as here; and are so called to denote the fulness, completeness, and excellency of salvation in Christ. Christ is a well, 1. Large and deep; like that which Isaac called Rehoboth, either from the largeness of it, or the liberty he had then obtained in enjoying it; or like Jacob’s well, which was very deep, at which Christ met the woman of Samaria: the fulness of grace in Christ has its heights and depths, its lengths and breadths; it is bottomless and unfathomable, it is immeasurable and incomprehensible. 2. Christ is a full well: we read, 2 Peter ii. 17, of some that are wells without water; but such an one is not Christ; he is a full well, and not full of any thing, of any sort of water, but of living water; he is full of grace and truth. 3. This well was dug by, and filled alone with sovereign grace; it pleased the Father; it was an act of his sovereign grace, that Christ should be the Mediator, and that all fulness of grace should dwell in him as such; when he treasured up in him before the world began: the Lord, says Wisdom, Prov. viii. 22, possessed me; with what? with all fulness of grace; and when did he do this? in the beginning of his way, before his works of old; 0 boundless, sovereign grace! 4. Faith is the grace with which we draw from hence: it may indeed be said to ns, what the woman of Samaria said to Christ, John iv. 11, “Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep:” we have nothing of our own to draw with; but Christ, who has opened our eyes, as the Lord did Hagar’s, to behold himself, the well of living waters, gives us faith, whereby we draw out of
the wells of salvation, and receive from this overflowing fountain grace for grace. 5. The waters we draw from hence are living ones; such Christ told the woman of Samaria he could, as undoubtedly he afterwards did give unto her, even living water. Christ is a well, and a well full of living waters; which are so called, (1.) Because grace given forth, from Christ’s fulness to dead sinners, makes them alive; these waters are like the waters of the sanctuary, in Ezekiel’s vision; which, whenever they come, not only keep alive those that are so, but quicken such who are dead in trespasses and sins, and in this respect excel them: we are told, Prov. x. 11, that the mouth of a righteous man is a well of life; certainly Christ’s mouth is so, when he says to sinners, whilst in their blood, live; his grace may then be said to be living water. (2.) Grace given forth from Christ’s fulaess, I’evives and quickens saints when dull, lifeless, and fainting; it comforts their hearts, and makes them cheerful, lively, and active. (3.) Grace maintains and supports life in believers: we have our life alone from Christ; he is the Author of it, and with him it is hid, secured, and preserved; it is by his mighty grace that our souls are upheld in it,; from his fulness we have all the communications of it; and because he lives, therefore we do, and shall live also. (4.) It is this grace of Christ’s that gives saints a right to, prepares them for, and will end in eternal life; justifying grace gives them a right to eternal life; sanctifying grace makes them meet for it, which is in them “a well of water springing up into everlasting life,” John iv. 14. (5.) These are called living waters, because they are ever running;’ and so opposed to standing waters, which are dried up in the summer season: Christ’s grace is perpetual, everlasting, and inexhaustible; like himself, it is “the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever;” the fulness of grace in Christ, and the communications of it, are like those living or ever-running waters, mentioned in Zech. xiv. 8, “And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them towards the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea; in summer and in winter shall it be;” that is, at all times and seasons of the year shall these waters flow: the saints before and after the flood, the saints before and under the law; the saints under the Old Testament, and the saints under the New, have all received from this fountain and fulness of grace in Christ; all the grace that angels have, and all that men have or shall have, all comes from hence; and yet it is an over-running, overflowing, and inexhaustible fulness. And this I take to be the principal reason why it is called “living water.”
