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[SPECIMEX PAGE OF KEACH ON THE METAPHORS.] 
 BOOK 11.] CHRIST THE ROOT OF DAVID. 
 
 " / am the Root and offspring of David," &c., Rev. xxii. IG. 
 Christ is and may fitly be called and compared to a Root. 
 1. The Root of grace. 2. The Root of glory. 
 
 425 
 
 MKTAPHOR. 
 
 I. A Root is that from whence the 
 tree and branches proceed. 
 
 II. A Root is a thing hidden in 
 the earth, and not obvious or visible 
 to the eye. 
 
 III. A Root hath life, nay, it 
 is the centre of life : the life of any 
 tree or plant is principally in the 
 Root. 
 
 IV. The Root beareth the body 
 of the tree, and all the branches 
 thereof. 
 
 V. The Root communicates sap 
 and nourishment unto the body, and 
 all the branches thereof. 
 
 VI. The body and branches have 
 a necessary dependence on the 
 Root. 
 
 VII. There is much life and sap 
 in the Root, when the tree and 
 branches seem dead, dry, and sapless. 
 
 VIII. As in the soundness and 
 firmness of the Root of a tree, 
 the more sound, firm, and stable 
 is the tree itself, with the branches 
 thereof; these being likely to en- 
 dure, when those that have no Root 
 fall away. 
 
 IX. The Root is best secured of 
 any part of the tree, being ex- 
 cellently fortified by nature in the 
 earth. 
 
 X. Those that would utterly de- 
 stroy the tree, strike at the Root. 
 
 XL The Root communicates of its 
 life and natural vktue to the tree 
 and branches. 
 
 this hope in him purifieth himself, even 
 
 METAPHOR. 
 
 I. Natmal Roots of trees and 
 plants are in the earth. 
 
 II. Natural Roots, as well as the 
 body and branches, decay, grow old, 
 and die : " though the Root thereof 
 wax old," &c. saith Job, ch. xiv. 8. 
 
 PARALLEL. 
 
 I. From the Lord Jesus Christ, the Root of 
 David, all believers proceed : " I am the Vine, 
 ye are the branches." See Christ the true Vine. 
 
 II. The Deity or divine nature of Jesus Christ 
 is a hidden thing, cannot be seen with mortal 
 eyes. Christ's glory was veiled under afflictions, 
 reproaches, poverty, &c., as a Root is under the 
 earth. 
 
 III. In the Lord Jesus Christ is life; he is 
 called " the way, the truth, and the hfe," John 
 xiv. 6, and v. 26. " As the Father hath life in him- 
 self, the Son also hath life in himself." Life is in 
 Christ, as sap is in the Root of a tree. 
 
 IV. The Lord Jesus Christ, this Root bears up 
 his Church, and every member thereof, Rom. xi. 
 
 V. The Lord Jesus Christ conveys sap and 
 nourishment to aU his Church, and every parti- 
 cular believer or branch thereof; hence he is 
 called our life. Col. iii. 3. 
 
 VI. The Saints and Church of God have the 
 like dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ: " with- 
 out thee we can do nothing," John xv. 5. 
 
 VII. There is much sap and life in Jesus 
 Christ for the godly, when oft-times they seem 
 hke withered and dry branches. 
 
 VIII. The goodness, firmness, and sound- 
 ness of this divine Root, the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 shows us the very happy, stedfast, and secure 
 state of the Church. This Root cannot fail nor 
 decay, and consequently the Church and people of 
 God shall endure and stand against all the storms 
 and blasts of the devil, antichrist, and all wicked 
 enemies. Matt. xiii. 16. 
 
 IX. The Lord Jesus Christ is secured from 
 hurt and danger, (whilst his Church is daily ex- 
 posed thereunto) being hid in God, as it were : 
 " Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ 
 in God," Col. iii. 3. 
 
 X. The devil's grand design being utterly to 
 destroy all the godly, struck most furiously at 
 Jesus Christ, the blessed Root, Matt. iv. 5, 6. 
 
