the present dark condition she was in seeking to find him out 2. This phrase Turn away thine eyes is not so to be taken as if Christ approved not her looking to him or her faith in him but to shew the exceeding great delight he had in her placing her faith and love on him which was such that her loving and believing looks ravished him as it 's Chap. 4. 9. and as it were his heart could not stand out against these looks more than one man could stand out against a whole army as the the following expression clears It 's like these expressions Gen. 32. 28. I pray thee let me go and Exod. 32. 10. Let me alone Moses which shews that it 's the believers strength of faith and importunity of love exercised in humble dependence on him and cleaving to him which is here commended for saith he they have overcome me This shews that it is no violent or unwilling victory over him But in respect of the effect that followed her looks it holds forth the intensnesse of his love and the certainty of faiths prevailing that to speak so with reverence and admiration he is captivat ravished and held with it as one that is overcome because he will be so yea according to the principles of his love and the faithfulnesse of his promises whereby he walks he cannot but yield unto the believing importunity of his people as one overcome In sum it 's borrowed from the most passionat love that useth to be in men when they are so taken with some lovely object that a look thereof pierceth them This though in every thing especially as implying defects it cannot be applyed to Christ yet in a holy spiritual manner the effects for the believers comfort are as really and certainly but much more wonderfully in Christ. These expressions are much of the same nature with these spoken of upon Chap. 3. 4. and Chap. 4. 9. and therefore the doctrines there will follow here But further from the scope and repetition Obs. 1. That the believers eyes may look that is their love and faith may be exercised on Christ even in their dark and deserted conditions and it 's their property to look alway to him even when their eyes are as it were blind through desertion he is still the Object they are set upon 2. That when these graces of faith and love are exercised on Christ they are never fruitlesse but alwayes prevail and obtain though it be not alwayes sensible to the believer 3. The love and faith of believers have weight with Christ and affect him even when he keeps up himself he may be overcome even then for the expression in the text looks to what was past 4. Faith working by love is a most gallant and holy darring thing bold in it's enterprises to pursue after to grip and stick to Christ over all difficulties as may be seen in her former carriage and most successful as to the event 5. The more stayedly and stoutly with love humility and diligence that â—aith set on Christ it 's the more acceptable to him and hath the greater commendation as the eleventh of the Hebrews and his commendation of that womans faith Matth. 15. 25. do confirm Tenaciousnesse and importunity in holding of hanging on and cleaving to Christ by faith may well be marvelled at and commended by Christ but will never be reproved nor rejected They greatly mistake Christ who think that wrestling by faith will displease him for even though he seem to keep up himself it is but to occasion and to provoke to more of the exercise of these graces in which he takes so much delight Vers. 5. Thy hair is as a flock of Goats that appear from Gilead Vers. 6. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing whereof every one beareth twins and there is not one barren among them Vers. 7. As a piece of a Pomegranate are thy Temples within thy locks The following particulars of her commendation in the end of the 5. and in the 6. and 7. verses are set down in the same words Chap. 4. 1 2 3. and therefore we need say no more for their explication only we would consider the reason of repeating them in the same words which is the scope here and it 's this Although he commended her formerly in these expressions yet considering her foul slip Chap. 5. 2 3. and his withdrawing on the back of it she might think that he had other thoughts of her now and that these priviledges and promises which she had ground to lay claim to before did not belong to her now and therefore she could not comfortably plead an interest in them now as before to remove this mistake or doubt he will not only commend her but in the same very words to shew that she was the same to him and that his respect was not diminished to her therfore he will not alter her name nor her commendation but will again repeat it for her confirmation intimating his love thereby and also for her instruction teaching the Bride her duty by these particulars of her commendation and shewing her what she should be And this commendation had not met so well with her case nor expressed so well his unchangeable love if it had been given in other terms From this we may Observe 1. as believers are ready to slip and fail in their duty so are they ready to suspect Christ to be changing towards them because of their failings they are very apt from their own ficklenesse and changes to apprehend him to be changeable also and to refuse comfort from all byâ—gone evidences and intimations of his love and from all words that have comforted them till they be restored and set right again 2. Our Bridegroom is most constant in his affection to his Bride continuing still the same and as he is the most free forgiver of wrongs to his own so he is the most full forgetter of them when they return and therefore he continues speaking to her in the same terms as formerly without any alteration as if no such wrong on her side had been committed 3. Renewing of repentance and faith by believers after failings puts them in that same condition and capacity with Christ for laying claim to his love and their wonted priviledges and comforts wherein they were before even as if such failings and miscarriages had never been 4. Our Lord Jesus would have his people confirmed and strengthned in the faith of the constancy of his love the unchangeablenesse of their interest and the priviledges following thereon And seing he thus loves his people he allowes them to believe it 5. It is not easie to fix and imprint Christ's words on believers hearts and to get them affected with them therefore often both promises and duties must be repeated and what was once spoken must be again repeated for their good especially after a slip and fit of security the same word hath need
he spake I sought him but I could not finde him I called him but he gave me no answer This 6. vers contains five particulars of the Brides experience in this case The first of them I opened c. is the last effect following upon his putting in his hand vers 4. This work of grace left her not in an indifferency whether to open or not but having given her to will in the former verse now he gives also to do and actually determins the will or makes it determine it self to receive him but now Christ is found to be absent whereupon follows the other steps of her carriage and the disappointments that she met with in seeking of him This opening is the very thing called for by him vers 2. which considering the words following is especially to be understood of her exercising of faith in him whereby the heart is delated to receive him hence believing is called a receiving of Christ Joh. 1. 12. And it being a heart-receiving it must be the very thing understood here by opening Now although faith according to it's several acts may be several wayes considered yet that act of faith whereby the heart consents to receive Christ and to rest on him is that which is mainly here aimed at 1. Because this opening is opposed to refusing Psal. 81. 10 11. It must therefore be consenting 2. It 's not giving of consent that mainly keeps Christ at a distance from souls or keeps them without interest in him as opening to him or receiving of him intitles them to him Ioh. 1. 11 12. and Acts 16. 14. 3. This opening is both different from conviction resolutions repentance and what may be supposed to preceed these were in the words going before and is also distinguished from sense and the fruits of believing which follow after It must therefore be the hearts yielding to Christ's call and submitting thereunto Rom. 10. 3. as actually consenting to be his Yet all these acts would not be looked on as distinct in respect of time as they proceed from grace which puts all together but in nature and in respect of the distinct uptaking of the same grace in it's effects In a word saith the Bride the Lord having applyed the work of his Spirit to me it effectuated one step after another and left me not untill I yielded my self to him to be his as a mansion for him to dwell in Which shews 1. That grace doth not only work upon the understanding to enlighten it but that it doth also immediatly work on the will and determins it for this opening of the heart is an effect of that work of grace vers 4. as the former steps were 2. The act of believing and opening to Christ is both the effect of grace and also the work formally of the believer Therefore the Lord is said to open the heart Act. 16. 14. because the effect flows from his putting to his hand and the Bride is said to open her own heart because she formerly brought forth or elicited the act of faith by the strength of grace 3. This being compared with his call vers 3. shews that it 's by faith that way is made for Christ into the heart and it 's that which especially intitles one to Christ closes with his call receives him and enters Covenant with him for if opening or believing be that which he calls for as giving him accesse to the hearts of his people then believing being the performance of that called-for condition must unite the soul to him and enter him into the heart 4. There is some peculiar efficacy in faith in the uniting of one to Christ in accepting of Christ's call and making way for him to come into the heart which is not in any other grace Or it hath a peculiar way of concurring in effectuating the persons union with Christ and so in Justification which no other grace hath Hence this opening is peculiarly to be attributed to it and is distinct from repentance spoken of before vers 4. and from other duties mentioned in the words following 5. Whoever honestly from the sense of sin and need of Christ and desire to have him to supply their need essayes believing and opening their heart to him shall certainly come good speed and without fail attain their design I rose to open saith she and I opened 6. Although the distinct exercise of saith be not attained instantly but there must be first a rising and an offering of violence to our corruptions in the pursueing thereof before we win to the distinct opening of the heart yet it should be prosecute till it be perfected 7. Sometimes the exercise of faith will be distinct and discernable so that a believer can tell he hath believed and it 's no lesse comfortable to be clear from serious reflecting on our selves that we have indeed by faith yielded to Christ than to be clear of it by the fruits following thereupon For she is clear and confident in this that she had opened to him Having opened now the Beloved is gone like as a husband being offended at his wifes disrespect to him should withdraw when she at length with much adoe were brought to rise So our Lord Jesus takes that way of rebuking kindly the former unkindlinesse of believers by after-desertions and withdrawings The word is doubled but my Beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone or he was gone he was gone which doth not only import in his carriage a sad withdrawing and on hers an observation of it but also a sorrowful regrate and weightednesse as having met with a sad disappointment as the following words clear as if she had said at last I opened but alace he was gone and away What this withdrawing of Christ is we may know by considering what his being present is which is not to be understood of the omni-presence of his God-head there being no coming nor going that can be attributed to that infinit Essence which is every-where at all times present but it is in respect of the out-letting of his especial love and that in the peculiar way of manifesting it to his people and not in regard of his love it self or of their interest in him for here her interest stands in him and faith in him is exercised and the lifelesnesse that she was under is removed so that now she is acting faith and there is a presence oâ—grace making her active and lively even under this withdrawing The thing then which is wanting is a sensible manifestation of Christ's love to her which now upon her yielding to open she expected to have been filled with as a wife opening to her husband should expect his embracements and yet in place thereof find that he were gone This withdrawing is no real alteration on Christ's side nor are we to look upon it as if now she had lesse than before she believed and bestirred her self for her union with him and the influence of his grace on her remained
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
more sparsly and as it were here and there to be found elsewhere through the Scriptures We have them here compended together in a sort of Spiritual dependance one upon another and in a connexion one with another And they are put in a Song to make them the more sweet and lovely and under such Poetical and figurative expressions as best agreeth with the nature of Songs and Poetical Writings that so Believers may have them together and may sing them together for the help of their memory and upstirring of their affections 2. These figures and similitudes have their own use to make us the better take up and understand the spiritual things which are represented by them when in a manner he condescends to illustrat them by similitudes and so to teach as it were to our senses things which are not otherwise so obvious For which cause Christ often taught by Parables the greatest mysteries of the Gospel 3. Thus not only the judgement is informed but it serveth the more to work on our affections both to convince us of and to deterr us from what is ill when it is proposed indifferently in an Allegory as Nathan in his Parable to David did And also it conduceth the more to gain our affections to love such things as are here set out wherefore even Heaven it self is so described from similitudes of such things as are in account with men Rev. 21. 22. And Christs Love becomes thus more comfortable and our relation to him the more kindly-like when it 's illustrat by Marriage and the kindly expressions of a Husband and Wife for this also God is compared to a Father and his pity to a fathers pity to children to make it the more sensible and comfortable 4. Thus also any knowledge that is attained or any impression that is made is the better fixed and keeped similitudes are often retained when plain truths are forgotten as we may see in experience yea the retaining of the similitude in the memory doth not only keep the words in mind but helps to some acquaintance with the thing which is signified and furthereth us in understanding the manner how such and such things the Lord doth to his People are brought about 5. Thus both the wisdom and care of God and his Spirit appeareth who taketh diverse wayes to commend his truth unto men and to gain them to the love of it that they who will not be affected with plain truth he may be more taking expressions commend unto them the same thing which is the reason why he hath given diverse Gifts and wayes of holding forth his truth unto Ministers some have one way like sons of Thunder some another like sons of Consolation and yet all to carry on the same end that the one may be helpfull unto the other Indeed if God had delivered his truth only in obscure terms the objection might seem to have some weight but when he doth it both in plain and obscure wayes this is his condescendency and wisdom by all means seeking to gain some 6. Thus also the Lord removeth occasion of loathing from his Word by putting it in some lovely Artifice in the manner of it's delivery and also he doth hereby provoke his people to more diligence in searching after the meaning of it It being often our way to esteem least of what is most obvious and most of that which is by some pains attained 7. Thus also the Lord maketh the study of his Word delectable when both the judgment and affections are joyntly wrought upon And to shew that all the Believers conditions may be matter of a sweet song to him whereas somethings if plainly laid down would not be so cheerfully digested Thus he maketh the saddest matter sweet by his manner of proposing it 8. Also the Lord useth to keep the Songs and spiritual allowance of his own somewhat vailed from the rest of the world for they have meat to eat the world knoweth not of that Believers may see and feed sweetly where they discern nothing and that they having this Commented on by experience betwixt him and them may sing that Song which none other in the world can learn as the 144000 do Rev. 14. 1. for thus it 's said Math. 13. 9 10 11 c. that Christ spake in Parables that not only he might condescend to the weaknesse of his own so as they might bear it Mark 4. 33 34. but also that others seeing might see and not perceive Often that same way which his own gets good of pâ—oveth a stumbling to others through their own corruption 9. There may be also something of Gods design here to try the humility and sinceâ—ity of his people if they will stoop to every way he useth because it 's his and if they will love the Word not as so or so proposed but as it cometh from him and is his and as such humbly receive it as being that which though it seem to others foolishnesse yet makes them wise unto Salvation The mockers taunted Ezekiel's Message under this notion that he spake Parables Ezek. 20. 49. but Zâ—ch 11. 10 11. when the Prophet broke the two Staves which was a dark and mysterious-like action the poor of the flock waited on him when as it 's like others stumbled also By all which we may see why the Lord hath so compacted together plain useful Doctrines under such expressions in this Song and also why our undertaking to open it may be well constructed even though these same truthes may elsewhere as clearly arise yet these truths are here in such a way connected together and so not only proposed but also commended unto us as will not any where else be found Obj. 2. If any say the raising of such Gospel-Doctrines makes this Song look more like the Gospel of the New Testament than a Song of the Old Ans. 1. Is it the worse that it look like the Gospel Or are not such Doctrineâ— if they follow from it the better more comfortable Certainly there is no Doctrine more edifying and comfortable to Believers and more like or more becoming Christs way with Believers or their's with him which is the scope and subject of this Song then Gospel-Doctrines are High soaring words of vanity and mysteries having nothing but an empty sound are much more unlike this spiritual Song tâ—an these 2. If it set out Christs way to Believers even under the Old Testament and Believers way of keeping communion with God even then is not that the same Gospel-way which we have now Their faith and communion with God stood not in the outward Ceremonies which were Typical but in the exercise of inward Graces faith love c. which are the same now as then Was not Christ the same to them as to us Had they not the same Spirit Covenant c. and so the cases and experiences of or incident to Believers then are also applicable to us now That Christ was then to come and hath