III. The church here acknowledges the grace of Christ to be like streams from Lebanon: mount
Flumine vivo, Tirg. .^neid. I. 2. v. 715. semper fluenti, i. e. naturali, Servius ind. lb
Lebanon gave rise to some rivers, as Jordan,” Eleutherus, &c., and as these took their rise and streamed from thence, so does grace from Christ, “whose countenance is as Lebanon,” chap. v. 15, who is intended here; from this high, goodly, pleasant, fruitful, and fragrant mountain, flow all the streams of divine grace to our souls. Now by this expression are intended, 1. The discoveries and breakings forth of grace to those who are the objects of it: the river of God’s love ran under ground from eternity; so that those who are interested in it, and are the objects of it, know nothing of it, till it breaks forth in effectual vocation; when it comes pouring in unto them, like streams from Lebanon. 2. This expression may denote the rapidity, force, and power of divine grace: as the streams from Lebanon fall with great rapidity:’*■ grace comes like a mighty torreut, and carries all before it; throws down the strong-holds of Satan, and is a match for the corruptions of nature; for when this works, nothing can let; all mountains become a plain: all obstacles and impediments are removed out of the way; and nothing can stand before it, when the exceeding greatness of its power is exerted; it is irresistible, invincible, and always victorious. 3. This phrase may be expressive of the abundance of grace which flows from Christ: there are aboundings of sin in our nature; but grace, streaming from Christ, abounds over all; where sin abounded, says the apostle, Kom. v. 20, “grace did much more abound;” it flows into, and it overflows in a believer’s heart; the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant, virepeirXehi/aae, it abounded; yea, it superabounded with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus: there is an abundance of grace given forth to a single believer; how much then must it be that is given forth to them all 1 and how large that fulness which is in Christ 1 4. Though this grace flows in abundance to poor sinners, yet it is in measure; grace is in Christ without measure, but in us in measure; it is in hira as in a fountain, but is given forth to us in streams; and these streams should lead us to the fountain from whence they flow; for though we should rejoice in, and adore grace for the streams, yet we should not rest contented, without often going to the fountain itself. 5. The communications of grace are called streams, and said to be as streams from Lebanon, because they are exceeding grateful and delightful to souls; even as streams of water were in those hot countries: the streams which flow in this river of divine grace make glad the city of God; a spring of water to a thirsty traveller in the Arabian deserts, cannot be more welcome and delightful than the discoveries of grace, those streams from Lebanon, are to a believing soul; and therefore Christ is said to be” as rivers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow cf a great rock in
“Plin. 1. 5. c. ’20. and Joseph. Antiq. I. V c. 3.s. 1.
“PoifwvTot uTTo T» A/Jiava, Sept. qua; fluunt impetu do Libano, V. L. Et impetus descendens a Libano, Anibros. in Psal. cxviii. octon. 17. col. 1041. AH
a weary land,” Isa. xxxii. 2. 6. It intends the coutiuued supplies of grace to believers: grace is always running, streaming, flowing to them; could the communications of grace be stopped, xvere those streams from Lebanon to cease, they would soon be in an empty, miserable, and wretched state and condition: but this “rixxT of the water of life is proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb;” it ever did, and so it does still, and ever shall; “my God will supply all your need,” &c., Phil. iv. 19. 7- It intimates unto us the frceness of it; it is like the streams from Lebanon; it runs freely; whosoever will, may come and take of this w.ater of life freely. The first of these expressions in the text, denotes the fulness of grace in Christ; the second, the perpetuity and inexhaustibleness of it; and this third, the exceeding freeness of it.
Verse 16. Former part. Awake, 0 north rcind, and come thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. —
Christ having taken notice of the fruit.’“ulaes3 of his garden, the church, in verse 12 — 14, and she, in verse 15, having acknowledged that it was all owing to himscF, who is the fountain of gardens; he, in this verse, that nothing may be wanting to continue and increase the fruitfulncss thereof, calls to the north and south winds, the one (o awake, and the other to “come and blow upon his garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.” The reason why I take these words to be the words of Christ, and not of the church, as some,” are, 1. Because the language seems best to suit with him; who has created the winds, and gathered them in his fist, and holds them there; who opens his hand and lets them loose, and can and does recall them of at his pleasure; who has his storehouse and magazines of them, and when he pleases, brings them forth out of his treasures; who, in the days of his flesh, gave a surprising instance of his power over them, in rebuking (he wind and sea, and commauding a calm, when the disci])les, with others, were in imminent danger; which occasioned the men to say, ““What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him 1” he can shut up and let loose the winds, when he thinks fit; he has them at his command, and uses them as he pleases; so that it may be truly said of him, what the Heathen poet said of his Jove: Protinus .Soliis aquilonemclaudit in antris, Emittitque notum; madidisnotusevolatalia.
