Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A76634
|
A version of Solomon's Song of Songs Together with the XLV. Psalm. By Joseph Stennett.; Bible. O.T. Song of Solomon. English. Stennett.
|
Stennett, Joseph, 1663-1713.
|
1700
(1700)
|
Wing B2633AC; ESTC R212810
|
17,489
|
68
|
A VERSION OF SOLOMON's Song of Songs Together with The XLV PSALM By JOSEPH STENNETT Isa 54.5 Thy Maker is thy Husband the LORD of Hosts is his Name Eph. 5.32 This is a great Mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the Church LONDON Printed for Dan. Brown at the Black Swan and Bible without Temple-bar and Andr. Bell at the Cross-keys and Bible in Cornhil 1700. THE PREFACE THO 't is generally agreed that this Poem was compos'd by Solomon yet some have denied that he wrote it by Divine Inspiration and make his Design to be only that of celebrating his Amours with Pharaoh's Daughter or some other person This was formerly the Opinion of Theodorus Mopsuestanus and was condemned in the 2d Council of Constantinople and Grotius of late in his Annotations on this Book declares himself to be * Hoc canticum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inter Solomonem filiam regis Aegypti interloquentibus etiam choris duobus tum juvenum tum virginum qui in proximis thalamo locis excubabant nuptiarum arcana sub honestis verborum involucris hîc latent quae etiam causa est cur Hebraei veteres hunc librum legi noluerunt nisi a jam conjugio proximis Creditur autem Solomon quò magis perennaret hoc scriptum ea arte id composuisse ut sine multa distortione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in eo inveniri possent quae Dei amorem adversùs populum Israeliticum exprimerent quod sensit ostendit Chaldaeus hîc paraphrastes nec aliter accepit Maimonides Ille autem amor typus cùm fuerit amoris Christi erga ecclesiam Christiani ingenia sua ad applicanda ad eam rem hujus carminis verba exercuerunt laudabili studio H. Grot. in Cant. much of the same mind tho to qualify the matter a little he tells us 'T is thought that Solomon the better to eternize this Book compos'd it so artificially that without much straining there might be Allegories enough found in it to express the Love of God to the Israelitish Nation which the Chaldee Paraphrast perceived and declar'd and Maimonides understood it no otherwise And this Love being a Type of the Love of Christ to his Church Christians have laudably exercis'd their minds in applying the words of this Poem to this purpose But with how little reason any have presum'd to deny the Divine Authority and spiritual Design of this Book will appear when 't is considered That it has always been numbred among the Canonical Books of the Old Testament both by Jews and Christians The Title given it by the Chaldee Paraphrast is Songs and Hymns which Solomon the Prophet the King of Israel utter'd by the Spirit of Prophecy before the Lord the Lord of all the World The extreme Reverence the Jews had for it as containing Divine Mysteries of the highest rank was the reason of their prohibiting their Children to read it as well as the first Chapter of Genesis and both the beginning and end of the Prophecy of Ezekiel till they arriv'd at 30 years of Age. They call it The ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy of Holies and say its Divine Authority was never so much as controverted among them by any but the Profane They say the Name Solomon mention'd in this Song is sacred and to be ascribed to the Messiah the Prince of Peace And the most celebrated Christian Writers both Antient and Modern so generally agree in the Divine Original of this Song that it is as needless as it would be endless to name ' em 'T is true this Poem treats of two Lovers sometimes under the character of a Shepherd and Shepherdess and sometimes under that of a Prince and Princess But does it thence follow that it has not a Mystical Sense designing to set forth the mutual Love of Christ and his Church when 't is so usual a thing to find Allegories in the Divine Writings The 45th Psalm celebrates the same mystical Espousals and very much in the same strain a Version of which I therefore added at the end and John the Baptist gives the Character of Bridegroom to our Blessed Saviour John 3.29 as well as John the Apostle Rev. 19.7 9. The Apostle Paul uses the same kind of Language Eph. 5 22-33 2 Cor. 11.2 when he alludes to Marriage in speaking of the mystical Vnion of Christ and the Church Indeed it may be allow'd that here are divers Allusions to Solomon and his Queen their Court and Gardens c. and the rather because Solomon was an eminent Type of Christ but Longè majora canuntur and a Greater than Solomon is here as is evident not only from what has been already said but from the improbable things that will result from the contrary supposition For instance if Solomon were one of the principal Subjects of this Song is it to be imagined that he would speak so largely in his own praise and magnify his own Beauty to so high a degree On the other hand is it likely he should one while so plainly set forth the defects and imperfections of his Bride and at another time extol her to the Skies Is it to be thought he would make her so amorous and importunate in her inquiries after him or that he would represent his Queen running unattended thro the streets of Jerusalem in the night to seek him and so exposing her self to all manner of Affronts and Abuses contrary to the rules of Decency This no way agrees with the modesty and reservedness of her Sex especially in those times and in that place nor with the greatness of her Quality for in this part of the Song she is not considered as a Shepherdess in a Country Cottage but as a Princess in her City-Palace Now all this and much more to the same purpose which for brevity sake I for bear to mention will very well bear a mystic Sense and may easily be accommodated to Christ and the Church For 't is no wonder if Solomon speaks highly in the praise of this Heavenly Bridegroom and represents this Bride sometimes veil'd with Blemishes and Infirmities and sometimes without any Defect shining with Beauty and Glory because the various conditions and frames of the Church of Christ make her appear very much to differ from her self when viewed in different respects and at different times 'T is no trespass on her Modesty but an addition to her Glory to represent her Love to Christ extremely fervent Her diligent Inquiry after him in the night when withdrawn from her after she refus'd him admission her Sorrows and Afflictions in seeking him her transports of Joy when she finds him all sute very well with what passes between our Saviour and his Spouse while she continues in this lower World It is likewise worth observation that the Tower of Lebanon spoken of in this Book Chap. 7.4 which in all appearance is the same with the House of the Forest of Lebanon mentioned 1