may attain to a great height and yet corruption may again strangely break out and grace be brought very low What knowledge had Solomon What presence and clearnesse had he gotten by the Lord 's appearing to him What hearing of Pâ—ayer How usefull was he in God's work in building the Temple ordering all the Levits c and continued thus eminent for many years even till he was well stricken in years and then fell so foully How may this strike us with fear It 's much to win fair off the Stage without a spot Be humble and he that standeth let him take heed lest he fall 5. Grace can wash foul spots out of Believers Garments seing no question Solomon was washen and as he was recovered so grace is able to recover the Saints from their most dangerous aâ—d fearfull backslidings 6. Sometime the Spirit will honour the Penmen of Holy Writ by mentioning and recording their names other times not as is clear from some Books unknown by whom they were written the Lord doth in this according to his pleasure and as he seeth it may tend to edification Vers. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then Wine Having spoken to the Title we come now to the Song it self which being by way of Conference or Dialogue we shall divide the several Chapters according to the number of the Speakers and their several intercourses in speaking And so in this Chap. we have 5. parts In the 1. the Bride speaks to vers 8. In the 2. the Bridegroom to vers 12. In the 3. the Bride again to vers 15. And 4. the Bridegroom speake vers 14. And lastly the Bride in the two last verses The Bride begins this sweet Conference vers 2. and continues to vers 8. 1. She speaks to Christ vers 2 3 4. Then 2. to the Daughters of Ierusalem vers 5 6. Lastly she turns her self again to the Bridegroom vers 7. In the first of these there is 1. Her aime and desire by way of an earnest wish laid down vers 1. 2. The motives that stir up this desire in her and whereby she presseth it on him vers 2 3. 3. There is a formal Prayer set down vers 4. which is amplified in these three 1. In the motive proposed 2. In the answer obtained and felt 3. In the effects that followed on it Her great wish is Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth That it 's the Bride that speaks is clear She begins not because love ariseth first on her side for here she begins as having already closed with him and therefore she speaks to him as one who knows his worth and longs for the out-lettings of his love but because such expressions of Christs love as are to be found in this Song whereby his complacency is vented and manifested towards us doth first presuppose the working of love in us and our exercising of it on him and then his delighting that is his expressing his delight in us For although the man first suit the wife and so Christ first sueth for his Bride yet when persons are married it 's most suitable that the wife should very pressingly long for and expresse desire after the husband even as the Bride doth here after Christ's kisses and the expressions of his love Of this order of Christ's love see Chap. 8. Vers. 10. In the words consider 1. what she desires and that is the kisses of his mouth 2. How she points Christ forth by this significant demonstrative Him 3. Her abrupt manner of breaking out with this her desire as one that had been dwelling on the thoughts of Christ and feeding on his excellency and therefore now she breaks out Let him kisse me c. as if her heart were at her mouth or would leap out of her mouth to meet with his First by kisses we understand most lovely friendly familiar and sensible manifestations of his love kisses of the mouth are so amongst friends so it was betwixt Ionathan and David and so it is especially betwixt Husband and Wife Next there are several delightsome circumstances that heighten the Brides esteem of this the so much desired expression of his love The 1. is implyed in the person who is to kisse it 's Him Let him kisse He who is the most excellent and singular person in the world The 2. is hinted in the party whom he is to kisse it 's me Let him kisse me a contemptible despicable creature for so she was in her self as appears from vers 5 6. yet this is the person this love is to be vented on 3. Wherewith is he to kisse It 's with the kisses of his mouth which we conceive is not only added as an Hebraism like that expression The words of his mouth and such like phrases but also to affect her self by expressing fully what she breathed after to wit kisses or love which are the more lovely to her that they come from his mouth as having a sweetnesse in it Chap. 5. 