2. It does not appear so agreeable that the church should petition Christ to let loose the north wind upon her; especially, if by it we understand, as I think we must, some rough dispensation of providence, as afflictions, teniptatations, &c., which though Christ knows they are
agreeable to the accounts before given of those streams. * Cocceius, Marckius, Michaelis,
y Ovid. Metamorph, I. 1. fab. T,
wholesome and useful to his people, and he makes them so, and therefore in his wisdom and grace sends them; yet lliey are not desirable to the saints; they do not pray for them. 3. The person here speaking, claims a right and property in this garden, on which the south wind is to blow. Now the church is not her garden, but Christ’s, as she in the following part of the verse acknowledges; therefore it appears to be Christ who here speaks, and says, “blow upon my garden.” Taking them then to be his words, I shall now consider what he says. And,
I. He calls to the north wind to awake, “Awake, O north wind.” Which some understand as a command, to remove and be gone, and blow no longer upon his garden: in Psalm evil. 25, we read that God commaudeth, and raiselh the stormy wind; it is in the Hebrew text, lc?n, “and causeth the stormy wind to stand:” so that the raising of the wind, and continuing of it,iu that language was called a causing it to stand; and perhaps a recalling it was, as here, called an awaking or raising it up, in order to be gone: and there are some reasons which may be alleged why it may be supposed that it was not the design of Christ, that the north wind should blow, but rather that it should not. 1. Because it was now spring time; “the winter was past, the rain was over and gone; the flowers appeared in the earth, the fig-tree put forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes gave a good smell,” chap. ii. 11 — 13; and therefore it was time for the north wind to cease blowing. 2. It being a cold and nippiug wind, would be hurtful and injurious to the plants in his garden, mentioned in ver. 13, 14, and therefore it may be supposed that he would not have it blow. 3. The verb ‘msn, blow, is in the singular number, and seems to be only in construction with the south wind; and therefore is alone ordered to blow, and not the north wind. 4. Winds diametrically opposite to each other,” as the north and south be, cannot blow together under one and the same horizon with a contiuned blast; for if they blow with equal force, they will hinder each other from blowing freely; and if one is more powerful than the other, the weaker will be obliged to join the other, or else subside; though winds contrary may blow together obliquely and side-way; but the more oblique they are, the greater tempest they raise, which can not be supposed to be Christ’s design here: and now, when he orders the north wind to awake, arise, and be gone, he intends every thing that may be noxious, hurtful, and injurious to his garden. Though others think the meaning of this phrase, “Awake, O north wind,” is, arise, exert thyself, and blow, together with the south wind, upon my garden; and so the Jewish writers
think,’’ that both wiuds are designed to blow. The north wind, though a cold and nipping wind, yet Pliny says,’^ that it is the most wholesome wind that blows: and the scripture informs us, that though out of the north comes forth the cold; yet also from it proceeds fair weather; Job xxxvii. 9 — 22; aad Solomon tells us, that the uortl -viud drives away lain, Prov. xxv. 23, and then by the north wind, as I hinted before, we may understand rough dispensations of providence, as temptations, afBictions, &c., which Christ is pleased to suffer to come’upon his people, and which he brings them under, for their good and his glory: and this shows, (1.) That none of these things come upon the saints without Christ’s knowledge, permission, or appoiutment; there is not a wind blows upon them without his will and order: atflictions do not come out of the dust, nor trouble spring out of the ground, bat are sent from heaven to the saints as covenant mercies; no temptation comes upon them, what is common to man; and Christ takes care that they are not tempted above that they are able to bear, and in his own way and time gives them deliverance from it. (2.) These are all for their good; it is, if need be, they are in heaviness through manifold temptations; all adverse and rough dispensations of providence, all afflictions, work together for their good; they are all in mercy to them, otherwise he that holds the wind in his fist, would not suffer the blustering north wind to blow upon them. (3.) They serve to make the spices flow out; that is, they are useful for the trial, exercise, and increase of grace; tribulation works patience, and patience experience, and experience hope; that is, tribulation exercises and tries these graces, and makes them to appear more bright and glorious: the manifold temptations the saints are attended with, are suffered to come upon them “that the trial of their faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ,” 1 Pet. i. 6, 7.
II. He calls to the south wind, to come and blow Tipon his garden. The church is compared to a garden, in verse 12; and why it is so, has been there shown. Here Christ claims a property in it; and it is his, 1. By choice; he chose this spot of ground, and preferred it to all others, for this purpose and use. 2. By gift: he asked it of his Father, and he gave it to him: “thine they were, and thou gavest them me,” John xvii. 6. 3. By purchase; he has bought it, and at a dear rate: not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the invaluable price of his own precious blood. 4. By his powerful and efficacious grace, has dis-
‘Foliot. Sanctius, and Tig. not. in loc. so Ambrose, in Psal. i. 5. p. C86. Theocloret. in loc. nd Tres Tatres apud Ibid. Aristot. Meteorolog. 1. 2. c G.
* R. Sol. Jarchi, and R. Aben Ezra, and Yalcut in loc. ‘Lib. 2. c. ■IT.