 XI. Christ communicates of his Spirit and divme 
 nature to his Church : "If the Root be holy, 
 even so are the branches. Be ye holy, even as I am 
 holy," 1 Pet. i. 16, Rom. xi. 16. " He that hath 
 
 as he is pure," 1 John iii. 3. 
 
 DISPARITY. 
 
 I. But this blessed Root, the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 is in heaven," Heb. ix. 24. 
 
 II. This Root of behevers, the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, never grows old, decays, nor dies: "Jesus 
 Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever," 
 Heb. xiii. 8. 
 

 
 ^gM 
 
 ^ '// // 
 
AN 
 
 EXPOSITION 
 
 OF THE UOOK OF 
 
 SOLOMON'S SONG; 
 
 COSIMONLT CALLED 
 
 CANTICLES. 
 
 WHEREIN THE AUTHORITY OF IT IS ESTABLISHED AND VINDICATED AGAINST OBJECTIONS, BOTH 
 ANCIENT AND MODERN; SEVERAL VERSIONS COMPARED WITH THE ORIGINAL TEXT; 
 
 f t£ Mtoitt ^cnsts b0t|jflf|£toisfe anb Ctristian |nttr^tto cDnsteb; 
 
 AND THE WHOLE OPENED AND 
 
 EXPLAINED IN PROPER AND USEFUL OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 ■ Canticum canticorum spiritualis quadam sauctarum est voluptas mentium, in conjugio iUius regis ana 
 regina civitatis, quod est Christus and ecclcsia ; sed hajc voluptas allegoricis tegminibus involuta est, 
 ut desideretui- ardentius, nudeturque jucundiuH, and appareat sponsus, cui dicitur in eodem cantico, 
 cequitas dilexit te, and sponsa quae ibi audit, charit'is in deliciis tuis."—Av<i. de Civ. Dei, I. 17, c. 20. 
 
 BY JOHN GILL, D.D. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 WILLIA]\I HILL COLLINGRIDGE, LONG LANE, .ALDERSGATE STREET. 
 
 MDCCCLIV. 
 
PllINTED AT THE BONMAHON INDUSTRIAL PRINTING SCHOOL, CO. WATERFORU. 
 ESTABLISHED OCTOBER 1851, BV DAVID A. DODDNEY, CURATE OF JIONKSLAND. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The following Exposition was delivered in one hundred and twenty-two sermons, to 
 the Congregation where God in his providence has placed me, and were designed 
 only for their use, profit, and edification. Had I had any thoughts of publishing it 
 to the world when I entered upon it, perhaps it might have appeared with some 
 little more advantage than now it does ; nor had it appeared now, had not the im- 
 portunity of the people to whom I minister, with others, obliged me to it ; to which 
 I the more readily complied, considering that the authority and usefulness of this 
 book are called ia question in this loose and degenerate age ; in which, not only this, 
 but all scripture is ridiculed and burlesqued, and the great doctrines of faith therein 
 contained treated with the utmost sneer and contempt ; and therefore would will- 
 ingly contribute all I can towards the vindicating of tliis, or any other part of the 
 sacred writings ; wliich, being given by inspiration of God, are " profitable for doc- 
 trine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness." 
 