become of the rest There are four things we would propose for use from the Title of this Song First That singing of Believers cases even their several cases is allowable Or that singing of diverse and different cases yea even their saddest cases is not inconsistent with but very agreeable unto the work of praise Ye see this is a Song for the nature of it which Song is to be sung yet for matter exceeding comprehensive of all sorts of cases and these various There are amongst others five cases in which to sing doth sometimes stumble at least stick much with those who are weak and tender All which we will find cleared in the Brides practice of singing this Song First It 's doubted if sad cases should be sung seing Iames 5. 13. it 's said Is any man merry let him sing Psalms Ans. It 's true these who are merry should sing but not only they no more then only they who are afflicted should pray It 's not our case nor our chearful disposition but the duty that should be respected in this work of praise yea we should sing for chearing our disposition and mitigating and sweetâ—ing our crosses So doth the Bride here sing her suffeâ—ings Chap. 1. 6. Chap. 5. 7. when she was smitten yea her deâ—ertions she putteth these also in a Song 2. It 's stumbled at sometimes to sing complaints of our own sinfulnesse and to turn our failings into Songs What matter of cheerfulnesse is there in these may one think But we say here she doth so mine own Vineyard have I not kept saith she Chap. 1. 6. I sleep c. Chap. 5. 2. It 's a ground of cheerfulnesse that we may sing over these unto God with expectation to be pardoned and delivered from them as Psal. 65. 3. 3. When the matter is different from our case some thinks it's hard to sing such Psalms Ans. Certainly in this Song there are different yea contrary cases yet none can think but a Believer may sing it all at one time Yea 2. There had never then been a Psalm sung in publick for in no Congregation can all the members ever be in one case 3. The same might be objected against publick Prayers also seing there may be many petitions that are not suitable to all joyners yet hath the Lord commanded both publick Praying and Praising 4. When the matter which is sung is above us being a thing we have not yet reached and so cannot assert it in our particular condition as truth As these words Psal. 18. 20 21. I have kept his ways c. Ans. By this Song all at least most part of Believers are made to sing many things beyond their own attainments possibly yea Chap. 8. that phrase My Vineyard which is mine is before me is of that same extent with that Psal. 18. 20. Yet will not any think that the Spirit propounding this Song and that Psalm as a subject for publick praise did ever intend that none should sing it but such as were as holy as David yea it would seem that if either David or Solomon had stuck to the absolute perfection which these words seem to hold forth if they be expounded according to the strict rule of the Law and be not taken in an Evangelick sense that neither of them would or could have sung them yea it 's observable that in this Song there are spots mentioned and not keeping of the Vineyard Chap. 1. is one part of the Song as well as keeping of it Chap. 8. is another How then may we joyn in these Ans. 1. We sing not our own sense and experience only but what may attain the end of praise which is attained in our acknowledging what others have reached though we our selves come short 2. Not only our own case as particular members is to be sung but in publick we take in the praises of the whole body 3. That expression Chap. 1. 6. Mine own Vineyard c. holds forth the sense she had of her negligence not as if she had no way done her duty but she confesseth her failings in it which she sings to the praise of that free grace that had pardoned her Again the other expression Chap. 8. 12. My Vineyard which is mine is before me expresseth her sense of her sincerity blessing God for it and refreshing her self in the acknowledging of it and both these may agree as to some measure in the Believers experience at one and the same time though when the Believer sinneth more grostely they do not so well agree to him except in respect of different times and cases In praising then we would neither simply look to our frame nor to the matter in it self which is to be sung nor to the cases we are in as if these were the warrand of our singing or the rule to regulâ—â—â—s in it but unto these three things 1. The end whereâ—ore singing is appointed 2. The command 3. The notion or consideration in respect of which the Believer joyneth in the duty of praise The ends are principally three 1. Glorifying God and making his praise glorious thus Histories of the Lords dealing with his people of old and thus the cases of others in our singing of them serve to that end that he did such works that such a case was once sung to him and such a Saint was so dealth with otherwise we might scruple to sing Psal. 44. We have heard with our ears our fathers have told us and other Scriptures as well as cases And so the most part of the subject of praise and the Book of the Psalms would be laid aside as uselesse and not so much as to be read for we ought not to read or say an untruth more then to sing it A second end is edifying of others with whom we joyn as well as studying edification our selves So Col. 3. 16. the end to be proposed in singing is teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs And suppose some found themselves unsutable in their own case to the purpose that is to be sung yet will it not teach them what they should be and admonish them because they are not such A third end we are to aim at in singing is our own chearing and refreshing making melody in our hearts to the Lord Eph. 5. 19. Which ariseth not alwayes from the matter simply considered as it holds true in our own experience But 1. from our consciencious going about it as a piece of worship to God and so doing we are accepted in that 2. From the heartsomenesse of that soul-refreshing exercise of praise and so that Scripture which might be more sadening in meditation to us yet should be chearing in praise because it 's then used in that Ordinance 3. From the possibility that is herein discovered of attaining such a blessing frame or experience because once a Saint did attain it and since they were men of the like passions and infirmities with us why
Matth 13. 6. and 21. the Lord expresseth persecution under the similitude of the scorching heat of the Sun Here the meaning is as if she had said it 's no marvel I be black I have been made obnoxious to all sorts of persecution and therefore can have no outward beauty but must be in the eyes of the world contemptible even as one cannot endure the hot Sun-beams and not be blackned So there are in this expression these things imported 1. Persecution 2. Vehement persecution 3. Visible effects following it she is thereby made black 4. A continuance under it So the Sun 's looking on her till she be made black imports 5. There is her patient enduring of it 6. There is her sense of it Yet 7. she is not ashamed of it while she shews this her suffering to be no cause why others should stumble at her Afterward she proceeds more particularly to describe first her sufferings then her infirmities She describes her sufferings 1. In the instruments of them 2. The cause of them 3. The nature of them The actors are not heathens but mothers children the visible Church is the common mother who hath children born after the flesh as well as after the Spirit These children are professors of the same truth but really not only strangers but heart-enemies to Godlinesse and true tendernesse Such was Ishmael and such are all unrenewed persons who are children of the flesh and such there will be Gal. 4. 29. so long as there is a Church visible Such instruments the Apostle complains of 2 Cor. 11. 26. that he had perils from false brethren within as well as from strangers without This is not only mentioned to shew there are such enemies but to set out more fully the Churches strait she is often more bitterly and more subtilly persecuted by these who are called Christians or Professors of the Gospel than by Heathens themselves 2. The cause of her sufferings as from men is They were angry with me saith she She had not done them any personal wrong as David often asserts of himself in the like case though she was not free of sin against God but it proceeded from a malicious malignant disposition of the natural men of the World who as they hate Christ so do they hate all that are his Ioh. 15. 18 19. accounting them as the off-scourings of all men and troublers of the World continually upon no other ground but because they are not such as themselves and because God hath chosen them out of the World This shews both the causlessenesse of their persecution as also the degree of bitternesse that it did proceed from From which Obs. 1. There are no such bitter enemies unto a godly person as a gracelesse malignant Professor See Isa. 66. 5. 2. No sort of persecution doth so blacken or obscure the beauty of an honest Believer so much as the foul bâ—tter reproaches of malignant Professors Yet 3. Believers are often even under that crosse And 4. The best beloved Believer even Christ's Bride will not in the World eschew it innocency will be no guard but to the conscience within And if the Bridegroom himself while he was in the World did not escape it the Bride cannot think to go free The nature of her sufferings is expressed thus They made me keeper of the Vineyards That this implyes suffering and no trust put on her the scope and her complaint makes it clear Beside that it 's given as the evidence of the hatred and malice of these persecuters This general expression then being compared with other Scriptures will import these ingredients in her suffering which occasioned her blacknesse 1. That her suffering was heavy and painful for it was a great drudgery to be put to keep the Vineyards to be made keeper was to watch both night and day and so no wonder she was scorched Matth. 20. 11. The bearing burdens in the Vineyard in the heat of the day is spoken of as the greatest weight and heaviest piece of their work 2 That her suffering was reproachful for the keeping of the Vineyards was a base and contemptible service therefore it 's said Ier. 52. 16. that the poor who were not taken notice of were left to dresse the Vines and it 's a promise Isai. 61. 5. that his people should have freedom from that drudgery and strangers should be imployed in it for them 3. That her sufferings occasioned sad distractions to her in the worship and service of God for in Scripture sometimes Vine-dressing is opposed to the worshipping of God as a distracting diverting exercise which is very afflicting to God's people Therefore when they have a promise of more immediate accesse to God's worship it 's said they shall be liberate from such diverting imployments Isai. 61. 5. and 6. and in stead of these they shall get another task to wit to be Priests to the Lord and Ministers of our God as if these exercises were somewhat inconsistent together and so she opposeth her own proper duty to this in the next words In a word these malignant brethren procured her pain shame and distraction from the service of God as much as they could and in a great part prevailed Observ. 1. Malice in rotten Professors against godlinesse will sometimes come to a great height 2. Malice in wicked men thinks nothing of true tendernesse or of these who truly are so but esteems them and useth them as if they were most base and vile 3. Often in outward things the prophanest members of the Church have the preeminence and the most godly as to these things are in the meanest and basest condition so as sometimes they appoint the godly as their slaves to their work 4. Often while wicked professors are in power the truely godly are under affliction Though this suffering was sharp yet she resents her sinful infirmities much more sadly in the words following But saith she heavily mine own Vineyard have I not kept and this her sloathfulnesse and unwatchfulnesse made her black and also procured the blacknesse that was on her by her sufferings This part of the verse implyes 1. The Brides priviledge 2. Her duty 3. Her sin 4. Her sense of it 1. Her priviledge is she hath a Vineyard of her own beside these she was put to keep The similitude of a Vineyard here is to be taken in another sense than in the former expression Neither are we to think strange of this seing similitudes are to be interpret according to the different scope of expressions and places in which they are used By Vineyard then here is to be understood the particular priviledges graces and talents of any sort which are given of God to a Believer these are the things she should have watched over the neglecting thereof brings blackness on her and procures heavy challenges called a Vineyard here and also Chap. 8. 13. partly because there are many several graces to be found in Believers as plants planted in them partly
That she hath moe ornaments than one there are here Iewels in the plural number and chains of Gold also one grace goes never alone neither is imputed righteousnesse and sanctification ever separat who ever hath one grace hath all 3. That this beauty which is to be seen on believers is universal as to the subject for here one part of the body is adorned as well as another both neck and cheeks the whole man is renewed and the person is justified 4. This comelinesse growes not of any stock within the believer nor is it natural to him but it 's communicat or imparted beauty such as is put on a comelinesse proceeding from the beneficence of another and is the work of a cunning workman See Ezek. 16. 10 11. where similitudes like these in this Text are made use of Vers. 11. We will make thee borders of Gold with studs of Silver In the 11. Vers. for confirming of the former consolation he gives her a promise the scope whereof is to obviat an objection which jealous sense might make against what he hath said How shall beauty be obtained or continued might she say whence shall it come seing I am so black and loathsome To this he answers as it were by a sweet promise We will make c. Wherein we may consider 1. The thing promised it's borders of Gold and studs of Silver 2. The party promising and undertaking the performance of it We will make them to thee saith he Borders of Gold and studs of Silver it's like have been some special ornaments in these dayes and that which is here pointed at by them in general seems to be an addition to what formerly the Bride possessed he would add to her beauty and gloriously compleat it And certainly it must be an excellent work which needs such workers as are here spoken of We take the thing promised to comprehend the increase continuance and perfecting of her comelinesse and beauty in which work the blessed Trinity are ingaged and so the second thing is who undertakes it We will make thee saith the Bridegroom This word make in the Original is used for making of man at first Gen. 1. 26. As also for renewing of him and begetting holinesse in him Psal. 100. because it 's no lesse work to renew than to creat man The number here is changed from the singular I have compared c. Vers. 9. to the plural We will c. As it is also in the first making of man from the singular He made Heaven and Earth to the plural let Vs make man according to our Image as if the Holy Ghost purposly in mentioning this renewing-work of grace did allude to the first work of mans creation And this 1. To shew the excellency of it not that God was put to any deliberation but that the work was and is exceeding excellent and thereâ—ore deliberatly as it were gone about 2. To shew that man hath no more hand in his renovation than his first creation that is he is no more of himself able to bring about the one than the other By this We we do not understand God speaking of himself in the plural number as in some languages for honors cause Kings do of themselves For 1. If that were more honorable then it would have alwayes been used for Gods honour especially at solemn times such as when the Law was given but we find the contrary true from the Scripture 2. Although that manner of speaking be used in some other languages yet it is never so used in the Hebrew tongue as by these who understand it is asserted and by some of the most Learned Iews is acknowledged and therefore we understand the Trinity of Persons in one God-head to be here understood for this One is also Three the Father Son and Spirit having a joynt design in promoving the Salvation of the Elect Isa. 61. 1 2. And grace being a work and gift prayed for from them all Rev. 1. 4 5. it must be understood of these three blessed Persons of the holy Trinity this work being common to the three Persons of the God-head and communicable to no other This then makes the consolation strong for saith Christ although the perfecting of your grace be a great task and far above your reach yet fear not We the Father Son and Spirit have undertaken it and shall make it out to you Hence we may leaâ—n 1. That grown believers even the Bride hath need of more grace and spiritual comelinesse There is a necessity of looking after a further growth in those even to be transchanged from glory to glory 2. Cor. 3. ult 2. That growing ingrace and perseverance therein is a great consolation and comâ—ort to a true believer and therefore the promise of it is given to the Bride for that end here 3. That neither growth in grace nor perseverance therein is a work of the believers own working but the omnipotency of grace is exercised here 4. There is plurality of persons in the one God-head The God-head that is I is also We. 5. All the persons of the blessed Trinity concur and are ingaged in promoving the holinesse and in perfecting the beauty of a believer 6. All the graces of a believer are pieces of the workmanship of the holy Trinity Grace then must be an excellent thing 7. The perfecting and perseverance of a believer is infallibly sure and certain seing all the persons of the Godhead are ingaged in this work and they who this day are believers may promise this to themselves 8. Much of believers beauty is yet in the promise and in the perfecting so that it hath it's defects and imperfections while they are here 9. What is promised is so sure that it ought to be no lesse comfortable than if it were injoyed for the promise ought to have no lesse weight for that end than the former commendation 10. Christ allowes his people freedom from anxiety because of things that are to come and to be comforted in him against the feares of those as well as to draw consolation from him against any evil that is present therefore is this intimat unto them 11. Believers ought still to hold all their injoyments and priviledges as from him and the expectation of what is coming as well as the performance of what is past 12. Faith in the promise hath a large comprehensive object to rest upon and to draw consolation from even the power of the Godhead and what may be by the Father Son and Spirit created and brought about for a believers good even though it have not at present a being we will make thee what is wanting and what is needful sayes the promise creating power is ingaged to through his work concerning them I creat the fruit of the lips Isa. 57. 19. and I will creat Ierusalem a joy c. more cannot be desired and lesse the Lord allowes not Part 3. BRIDES Words Vers. 12. While the King sitteth at his