16. above any thing in the world That Christ's love hath such a sweetnesse in it the reason subjoyned will clear for thy love is c. That which is here kisses is immediatly denominat loves It is his love that she prized and whereof kisses were but evidences They are kisses in the plural number partly to shew how many ways Christ hath to manifest his love partly to shew the continuance and frequency of these manifestations which she would be at The thing which she here desires is not love simply but the sense of love for she questioned not his love but desired to have sensible expressions of it and therefore compares it not only to looks that she might see him but to kisses which is also clear from the reason annexed while she compares his love to Wine Again her manner of designing Christ is observable Him It 's a relative where no antecedent goes before yet certainly it looks to Christ alone as the reasons shew Here no rules of Art are kept for love stands not on these This manner of speaking is to be found also in Moral Authors when one eminent is set forth who is singularly known beside others as having in the estimation of the speakers no match So Pythagora's Schollars used to say of their Master 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He said it And in Scripture when the Saints speak of the Lord they thus design him because they are not afraid to be mistaken Psal. 87. 1. His foundation c. and Isaiah 53. 2. He shall grow up like to a tender plant This is neither for want of titles due to him or rhetorick in her but because in this manner of expression the Saints set forth 1. Christ's singular excellency which is such that he hath no match or equal there is but one Him 2. Their singular esteem of him whatever others think 1 Cor. 8. 6. To us there is but one Lord Iesus only Christ is esteemed of
December 12. 1667. IT is Ordered by the Lords of His Majesties Privy Council That none shall Re-print or Import this Book Entituled Clavis Cantici for the space of nintine Years without Licence of the Printers hereof P. W. Clavis Cantici OR AN EXPOSITION OF THE SONG of SOLOMON BY IAMES DVRHAM Late Minister of the Gospel in Glasgow Col. 3. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdome teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Eph. 5. 2. And walk in love as Christ also hath loved us 1 Cor. 13. 13 And now abideth faith hope love these three but the greatest of these is love EDINBVRGH Printed by George Swintoun and Iames Glen and are to be sold at their Shops in the Parliament-Yard Anno DOM. 1668. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER GOD being the immortal souls chief good it must needs follow that what unites the soul unto God must be the souls chief Ornament and Grace And such is Love that Principium uniens or principle uniting the soul unto God Whence it is that even in good spiritual and elevated reason the Apostle prefers Love among the souls three cardinal virtues 1 Cor 13. 13. And now abideth faith hope and love and the greatest of these is Love Indeed Faith going out from the sinner to rest upon Jesus Christ the Justifier of the ungodly And there is no sinner nor unclean thing in Heaven and Hope looking unto and after a Country that we are not yet possessors of and Love yea love alone filling Heaven unto all eternity it is certain that Love is the souls most adorning Ornament its most Heavenly frame Now of all Books in Holy Scripture it hath pleas'd the Holy Ghost to entitle the Song of Solomon or His Book of Loves thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Song of Songs All Songs all Loves all outgoings of the soul being invaluable to this Souls-Song and Love uniting Christ and the soul. This Posthume work then of the precious Author Mr. Durham is commendable to the Churches if there be need of â—â—y additional commendation beyond the naming of his Name to it upon moe accounts than one First It 's done upon the highest sweetest deepest subject Love between the soul and it's chiefest good even God in Christ. Secondly It 's done spiritually yet plainly upon a most spiritual yet Mysterious portion of Holy Scripture And Thirdly the Churches of Christ are oblidged to God in this That they have had from this bright Candle amongst the Lord's Candlesticks a light shining upon and discovering those two Mysterious Books of Scripture Canticles and Revelation Fourthly If a word fitly spoken is as Apples of Gold in pictures of Silver Prov. 25. 