 I have in the performance of this work, consulted the original text, with the ver- 
 sions of several learned men ; and have taken notice of them where they have dif- 
 fered from our translation, or have furnished out a proper and useful observation. 
 I have also inspected several interpreters upon this book, both Jewish and Christian, 
 and have collected their several senses together ; and generally, if not always, have 
 humbly given my opinion which is the most ehgible. The versions which I have 
 made use of, are those of the Septuagint, the Vulgate Latin, the Tigurine, Junius 
 and Tremellius, Arias Montanus, Pagninus, &c. The writings and interpreters which 
 I have consulted, of the Jewish, are Shirhashirim Rabba, Targum, Jarchi, Aben 
 Ezra, Alshech, and Yalcut Simeoni, together with the books of Zohar and Rab- 
 both, which are interspersed with the senses of various passages in tliis book. 
 Of Christian interpreters, Alcuin, FoUot, Mercerus, Cocceius, Sanctius, Ains- 
 worth, Brightman, Cotton, Durham, Patrick, &c., from all which I have received 
 profit and advantage ; and from none more than from the "short notes of the in- 
 comparable Ainsworth, and the sweet observations of the excellent Durham ; I men- 
 tion these authors, not by way of ostentation, but as in duty bound to acknowledge 
 by whom I have profited ; for, as Pliny says,* " Est benignmn et plenum ingenui 
 pudoris, fateri per quos profeceris." Where two or more senses of any passage have 
 offered agreeable to the analogy of faith, I have considered them all, and have made 
 what improvement of them I was capable of, leaving the reader to judge for himself, 
 .which of them is most preferable ; tliis I thought to be a much better way than 
 to be too positive and dogmatical in the sense of a text, especially in such a part of 
 scripture which is so very mystical an d obstruse. If I should be thought in any 
 
 * Trtfat. in Nat. Hist. 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 part of this work to have stretched the metaphors too far, I hope it will be imputed 
 to an honest zeal, and a hearty desire to set forth the glory of Christ's person, and 
 his exceeding great love to his church and people ; to do which, all tropes and figures, 
 all the flowers of rhetoric, fall abundantly short. I have been obhged to contract 
 what I deUvered sermon-mse, lest the work should swell to too large a bulk, but 
 the substance of it is here contained. 
 
 I would only observe, as to this edition * of the work, that I have made various 
 additions to it ; having, since the publication of the second edition met with an 
 objection or two to the antiquity and authority of the book itself, I thought it neces- 
 sary to consider them, and remove them ; being unwilling that any thing should lie 
 against a book so grand, so sacred, and useful. I have also given a summary of 
 the contents of each chapter, which was wanting in the former editions ; and though 
 I had in many parts of the work, attended to the literal sense of passages, yet not 
 so frequently as I have in my shorter notes on this book published in my Exposition 
 of the whole Bible : I have therefore inserted from thence many things relating to 
 the literal sense, with many others added, which will greatly enrich this edition, 
 and make it more entertaining ; and will greatly serve to show the propriety of 
 the allusions, figures, and metaphors made use of throughout the whole ; and to 
 illustrate and confirm the spiritual meaning of this subUme and mysterious book. I 
 have left out at the end of it, the Targum or Chaldee paraphrase, with my notes 
 thereon, which were in the former editions, they being of little use and benefit, 
 especially to common readers. 
 
 * Preface to third edition. 
 
PREFATORY ADDRESS, 
 
 TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. 
 
 The immortal Toplady has truly declared, that, " while true reUgion, and sound 
 learning, have a single friend in the British Empire, the works and name'cf Gill 
 will he precious and revered." 
 
 My esteemed friend and Christian brother, ]\Ii'. Doudney, has accomplished his 
 arduous undertaking, and presented us with a beautiful edition of " Dr. Gill's Com- 
 mentary," at an amazingly low price. The Christian JVIinister has now a sound and 
 learned gospel Exposition of the sacred Scriptures. We have also GiU's whole mind, 
 in doctrine, experience, and practice, in his elaborate " Body of Divuiity ;" a new 
 edition of which I carefully re^^sed for the press in the year 1839. And if the 
 reader would be acquainted with a sterling work, that plucks up by the roots the 
 Arminian heresy, and wrests the sacred "Word out of the unhallowed hands of 
 Pelagian Expositors, then let him consult " Gill's Cause of God and Truth." But 
 there yet remains (I trust) a great number of plain and precious disciples of the 
 meek and lowly Jesus, that are not ministers, and who have also but httle time, or 
 perhaps taste, for polemical and critical Divinity, who nevertheless have a relish 
 for, and an appetite to feed at a table well spread with rich experimental provisions, 
 and are glad to partake of " old wines well refined." I am truly thankful that 
 these persons, who are " heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ," are not passed 
 over, but that our good brother has catered for them also, in re-pubhsliing " Dr. 
 Gill's Exposition of Solomon's Song ;" a most blessed work, originally delivered in 
 122 sermons. It is very scarce, and exceedingly valuable. I know not a work 
 containing more experimental savour, written by man. I have, during more than 
 forty-five years spent in the Christian IVIinistry, repeatedly obtained marrow and 
 fatness from a perusal of its pages. Notliing from Gill's pen has perhaps been 
 made so useful to devotional Cluistians as this ; so that I can well recommend it to 
 all those who would cry out with the Spouse, " Let Him kiss me with the kisses of 
 his mouth : for thy love is better than wine " (Song i. 2.) Reader ! take the 
 exposition of this verse, as a commencing sample. 
 