tinguished and separated it from the wilderness of this world. 5. He uses it as his own; he purcRased and set it apart for his own use and recreation, and here delights to walk; he is frequently to be found, seen, and heard of here: and this being his own garden, which he himself chose, his Father gave him, which he has purchased with his own blood, distinguished by his grace, and where he delights to take his walks; he therefore calls upon the south wind to blow upon it. And by the south wind, and blowing ol it, I apprehend, is intended the Spirit of God, in his pow’erful operations, and special influences of grace, in and upon the hearts of God’s people; and shall now consider how he may be compared,
First. To the wind in general. The Spirit of God bears the same name, and several of the properties thei-efore are applicable to him. 1. The wind, as our Lord says, John iii. 8, bloweth where it listeth; the Spirit of God is a free agent; he works how and where he pleaseth; he acts freely in the first application of grace to a poor sinner; and so he does in all the after actings, operations, and influences of it, as well as in the donation of those gifts, which he bestows upon men for different purposes; for though there “are diversities of gifts, differences of administrations, and diversities of operations, yet all these worketh that one and the self-same spirit; dividing to every one severally as he will,” 1 Cor. xii. 4 — 11. 2. The wind blows imperceptibly; thou hearest, as Christ says in the above-mentioned place, “the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; and so is every one that is born of the Spirit:” the workings of the Spirit of God in regeneration are invisible and imperceptible to the natural man; he can no more discern the Spirit’s grace, than he can see the wind when it blows; he can no more tell from whence this grace comes, and how it is acted, than he can point at the treasures of wind, and tell from whence they take their rise, and why they blow sometimes one way and sometimes another; why sometimes only in a gentle breeze, and at other times rises to violent storms; why sometimes they drive on in a direct line, and at other times have a circular motion; and as he cannot account for these things, no more can he for the operations of the Spirit; for he neither knows his person nor his grace. 3. It blows powerfully and irresistibly; there is no stopping of it; it blows when, where, and how it listeth, for any thing that man can do; none but he who has created the winds, and gathered them in Lis first, can rule them at pleasure; and, when he lets them loose, and gives them a command they carry all before them; throw down houses, pluck up trees by the roots, rend the mountains, and break the rocks in pieces; for which reason the Spirit of God is compared to a mighty
rushing wind. Acts ii. 2, which filled the house in which the disciples were on the day of Penticost, and filled them with extraordinary gifts: the Spirit of God, in his mighty operations of grace upon a sinner’s heart, carries all before him; there is no withstanding his grace and power; he throws down Satan’s strong-holds, and demolishes the fortifications of sin; all mountains become a plain before him; and the whole posse of hell, and the corruptions of a man’s heart, are not a match for him; for when he works, none can let: he has conquered the hearts of the vilest and most notorious sinners, such as a Manasseh, a Mary Magdalene, and a persecuting Saul; there is no resisting his grace and the power of it, nor holding of his almighty arm. 4. The wind is of a purifying nature, therefore some call it nature’s fan; it clears the ait of infections and noxious vapours; we are scarce sensible how much our health is owing to it; for without this, the air would soon be stagnated, and quickly destroy the life both of man and beast: the Spirit of God purifies our hearts by faith: which he does by leading it to the blood of Jesus, which cleanseth from all sin: and by sprinkling it upon our consciences whereby they are purged from dead works; these dead weights and heavy clogs, which hinder us in serving the living God. 5. It is of a piercing and searching nature: it penetrates into every hole and cranny: the Spirit of God searches, not only the deep things of God, but the deep things of man also; what is said, Prov. sx. 27, of the spirit of man, may in a higher sense be said of the Spirit of God, that it is “the candle of the Lord, searching’all the inward parts of the belly;” it penetrates into the utmost recesses of a man’s heart, and discovers those hidden swarms of corruptions, which before lay indiscernible; it pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is both a discerner and revealer of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 6. It is of a cooling nature; so is the Spirit of God, in his operations of grace upon a sinner’s heart; which is often enflamed with wrath, through the workings of a fiery law, and the injections of Satan’s fiery darts; the heat of which he allays, by acting as a comforter, and as the Spirit of promise, bringing home and applying to the conscience of the distressed sinner, the exceeding great and precious promises of the Gospel, which cool and refresh, by removing wrath and teiTor from thence. Secondly, lie may be compared to the south-wind in particular, 1. Because it blows warmly, brings heat with it, breaks up frosts, and thaws the ice; “when ye see the south-wind blow,” says Christ, Luke xii. 55, “ye say there will be heat, and it cometh to pass:” so the Spirit of God brings heat along with him to the cold heart of a sinner, “dead in trespasses and sins;” and by the mighty influence of his grace, thaws and melts his