met with more grievous and dangerous than what she meets with from such although this be an exercise and tryal ordinarily incident to her 2. The cure the Lord provides is the furnishing of his Church with Discipline and the giving of directions for managing of it in these words Take us c. Wherein consider these four 1. To whom it 's directed 2. What is required 3. A motive insinuat in the expression take us 4. The extent of the direction for the obviating of a question It may be supposed to be directed to one of four 1. Either to the Bride or 2. To Angels or 3. To Magistrates or 4. To Church-guides Now it 's to none of the first three Therefore it must be to the last and fourth First It is not to the Bride For 1. The word take in the Original is in the plural-number and signifieth take ye now the Lord useth not to speak to the Church but as to one 2. He sayes take us and so taking the Bride in with himself as a party for whom this service is to be performed the speech must be directed to some third 2. It 's not directed to Angels these are not spoken to in all this Song and this being a duty to be performed while the Church is militant they come not in to gather the tares from the wheat till the end of the world nor to separate the bad fish from the good till the net by fairly on the shore 3. This direction cannot be given to the Magistrat for beside that he is not mentioned in this Song nor as such hath he any part in the ministry of the Gospel or capable to be thus spoken unto although the duty from the force of it's argument will also reach him in his station because he should so far as he can prevent the spoiling of Christ's Vineyard in his place Beside this I say this direction must take place in all times whenever the Church hath such a tryal to wrestle with otherwise it were not suitable to Christ's scope nor commensurable with her need Now for many hundreds of years the Church wanted Magistrates to put this direction in practice yet wanted she not foxes nor was she without a suitable capacity of guarding her self against them by that power wherewith Christ hath furnished her It remains therefore 4. That it must be spoken to Christ's Ministers and Officers in the Church called rulers in the Scripture and in this Song watchmen and keepers of this Vineyard as by office contradistinguished from professours Chap. 3. 3. and 5. 7. and 8. 11 12. Such the Church never wanted such are required to watch Act. 20. 24. against wolves and such in the Church of Ephesus are commended Rev. 2. 3 4. for putting this direction in execution 2. The duty here required is to take them as men use to hunt foxes till they be taken And this implyes all that is needful for preventing their hurting of Christ's Vines Christ's Ministers are to lay out themselves in discovering confuting and convincing censuring and rejecting them Tit. 3. 11. That is not to endure them that are evil but to try them judicially as it is Rev. 2. 2. Obs. 1. Christ's Church is furnished with sufficient authority in her self for her own edification and for censuring of such as would obstruct the same 2. This Church-authority is not given to Professors in common or to the Bride as the first subject but to their guides Christ's Ministers and servants 3. It is no lesse a duty nor is it lesse necessary to put forth this power against false teachers than against other grosse offenders So did Paul 2 Tim. 1. ult and so commands he others to do Tit. 3. 10. heresie and corrupt doctrine being also a fruit of the flesh Gal. 5. 20. as well as other scandalous sins 3. There is a motive to presse this implyed while he saith take us Which words insinuat that it's service both to him and her and that Ministers are his servants and the Churches for Christ's sake It shews also his sympathy in putting himself as it were in hazard with her at least mystically considered and his love in comforting her that he thinks himself concerned in the restraint of these foxes as well as she is 4. The direction is amplified to remove an objection say some all heresies or all Heretiques are not equal some comparatively are little to be regarded and it's cruelty to meddle with these that seem to professe fair No saith he take them all even the little foxes for though they be little yet they are foxes though they be not of the grossest kind as all scandals in facts are not alike yet none is to be dispensed with so they are saith he foxes and corrupt others for a little leaven will leaven the whole lump often small-like schisms or heresies such as the Novatians and Donatists c. have been exceedingly defacing to the beauty of the Church therefore saith he hunt and take them all How small a friend is our Lord to tolleration and how displeased is he with many errours that the world thinks little of Magistrats Ministers and people may learn here what distance ought to be kept with the spreaders of the least errours and how every one ought to concur in their stations for preventing the hurt that comes by them The last thing in the verse is the reasons wherewith this direction is backed and pressed The first is all of them spoil the vines Errour never runs loose and Heretiques never get liberty but the spoiling of the vines one way or other followes and can beasts be suffered in a garden or orchard and the plants not be hurt 2. If any say they are but little foxes and unable to hurt He answers this and adds a second reason in saying the grapes are tender or the vines are in the first grapes that is as they while scarce budding or sprouting are easily blasted by a small wind so the work of grace in a believer or Christ's ordinances in his Church are most precious and tender wares and cannot abide rough hands even the least of seducers or corrupt teachers may easily wrong them they are of such a nature as they may be soon spoiled if they be not tenderly and carefully looked to Obs. 1. They that have grace would be tender of it it may easily be hurt 2. Gracious persons would not think themselves without the reach of hazard from corrupt teachers for this is spoken of the Bride The foxes spoil the vines 3. Our Lord Jesus is exceeding tender of the work of grace in and amongst his people and where it 's weakest he is some way most tender of it 4. This argument here made use of sayes also that these who are most tender of his Church and the graces of his people will be most zealous against false teachers even the least of them For these two are joined together in him and are in themselves necessary to preserve
them with shields because it provides them out of Christ's fulnesse which is contained in the promises which promises or rather Christ in them being made use of by â—aith are for a believers security against challenges tentations discouragements c. as so many excellent shields Therefore Eph. 6. 16. it 's called the shield of faith and for their safety it is commended above all the rest of the spiritual armour And this being the believers great defence and specially tending to their commendation when it is in lively exercise this similitude cannot be so well applyed to any other thing Obs. 1. Faith in exercise is a notable defence to a believer against all assaults and temptations there is no such shield as â—aith is every promise and every attribute in God is as a shield to these that exercise this grace of saith thereupon 2. Faith exercised on these is exceedingly well pleasing to Jesus Christ. 3. That all believers have their arms out of one armory there is but one store-house for them all to wit faith acting on Christ's fulnesse 4. Faith will never want a buckler there is a thousand laid up in a magâ—zin for the believers use 5. He is the most mighty and valiant man who is most in the exercise and use-making of faith 6. Faith is the grace that makes a man valiant and victorious as all the cloud of witnesses Heb. 11. proves Again if we consider the neck as it 's commended here as being like a tower for uprightnesse and straightnesse it signifies a quiet serene mind and a confident boldnesse in doing and suffering in which sense it 's opposit to hanging of the head which speaks discouragement And as a stretched out 〈◊〉 in a carnal sense Isa. 3. 16. signifies haughtinesse and pride so here in a holy and spiritual sense it implyes châ—â—rfulnesse of heart and confident holy boldnesse which proceeds from the spirit of adoption and this waits upon and follows after the exercise of faith being fixed and stayed upon the Lord and his word against all events Psal. 112. 6. Bold in duties and valorous in sufferings and in undergoing any difficulties So then this is no small commendation whiâ—h Christ gives his Bride and it is well consistent with that holy blushing shâ—mefastnesse and sobriety for which she was commended in the former verse Vers. 5. Thy breasts are like two young Roes that are twins which feed among the Lilies The seventh and last part that is commended in the Bride is her two breasts or paps For clearing of this similitude we are to consider 1. That the breasts in nature are a part of the comelinesse of the body Ezek. 16. 7. 2. They are useful to give suck and food to others 3. They signifie warmnesse of affection and lovingnesse as Prov. 5. 19. let her breasts alwayes satisfie thee and Chap. 1. 13. the Bride expressing her affection to Christ saith he shall lye all night between my breasts and so the wise of the bosome is the chast and beloved spouse And thus Christ is called the Son of God's love or of his bosome For this cause we conceive these things are here understood 1. A believers fitnesse to edifie others and that believers are in a condition suitable to a married wife or mother that brings forth children and hath breasts to nurse them and so to have no breasts Chap. 8. 8. is opposed to this a believer is as it were a nurse with breasts fitted to edifie others 2. That believers being in case to be useful to others for their edification is a special ornament to their profession And the third thing that is here understood is believers warmlinesse and kindlinesse to Christ and these that are his taking him and them as it were in their bosome the believer hath warm affections to receive them into And two breasts are mentioned to shew there is no defect as to the extent but both her breasts are in good case and alwayes ready in love to communicat their furniture for others edification The commendation is in two steps each whereof is qualified for the further inlarging of the commendation The 1. is They are like two Râ—es that are lovely and kindly Prov. 5. 17. often mentioned before and like young Roes because these are most lovely and suit best to be a similitude to set â—orth the comelinesse of that part of the body they are like young Roes not too big for when breasts are too big it 's a deformity And so when private edification exceeds it's true bounds it 's not approvable or lovely And these Roes to which her breasts are compared are twins Which shews an equality and proportionablenesse in their love to God and to others giving each of these their own place and keeping their love to creatures in the right subordination and also their communicating their love to others in admonitions and rebukes c. equally keeping a proportionablenesse in all The second part of the commendation is they feed among the Lilies As Roes would not maintain their pleasantnesse long if they did not feed yea if the pasture were not good So these must needs be pleasant and useful because they feed and that not in a wildernesse but amongst the lilies Which shews that believer in fitting and furnishing themselves that they may be forthcoming for others edification do not neglect their own advantage and edification but feed on good pasture whereby they are yet more fitted for being useful to others By feeding in this Song is understood 1. To be present in such a place as Chap. 2. 16. 2. To make use of that which is food for the intertaining of life 3. To delight in a thing for satisfying of the affections Next by the Brides breasts being like Roes that feed amongst the Lilies three things may be understood 1. As this expression respects Christ's feeding so to speak for he is said to feed amongst the Lilies Chap. 2. 16. and so it sayes that the believer loves to feed in Christ's company and where he is And 2. That this makes believers breasts run to others when they are much with him and in his company 2. As it respects believers who are called Lilies Chap. 2. 16. and 6. 2. And so it sayes 1. That all believers have one pasture they feed together as a flock doth 2. That one believer loves and delights in the company of another they are the excellent and the lilies of the earth their delight is with them And 3. That this helps a believers growth and fits him to be usefull for others edification and to improve well the spiritual fellowship of other believers 3. As it respects Christ himself who is called a lilie Chap. 2. 1. and his lips are said to be like lilies droping c. Chap. 5. 13. Whereby is holden out his Word Promises Ordinances c. And so it sayes 1. That Christ and his word is the great and main â—ood upon which believers â—eed that is their
who are espoused to him 3. Where love to Christ is there Christ loves he cannot but love them that love him and there is nothing more acceptable to him than the faith that is working by love 4. Our Lord Jesus takes special notice of the frame of the heart and what seat he hath in the affections of his people he layes more weight on their love than on their work though true love can never be without works The second way how he explains and illustrates this is more particular by two comparisons yet keeping still the former manner of expression by way of question and admiration The first is how much better is thy love then Wine Wine may be looked on in two respects 1. As it 's useful in mans life and refreshful Psal. 104. 15. It maketh glad the heart of man and Eccl. 10 19. It maketh the heart merry Wine is one of the most comfortable creatures therefore she calls his love better then Wine Chap. 1. 2. Thus observe 1. Christ will not be behind with his people neither in kindnesse nor in the expressions of it for this is beyond hers Chap. 1. 2. Not that he hath a better object to love but because the love wherewith he loves her is like himself and more excellent then hers 2. There is no such refreshful thing in all the work of creation of Christ no such feast as the warming of a sinners heart with love to him is This Luk. 7. 47. is thought more of by Christ in a poor woman than all the great feast he was invited unto by the rich Pharisee Again we may look on Wine as used in the ceremonial services and drink-offerings Levit. 23. 13 c. Thus the meaning is thy love is preferable to all outward performances and sacrifices as Hos. 6. 7. Love being the principle within from which all our performances should flow it is not opposed to sacrifice simply or to obedience but 1. Supposing these to be separate he prefers love if it were to cast in but a mite of duty out of love it will be more acceptable than the greatest bulk of duties without love as is clear in the case of the widow Luk. 21. Yea if men would give their bodies to be burnt without this 1 Cor. 13. 3. it will avail nothing 2. It saith that where both the inward principle and the outward fruit or work are the Lord respects that more than this and he respects this in a manner but for that The second comparison is to the same purpose in these words and the smell of thine Ointments then all spices Ointments typified the graces of the Spirit the pouring out whereof is called the unction Joh. 2. 20. and the oil of joy Psal. 45. 7. The smell thereof signifieth the acceptablenesse of these graces when in exercise our Lord Jesus finds a sweet â—avour in them as ointments cast a smell that is refreshful to men as was said upon Chap. 3. 6. the grace of love mentioned before is here included but under Ointments there is more comprehended to shew 1. That where one grace is there are all the rest of the graces of the Spirit to be found 2. That love to Christ and zeal for him holds believers stirring and makes them send forth a sweet and savory smell This smell is preferred to all Spices not to one or two but to all Spices were either used as gifts because they were precious and costly So the Queen of Sheba propined Solomon with them 2 King 10. 2. and the wise men offered such to Christ Mat. 2. 11. And so it saith there is no such propine can be offered to Christ as love and the graces of his Spirit when they are in exercise Again spices were used in the Levitical services and holy Oil Exod. 30. 23 24. and so they are to be considered as Wine was in the last sense formerly spoken of and it shews how preferable the inward exercise of grace is to all external duties Lastly they are not only prefered while he saith thy love is better c. but as passing comparison they are extolled far above all these things with which they are compared How fair or how much better is thy love then Wine c. O my Spouse saith he it 's not to be wondered that thy love ravishes my heart for there is no created thing so precious nor any external service so acceptable to me as it is Hence observe 1. That inward love or the inward exercise of grace and outward performances are separable 2 That when outward performances are separate from the inward exercise of love and other graces the Lord respects them not 3. That love is a good and necessary principle of all dueties and especially of the duties of worship 4. These who have any thing of the lively exercise of love to Christ want never a propine that will be acceptable to him if it were but a mite or a cup of cold-water or a look to Christ if love be the principle from which these flow they will be very acceptable with him Vers. 11. Thy lips O my spouse drop as the honey-comb honey and milk are under thy tongue and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon Having thus expressed his affection to his Bride he breaks forth in a positive commendation of her which may be looked upon as the ground of the comparative commendation in the former verse and he describes and commends her at once these two wayes 1. Touching as it were at some particulars which are indeed generals wherein her lovelinesse appears in actual fruits vers 11. 2. In seven comparisons he holds forth her fruitfulnesse from the 12. to the 16. vers wherein he not only commends her by the fruits which she brings forth but from her fitnesse or aptitude to bring forth these fruits so that she cannot but be fruitfull As if one commending an Orchard from the fruit Apples Pomegranates c. or whatever other fruits are in Orchards should then fall upon the commendation of the Orchard it self in it's situation fences waters or kinds of the plants c. So is it here And this last commendation is to be looked upon as the cause of the former In this 11â— vers there are three particulars commended under which we conceive much of the series of a believers walk is understood The 1. Is her lips which are commended from this that they drop as the honey comb By lips as vers 3. and frequently in the Song and so in the Proverbs a man of lips is taken for a man of talk is understood her speech words or discourse especially to others These her words or her speech are compared for the matter to honey or the honey comb that is sweet nourishing healthful and pleasant as Prov. 16. 24. Pleasant words are as the honey-comb sweet to the soul and health to the bones And by honey in Scripture is often understood that which is