 The celebrated James Hervey was a very great admirer of this work. In his 
 " Theron and Aspasio," we have the following high encomium (not too high) upon 
 GiU on the Song : — " It has such a- copious view of sanctified invention running 
 thi'ough it, and is also interspersed with such a variety of delicate brilliant images, as 
 cannot but highly entertain a cmious mind. It presents us also with sucli rich and 
 charming displays of the ghry of Chrisfs Person, the freeness of his grace to sinners, 
 
Vi PREFATORY ADDRESS. 
 
 and the tenderness of his love to the church, as cannot but administer the most 
 exquisite delight to the believing soul. Considered in both those views, I think the 
 work resembles the paradisaical garden, described by Milton, in which 
 
 ' Blossoms and fruits at once of golden hue 
 Appear'd, with gay enamell'd colours mix'd.' " 
 
 This Exposition has stood the test of exactly 130 years, (the sermons were 
 preached in the year 1724 ;) it has obtained the meed and high approval of the 
 truly wise and good ; so that now all that modern men may allege, in depreciating, 
 wiU be but as the paper pellets of a school-boy agamst a well-constructed fortifi- 
 cation. Gill's works " praise him in the gates, " Prov. xxxi. 31. 
 
 I need add no more : but, I shall consider a long ministerial life to be well 
 closed, in recommending " Gill on Solomon's Song" to the " Generation follow- 
 ing." Psal. xLviii. 13. 
 
 J. A. Jones. 
 London, March 8ih, 1854. 
 
TO THE READER 
 
 Beloved ! — We are not fond of blank leaves, and therefore, as otherwise there 
 would be a blank leaf in this introductory sheet, we venture to intrude upon the 
 reader with a few remarks. 
 
 With what our aged Friend and Fellow-labourer has said of this mvaluable 
 Exposition, we fully concur. Circumstances have occurred during its passing 
 through the press, to prevent our paymg the same close attention to it as to the 
 vohuninous Commentary. It has been read and revised mostly by others. But as 
 far as the proof-sheets have fallen into our hands, we have found, not a close, 
 clear, searching scrutmy of the doctrme of the text merely, but in addition, a 
 savour and a power for which we were scarcely prepared. We love sound, full, 
 so-called liigh-doctrine ; but where the grace and the dew of the doctrme is there too, 
 under the teaclimg, power, and application of the Holy Ghost, it fixes that doctrine 
 in the heart and conscience ; and we defy men or devils thence to uproot it. An 
 imctious word dropped by the Holy Ghost upon the heart is like " cold water to a 
 thirsty soul ;" and whilst it exalts and endears a precious Christ, in his person, 
 work, and offices, it is the most deadly artillery with which Satan and all the 
 powers of darkness can be attacked. 
 
 We are of opuiion that many of these savoury sweets, beloved, will drop from 
 this honey- comb into your heart ; and thus make 
 
 " Sovereign mercy dear to you. 
 And Jesus all in all." 
 
 One difficulty ofttimes presents itself in reading Solomon's Song — it is the diffi- 
 culty to ascertain who is the speaker, whether Christ or the Church. But to our 
 mind there is a blessedness and a satisfaction in this very difficulty. It tends 
 specially and powerfully to set forth the unions the oneness, the identity that 
 subsists between Christ and his Church — the Bridegroom and the Bride. This very 
 union in name, as well as in nature, is sweetly expressed by the prophet Jeremiah ; 
 in the 23rd chapter and 6th verse it is written, " And this is ms name whereby 
 HE shall be called [Jehovah-tsidkenu] the Lord our righteousness ;" and again in 
 the 33rd chapter and 16th verse it is recorded, " And this is the name where- 
 with SHE shall be called, [Jehovah-tsidkenu] the Lord our righteousness." 
 