hard and frozen soul; and with his soul-warming gales, and comfortable discoveries of love, warms, enlivens, comforts, and refreshes the saint, when in a cold, lifeless, and uncomfortable frame. 2. It brings serenity along with it: it is not a blustering and tempestuous wind, as the north-wind is; but is still, gentle, and quiet; blows soflly, as Elihu said to Job, chap, xxxvii. 17, “Dost thou know — how thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south-wind?” the Spirit of God brings peace unto, and commands quietness in the heart of a distressed sinner, where were nothing before but storms and tempests: the fruit of the Spirit is peace, a conscience peace, “a peace that passeth all understanding;” which he works in the sinner’s heart, by leading him to the person, blood, and righteousness of Christ. 3. It is very fructifying; by its warmth, together with the sun, it loosens the trees, and causes the sap to flow, which was congealed by the cold, and clothes them with leaves, flowers, and fruit: the Spirit of God, by Iiis mighty gi-ace and special influence, makes souls fruitful in every good word and work. (4). The south-wind usually brings rain, hence it is called nubilus auster ;^ and therefore the poet represents it as flying, cum madidis alis, with wet and moistened wings. Pliny says, it produces greater floods than others do; which suits well with Junius’s version, who renders the next clause thus, “let the waters flow through the spices thereof:”’ the Spirit of God blows, and causes the floods of grace to rise; which, running about the several plauts in the garden, makes them fruitful. Thirdly. According to the mind of some Expositors,ff the Spirit of God is intended by both winds, the north and south; and that, 1. On the account of his dilferent operations; for which reason we read of “the seven spirits” of God, Rev. i. 4; not that there are so many distinct spirits personally existing; but by them are intended the variety and perfection of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit of God, who works them in, and bestows them on whom he will. 2. If the Spirit is intended by both winds, it may be expressive of the usual order of the Spirit in his operations: h is first as the north-wind, sharp and nipping; and then as the south-wind, warm and refreshing; he first acts the part of a conviucer, and then that of a comforter; he first kills, and then makes alive; wounds, and then he heals; he humbles souls, and makes them low in their own eyes, and then exalts them: he brings them “into the wilderness,” and then “speaks comfortably to them.” 3. It may show that Christ’s garden stands in need of both winds: that the saints sometimes need the Spirit as a reprover, to bring them to a sense of themselves; as well as a comforter, to relieve them under their distresses: the cold and
Ovid. Metamorph. 1. 11. v. fir.3. Fluvioque madescit ab austro, Ibid. 1. 1. fab. 2. Pluvialibusaustris, Virgil. Georgic. 1. 3. v. 429. Lib. 2. c.
47. f Perfluant aquae aromata ejus, Junius.
B Diodat, and Durham in loc. Floribus ausnipping north-wind, as well as the warm and comfortable south -wmd. 4. Both winds are called upon, and that to cause the spices to flow out, that the odour of them may be spread far and near, that it might be carried from pole to pole, even all the world over. Now when Christ is here represented, saying to the Spirit, “come and blow upon my garden;” it must be understood of him as Mediator, calling unto, and as it were demanding of the Spirit to do his work assigned him in the church; which does not suppose any inferiority in the Spirit to Christ; for all the three persons having jointly agreed in the everlasting council and covenant of peace, to take their several distinct parts in man’s salvation; and the Father having distinguished this spot of ground, this garden, by his grace; and Christ having purchased it by his blood; and the Spirit having planted it with precious plants, herbs, and spices; Christ calls upon him, by virtue of this former agreement, to do the remaining part of his work; see John xiv. 16, and xvi. 7; to blow upon his garden, that it may grow and flourish, and the sweet smell of these spices be carried far and near. Which brings me to consider,
III. The reason why he would have the south wind blow upon his garden; and that is, “that the spices may flow out;” might emit a fragrant smell; though Virgil*” represents the south-wind as. hurtful to flowers, so it might be in Italy, where it dried them up, as Severius on the place observes; and yet be useful to them in Palestine, where it blew from the sea, by which the south is sometimes called, Psalm cvii. 3. Now by spices, we must understand the graces of believers; which like spices, are rare, excellent, precious, sweet, and odorous, especially to Christ Jesus, by whom they are preferred to all spices: and the “flowing out” of them intend, either, 1. The exercise of them: grace is not always in exercise, but is like flowers, shut up; or like plants, herbs, and fruits, which seem to be withering; or like coals covered with ashes, that want to be “stirred up,”’ or blown upon, as in 2 Tim. i. 6; but this believers are not capable of doing themselves; for they can no more exercise grace, than they can work it of themselves: Christ knew full well, that this is the Spirit’s work; therefore he calls upon him to blow, and thereby open these flowers, revive these plants, and blow off the ashes from these coals, and draw forth grace into exercise upon himself, the proper Object of it. Or, 2. The evidence and showing forth of it to others: Christ would not only have grace in the hearts of his people, but would have it exert and show itself in the life and conversation; he would have these “lights shine before men,” and this grace appear, not only to himself, but to others. Or, 3. The increase of
trum perditus, Bucolic, eclog. 2. v. 58. Velut primos expiraturus ad austros — flos, Statii Sylv. 1. 2. ode 1. V. lOG. 1 Verbum uiuCuTrupen’, signilicat ignem
cineribus tectum excitare, sopitam favillam in Uamraam proferre, Aretius in 2 Tim. i. 6.
grace: that these herbs and plants might be fruitful, the spices smell, and the whole garden be in a flourishing condition; in short, that the Spirit would be ripening and bringing to maturity grace in the souls of believers, and finish what he had begun there. Or else, 4. The diffusive odour of them: that their graces might emit such a sweet odour, both to himself and others, as a garden does, when after a delightful shower of rain, the wind gently blows upon it. Which request, or rather demand of his, no doubt was answered, as appears from the following words.