11. Sure then it was highly commending of Gods goodnesse to the Author That he was led on this work of Preaching Lecturing and Writing on this Song of Loves Those sweet concords and begun Musick of Heaven between Christ and souls and that in time of sad discords and very Immusical Jarrings in the Church An argument of an excellent Soul-frame in a very evil time A demonstration whereof and of his healing disposition O how apparent is it in that rare piece of his upon Scandal I shall not trouble thee any further save that I cordially wish the Lord may be pleased so to blesse thy perusal of this present Treatise as it may tend not only to the present but also to the everlasting wel-being of thy soul. And so I bid thee farewell Clavis Cantici OR A KEY of the SONG Useful for opening up thereof THis is a place of Scripture the Exposition whereof many in all Ages have shâ—â—ned to adventure upon and truly I have looked upon it of a long time as not convenient to be treated upon before all Auditories nor easie by many to be understood especially because of the height of spiritual expressions and mysterious rapts of Divine Love and the sublime and excellent expressions of the Bridegroom therein contained which would require much livelinesse of frame and acquaintance in experience with the things here spoken of and nearnesse in walking with God as being necessary for finding out the mind and meaning oâ— the Spirit of God therein Yet we are now brought by help of his Grace to essay the Interpretation of it upon these following considerations First Because it is acknowledged by all not only to be authentick Scripture but an excellent Piece thereof and therefore is to be made use of by the Church and not to ly hid nor to be laid aside as if the meaning thereof were not to be searched into because it seems dark and obscure 2. Because the Subject and Matter of it is so Divine carrying alongst with it many various cases both of particular Souls as also of the Church both visible and invisible with many excellent commendations of Christ the Bridegroom which ought to be the Subject of his Friends Meditations and cannot but be profitable if he blesse them there being here Maps almost for all conditions 3. Because the style and composition is so Divine and excellent carrying affections alongst with it and captivating them in the very reading so that few can read this Song but they must fall in love with it we would therefore see what is within it if at least we may get a taste of that which doth so sweetly relish 4. It seems the Holy Ghost by putting it into such a mould intended to commend it and if it be true that all the Poetical pieces of Scripture ought especially to be learned and taken notice of so should this it being so commended to us in that frame 5. The strain and subject of it is so very spiritual that it necessitats the Students thereof to aime at some nearnesse with God and ordinarily it leaves some stamp upon their affections which is not the least cause nor the smallest encouragement to me in this undertaking We shall not stand to prove the authority of it It carries a Divine style in its bosome nor is there need to inquire who was the Pen-man of it it being clear that Solomon who was furnished with wisdom and understanding as never a King before or since was is honoured to be the Amanuensis of the Holy Ghost in putting this Song upon record Whether after or before his backsliding it is not much to us though it be most probable that it was after in the warmness of a spirit sensible of this so great a deliverance For here we may as it were see him making use of that experience of the vanity of all things he had found coming to the fear of God as the conclusion of the whole matter whereof this Song of Love is not a little evidence and which looks like his own saying Eccles. 12. 13. The means which are necessary for our more perspicuous handling and your more profitable hearing of this profound Scripture will be
now suffered and that the way of revealing him then was some way different from that we have now will not make another Gospel Covenant Faith yea nor Church we being grafted in that same Stock which they once grew upon and being by Faith Heirs of the same promises which sometime they possessed Object 3. If any should yet doubt if Solomon knew or intended such Doctrines as these and that therefore they cannot be well digested if drawn from this Song beyond his mind and meaning â— Ans. 1. Our great purpose is to know what the Spirit intended and not what Solomon understood and if this be the Spirit 's intention to set out Christ's way with his Church then such Doctrines as agree therewith must be agreeable to his meaning 2. Yea suppose Solomon and other Prophets should be ignorant in a great measure of the meaning of such things as the Spirit foretold by them as it is not impossible in some extraordinary things especially when their knowledge in these was not essential to the truth of their Prophesie for they might have a kind of nescience in the particulars though they were sure the thingâ— they delivered were in the complex Prophesie God's word yet will any say that we should limit the words spoken by them to their understanding of them If so by what rule would we know if or how they did understand them 3. Therefore we say It was with Solomon here as with other Prophets as Isaiah and others who spake many of the Gospel-truths which in particular they might not so fully know as we do now when these Prophecies are fulfilled yet was it never doubted but the most deep mysteries of the Gospel were contained in their Prophecies Yet 4. We say there is no ground to think but Solomon knew much of the mind of the Spirit in this Song yea more than many Learned Men now a-days For 1. He was not only a Believer but one eminent for gifts and knowledge and none will say but he was so for divine knowledge as well as humane as his Books particularly Prov. 4. 