 During the publication of Dr. Gill's invaluable writings, we have had repeatedly 
 to combat the scruples and objections of those who have marvelled that we, as a 
 member and a minister of the Church of England, could publish the works of one 
 who was opposed to that Church. To the gi-eat and gTand essentials — which are 
 sound doctrine, and " the fruits of good living," as evidencing the sincere and 
 hearty reception of sound doctrine — which are the very bulwarks of the Church of 
 England — Dr. Gill was not opposed. With regard to minor pomts of discipline we 
 differ and agree to differ. We view these as non-essentials — the mere scaffolding 
 of the true spu-itual temple. " Let every man be fully persuaded in liis own mind." 
 There are things m thg Church of England wliich we could desire altered : and 
 from the mass of its mmisters we differ as widely as light from darkness ; but what 
 men of truth in the EstabUshment may say and feel, that men of truth out of the 
 Estabhshment equally say and feel. We have as much freedom and hberty — yea, 
 infinitely more — \vithua her pale, than others have without her pale. We have no 
 
viii TO THE READER, 
 
 interference where they have hiterfereuce. They are subjected to a caprice and 
 dictation to which we are not subjected. 
 
 But -with respect to the writings of Dr, Gill, and men of the same school, if there 
 be light, if there be life, if there be power, we stay not to ask — for we care not to 
 ^0 so — who they are, and what they are in point of relative position before men. 
 We care not a straw whether they are EpiscopaUan or non-Episcopalian. It is 
 enough for us that they are taught of God, blessed by God ; and as such we hold 
 out to them the right hand of fellowship, and wish them good luck in the name of 
 the Lord." And this is not in mere word. Those who are acquauited with the 
 " Gospel Magazine," originally edited by the immortal Toplady, can testify that 
 these are the principles upon which we have, through grace, conducted it for 
 fourteen years. 
 
 Finally, brethren, we say these are not times for contention : this is not a day 
 for splitting hairs about straws ; it little behoves us now to ask, " Who is of Paul, 
 or who of ApoUos ?" The enemy is at our very gates — yea more, he has scaled 
 the walls, — ^made a breach, — and is, apparently at least, upon the very point of 
 taldng possession of the citadel. Up then, " to the help of the Lord, to the help of 
 the Lord against the mighty." Print, preach, and practice (as God shall give you grace) 
 " the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." Let press, and pulpit, and 
 parlour, echo and re-echo, with a living testimony for covenant love, covenant blood, 
 and covenant salvation : and this shall be found the most* effectual means of coun- 
 teracting the artifices of Satan, and the cunning devices of Pope, Puseyite, and 
 all such sanctimonious but hypocritical pretenders. 
 
 One word more. It does at times cheer our ofttimes drooping heart to reflect, 
 that when our head shall be laid low, the hand that now writes shall be paralyzed 
 in the long sleep of death, and our body be mouldermg in the silent grave ; these 
 precious testimonies for God and truth shall be ck-culating far and wide, even to 
 the very ends of the earth. It does cheer us — 'mid much darkness and many 
 doubts — to think, that there have been, through our feeble instrumentahty, two 
 thousand two hundred and fifty sets (or tMrteen thousand five hundi-ed voliunes) of 
 the incomparable Commentary printed, and nearly all in circulation, from tliis little, 
 dark, desolate. Popish village ! And not only Gill, but the immortal Hawker, 
 though dead, yet speaks afresh to us from the same quarter. Five thousand of 
 his Morning and Evening Portions are at this moment passing through this Village- 
 press. 
 