Verse 16. Latter part Let my beJovfid comt
into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.
The north-wind being awakened, and the south-wind having blown u])on Christ’s garden, the church, according to his order, the spices did flow out, her graces were stirred up, and begin now to exercise themselves: which causes her, before he had well done speaking, and made a stop, to break forth in these words, and earnestly desire his presence and company in his garden; so that in this one verse we have both Christ and his church speaking. la these words are to be considered,
I. A title or character she gives him; “my beloved.”
II. A request or invitation she makes him; to “come into his garden.”
III. Her end in it; to “eat his pleasant fruits.”
I. Here is a title or character which she gives Lim, “my beloved;” which, as it comes from her mouth, is expressive, 1. Of her love to him, he was the object of her love, him whom her soul loved; and indeed how could she do otherwise than love so lovely a person, one who loved her so dearly, and had given such undeniable demonstrations of it? love, we usually say, begets love; and no wonder that Christ’s love should beget love in her, when we consider his person, the nature of his love, and how undeserving she was of it. 2. Of her faith as to her interest in him, she could point him out, and distinguish him from all others, and had strength of faith enough to claim him as hers; faith and love go together, they are twins; they were born together in a regenerate soul, and grow up together; when one is in exercise, usually the other is also; for “faith works by love.” 3. She makes use of this title as an argument to obtain her request, or make her invitations the more forcible: she who in this manner earnestly desires that he would come into his garden, was one who dearly loved him, stood nearly related to him, and had an interest both in his person and affections: arguments taken by the saints from their union and relation to Christ, and their interest in him, have very great influence upon him, and are not disregarded by him: David knew this, and therefore uses this way of speaking
at the throne of grace, “I am thine,” says he, Psalm cxix. 94, “save me.”
II. Here is a request made, or an invitation given, by the church to Christ, to “come into his garden.” By the garden is meant the church; and why it is so called, has been shown on v. 12; and in what sense it is Christ’s, and how he came to have a right to if, and property in it, has been observed in the former part of this verse, where Christ claims it, and the church here owns it; he calls to the south-wind, and says, “blow upon ray garden;” she here says, “let ray beloved come into his garden:” believers are willing to acknowledge that all they have, or are, belong to Christ; that they are not their own, ‘but “are bought with a price;” and therefore all they have and are, are for his use, and at his service; which they openly declare, and would have others take notice of, and therefore say, Psalm c. 3, “Know ye, that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not vve ourselves;” that is, who hath remade us; we are new creatures in Christ, and are his workmanship, and not our our own; “we are his people,” in a way of special and covenant-grace; “and the sheep of his pasture,” whom he has taken the care and charge of, as the Great Shepherd; has laid down his life for, and feeds and leads into good pasture.
The next thing to be taken notice of, is, what is meant by Christ’s “coming into his garden.” There is a threefold coming of Christ mentioned in the scripture.
1st. His coming in the flesh. This was what the Old-Testament-saints earnestly desired, prayed, and longed for: it was not only the wish of David, but of the whole church; he spoke the language of all their hearts, when he said. Psalm xiv. 7, “O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!” This being long promised, and long expected, the faith of the saints sometimes grew weak and languid concerning it; therefore the promises which respected it, were frequently renewed and repeated, and the prophets bidden to say, Isa. XXXV. 4, to them that were of a fearful heart, “Fear not, be strong, your God will come and save you;” and when they by faith saw the time near at hand, and him approaching, they were filled with joy and exultation; hence it is said, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! behold thy king Cometh unto thee,” &c., Zech. ix. 9; but this, I apprehend, is not intended in these words of the church.