kindly-believers love to breath into That both these are the Brides words may thus be collected 1. Because they look prayer-like and it 's more suitable for her to say come than for him yea the Spirit being invited to come to the garden it 's clear the party that speaks hath need of his presence And that it 's not said go but come with reference to the necessity of the party that speaks doth make it evident that it cannot be spoken by the Bridegroom but by the Bride for so the phrase every where and in the next words Let my beloved come Imports 2. That the last part of the verse is her suit none can deny and there is no reason to conceive two different parties seing both the matter of the suits and the manner of speaking will agree to the same party In the first petition we may consider these two 1. The thing sought 2. The end wherefore that which she seeks and prayes for is held forth as it were in three steps or degrees in three expressions awake O north-wind come thou south blow upon my garden For understanding whereof we are to look 1. What these winds signifie 2. What this garden is And 3. What these act of awaking coming and blowing are By winds often in Scripture is understood the Spirit of God in his mighty operations as Ezek. 37. 3. and 14. And the special work and operation of the Spirit is compared to wind 1. For it's purifying nature 2. For it 's cooling comâ—orting refreshing power and efficacy 3. For it 's fructifying vertue winds being especially in these hot countries both exceeding refreshful and also useful to make trees and gardens fruitful Lastly for it 's undiscernable manner of working as Ioh. 3. 6. the wind blows where it lists c. yet hath his operation real effects with it And it 's clear that the Spirit is here intended because it 's the Spirit 's blowing that only can make the spices or graces of a believer to flow as the wind doth the seeds and flowers in a garden Next by north and south-wind are understood the same Spirit being conceived and taken up in respect of his diverse operations as it 's 1 Cor. 12. 6 7 8. c. and therefore called the seven spirits of God Rev. 1. 4. sometime cooling and in a sharper manner nipping as the North-wind sometimes working in his people more softly and warmly and in a still and quiet manner like the South-wind yet as both winds are useful for the purging and making fruitfull of a garden so are the diverse operations of the Spirit to the souls of believers In a word hereby is understood the different operations of the Spirit whether convincing and mortifying or quickning and comforting c. Both which contribute to make her lively and fruitful which is the scope of her petition 2. By garden is understood the believer called a garden vers 12. and an orchard vers 13. because the believer doth abound in diverse graces as a garden doth in many flowers And she calls it my garden as he calleth the plants her plants that were planted there vers 13. and as she called the vineyard hers Chap. 1. 6. and 8. 12. which also is his vers 11. as also this garden is called his in the following words Chap. 6. 1. It 's his by propriety as the heritor and puchaser as also all these graces in her are hers as being the servant that hath the over-sight of them and who hath gotten them as talents to trade with for the Masters use All that we have viz. a soul gifts graces c. are given to us as talents which we are to dâ—esse for bringing foâ—th fruit to the owner as the following words do clear 3. The actings and workings of the Spirit are held forth in three words which are as so many branches of her petition The first is awake This word is often used by God's people in dealing with him awake put on strength O arm of the Lord c. Isa. 51. 9. It is not as if the Spirit were at any time sleeping but she desires that by some effects sensible to her he would let it be known he is stirring The second word come is to the same purpose the Spirit considered in himself cannot be said to come or go being every where present But this is to be understood in respect of the effects of his presence and so he is said to come and go Thus while she saith come the meaning is Let me find some sign of thy presence quickning and stirring my graces The last word is blow upon my garden Blowing holds forth the operation whereby the Spirit produceth his effects in believers It 's not the Spirit himself nor the fruits of the Spirit that are in believers that are here understood but the operation of the Spirit whereby he influenceth or if we may so speak infuseth them as God breathed in Adam the breath of life and whereby he stirrs excits and quickens them for acting The prayer then is directed to the Spirit as Rev. 1. 14. considering the Spirit essentially as the same God with the Father and Son in which respect to pray by name to one person of the Godhead is to pray to all the three who in our worship are not to be divided that he would by his operations which are diverse and various for believers good so stir and quicken his own graces in her that seing she is a garden wherein the beloved takes pleasure her graces for his satisfaction may be exercised and made to savour to the end that he may the more manifest himself in sweet communion with her Next the end wherefore she presseth this suit so much is that her spices may flow out In a word it is that she might be fruitful for though there were many graces in her yet without the Spirit 's breathings and influences they would be as unbeaten spices that did not send forth their smell Obs. 1. Although a believer have grace yet it is not alwayes in exercise yea it may be and often is interrupted in it's exercise 2. That the believers great desire is to be fruitful and to have grace in exercise that they may be delighted in by Christ It 's not only their desire to have grace habitually but actually to have it in exercise 3. There is nothing can make a believer lively and fruitful but the influences of the Spirit and that same Spirit that works grace must quicken it and keep it in exercise 4. There may be an interruption of the influences of the Spirit so as his blowing may in a great measure cease 5. The same Spirit hath diverse operations and diverse wayes of working and manifesting himself sometimes as the South-wind more smoothly sometimes as the North-wind more sharply 6. All his operations how rough soever some of them may appear are alwayes useful to believers and tend to make them fruitful And to this end the most sharp
and a great number believed This is it which is pointed at Isa. 53. 1. where Who hath believed and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed are made of equal extent And so especially it 's to be taken here as the scope clears to wit for the immediat powerfull work of the Spirit made use of in the working of faith as a key is made use of for the opening of a door The way of applying this mean is he put in his hand by the hole of the door where following the similitude of a husbands standing at a shut door and not geting entry he shews what he did when knocking prevailed not to wit he took an effectual way of opening it himself which is ordinary by putting in the key or somewhat else at the hole of the door So Christ by his Spirit made open the heart in a kindly native way not by breaking open but by opening he indeed having the key by which hearts are opened even the key of David that opens and no man shuts and shuts â—and no man opens Rev. 3. 7. Which words do shew 1. That beside the call of the word and any common conviction that is thereby wrought in the heart there is in the conversion of sinners an immediat real powerful and peculiar work of the Spirit that accompanies the word 2. That the application of this is necessary and that men being now asleep and dead in sin cannot without that be stirred and quickned by the most powerful external Ordinances or common operations Nay even to the believers reviving from his backslidden and drousie case this work if omnipotency is needful 3. This work of the Spirit is effectual and when peculiarly applyed by Christ cannot be frustrat for he puts in his hand and the effect follows 4. Although it be a most powerful work yet it works kindly and brings about the effect without wronging of the natural faculties of the soul but makes use of them formally for bringing forth the effect as one that openeth a door by the lock makes use of a key but doth not hurt nor destroy the lock There is therefore no inconsistency betwixt Christ's opening and ours for he co-acts not nor forceth the will but sweetly determins it so that it cannot but be willing he takes away unwillingness from it and makes it willing Psal. 110. 3. Christ hath the keyes of hearts and can open and shut at his pleasure without wronging of them 5. Grace being the work of a high-hand it cannot be easie to procure welcome to Jesus Christ even amongst believers and much lesse with others who have no principle of grace within to co-operat with Christ. 6. Christ Jesus as he is a most powerful worker so is the work of his power most free soveraign and wonderful which clearly appeareth in that it is applyed on the back of such a slighting answer and not before Yea 7. Often-times the work of grace surprizeth his own when they are in a most unsuitable case and when in respect of their deserving they might have expected the quite contrary certainly we are not obliged to our free-will for our conversion but to his Spirit nor to our predispositions for his applying of it but to his own grace who in his gracious way of dealing with his people comes over many obstructions and packs up to say so many affronts and injuries If any should ask why Christ did not apply this work and put in his hand at first but suspends it till he had gotten a refusal and be now at the very withdrawing Answ. 1. He doth this to shew the Soveraignty of grace that works as well when it will as on whom it will Grace must not be limited by us in the manner or time of it's working more than in it's work or subject matter upon which it worketh 2. By this he discovereth what believers would be without his grace and so would teach them to walk humbly which otherwise had not so well appeared 3. His wisdom and tendernesse appears herein that he will not withdraw from her and leave her lifelesse too but ere he awake challenges in her he will make her lively in the exercise of her graces otherwise she might have lyen still in her deadnesse Christ times his operations his appearings and withdrawings with much tendernesse wisdom and discretion This work of the Spirit puts a stir in the Bride which vents it self in four steps 1. Her bowels are moved 2. She ariseth 3. Her fingers drop with Myrrhe 4. She opens All which may be considered either 1. As effects following the work of the Spirit whereby she is recovered from such a condition Or 2. As duties lying on a believer Or 3. As they hold out the order of the effects wrought by the Spirit In general it holds forth 1. That the work of the Spirit when it 's effectually applyed makes a very great palpable and universal change upon the persons in whom it works There is a great difference betwixt the Brides carriage here and what it was vers 3. 2. Although it be not absolutly necessary nor ordinary for a believer to know the instant of his conversion yet when the change is suddain and from an extremity of a sinful condition it will be discernable and the fruits following the change will be the more palpable 3. A believer would endeavour to be clear in the change of his condition and when this clearnesse is attained by the distinct uptaking of the several fruits of the change it is very useful and profitable for establishing the believer in the confidence of his interest in Christ and that there is a saving change wrought in him So here the Bride both asserts him to be her beloved and likewise the reality of the change he had wrought in her The first effect is my bowels were moved for him Which in short holds forth the kindly exercise of serious repentance affecting and stinging as it were the very inward bowels for slighting Christ so long which will be cleared by considering 1. What is meant by bowels 2. What by moving of the bowels 3. What that is for him By bowels are understood either sorrow and that in an intense degree as Iob 30. 27. my bowels boyled Lam. 1. 20. My bowels are troubled And Ier. 4. 19. My bowels my bowels I am pained at the very heart Or bowels are taken for affection and tender love in the highest degree such as mothers have to the children of their womb Philip. 2. 1 2. If there be any bowels And Philemon v. 12. Receive him that is my own bowels Thus they are taken Isa. 63. 15. Where are thy bowels and frequently elsewhere both in the Old and New Testament By moving of the bowels or sounding or making a noise as the word is elsewhere trauslated Isa. 10. 11. and 63. 15. is understood a sensible stirring of the affections when they begin to stound and that kindly and in a most affectionat manner
her The reasons hinted Chap. 3. 3. do confirm this beside there being so much spoken of their wounding of her either she or they must be wrong Now she is for the main in her duty and under a fainting condition seeking after Christ and there is no warrand to wound a poor seeker of Christ in such a condition even where there have been former failings 2 Cor. 2. 7. The Apostle will have the incestuous person in such a case tenderly dealt with lest he should be swallowed up but it 's duty rather to bind up their wounds and to pour oyl into them by speaking a word in season to such weary souls This was no doubt their duty and the Lord himself doth so Isa. 50. 4. Neither could her former security be a ground to reach her such blows now especially her offence being betwixt Christ and her their alones and so no object of publick reproof and she being a burthen to her self ought not to have been made more heavy by them Beside Chap. 3. 4. the watchmen dealt more tenderly with her when yet she had been in security also This dealing of theirs cannot be to speak a word in season to the weary soul of a tender person whose carriage is so convincing even to others that vers 9. they give her a high commendation which is a clear testimony against the malignity of these watchmen they must therefore be lookt on as untender or unskilful or both who do thus misapply the Word contrary to the end for which it is appointed and as miserable comforters talk to the grief of such as he hath wounded The first step is They found me It is not the finding of a friend as Chap. 3. 3. but as the effects clear the finding of an enemy and is as if a Minister should digresse of purpose to take in the case of some poor tender soul that he might reach it a blow though beside his Text Thus Ezek. 34. 21. The Idol-shepherds who it may be had a true external call are said to thrust with the side and shoulder and push all the diseased with the horns And vers 4. to rule with force and cruelty And in Ezek. 13. 20. they are said to hunt the souls of God's people A part of which cruelty and oppression is vers 22. in making the righteous sad This is their finding a seeking occasion to load them with bitter invectives and reproaches It 's observable also that here at the very first finding they hurt her without so much as suffering her to tell her own case as she did to the watchmen Chap. 3. 3. So that without taking notice of her condition they presently fall upon her which saith that in their smiting her they did not respect her case 2. They smote her that is more gently at first however they suffer no occasion to slip whereby they have any accesse to give a wipe to such heart-exercised souls but it 's laid hold upon and what infirmity is in any of them or inconsideratnesse in their zeal that is casten up and often somewhat of lesse moment is much aggreged The word takes in also wronging with the tongue Ier. 18. 18. Come let us smite Ieremiah with the tongue and it 's like by the words following in that verse the prophane Priests had no little accession to it 3. They wound her This is a further step and imports such a smiting as continues till the person be wounded denoting a higher degree of cruelty such as is the persecuting of these whom God hath smitten and talking to their grief Psal. 69. 26. which will exceedingly wound a tender exercised soul who is soon affected and the Psalm especially points at Iudas who Ioh. 12. 4 5 6. was ready to condemn the holy zeal of an honest soul which our Lord vindicats and leaves on record to her eternal commendation 4. The last step is They took away my vail from me The word that 's rendered vail comes from a root that signifieth to subdue it 's that fame word which we have Psal. 144. 2. who subdues the people c. It had a threefold use 1. For decorement as Isa. 3. 23. 2. For a sign of modesty pleaded for by the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 6. 3. And mainly for a sign of womens subjection to their own husbands for which cause Rebekah puts on her vail when she meets Isaac Gen. 24. 65. And therefore it 's called power as being the sign of the wifes being under the power of her husband 1 Cor. 11. 10. Here her vail is the tendernesse of her profession whereby in a decent modest and humble way she profest her self to be a believer seeking after Christ Jesus as one bearing the bâ—dge of subjection to him as her husband The taking away of the vail is their wronging of that honest profession she had and the giving of her out not to be that which she profest her self to be and so not worthy of a vail but that her profession was hypocrisie her painfulnesse and tendernesse conceitinesse even as Iudas Joh. 12. 5. nicknames that good work wrought upon Christ by that honest woman calling it wastry And by these and such other means often tender souls are affronted and proposed as a reproach to the multitude even as if a wife that is chast were denuded of her vail and reputed as an gadding harlot while she is seeking her own husband So when the Lord threatens his people that their leâ—dnesse should be made to appear he useth this expression Ezek. 23. 26 27. They shall stripe thee out of thy cloaths c. that being a manifest shame to a woman that should be covered 1 Cor. 11. 6. This is added to shew that they pretend they have reason for their smiting They disgrace her and take away her vail that they may not be thought to smite holinesse or tendernesse but a hypocrite under such a vail or a whore more decently adorned than became her to be This is the sum when I prevailed not in privat diligence I frequented the publick Ordinances but these who were watchmen and healers by office being untender as if they had intended it did by malice or want of affection or through unskilfulnesse and want of experience so apply the word that they sowed pillows under the arm-holes of the prophane and made the righteous sad Whereby I was not only nothing profited but returned more weighted and ashamed and had no encouragement to seek any more of their help as I had done Chap. 3. 3. but was necessitat to turn to others Which shews that she accounts them untender and therefore sets it down here as a piece of her sad tryal whereas had it been the wounding of a friend it had been a kindnesse to her Psal. 141. 5. and would have ingaged her to follow on for healing from that same hand so far would it have been from being the matter of her complaint neither would it have been complained of by her These words