8 9. Chapters in his description of Christ the substantial wisdome of the Father c. do shew And can it be thought he wrot this Book without any sense of what he wrot 2. Can it be thought but he lavelled what he wrot here at a scope and that afterward himself made use of it for his edification and comfort which could not be done if he had not understood the most of these Gospel-mysteries upon which all this sweet conference betwixt Christ and Believers is founded 3. His writing in such terms shews that the words were not ignorantly fallen upon but he having knowledge of all Herbs Spices c. and how to apply them to spiritual things pitched upon these as the most pertinent similitudes which are therefore by the special wisdom of the Spirit made use of in this Song as in other his Writings yea certainly his knowledge how spiritual mysteries are couched up in these similitudes and represented by them was beyond what we can reach unto now and therefore we dare not insist or be peremptory in the particular application of these similitudes 4. The subject of this Song not being Prophetical but Narrative and Doctrinal containing such exercises as might be and certainly were found in Believers even then and such dispensations as they used to meet with will any say he was a stranger unto them seing there was accesse to know these much better then Prophesies of things which were to come Yea 5. Is there any thing here but what in other Scriptures of the Old Testament and especially Songs and Psalms is to be found where the cases and exercises of Gods people are set down And it needs not be thought strange if we equal him in knowledge with others of his time or before him and that he sets down in a more artificial manner according to his measure of Gifts that which others set down in more plain termes yet both by the same Spirit We may then confidently hazard to draw the same Doctrines concerning Christ the Gospel Church c. from it that are to be found in other more clear and plain Scriptures One of the Fathers Athanas. in Synops. comparing this Song with other Scriptures of the Old Testament sayes it is as Iohn Baptist among the Prophets other Scriptures speak of Christ as coming saith he and afar off this speaks of Him and to Him as already come and near hand and indeed it is so For so even then he was sometimes very familiar and present both to the Faith and Sense of his people as well as now Thus also even Origen though in plain Scriptures too luxuriant yet in this he seems to own this same scope Thus also Zanch. in Eph. 5. makes it a compend and Copy of the spiritual Marriage with Christ. And Bodius in Eph. pag. 114. sayes it 's ipsius fidei Religionis Christianae medulla If it be said if we interpret this Song after this manner then all the observations will run upon Believers cases only which would seem to say that no Doctrines may be drawn from it for the edification of these who are yet unrenewed and what use can it then be of to them who yet are the greater part in the Church 1 Ans. The Gospel hath Doctrines suitable to all within the Church and this Song being in substance Christs way with his Church must also contain Doctrines useful for all within the same 2. In this Song the Church is not only considered as invisible and unite by true faith to Christ but also as visible and as under external Ordinances as hath been said and in that respect it furnishes Doctrines fit for all 3. This Song will furnish Doctrines useful for these as other Parables or Allegories of that kind do which Christ used often even for the edification of such 4. Doctrines from all places of Scripture may be raised by analogy as from such places where God holdeth forth the way he useth with his own when they have wronged him by sin which is to humble them and bring them to Repentance ere they see his face again sin becomes bitter even to them From such places I say we may gather by proportion that God's way with unrenewed sinners whom he minds to bring to peace and friendship with himself is to humble them and make sin bitter to them seing the recovering of peace and the first founding of peace as to this is brought about after the same manner 5. From such places as speak directly Christs special love to Believers there may be drawn good uses and applications to others partly to ingage them to him who so loves his own partly to terrifie these who are not his by their being debarred from any right to such excellent priviledges 6. Where the Brides carriage is commendable it 's a copy and pattern to all even as Examples and Precepts are ordinarily given in