2ndly. There is his coming at the last day to judge the world, which is usually called his second coming; which is what the apostle intends, when he says, Heb. ix. 28, “Unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time, without sin unto salvation.” The first time of his appearing in the flesh, though it was without sin of his own, yet not without the sins of his people; which were imputed to him, charged upon liira, and he answered for them; but when he appears
the second time, it shall be without them, they being alreaJy expiated and atoued for. He came the hist liiue to obtain salvation for sinners, and will come the second time to put them into the full possession of it; and as the first coming of Christ was desired by the Old-Testament-saiuts; so this is desired by the New-Testament-saints; who, upon Christ’s saying, “Surely I come quickly,” answer, “Amen, even so come, Lord Jesus:” it will fill the saints with wonder and joy; for he, when he comes, will be both glorified in them, and admired by them, though il will strike the wicked with dread and terror, and fill them with the utmost conslernaliou; for his coming will be “in flaming fire, to take vengeance” on them. But neither is this, I think, the coming intended here. But,
3rd]y. There is a spiritual coming of Christ; which is, when he comes and pays a visit, grants his presence, manifests his love, discloses the secrets of his heart unto his people, which was what he promised his sorrovling disciples, when he was about to remove from them, and they were no longer to enjoy his bodily presence; says he, John xiv. 18, “I will not leave you comfortless, op<pavovs, orphans or fathei’less, I will come to you;” which promise Christ made good unto them, as lie does to all his people at one time or another; for, says he, John xiv. 23, “If any man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him:” that is. Father, Son, and Spirit, “and make our abode with him;” which is what the church desires here, that Christ would grant her his spiritual, gracious, and comfortable presence, and that she might have more intimate communion with him. From whence we may observe, J. That Christ is sometimes absent from his church and people; He does not always manifest himself unto them; he sometimes hides his face, withdraws his presence, and seems to stand at a distance from them, he is sometimes Beus abscondiius, the hidden God; he was so to the Jews in the days of his flesh, and he is so sometimes to his own flesh; for “he hidelh his face from the house of Jacob;” his ols’u church and people, for whom he has the greatest love and regard: not that Christ is ever really and wholly absent from his church; he is always in his garden; he has promised to be always with his people and ministers unto the end of the world, and his faithfulness stands engaged to make it good; but he does not always alike manifest himself unto them; they have not always alike views of his person, discoveries of his love, and enjoyments of his presence; which sometimes makes them say, with Job, “O that I were as in months past!” &c.; nay, sometimes in their apprehensions he is entirely gone, which is the church’s case, in chap. v. 9; and such is their infirmity, and the strength of unbelief in them, that they are
ready to say. He is gone, and will never return more; and therefore, as David did, read all that in the affirmative, which you will find in Psalm lxxvii. 7 — 9; though I do not think this to be the case of the church here; she seems not to be without the manifestation of Christ’s love, and enjoyments of his presence, being in such a fruitful state, the south-wind having blown upon her, her grace appearing to be in exercise, and she in a comfortable frame; though she wanted more nearness to him, more intimate communion and fellowship with him: believers never think themselves near enough to Christ, nor never will, till they are with him in glory: the highest enjoyment of Christ here below, though exceeding ravishing and delightful, falls short of giving lull satisfaction; for still the soul desires more and greater: the apostle Paul, who had as much communion and fellowship with Christ, as perhaps ever any man had on earth; and yet, when he had in view that eternal being with Christ hereafter, speaks as if he had never been with him here; all his communion with him here was nothing, when compared with that which he expected in another world, and therefore he had “a desire to depart, that he might be with Christ.” 2. From hence may be observed, that Christ’s presence is exceeding desirable to believers; this is the one thing they seek aflei, and cannot be easy without; which when enjoyed, gives them the utmost pleasure, and fills them with ineipressible joy: and the reason why Christ’s company and presence is so desirable to them, is because he is nearly related to them; he is their beloveJ, their Head and Husband; they are “members of his body, his flesh, and of his bones;” he is their “all in all;” and when he is in the garden,’’ all they want, and all they desire is there; for there is none in heaven nor in earth with them comparable to him; his coming revives the plants and herbs, and makes them fruitful; it causes the spices to flow,- grace to appear in exercise; it is like “the rain, and as the latter and former rain unto the earth:” also it is doing the saints the greatest honour; they have reason to say, “Whence is this to us, that not “the mother of our Lord,” as Elizabeth said to Marv, but our Lord himself, should come to us? and yet this honour have all the saints. Moreover, Christ’s coming is always beneficial to believers; he never comes empty-handed; he never pays a visit, but he brings something with him; he never sups with his people, but he is at the charge of the whole entertainment. Again, it is Christ’s presence that makes his garden, the church, an Eden of pleasure, a heaven on earth; which makes it a Bethel, and the “gate of heaven:” it is this which makes Christ’s tabernacles “amiable and and lovely, his ways, ways of pleasantness, and his paths, paths of peace;” it is this which makes his “yoke easy,” and his “burden light,” and
Vid. B. ,Sol. Jarchium in loc.
all his comraandments not to be grievous, but delightfnl; and when all this is considered, it is no wonder that believers are so desirous of Christ’s presence and company in his garden. 3. Hence it appears, that Christ’s granting his presence with his church, is an act of wonderful grace and condescension; and therefore she asks it as a favour of him; and a surprising instance of his grace it is, that he who is the high and lofty one, should vouchsafe his presence to such vile and unworthy creatures as we be. The Septuagint render it, “let him descend into his garden;“’ and, agreeable hereunto in chap. vi. 2, he is said to be” gone down into his garden, intending his wonderful condescension. Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, said, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth?” We have reason to say with Judas, not Iscariot, “Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not unto the world?” especially when, with the centurion, we consider, that we are not worthy that he should come under our roof.