and they have a low esteem of Christ and prefer their idols to him 9. This mistake is a great cause of Christ's being slighted in the world that they think other beloveds as good as he and other life 's as good as the life of holinesse therefore they go to the farm plough market and make light of Christ Matth. 22. 4. 10. The questioning of this grand principle of corrupt nature that Christ is no better than other beloveds or the inquiring whether he be indeed better than these is one of the first rises of a souls making forward to enquire for him 11. The growing of the esteem of Christ in a soul and the decay of the esteem of all idols formerly beloveds go together as the one stands the other falls as the one grows the other decayes 12. The right up-taking of Christ's worth is the great thing that commends Christ to a soul therefore the Bride describes him afterward and the through conviction of the vanity of all other things looseth the grips of our affections from them and makes way for setting up Christ more high 13. The convincing-carriage of a believer may stir and raise an exercise in these that formerly were secure And God can make the words of a private humble Christian the rise of a serious enquiry after Christ in another Thus her serious charging of them doth so stick to them as if that word I charge you had pierced them 14. Nothing more adorns the Gospel and commends Christ and makes him lovely to others than the convincing serious carriage of believers 15. These who are not acquaint with Christ's worth or the exercises of believers are ready to wonder what moves them and puts them to make such a stir about Christ more than others that live satisfied and contented without him BRIDE Vers. 10. My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand From vers 10. to the end which contains the fourth part of the Chapter the Bride speaks and in answer to the daughters of Ierusalem their question in a sweet pithy taking-manner commends her Beloved She is not long in returning answer to their question as being fully clear and ready to demonstrate Christ her Beloved his worth above all and as impatient that any other should be put in competition with him especially by the daughters of Ierusalem whose edification she studies by this to promove instantly she steps in with a large commendation of Christ though in few words whereby she doth so demonstrate him to be an Object infinitly worthy to be her souls Beloved beyond all others that Chap. 6. 1. they as convinced yield acknowledging that her Beloved was preferable to all other beloveds and that therefore they are ingaged to love and seek him with her In this commendation she 1. asserts Christ's preferablenesse in the general vers 10. 2. She confirmes and illustrates it in particulars to vers 16. And then 3. Vers. 16. sums it up in an universal expression as being in it's particulars inexpressible Lastly Having fully proved her assertion she resumes the conclusion as unanswerable This saith she is my beloved a singular beloved indeed and therefore it 's no wonder that I am so serious in pursuing after him and so sick of love to him and so much pained at the very heart for the want of him The first general in this 10. vers sets out Christ positively and comparatively Do you ask saith she what my Beloved is he is a non-such an incomparable Beloved he is white and ruddy O so lovely as he is in himself and being compared with all others he hath the preheminence by far as being the chiefest among ten thousands By white and ruddy we are to conceive Christ's qualifications according to the strain of the Allegory there being no bodily qualification set out here Christ at that time not being incarnat yet even then was he white and ruddy The due and just mixture of these colours maketh a man lovely and evidenceth a good complexion of body so by them in Christ is understood a concurrence of all fit qualifications and excellencies that may make him lovely to the soul when by faith looked upon and taken up there is sweet beauty and comelinesse or a comely beautiful sweetnesse that lusters and shines in him through the excellent qualifications wherewith he is furnished as the Husband of his Church that ravisheth spiritual affections far beyond the greatest beauty that can be in the fairest face for indeed he is fairer than the sons of men There is nothing that may make a Mediator lovely but it is here Again as if that did not fully set out his amiablenesse she adds He is the chiefest among ten thousand This is a definite great number for an indefinite In sum it 's this there are many beloveds indeed in the world but compare them all with Christ they are nothing to him without all controversie he is the chiefest 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. For though there be gods many and lords many to the world yet to us there is but one God and one Lord Iesus in all the world there is but one Christ. The word used here is He is the standart-bearer or it may be rendered passively He is standarted above ten thousand all tending to the same scope Love kyâ—hes it's â—ethorick in seeking words to prefer Christ as having indignation that his precedency and preheminence who is above all things Col. 1. 17. should so much as once be questioned It 's like that in these times the most comely persons were chosen to carry the standart a piece of dignity being thereby put upon them So then if all the most choice comely and excellent persons in the world were mustered together Christ would be preferred eminently and deservedly above them all Whence Observe 1. That Christ is the most lovely and excellent Object that men can set their eyes on that they can cast their love and affection upon There is not such 〈◊〉 one as Christ either for the spiritual soul-ravishing beauty that is in him or the excellent desirable effects that flow from him O what a singular description is it which follows if it were understood â—2 Christ is the most singularly excellent Husband that ever was closed with Under that relation he is commended here as singularly lovely and loving It 's a most honorable comfortable happy and every way satisfying match to have him for a Husband 3. Christ's worth in it self is not expressible and whatever he can be compared with he doth exceedingly surpasse it 4. Where right thoghts of Christ are there is nothing admitted to compete with him other excellencies and beloveds are in their greatest beauty darkned beside him he is set up as chief and they are not to be taken notice of beside him but to be accounted losse and dung 5. Christ's absence when believers are right will never lessen their esteem of him but even then believers will be warm and fresh in their
and confirmed to his people and when a little glimpse of him doth this how much more would a full view of him demonstrate it and indeed such a view doth effectually demonstrate it to these who have experimentally known the excellency that is in him although others who are unacquaint with his face do therefore undervalue him which may be hinted at as a cause of their so doing 3. This agrees with the commendation which sets him forth in this as pleasant to the spiritual sense of smelling and so would imply that it must be somewhat whereby Christ becomes sensibly sweet and refreshful as his sensible manifestations make him more delightsome and refreshing to the souls senses than towers of perfume are to the bodily senses Therefore is his love compared to ointment Chap. 1. 3. and else-where However these things are certain 1. That the least glimpse of Christ's countenance is exceeding refreshful and savory to the spiritual senses 2. That Christ's excellencies are delightsome to all the spiritual senses to the smell as well as to the eye ear c. the whole soul and all it's faculties have abundant matter in him for delighting and refreshing them all 3. The moe senses be exercised on Christ and the more sensible to speak so he become unto us he will be the more lovely and pleasant beds of Spices and towers of perfume in a garden to them that lye amongst them are not so savory as Christ is when the senses of the soul are exercised to discern him The fifth thing instanced is his lips The Brides lips were spoken of Chap. 4. 3 11. and cleared to signifie her speech By proportion they hold forth in him the lovelinesse of his Word wherein he is especially lovely in that he magnifies it above all his Name Psal. 138. 2. and makes it often sweet as the honey and the honey-comb to his people This may be looked on 1. as it respects the matter spoken by him out of whose mouth many gracious words proceeded while in the flesh even to the admiration of his hearers Luke 4. 22. So that upon conviction they say never man spoke as this man speaks Joh. 7. 46. Or 2. It may look to Christ's manner of speaking and his fitnesse to communicate his mind to his people as lips are the organs of speaking so he hath grace poured into his lips Psal. 45. 2. that makes all his words gracious as being formed or anointed by it Thus it takes in that holy Art skil and dexterity wherewith Christ is furnished to speak for the consolation of believer especially under sad exercises as it is Isa. 50. 4. He hath the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to him that is weary Both these in the result come to one and this being a special piece of Christ's lovelinesse to his people conducing exceedingly to the Brides scope here and the Analogy being clear and lips being frequently made use of in Scripture to signifie speech or words we conceive that they may well be taken to here especially considering that all the parts of the commendation will agree well to his words 1. They are like Lilies that is pleasant and savory so words spoken in season are often called pleasant and sweet like honey Prov. 16. 24. yea they are said to be like apples of gold in pictures of silver Prov. 25. 11. His words then may well be compared to Lilies 2. They are not common words therefore it must not be ordinary Lilies that will set them forth but they are like Lilies dropping sweet-smelling Myrrhe such Lilies we are not acquaint with and nature though excellent in it's effects yet comes short in furnishing fit resemblances to represent Christ and what is in him to the full These Lilies dropping Myrrhe signifie 1. A favorinesse and cordial efficacy in the matter like Myrrhe proving comfortable to these it falls or drops upon 2. Dropping shews abundance seasonablenesse and continuednesse therein so as he still furnisheth such strengthning efficacy and influence as if it were ever dropping and never dryed up as the phrase was Chap. 4. 11. All these agree well either to Christ the speaker who never wants a seasonable word or to the word spoken which in respect of it's effects endures for ever This must be an excellent Beloved saith she who speaks much and never a word falls from his lips but it 's precious and savory like any cordial to the souls of his people especially in their fainting fits and there is ever some good word to be gotten from him far from the rough speeches that many uses but O so pleasant and kindly as all his words are Obs. 1. There is a special lovelinesse in our Lord Jesus words to his people how much of this appears throughout the 4. Chapter of this Song and what love appears in all his promises yea in the titles that he gives his people every one is as it were big with childe of strong consolation to them 2. Christ's words have a special refreshing efficacy in them and can comfort refresh and sustain drooping sick souls he sends out his Word and it healeth them 3. These who love Christ himself truly have also an high esteem of his Word and are much delighted with that and where there is little esteem of his Word there is but little esteem of himself They who have tasted the sweetnesse of the Word do highly esteem of Christ himself 4. The word of Christ is as Christ's own lips and doth sweetly set out his thoughts of love to sinners It 's good reading of Christ's lovelinesse out of his own Word and from his own mouth 5. Where there hath been a sweetnesse felt in the Word it should be turned over to the commendation of Christ that spoke it as a proof of the reality of his excellent worth 6. The Word is never rightly made use of though it should fill the head with knowledge till it be savory to the inward man and spiritual senses and it 's that which makes it lovely when the vertue and consolation that flowes from it is felt 7. All the consolations of the Word they come not out at once neither can we so receive them but it drops by little and little in continuance and therefore daily should men draw from these wells of Salvation 8. Observe from the scope that Christ's Word known by experience will lift and set Christ up in the heart beyond all beloveds and that the unacquaintednesse of many with Christ's lips and the consolations that abound in his Word makes them so ready to â—light him and set up their idols above him The scope saith further that she was acquaint with his words and the refreshfulnesse of them and in this she is differenced from others Whence Observe 9. that believers are acquaint with the sweetness of Christ's Words otherwise than any in the world are Christ is another thing to them and his Word is so also than to all the world
beside It 's a good sign where Christ's lips are so lovely Vers. 14. His hands are as Gold-rings set with the Beryl his belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphirs The sixth and seventh particulars instanced to commend Christ are in vers 14. The sixth is his hands The hands are the instruments of action as the lips are of speaking They are commended that they are as Gold-rings that is as men or womens hands are adorned with Gold-rings so his hands have a native lovelinesse beyond these yet this commendation as all the former answers not fully therefore it 's added they are set with Beryl This was a precious stone put in Aaron's breast-plate Exod. 39. 13. To be set with it signifies as preciousnesse so rare artifice and such is seen in the right setting of precious stones By our Lord's hands may be understood that powerfull activity whereby he is fitted to bring about what he pleaseth and that power which he exerciseth especially in the works of grace as on vers 4. was cleared Or we may understand the effects produced by that his power or his works which are exceeding glorious as Psal. 109. 27. That they may know O Lord that this is thy hand that is that thou Lord hast done it So his hands signifie such works especially wherein his Divine power art and skill doth manifest themselves for the good of his people Both agree well together for excellent power and skill produce excellent effects and excellent effects demonstrat the excellent qualifications of the worker this being a main piece of Christ's commendation and which doth hold him forth to be exceeding lovely above all to the believer which is the scope may well be taken here as the meaning especially being subjoined to the commendation of his words for our Lord Jesus doth not only say well but also doth well he is a prophet mighty both in word and deed Luk. 24. 19. The commendation suits with his works as if there were none of them but what are adorned as it were with excellent Gold-rings there being much glory grace wisdom and skill shining in them all they are honourable and glorious Psal. 111. 3. Yea great and marvelous are the works of the Lord God Almighty Rev. 15. 4. These are the deserved epithets of his actions In sum it is as if she had said Ask ye what my beloved is more than others If ye saw but a glimpse of the white and red that is in his cheeks and if ye heard the sweet words that proceed from his mouth and if ye knew the excellent works which he hath performed even to admiration for the good of his people and how much lovelinesse appears in all these ye would no doubt say with me He is the chiefest among ten thousand Obs. 1. Christ is an active husband having hands and working with them for the good of his Bride A piece of his work we heard of chap. 3. 9. in that noble Chariot He is no idle spectator he worketh hitherto Joh. 5. 17. 2. All our Lord Jesus his works are exceeding excellent and beautiful and when rightly discerned they will appear wonderful honourable and glorious as proceeding from him who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working Isa. 28. 29. What a curious and excellent piece of work is that Chariot or the Covenant of Redemption signified thereby chap. 3. 9 There are many shining well-set Jewels and Rings upon every finger of his hands There is nothing that can be done better than what he hath done The works of Christ in our redemption do hold forth infinit skill and gloriousnesse to be in the worker all of them are so wisely contrived and exquisitly execute 3. Christ's works do exceedingly endear him and that deservedly to his people and do infallibly demonstrate his worth above all beloveds in the world Who is like unto him and who can do great works such as he hath done This makes heaven to resound with the praises of what this beloved hath done for his people 4. Believers would be acquaint both with Christ's words and his works and would be well vers'd in the knowledge of the excellencies that are in them both that so they may be the more affected with him themselves and be more able to commend him to others 5. Where Christ is lovely all his works will be delightsome and it 's by acquaintance with and observation of his excellent works that the hearts of his people come to take him up and to be rightly affected with him 6. As ignorance of the excellency of Christ's works especially of the work of Redemption makes many slight Christ and prefer others to him for she would discover the daughters of Jerusalem their mistake of him by instancing this amongst other things so it 's a kindly-like thing to have a honourable esteem of Christ's works in the heart 7. Although the devil and mens idols seem to promise much to their lovers when they suit and intice them yet never one indeed can equal Christ or compare with him in respect of what he hath done for his Bride and this sets him up incomparably above them all His hands in respect of his magnificent works are adorned as it were with Gold-rings whereas they have hands but work not for the help and relief of their lovers Psa. 115. 7. The seventh part of this demonstration of Christs worth is from his belly The word in the Original is the same word which vers 4. is rendered bowels and we rather use it so here as it signifieth bowels the native signification of it as not knowing why it should be altered in this verse especially considering that wherever it is attributed to God it 's translated bowels as Isa. 63. 15. where is the sounding of thy bowels and Ier. 31. 20. my bowels are moved for him Reading it then thus his bowels are as bright ivory c. The words at the very first would seem to signifie the intense love and tender affection wherewith our Lord Jesus who is full of grace is filled and stuffed to say so for the behove and good of his people so that no mother is so compassionatly affected towards the fruit of her womb as he is toward his own This exposition is 1. confirmed from the ordinary signification of the word bowels when it is applyed to God as Isa. 63. 15. and Ier. 31. 20. and it is borrowed from the affection that mothers have to their children whose bowels yerns on them as 1 King 3. 26. and so Ioseph was affected toward his brethren Gen. 43. 30. Hence the word both in the Hebrew and Greek in the Old and New Testament which is made use of to set forth the Lords tender compassion flowes from a root that signifieth bowels 2. The scope will confirm this for is there any thing that makes Christ more lovely and admirable than his love which makes the Prophet cry out Mic. 7. 18. who is a God like unto thee that