 Gracious Lord, crown the same with thy covenant blessing : and, when we shall 
 depart this Ufe, oh grant that our children and our cliildren's children — grant that 
 these Uttle poor benighted villagers — ^the present helpers in this great work — ^may 
 rise up to call Thee blessed ; and that they may sing of us, as we now smg of ours. 
 
 "We ai'e travelling home to God, 
 
 In the Waif our fathers trod ; 
 Theij are happy now, and we 
 
 Soon their happiness shall see." 
 
 Beloved, we are yours to serve in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, 
 
 David Alfred Doudney, 
 Bonmahon, Co. Waterford, Curate of Movksland. 
 
 April 7, 1854. 
 
AN EXPOSITION 
 
 OP THE 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 In this chapter, after the general title of the booh, 
 ver. 1 ; the church expresses her strong desires 
 and most ardent wishes for some fresh disco- 
 veries of the love of Christ to her, and for 
 communion with him, ver. 2 ; andhaving tasted of 
 his love, and smell ed a sweet savour in his grace, 
 and enjoyed fellowship with him in his house, 
 ver. 3, 4, she observes her blackness and tin- 
 comeliness in herself, andcomeliness in hini,the 
 trials and afflictions she met with from others, 
 and her carelessness and negligence of her own 
 affairs, ver. 5, 6 ; and entreats her beloved to 
 direct her, tohere she might meet with him 
 feeding his flocks and giving them rest; to 
 which he returns a kind and gracious answer, 
 and gives proper instructions where to find him, 
 ver. 7, 8 ; and then commends her beauty, sets 
 forth her amiableness and loveliness by various 
 metaphors, and makes promises of more grace 
 and good things to her, ver. 9, 10,11; when she 
 declares what a value she had for Christ her 
 beloved ; and how precious he was unto her, 
 like a bundle of myrrh, and a cluster of cam- 
 phire, ver. 12, 13, 14 ; atid Christ again praises 
 her beauty, and particularly takes notice of 
 her eyes, and her modest look, ver. 15 ; and 
 she returns the encomium back to him, and ex- 
 presses her pleasure and satisfaction in the 
 house he had built for her, and the furniture 
 of it, ver. 16, 17. 
 
 Verse I. The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's. 
 
 Intending by the assistance of God, to open and 
 explain this mysterious part of the sacred 
 vrritiugs, it will be proper — 
 
 I. To enquire into, and establish the authority 
 of this book. 
 
 II. Show the nature of it ; it being a Song. 
 
 III. The excellency of it ; it being called the 
 Song of Songs. 
 
 IV. The penman of it ; which is Solomon. 
 
 I. Ishall endeavour to prove the divine authority 
 of this book, and vindicate it from those excep- 
 tions which are made against it ; and 
 
 1st. It was always received by the ancient Jews, 
 
 • Hieron. Prsefat. in Ezekiel. Origen. Prolog. Cant. 
 Cantic. •> Seder 01am Rabba, p. 41. "In 
 
 Exod. fol. 59. col. 3. Edit. Sultzbac. ■■ Tide T. 
 