III. The end of her making this request or invitation, is, that he might “eat his pleasant fruits;” in which may be considered, 1st. What these fruits are?” 2udly. Whose they are. 3dly. That they are pleasant ones. And 4thly. What is meant by eating them.
1st. What these fruits are. By fruits are meant, either the graces of the Spirit, which are called “the fruit of the Spirit,” Gal. v. 23, or else, the duties and services of God’s people, their good works, which are performed in the exercise of grace, believers are “trees of righteousness;” and the fruits which they bear are called “fruits of righteousness;” being by grace made good trees, they bring forth good fruit, and are said to be “fruitful in every good work;” now these Christ is here invited to eat. The Tai’gum expounds it of the offerings of the people, which God graciously accepted.
2ndly. Whose fruit is this, is the next inquiry; and they are said to be his, that is, Christ’s: the garden is his, and all the fruit of it: only, as one™ well observes, the weeds are hers; every thing else in the garden, that is either for service or pleasure, belongs to him. The graces of the Spirit are his, 1. He is the procurer and possessor of them; he obtained all grace for his church and people in the everlasting covenant; he then asked for it, and it was granted him and given to us in him, on condition of his performing certain articles then agreed upon; so that, as the glorious Mediator of the covenant, he is “full of grace and truth, and from his fulness do saints receive grace for grace;” it is all lodged in his hands, and from thence given forth to us. 2. He is the Author of all grace; he is said to be the Author and Piuisher of faith; and as he is the Author of that, so he is of all other grace; he gives it to us, and by his Spirit works it in us; he is the green fir tree, from whom all
‘KaTa/SijTo) cTt K?|ffOi, ukth, Sept.
our fruit is found, for otherwise we have none of ourselves. 3. He is the object of all grace, particularly faith, hope, and love; he is the person in whom we believe, trust, and depend on for life and salvation; on whom our hope of glory is fixed, and to whom our love and affections are drawn; so that these fruits may be truly said to be his; also our duties, services, and good works, performed in the exercise of grace, are his; for, (1.) They are performed by virtue of union to him; and therefore the fruits of righteousness are said to be by Jesus Christ; and “as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine,” no more can any bear fruit, or perform good works aright, except they are engrafted and abide in Christ; he is the root which bears the branches, and from whence they receive sap and nourishment, which causes them to abound with frait; “the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit,” says Solomon, Prov. xii. 12, now the righteous man’s root is Christ. (2.) They are done, not in their own strength, but in his; for without him they can do nothing; it is he who works in them, both “to will and to do of his good pleasure;” therefore they ascribe all their works, duties, and services to him: and say, as the apostle did, when he had asserted that he had laboured more abundantly than the rest of the apostles, corrects himself thus, “yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (3.) They are designed for his honour and glory, when performed aright; they do not seek themselves, their own carnal interest, nor worldly applause, nor expect to merit any thing by them; but what they do, is in a way of obedience and gratitude to Christ, and that he in all things may be glorified; they are performed in his strength, and designed for his use; and so are properly his; which being considered, destroys that notion which advances the merit of good works.
3rdly. These fruits are said to be pleasant, that is, grateful, well-pleasiug, and acceptable to Christ; so are the graces of the Spirit, especially when in exercise, as appears from ver. 9, 10; and so are the good works of his people, when performed in faith, from a principle of love to him, and are directed to his glory; the’smallest services of his saints to him, and the least acts of charity to his, are acceptable to him, when performed in the exercise of grace; and he will take notice of them, and openly declare it one day before angels and men, how well pleased he is with them.
4thly. What is meant by eating them: and this intends Christ’s accejjtation of them, and delight in them, as also his enjoyment of them; the phrase of eating and drinking being, with the Jews, expressive of enjoyment: and it also farther declares, the church’s acknowledgment of Christ being the owner of the garden; for who should ea of the fruits of it but he who has planted it, and takes care of it, and to whom all the fruit belongs? knowing it therefore to be so, she here
“Durham in loc.
invites him to his own; which invitation is not disregarded, hut observed by him, as appears from the following words.