pardoneth iniquity c. because thou delights in mercy or is there any other thing that more commends him as a beloved preferable to all than his love Love in a husband is a special property Now Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it Eph. 5. 25. it is not like therefore that this is omitted And 3. it followes well on the commendation of his works for and about his people as shewing the fountain from whence they proceed The commendation of this is excellent 1. It is as bright Ivory Ivory is rarely and singularly pure and pleasant being made of Elephants teeth bright is added to shew that it 's of the best sort as all that is in Christ is 2. It 's overlaid with Saphires that was a stone in Aarons breast plate and also is reckoned one of the foundation-stones of the new Ierusalem Rev. 21. 19. which shews that it is very precious though we know not the particular properties of it The word overlaid may be from the Original rendered curiously set or enambled In sum here his love is described as most lovely clean and pleasant like Ivory rich and precious like Saphires and well ordered and wisely vented for the good of his people as bright Ivory curiously enambled with Saphires His love is a most excellent curious and pleasant object the like whereof is not to be found amongst all the beloveds of the world This verse commends Christ's heart and in-side which is unsearchable as to it 's heighth depth breadth and length It may therefore be hard and some way hazardous to offer doctrines on or to form expressions concerning that which passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 18 19. the comprehending experimental knowledge of it will be the best commentary on it yet these things are clear and safe 1. There is singular love affection and bowels in our Lord Jesus to his people so singular that there is none can compare with him in this no husband nay nor wife it passeth the love of women No tender-hearted mother and much lesse any idol can compet with him in this It 's inconceivable in it self and it 's wonderful in it's effects 2. There is nothing that will contribute more to make believers see Jesus Christ as admirable in himself and lovely to them than the right apprehension of his love This is the constraining ravishing ingaging and soul-in-ebriating consideration of Christ the conceiving of him rightly in his admirable love and they will never esteem of Christ rightly who discerns not that it is as it were his crown and the believing of it is in a sort the putting of the crown on his head Amongst all his excellencies none takes the believer more up than his love and nothing is more remarkable in him than that and right thoughts of Christ's love is no ill token 3. Our Lord Jesus his love and bowels are a rich Jewel when seen a precious stately sight bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires is but a small and dark shaddow of it Christ's love is a possession beyond Jewels a very beautiful object to look on beyond the most excellent creature It 's both a wonder and a heart-break that it is so little thought of and that men are not more delighted in it 4. Although there be much in many mouths of Christ's love yet there are few that really knows and believes the love that he hath to his people 1 Ioh 3. 1. As this is the cause that so few loves him and why so many sets up other beloveds beside him so the solid faith of this and the expectation of good from him hath a great ingaging vertue to draw sinners to him Heb. 11. 6. and for that end it 's made use of here 5. Whatever seeming smiles idols may give to their lovers yet will they not prove lovers in the end to them for that is proper to Christ he only hath strong love and bowels of affection to his own to the end but other lovers in the end will fail men Only our Lord Jesus continueth a loving Husband to the end for whom he loves he loves to the end 6. It is beyond all peradventure good and desirable to be matched with Jesus Christ where so much honour riches power wisdom lovelinesse and love meet all together for the scope of this and of all the rest of the commendations is to ingage sinners to match with him 7. There is no cause to be jealous of Christ's love his people have a most loving Husband and never a sport or ground of jealousie hath defiled his bowels since the world began but they to this day are and will be for ever as bright Ivory 8. Christ's love is excellent in it self and is also excellent in the way of it's communicating it self to his people therefore it 's not as Saphires that are confusedly casten together but that are artificially set or our Lord Jesus vents not his love fondly to speak with reverence or imprudently but most wisely skilfully and seasonably so as it may be for the good of his people not as a fond and too indulgent mother that gives that which is even hurtful because the childe desires it but as a wise father who gives that which is useful though it be unpleasant He guids his love by discretion and according to expediency as Ioh. 16. 7. It 's expedient for you that I go and therefore he will go though they were even made sad with it 9. Although some pieces of Christ's love being considered in themselves seem not so pleasant and lovely like precious stones not rightly set yet when all are seen together and every thing taken up as in it's own place and proportionably corresponding with one another and especially in respect of the fountain of love from which they come they will then being all lookt on together be seen to be very beautiful and pleasant and well ordered like bright Ivory that is regularly and curiously enambled or indented with Saphires The time comes when Christ's love will be thought to be exquisitly and wisely let out and conveyed even in these things wherein it is most suspected now by his own Vers. 15. His legs are as pillars of Marble set upon sockets of fine Gold his countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars The eighth and ninth particulars of Christ's commendation are in vers 15. The first of them here commended is his legs The word legs comes from a root in the Original that signifieth to walk and so takes in things and feet which are also useful in motion In Scripture and by Analogy they are made use of to signifie these two 1. A mans way in the series of his carriage and deportment as ordinarily his life is called a walk So Eccl. 5. 1. Take heed unto thy feet that is to thy carriage Hence the iniquities of the heels are spoken of Psal. 49. 5. to set out mens defects that cleave to them in their conversation as their feet leave prints or footsteps
hath given the promise of his presence Believers are to him as Tirzah and Ierusalem the most beautiful Cities of that Land for the time Or the first similitude taken from Tirzah may look to outward beauty for Tirzah was a beautiful City and the other similitude taken from Ierusalem may look to Church-beauty as the Ordinances were there and so the sense runs my love thou art to me as the most excellent thing in the world yea as the most excellent thing in the visible Church which is more precious to him than any thing in the world 3. She is terrible as an army with banners An army is strong and fearful a banner'd army is stately and orderly under command and 〈◊〉 readinesse for service an army with banners is an army in it's most stately posture The Church is terrible as such an army either 1. Considered complexly or collectively her Ordinances have power authority and efficacy like a banner'd army So the Churches spiritual weapons are said to be mighty and powerfull through God 2 Cor. 10. 5 6. This being compared with the 9. and 10. verses may have it 's own place But 2. the scope here and the words following look especially at the statelinesse majesty and spiritual valour that is in particular believers who are more truly generous valorous and powerful than an army with banners when their faith is exercised and kept lively they prevail wheresoever they turn they carry the victory over the world 1 Joh. 5. 4. over devils which are enemies whom no worldly army can reach but by the power of faith they prevail even to quench the violence of fire as it 's in Heb. 11. 34. and by faith they waxed valient in fight But mainly this holds in respect of Christ himself they prevail over him in a manner by their princely carriage as Iacob did Gen. 32. 28. As a prince hast thou had power with God and men and hast prevailed See Hos. 12. 4. he had power over the Angel and prevailed And indeed no army hath such influence upon him as believers have which is such that he cannot as it were stand before them or refuse them any thing that they with weeping and supplications wrestle with him for according to his will Now that it is in this respect mainly that the believer is called terrible as an â—â—my with banners is clear 1. From the scope which is to comfort a particular believer who hath been wrestling with him already under desertions 2. The next words confirm it Turn away thine eyes from me saith he for they have overcome me What statelinesse or terriblenesse might one say is in a poor believer It 's easily answered that this is not any awful or dreadful terriblenesse that is here intended but the efficacy of faith and the powerful victory which through the same by Christ's own condescending the believer hath over him and so in his account as to prevailing with him Christ's Bride is more mighty than many armies in their most stately posture therefore saith he thine eyes that is her faith have overcome me that 's her terriblenesse turn them away I cannot to say so abide them And these three together make the believer or rather Christ's love who useth these expressions wonderful 1. The believer is beyond all the world for beauty 2. The visible Church and believers in her in respect of Ordinances and her Ecclesiastick estate is very comely and lovely and yet the believers inward beauty is beyond that also the Kings daughter is all glorious within 3. Believers in regard of the power of their faith are more terrible than armies or all military power among men Thou art saith he so to me and hast such influence on me and may expect thus to prevail with and in a manner to overcome me And so Christ is so far from quarrelling with her for her by-gone carriage now that he effectually comforts and commends her Hence Observe 1. Our Lord Jesus is a most friendly welcomer of a sinner and the sweetest passer-by of transgressions that can be there is no upbraiding here for any thing but every word speaks how well he takes with her 2. Our Lord Jesus his manifestations are seasonable and wise Seasonable that now he comes when the Bride hath left no mean unessayed and was at a stand wise that he comes not until she had found the bitternesse of her own way and was brought to a more lively exercise of faith repentance holinesse and profitable experiences therein of which we have spoken in what goeth before 3. The Lord is not displeased with humble believing and with the claiming of interest in him by his own even when his dispensations to sense are dark but takes very well with it and hath a special complâ—â—ncy in it and therefore comes in with this intimation of his love here importing his hearty accepting of her 4. The Lords commendations of his people and the intimations of his love to them are such as it may be seen he conforms and proportions them to their condition and exercise and when they have been under any long and sharp exercise as the Bride was in the former Chapter he makes when he comes his manifestations the more sweet and full as here 5. Believers when grace is exercised must needs be beautiful creatures and much esteemed of by Christ who thus commends them 6 Grace and holinesse in a believers walk is much more beautiful and acceptable to Christ than the external Ordinances though excellent in themselves as separable from it for Ierusalem that was very beautiful as to Ordinances is but an emblem of this 7. There is an awfulnesse and terriblenesse in believers as well as lovelinesse which makes them terrible to the prophane even whether they will or not a godly carriage puts a restraint on them 8. Lovelinesse terriblenesse and authority in holinesse are knit together when a particular believer or Church is lively in holinesse then have they weight and authority and when that fails they become despicable 9. The believer hath great weight with Christ he is the only army that prevails over him as faith is the only weapon being humbly exercised by which they overcome This is more fully expressed in the next verse Vers. 5. Turn away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me The first part of the fifth verse contains the amplification and heightening of the Brides lovely terriblenesse and the great instance and proof thereof is held forth in a most wonderful expression Turn away thine eyes from me and as wonderful a reason for they have overcome me saith the beloved Wherein consider 1. That wherein this might and irresistable terriblenesse of hers consisted It 's her eyes which are supposed to be looking on him even when she knew not to her sense where he was By eyes we shew Chap. 4. 9. were understood her love to him and saith in him whereby she was still cleaving to him under desertion and in
to be made lively again and fresh to their relish which the Lord doth here 6. Unlesse Christ speak and make the word lively the sweetest word even that which once possibly hath been made lively to a believer will not savour but will want it's relish and luster if he repeat it not Vers. 8. There are threescore Queens and fourscore Concubines and Virgins without number Vers. 9. My Dove my undefiled is but one she is the onely one of her mother she is the choice one of her that bare her the daughters saw her and blessed her yea the Queens and the Concubines and they praised her This kind Bridegroom proceeds in the commendation of his Bride vers 8 9. and shews the rich excellency that is in her by considering her several wayes whereby she is preferable to what is most excellent And then in the following verses he confirms this by a twofold proof and lastly vers 13. closeth the Chapter with a kind invitation whereby as it were by a new proof of his love he puts the commendation given her out of doubt For understanding the 8. and 9. verses we are to conceive that by Daughters Virgins Queens Concubines by this Dove that is one and the mother that bears are not understood any party distinct from the Church or Bride but the same Bride diversly considered taking-in first the Church as visible which is beautiful in her Ordinances external profession and order for she is the mother that bears the daughters who are the daughters of Ierusalem and that is said to be seen both which expressions hold forth this and accordingly mother and daughters have hitherto been understood in this Song Chap. 3. 4 5. Secondly and especially the Church as invisible and the real believers who are members of the Church invisible for the scope here is to commend her graces and if we consider the commendation preceeding and the proofs given it will appear that they especially belong to her and by Analogy agree to the visible Church wherein she is comprehended This diverse consideration of the Church as one and moe Is not 1. disagreeable to other Scriptures in which Christ useth to commend her as we see Psal. 45. 9 13 14. where there is the Queen called the Kings daughter and the Virgins or Daughters her companions who are with her yet by all is understood the same invisible Church considered collectively as one body or distributively in her several members Nor 2. is it unsuitable to the strain of this Song nor is it absurd as was shown in the Preface and needs not now be repeated And 3. it agrees well with Christ's scope here where he is to say so seeking how to expresse fully the commendation of his Bride as singular and eminent thus to consider her for the moe wayes she be considered her excellency appears the more she being excellent whatever way she be lookt on And if as visible she be glorious and someway one in him much more as invisible she is so which is the scope as is clear vers 9. By Queens Concubines and Virgins then we understand believers of different growths and degrees I say believers 1. because these titles agree best to them according to the strain of this Song and of Psalm 45. 2. They are supposed to be of one mother 3. They praise the Bride which is an evidence of honesty and sincerity and a greater argument of her excellency that she is praised and commended by such as had discerning I say we are here to understand believers of different growths and degrees so that some believers are Queens that is more glorious and admitted to the highest priviledges Some are as Concubines who were accounted lawful wives as to conjugal fellowship but differed in this that they had not such government over the family and their children had not right to inherit therefore they are as half wives as the word in the Original will bear Some are Virgins that are not so far admitted yet are of a chast carriage and so differenced from others as was said on Chap. 1. 3. Next the commendation is that though there be many Queens moe Concubines and Virgins without number that is though there be many believers of different 〈◊〉 and degrees yet there is but one Bride which is a singular excellency in her and an unheard-of thing that so many make up but one Bride the like whereof is not to be found in any marriage that ever was in the world Or we may conceive thus though men for their satisfaction sought out many Queens Concubines and Virgins because there was not to be found in any one what was satisfying yet saith he my one Bride is to me many virtually as if the worth of so many Queens Concubines and Virgins were combined in one And thus as she set him out chief of all husbands so doth he set her out as chief of all Brides and as comprehending in her alone all that was desirable as the next part of the 9. vers clearâ— By the number 60. 80. and without number we conceive an indefinit number is to be understood that is they are many only they of the inferior ranks are manyest that is there are moe Concubines than Queens far advanced in Christianity and again moe Virgins than Concubines because experienced believers of an high degree are most rare and these who are not grown up to have their senses exercised are most numerous In a word there are moe weak than strong believers Which saith 1. that there are degrees amongst true believers all have not the same degree of grace though all have the same grace for kind and though all be in the same Covenant there are old men or fathers young men and little children or babs 1 Joh. 2. 12 13. 2. Among believers there are many moe weak than strong 3. He accounts of them all as honorable and reckons even the Virgins as commendable though they come not up to be Queens Yet 4. where grace is most lively and faith most strong there he dignifies believers with a most special and ample commendation vers 9. The 9. vers makes up the scope with the former By Dâ—â—e and undefiled we said is understood the Church especially the invisible Church of believers who all partake of the same nature and property and so of the same priviledges the titles are spoken of before The commendation is threefold 1. She is one which sets her out not only with unity in her affections but to say so with a kind of onenesse in her self Thus the visible Catholick Church is one garden vers 2 comprehending many beds of spices one Church made up here of many particular Churches And thus onenesse or unity is a great commendation to her or a special part of her excellency But 2. the invisible Church is but one all believers make up one body though there be many of different growths yet there is but one Bride This is a singular thing
an inner-man which is described from it's several parts and so must have an head we think that it is some particular grace that is here especially aimed at By head then we conceive the grace of hope may be understood it being the grace whereby the soul still sticks to Christ expecting the injoyment of him for not only is hope a grace necessary and commendable and so it cannot be unsuitable to the scope to take it in upon one branch or other but it may be called the head 1. Because it is above having Christ himself for it's object and though the word may be said to be the object of hope yet it 's not so much the word as Christ held forth in the word and therefore hope is said to be within the vail Heb. 6. 19. for properly we hope for him because of his word and so he is our hope 1 Tim. 1. 1. 2. Hope is a grace which hath it's rise from faith and is supported by it as the head is by the neck though hope be some way above faith yet doth faith sustain it and give it a being the believer hopes because he believes 3. It hath much influence on all spiritual duties and especially on our consolation and is useful in the spiritual war as being an essential piece of the believer's spiritual armour and is therefore called the helmet or head-piece of salvation 1 Thess. 5. 8. and the head-piece may be some way called the head So hope which keepeth to say so graces head may not unfitly be called the head seing without it the head will be at least without it's helmet And taking it so for this special piece of the believers armour it follows well on watchfulnesse however it is certain that hope bears up the believer under difficulties Rom. 8. 24. and that it rests on Christ who therefore is called our hope And so corelatively being considered as acting on him it may get the name of head as faith is upon the like account called our righteousnesse and thus our head is Christ hoped upon And the commendation that it 's like Crimson will suit well with this interpretation the red or Crimson colour having a special reference to Christ's death and sufferings which puts the right colour on our hope and makes it of this dye that it 's never ashamed nor stained Rom. 5. 3. Obs. 1. The exersing of hope is a necessary piece of a believers beauty and as to have the heart sustained and comforted in the hope of what is not seen is both necessary and profitable so when by the power of hope a believers head is helpt up and kept above in all waters that he fink not it is his singular ornament 2. Hardly will a believer be in good case without this grace of hope and when other graces are lively hope will be so also These pieces of armour and spiritual decoring go together 3. There is no other in the world that hath a well grounded hope but the believer it 's only the believer whose head is like Crimson all others their hope makes ashamed and their confidence shall be rooted out whileas his will be alwayes fresh and green The tenth and last particular here commended in the Bride is her hair This was spoken of Chap. 4. 1. But here both the word in the Original and the commendation that is given of it do differ from that which is there recorded The word here translated hair is not elsewhere to be found It comes from a root that gives ground to expound it smalnesse or tendernesse therefore it 's taken by some to signifie a pin or some of the small decorements of the head and it is compared to purple for it's preciousnesse lovelinesse and other reasons formerly mentioned in speaking of that colour We take the scope here to be to shew the universal loveliness and preciousnesse of grace in a believer even in the least things What shall I say saith he that thy feet navel eyes and head are beautiful even thy hair or the pins that dresse it are lovely and excellent so glorious princely and stately a creature is this Bride that there is not a wrong pin or hair to be found upon her And thus all the commendation is well closed with this By the hair then we conceive is understood even the meanest gestures and circumstances of a believers walk which being ordered by grace are beautiful and serve much to the adorning of the Gospel Obs. 1. That grace makes an observable change upon the whole man it regulats even the least things it orders looks gestures and circumstances wherein often men take too much liberty 2. Grace vented in the meanest piece of a Christian carriage is very beautiful it puts a special beauty and lustre upon the meanest circumstances of the Christians actions Or when a believer squares all his walk even in the least things by the right rule it makes his way exceeding lovely whereas often a little folly or unwatchfulnesse in such proves like a dead flee that makes a whole box of ointment to stink Eccles. 10. 1. 3. Our Lord takes notice of the smallest things in a believer even of the hair yea of the smallest thereof There is nothing in his people so mean but he takes notice of it and there is nothing so little but grace should be exercised therein In a word all things in a believer should be suitable eyes hair head c. The particulars of the Brides commendation of which we have spoken if they were understood certainly they contain much but as if these were little he proceeds in expressing this beauty of or rather his love to his Bride in three wonderful expressions as proofs of what he hath said concerning her lovelinesse and beauty or if we may improperly so call them aggravations thereof whereby that commendation is raised and heightned to an exceeding great height The first is in the end of the fifth verse and it is this the King is held or bound in the Galleries The sense in a word is what ravishing lovelinesse is this that is to be found in this Bride that the King is thereby as it were held and bound and must stand to look upon it he is so delighted with it 1. This King is our Lord Jesus the Prince of the Kings of the Earth he is not only here but elsewhere often styled the King because he is eminently so and it 's much to the believers consolation that he is so if the faith of it were fixed in them Our Lord is a most royal kingly person 2. The Galleries here are the same that were Chap. 1. 17. called there Rafters The word there is our Galleries Galleries are places where great men use to walk and here Christ and the believer having one house wherein they dwell together the Galleries signifie the means or Ordinances wherein in a more special way they come to walk together 3. To be held or bound as the word is
several arguments pressed on him vers 11 12 13. The conclusion which she gathers vers 10. from his discourse comes not in altogether abruptly but is the expression of a heart comforted with the intimations of Christ's love and wakened with the wine that makes them that are asleep to speak and so breathing out the great ground of her consolation Now saith she seing he loves me and out of the infinit freedom of his grace is pleased to commend unworthy mee so much certainly I may conclude I am my beloveds and his desire is towards me The first part of this verse wherein she asserts her interest in him was spoken to Chap. 2. 16. and 6. 3. and it 's now repeated on this occasion for these reasons 1. Because it 's the great compend of all her consolation and that wherein it consists that she is Christ's and Christ is hers This is indeed matter of solid consolation and whatever is comfortable doth flow from it 2. To shew that she kept the clearnesse of her interest in him in some measure constantly and carried it along with her in the several parts of her exercise she can assert it this day and the next day and the third day 3. It 's now a full tide with her as to Christ's manifestations and the flowings of his Spirit he hath been liberal and large in the intimations of his love and she makes this use of it to put her interest in him out of question while the evidences of it are so legible Obs. 1. Believers may at sometimes more clearly and distinctly gather and conclude their interest in Christ than at other times 2. When believers are admitted to neernesse with Christ and clouds that would darken their faith are scattered then they would endeavour to fix their confidence and put their interest out of question that when their sun comes under a cloud and they see not to read their evidences so distinctly they be not put to question their interest and all by-past experiences as delusions 3. When the Lord owns his people and speaks comfortably to them as he hath been doing to the Bride then they should owne him and acquiesce in that consolation allowed upon them by him The last part of the verse in these words and his desire is towards me shews not only that the interest was mutual and that he loved her as she did him but that he loved her affectionatly so that in a manner he could not be without her His desire was to her 2. That he condescended to love her with such a kind of love and respect as a woman hath to her husband for so this is spoken of the first woman Gen. 3. thy desire shall be towards him that is subordinat to his or seeking to conform to his that she may please him And so here it shews Christ's great condescending to have the believer carving as it were to him so ready is he to please and satisfie his people for their good 3. It shews a deal of satisfaction that she had in this it was the matter of her humble spiritual boasting that Christ so loved her hath or contemn her who would 4. She thinks still much of this priviledge of an interest in Christ and esteems nothing the lesse of it that she had attained clearnesse in it before now Clearnesse is ever of much worth and these who are clearest anent this will esteem most of it That holy fainnesse to say so that this word My beloved is mine brings-in to the soul easeth and comforteth the more that it is often renewed Vers. 11. Come my Beloved let us go forth into the field let us lodge in the villages Vers. 12. Let us get up early to the Vineyards let us see if the Vine flourish whether the tender Grape appear and the Pomegranates bud forth there will I give thee my loves Vers. 13. The Mandrakes give a smell and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits new and old which I have laid up for thee O my Beloved When she hath laid down this ground of her interest in him she proceeds to improve it vers 11. by giving him a kindly and familiar invitation which she first qualifies in the end of the eleventh verse and beginning of the twelfth and then in what followeth adds some motives to presse it The similitude of a loving wifes carriage to a kind husband is continued as if such a loving wife desirous of her husbands company did invite him to the fields thereby in a retired way to be solaced with his company especially by going abroad with him in a pleasant spring-time and staying some nights in villages for that end and that they might the more seriously and comfortably view the state of their Orchards and Gardens which is both pleasant profitable and delightsome to be done in the husbands company Even so doth the Bride follow the similitude to shew what she desired from Christ in desiring of his company and for what end to wit both for the profit and comfort she expected to reap thereby The invitation she gives him is Come my Beloved Come is a word much used betwixt Christ and the believer and is a kindly word He saith Come Chap. 2. 10. and now she useth the same word Her putting up this desire expresseth a desire of communion and neernesse with him and also much affection and is the language both of the Spirit and the Bride who saith Come Rev. 22. 17. Here it imports a petition pressing for a greater degree of communion which by comparing this with the former words may be gathered for she possessed it in a good measure for the time and yet here she saith Come First considering this invitation in it self we may observe That communion with Christ is the one principal and common suit of the believer wherein he is never satisfied till it be perfected Next comparing these words with the preceeding Obs. 1. The more that Christ be manifested to his people the more neer they be admitted to him and the better that their frame be and the more clear they be anent their interest in him the greater will their desire be of more neer communion with him 2. Clearnesse of interest in him when it 's solid is a ground to presse for his fellowship and still it presseth the person who hath it to pursue after more full manifestations of Christ. Again considering these words as they respect his promise vers 8. I said saith he I will go up to the Palm tree c. Now she having heard it layeth hold on this promise and is not long in saying Come Obs. 1. That believers should improve the promises they have for attaining what is promised in them and should not suffer promises to lye by them not made use of 2. What is promised to a believer may and should be prayed for by them 3. Believers in their prayers and suits to Christ would have a special respect to the promises not only
great thing that guards off and prevents despising and procures freedom from reproach or at least is a Bull-wark to the soul against reproaches It 's no little advantage that familiarity with Christ brings alongst with it for by his owning of believers either their carriage is made so convincing that malicious mouths are stopped as having nothing to say against them or they are so sustained under all these outward or inward despisings that they trouble them not and so they are to them as if they were not 5. Christ's keeping up of himself is the dispensation under which the believer is most obnoxious to be despised The devil tentations and men usually cast up to them then Where is their God Psal. 42. 9 10. and that pierces them So our Lord was dealt with on the Crosse Iob calls this the Lords renewing of his witnesses against him whereby as it were tentation is confirmed in what it asserted There follows in the second verse four moe arguments she makes use of to presse her suit We heard of three in the first verse The fourth is in these words I would lead thee The word in the Original signifies such a leading as useth to be in triumph a leading that is joyned with respect and honour to the person who is led Christ leads his people as a shepherd doth his flock or a nurse her child and this signifies tendernesse in him and weaknesse in them The believer again leads Christ as a servant or usher doth the master or as men do Kings and victorious Conquerors whom they honour and this suppons statelinesse in him and respectivenesse and attendance in the Bride she looks upon him as a glorious magnificent person in whom and with whom she desires only to triumph In sum the meaning is this If saith she thou wert as my brother when I found thee my self I would not soon quite thee but wait with all honourable attendance upon thee Obs. 1. Honourable attendance on Christ and respective service is a duty that well becomes believers 2. To give him this honour is a thing which they mainly aim at 3. It 's a great mercy to them and they will so look upon it when they are helped in a way suitable to his Majesty and statelinesse to wait upon him and do him service 4. Christ's familiar presence both gives believers the occasion and also the fitnesse and disposition for giving him this honourable attendance she speaks here as if one would say to another whom they respected If thou wert in our quarters I would wait on thee and think it a favour to have the opportunity to do so This or the like is alluded unto here The fifth Argument follows on this and it is I would bring thee into my mothers house This is a resolution to perform what she had practized Chap. 3. 4. and was spoken to there The sense is If thou wert familiar with me saith she I would usher thee in to the Church whereof I am a member for the good of all the family as if a Virgin living in her mothers house should presse one whom she loved and with whom she might be familiar as with a brother when she had found him without to go in and abide with her in her mothers house as the greatest evidence of her respect and that they of the family might have the benefit of his company as well as she So it is here And it shews 1. That she would leave no respect that was possible to her unexercised towards Christ She would not only honour him her self but she would endeavour to have him made known to others that they might have a high esteem of him also Believers whom Christ is familiar with they will not be satisfied with any respect they can put upon him but are careful to have him known and honoured by all others that live in the Church with them 2. That in her seeking for him she minded the publick good of the Church as well as her own which teacheth us to propose to our selves the publick good as well as our own particular advantage whenever we haunt the means wherein we are called to seek him 3. That she thought it a great mercy to be any ways useful for the good of her mothers house And so believers will look upon it not only as their duty but also as their mercy to be useful to others 4. That Christ's presence familiarly manifested to particular believers doth exceedingly capacitat them for being usefully instrumental in the Church wherein they live The sixth Argument amplifies this from the benefit that she she would have by his being brought into her mothers house in these words who would instruct me That is then she would instruct me if thou wert there the Ordinances in the Church whereby believers are edified and instructed would then be lively and profitable in a greater measure than formerly Whereby it appears that by Mother is understood the visible Church for there only are the Ordinances which do instruct and by the Bride is understood particular believers because it is to them that these Ordinances become the power of God unto Salvation Or the words may be read Thou would instruct me that is if thou wert brought to the Church thou by thy Ordinances would teach me The scope in both these readings is one To shew that by Christ's presence in the Church she expected to be taught which she looked for no otherwise nor by any immediat way therefore she would have him there Obs. 1. The most grown believer needs instruction and is still a Scholar while he is in the Church upon earth 2. The Ordinances in the visible Church are the means whereby Christ ordinarily teacheth his people otherwise there were no force in this reasoning to desire him to her mothers house that she might be instructed 3. The most eminent believer even the Bride of Jesus Christ is no above the reach of Ordinances but is to be instructed by them in the visible Church 4. Believers should endeavour the enjoyment of Christ's company in the same Church that was their mother and seek to be instructed there and should not endeavour to carry Christ away from their mother-Church 5. Christ hath a more full way of manifesting his presence in his Church at one time than at another even as also at different times there are different measures of his manifestations to particular believers 6. Christ's presence in his Church and with his people singularly furthers their edification and instruction and gives a blessing to the Ordinances 7. Believers when in a right frame will account it no little mercy to be instructed by Christ in his Ordinances and to have the word blessed unto them 8. The most sensible and full manifestations of Christ should not yea will not lessen the esteem of the Ordinances but both should and will put the Lords people in a capacity to be edified by them and will incline and fit them to profit
under them The last motive is taken from the entertainment she would give him If saith she thou wouldst familiarly manifest thy self and if once I had found thee and gotten thee brought to my mothers house then I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my Pomegranate In a word I would entertain thee as well as I might and thou should be very welcome and kindly taken-with as Guests who are respected use to be By spiced wine and the juice of the Pomegranate is understood the most excellent entertainment as in these Countries it 's like as we may see from Prov. 9. 2. and Song Chap. 5. 1. they used to mix the wine they gave their friends that it might be the more favoury Now through this Song by such similitudes are understood the graces that are in believers as Chap. 4. 10 13. c. Chap. 5. 1. and in sum the sense comes to this if thou wert familiar with me and by thy presence in my mothers house were making the Ordinances lively then I would feast thee on my graces and my love faith hope c. which are to thee more savoury than wine with which men use to entertain their most special friends should flow out abundantly on thee Hence Obs. 1. That believers design and aim at the feasting and entertaining of Christ when they have his company as well as to be entertained thereby themselves 2. It 's no little mercy to get respect to Christ discharged and a believing soul will think it no small priviledge to get him to entertain if he have wherewith to entertain him 3. Christ's coming to a soul brings sufficient provision for his own entertainment The Bride makes no question but there shall be a feast if he will come and if he come not there will be nothing but emptinesse there She doubts not but if once he would come to her mothers house his presence would make enough of good provision 4. The Lord respects even the offer of welcome from his people when he is not actually entertained as they would or though they be not in case for the time to entertain him yet their serious desire to do it is very acceptable to him Otherwise this would be no argument for our Lord Jesus to grant her suit Vers. 3. His left hand should be under my head and his right hand should embrace me The third verse is the same and to the same scope with vers 6. of Chap. 2. and the words being the same in the Original we conceive they will read better here as they are there His left hand is under my head Here it is should be under my head but should is supplyed And so the words hold out here as in Chap. 2. 6. a return which the Bride had to her suit Our Lord Jesus coming and putting in his left hand under her head and as a kind brother taking her in his arms answereth her suit and satisfieth her desire This agrees best with the words as they were formerly used Chap. 2. 6. and with the scope here The verse following confirms it also where she chargeth the daughters not to stir him up which suppons him to be present So we find the same charge following the same words Chap. 2. 7. as also her finding him and bringing him to her mothers house is followed with the same charge Chap. 3. 5. and she is said to be leaning on him here vers 5. and yet is by the daughters commended and not despised which is a proof that he was present for this is it that made her not to be despised The meaning then is Now saith she I have obtained what I desired and he is become very friendly and familiar with me like a brother which was my desire And this shews 1. that Christ easily condescends to his longing Bride to give her such a degree of his presence as she called for and that he doth this so suddenly is great kindnesse and confidence Christ will in this sometimes condescend very quickly to the desires of his longing people 2. That she observes and acknowledgeth it It 's no lesse duty to observe and acknowledge a return than to put up a prayer 3. Christ hath a singularly tender way of communicating his love and of embraceing his people he can take them in his arms and make much of them when he sees it fit 4. There is a sweet satisfaction and unspeakable heart-quieting refreshment to be found in Christ's arms She thinks it so good to be here that she speaks of it with much complacency and carefully sets her self not to have it interrupted in the verse following Vers. 4. I charge you O daughters of Ierusalem that ye stir not up nor awake my Love untill he please Having now accesse to much familiarity with Christ as she desired and being in his arms she expresseth her care in this verse to prevent any new interruption of his blessed presence as if a woman having her friend or husband sleeping in her arms should command all in the house to be quiet lest he should be awaked So the Bride sets her self to watch so tenderly over every thing that is in her that nothing give him just ground to withdraw and though she speak to the daughters of Ierusalem yet the scope shews she looks to her self but it 's thus expressed partly to keep the form used in this Song and so having spoken of bringing him to her mothers house she makes use of the similitude of keeping the house quiet partly to shew her seriousnesse and reality in this her care and the great need that there is of being watchful even as David often provokes all creatures to praise and layes that charge on them thereby to shew his own seriousnesse in the thing and the greatnesse of the work of praise which he was taken up with so to the same purpose is this resemblance here The same words were found Chap. 2. 7. and Chap. 3. 5. where they were opened there are two little differences in the Original which yet alter not the scope 1. That expression by the Roes and Hindes which was formerly used is here left out not because this charge is lesse weighty but it shews a haste and abruptnesse in her speaking which makes her omit that the more speedily to expresse her charge 2. It was before If ye stir or awake Here it is as the margent reads from the Original why will ye stir or awake Which doth more plainly import 1. a readinesse or benâ—il in them to stir him up 2. A certainty of the effect of his withdrawing if they should stir him up or awake him 3. An unreasonablenesse and absurdity in the doing of it Why will ye do it saith she 4. A pressing seriousnesse in her proposing of this question and urging it so vehemently From this and the frequent repetition of this charge Obs. 1. That it 's a difficult piece of work to keep the heart tender and watchful for
may attain to a great height and yet corruption may again strangely break out and grace be brought very low What knowledge had Solomon What presence and clearnesse had he gotten by the Lord 's appearing to him What hearing of Pâ—ayer How usefull was he in God's work in building the Temple ordering all the Levits c and continued thus eminent for many years even till he was well stricken in years and then fell so foully How may this strike us with fear It 's much to win fair off the Stage without a spot Be humble and he that standeth let him take heed lest he fall 5. Grace can wash foul spots out of Believers Garments seing no question Solomon was washen and as he was recovered so grace is able to recover the Saints from their most dangerous aâ—d fearfull backslidings 6. Sometime the Spirit will honour the Penmen of Holy Writ by mentioning and recording their names other times not as is clear from some Books unknown by whom they were written the Lord doth in this according to his pleasure and as he seeth it may tend to edification Vers. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then Wine Having spoken to the Title we come now to the Song it self which being by way of Conference or Dialogue we shall divide the several Chapters according to the number of the Speakers and their several intercourses in speaking And so in this Chap. we have 5. parts In the 1. the Bride speaks to vers 8. In the 2. the Bridegroom to vers 12. In the 3. the Bride again to vers 15. And 4. the Bridegroom speake vers 14. And lastly the Bride in the two last verses The Bride begins this sweet Conference vers 2. and continues to vers 8. 1. She speaks to Christ vers 2 3 4. Then 2. to the Daughters of Ierusalem vers 5 6. Lastly she turns her self again to the Bridegroom vers 7. In the first of these there is 1. Her aime and desire by way of an earnest wish laid down vers 1. 2. The motives that stir up this desire in her and whereby she presseth it on him vers 2 3. 3. There is a formal Prayer set down vers 4. which is amplified in these three 1. In the motive proposed 2. In the answer obtained and felt 3. In the effects that followed on it Her great wish is Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth That it 's the Bride that speaks is clear She begins not because love ariseth first on her side for here she begins as having already closed with him and therefore she speaks to him as one who knows his worth and longs for the out-lettings of his love but because such expressions of Christs love as are to be found in this Song whereby his complacency is vented and manifested towards us doth first presuppose the working of love in us and our exercising of it on him and then his delighting that is his expressing his delight in us For although the man first suit the wife and so Christ first sueth for his Bride yet when persons are married it 's most suitable that the wife should very pressingly long for and expresse desire after the husband even as the Bride doth here after Christ's kisses and the expressions of his love Of this order of Christ's love see Chap. 8. Vers. 10. In the words consider 1. what she desires and that is the kisses of his mouth 2. How she points Christ forth by this significant demonstrative Him 3. Her abrupt manner of breaking out with this her desire as one that had been dwelling on the thoughts of Christ and feeding on his excellency and therefore now she breaks out Let him kisse me c. as if her heart were at her mouth or would leap out of her mouth to meet with his First by kisses we understand most lovely friendly familiar and sensible manifestations of his love kisses of the mouth are so amongst friends so it was betwixt Ionathan and David and so it is especially betwixt Husband and Wife Next there are several delightsome circumstances that heighten the Brides esteem of this the so much desired expression of his love The 1. is implyed in the person who is to kisse it 's Him Let him kisse He who is the most excellent and singular person in the world The 2. is hinted in the party whom he is to kisse it 's me Let him kisse me a contemptible despicable creature for so she was in her self as appears from vers 5 6. yet this is the person this love is to be vented on 3. Wherewith is he to kisse It 's with the kisses of his mouth which we conceive is not only added as an Hebraism like that expression The words of his mouth and such like phrases but also to affect her self by expressing fully what she breathed after to wit kisses or love which are the more lovely to her that they come from his mouth as having a sweetnesse in it Chap. 5. 16. above any thing in the world That Christ's love hath such a sweetnesse in it the reason subjoyned will clear for thy love is c. That which is here kisses is immediatly denominat loves It is his love that she prized and whereof kisses were but evidences They are kisses in the plural number partly to shew how many ways Christ hath to manifest his love partly to shew the continuance and frequency of these manifestations which she would be at The thing which she here desires is not love simply but the sense of love for she questioned not his love but desired to have sensible expressions of it and therefore compares it not only to looks that she might see him but to kisses which is also clear from the reason annexed while she compares his love to Wine Again her manner of designing Christ is observable Him It 's a relative where no antecedent goes before yet certainly it looks to Christ alone as the reasons shew Here no rules of Art are kept for love stands not on these This manner of speaking is to be found also in Moral Authors when one eminent is set forth who is singularly known beside others as having in the estimation of the speakers no match So Pythagora's Schollars used to say of their Master 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He said it And in Scripture when the Saints speak of the Lord they thus design him because they are not afraid to be mistaken Psal. 87. 1. His foundation c. and Isaiah 53. 2. He shall grow up like to a tender plant This is neither for want of titles due to him or rhetorick in her but because in this manner of expression the Saints set forth 1. Christ's singular excellency which is such that he hath no match or equal there is but one Him 2. Their singular esteem of him whatever others think 1 Cor. 8. 6. To us there is but one Lord Iesus only Christ is esteemed of
by them 3. A constant and habitual thinking and meditating on him for though there be no connexion in the words expressed yet what is expressed may have and hath connexion with the thoughts of her heart and if all were seen that were within it would be easily known what Him she meant And so we are to gather it's dependence on the affection and meditation it flows from rather than from any preceeding words for here there are none 4. It 's to shew her thoughts of Christ were not limited or stinted to her words or her speaking of him for though there be no words preceeding to make known who this Him is spoken of yet we may well conceive her heart taken up with desire after him and meditation on him and so there is a good coherence Let him that is Him I have been thinking on Him whom my soul desires he only whom I esteem of and who hath no equal c. This soâ—t of abruptnesse of speech hath no incongruity in spiritual rethorick Whence we may observe 1. That Christ hath a way of communicating his love and the sense of it to a Believer which is not common to others 2. That this is the great scope and desire of a Believer if they had their choise it 's to have sensible communion with Christ This is their one thing Psal. 27. 4. It 's the first and last suit of this Song and the voice of the Spirit and Bride and the last Prayer that is in the Scripture Rev. 22. 17. 3. That Believers can discern this fellowship it 's so sweet and sensible which is to be had with Jesus Christ. 4. That they have an high esteem of it as being a special signification of his love 5. That much inward heart-fellowship with Christ hath suitable outward expressions flowing from it 6. That Believers in an habitual walk with Christ will be abrupt in their suits to him sometimes meditating on him sometimes praying to him 7. That where Christ is known and rightly thought of there will be no equal to him in the heart 2. In the next place she lays down the motives that made her so desire this which are rather to set forth Christ's excellency to strengthen her own faith and warm her own love in pursuing after so concerning a suit than from any fear she had of being mistaken by him in being as it were so bold and homely with him in her desires 1. The reason is generally proposed vers 2. and inlarged and confirmed vers 3. The sum of it is Thy love is exceeding excellent and I have more need and greater esteem of it than of any thing in the world therefore I seek after it and hope to attain it There are four words here to be cleared 1. Thy loves so it is in the Original in the plural number Christ's love is sometimes as the love of God taken essentially as an attribute in him which is himself God is love 1 Ioh. 4. 8. Thus the Lord in his love is the same in all times 2. For some effect of that love when he doth manifest it to his people by conferring good on them and by the sensible intimations thereof to them So it is Ioh. 14. 21 23. We take it in the last sense here for she was in Christ's love but desired the manifestations of it and it is by these that his love becomes sensible and refreshfull to Believers It 's Loves in the plural number although it be one infinite fountain in God to shew how many ways it vented or how many effects that one love produced or what esteem she had of it and of the continuance and frequency of the manifestations thereof to her this one love of his was as many loves The second word to be cleared is Wine Wine is chearing to men Psal. 104. 15. and makes their heart glad under it here is understood what is most chearing and comfortable in it's use to men 3. Christ's love is better 1. Simply in it self it 's most excellent 2. In it's effects more exhilarating chearing and refreshing And 3. in her esteem to me saith she it 's better I love it prize it and esteem it more as Psal. 4. 8 9. Thereby thou hast made my heart more glad c. This his love is every way preferable to all the most chearing and refreshing things in the world 4. The inference for is to be considered It sheweth that these words are a reason of her suit and so the sense runs thus because thy love is of great value and hath more comfortable effects on me than the most delightsome of creatures therefore let me have it Out of which reasoning we may see what motives will have weight with Christ and will sway with sincere souls in dealing with him for the intimation of his love for the love of Christ and the sweetnesse and satisfaction that is to be found in it is the great prevailing motive that hath weight with them And sense of the need of Christ's love and esteem of it and delight in it alone when no creature-comfort can afford refreshing may and will warrand poor hungry and thirsty souls to be pressing for the love of Christ when they may not be without it Which shews 1. That a heart that knows Jesus Christ will love to dwell on the thoughts of his worth and to present him often to it self as the most ravishing object and will make use of pressing motives and arguments to stir up it self to seek after the intimations of his love 2. That the more a soul diveth in the love of Christ it 's the more ravished with it and presseth yea panteth the more after it It was Him before Let him kisse me as being something afraid to speak to him it 's now Thou Thy love c. as being more inflamed with love since she began to speak and therefore more familiarly bold in pressing her suit upon him 3. The exercise of love strengthens faith and contrarily when love wears out of exercise faith dieth These graces stand and fall together they are lively and languish together 4. Where Christ's love is seriously thought of and felt created consolations will grow bare and lose all relish Wine and the best of creature-comforts will lose their savour and sweetnesse with such a soul when once it is seen how good he is 5. An high esteem of Christ is no ill argument in pressing for and pursuing after his presence for to these that thus love and esteem him he will manifest himself Ioh. 14. 21 23. 6. Where there hath been any taste of Christ's love the soul cannot endure to want it it cannot enjoy it self if it do not enjoy him This is the cordial that cheareth it in any condition and maketh every bitter thing sweet Vers. 3. Because of the savour of thy good Ointments thy name is as Ointment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee The second reason which is also a confirmation and inlargement