 Bab. Megillah, fol. 7. 1. Slaimon. Hilch. Abot Hatu- I 
 
 to whom the oracles of God were committed, as a 
 
 very valuable part of the sacred writings ; and has 
 been continued in the canon of the scriptures by 
 the Christians in all ages to this very day. The 
 Jews had always a very venerable esteem of it, 
 calling it the holy of holies ; forbidding their 
 children the reading thereof, as well as the first 
 chapter of Genesis, and the beginning and end of 
 the prophecy of Ezekiel, until they were thirty 
 years of age," because of the mysterlousness and 
 sublimity of it. They say,'' that Solomon, 
 when he was old and near deatii, the Holy Ghost 
 dwelt upon him, and he compassed the books of 
 Proverbs, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes. Their 
 ancient book of Zohar'^ asserts, that Solomon com- 
 posed it "by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit;" 
 as does also the Targum upon this book, and R. 
 Solomon Jarchi, and R. Aben Ezra, in their pre- 
 faces to their commentaries upon it ; the latter of 
 which has these words ; " God forbid, God forbid," 
 says he, " that the Song of Songs should be written 
 or understood of things obscene ; but it is entirely 
 parabolical, and had it not been of very great ex- 
 ceUeucy, it had not been written in the catalogue 
 of the holy scriptures ; for of it there has been 
 no controversy, that it defiles the hands ''^ for 
 though there was ouce a controversy' among the 
 wise men concerning the books of Proverbs and 
 Ecclesiastes, who afterwards, as it became them, 
 clianged their minds ; yet there never was auy 
 concerning this, as appears from their 3Iisnah ; 
 where they say,' that "all the scriptures are holy, 
 but the Song of Songs is the holy of holies : and 
 if the wise men have had any controversy, it has 
 been only concerning Ecclesiastes ;" so that this 
 book appears to be authentic, according to the 
 mind of the ancient as well as of the modern Jews ; 
 and as for the Christians, they have always looked 
 upon it as a part of the holy scripture, a few only 
 excepted, and have all along continued it in the 
 canon as they found and received it. The ancient 
 fathers and councils have always esteemed it 
 sacred and venerable, not to take notice of au- 
 thorities of a later date. The opinion of The- 
 odorus of Mopsuest, who called the divine autho- 
 rity of this book into question, was condemned in 
 
 maot, c. 9. sect. 6. • Vide Vorst. not. in Mai- 
 
 mon. Yesode Hattorah, c. 6. se«t. 12. • Tract 
 
 Yadaim, c. 3. sect. 5. 
 
AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CH.\P. 
 
 the second council of Constantinople, which was 
 held about the year 553. This book also ap- 
 pears in the catalogue of the canonical books of 
 scripture, established iu the council of Laodicea, 
 Can. 59, held abont the year 364. It is likewise 
 in Origen's catalogue, recorded by Eusehius,^ as 
 well as in that which Melito^ brought from the 
 East, and sent to his friend Onesimus, who flou- 
 rished about the year 140, So that thus lar, at 
 least we can trace up the authority of this book 
 among the Christians : not to take notice of the 
 canons of the apostles, in which it stands as a 
 part of canonical scripture : nor the Constitutions 
 of the Apostles with the larger epistles of Ignatius, 
 m which citations are made from this book ; 
 which, if genuine, would prove the reception of 
 it in the Christian church still more early ; but 
 because they are generally looked upon to be 
 spurious, they are not to be insisted on. And it 
 may be farther observed, that not only Origen, 
 but Wppolytics in the third century,' Carpathins, 
 Gregory Nyssene in the fourth, and Thpodoret in 
 the fifth, and others in the following centuries, 
 wrote commentaries upon this book ; and Eusebius^ 
 ascribes it to Solomon, and so does Alhanasius} 
 2ndly. Tliis book was written by one that was 
 Qi'biTVivaro^, divinely inspired ; as appears by his 
 being the penman of the books of Proverbs and 
 Ecclesiastes ; for why he should not be under the 
 inspiration of the same Spirit in writing this, as 
 he was in writing those, there appears no reason 
 to conclude. The objection against it, taken from 
 his great fall into lewdness and idolatry, prodnced 
 by a late author,™ avails but little ; especially, if, 
 as some think, it should appear that it was written 
 before ; or if, with others, it is taken to be written 
 after his fall, it will lie as strongly against the 
 book of Ecclesiastes, which is generally allowed to 
 be written after, as it does against this : besides, 
 it has pleased the all-wise God, who gives no ac- 
 count of his matters to his creatures, to make use 
 of men, after very great falls into sin, as amanuen- 
 ses of his Holy Spirit, and peumen of the sacred 
 scriptures, as David and Peter. 
 
 Srdly. The dignity and sublimity of the matter 
 contained herein, show it to be no human com- 
 posure ; for never man spake or wrote like unto 
 it ; it is therefore called the Song of songs, being 
 the most excellent of songs ; which cannot be 
 equalled by any, but surpasses all otliers, not only 
 human but divine ; it is preferred to all scriptural 
 songs, which, as one" observes, would be blasphe- 
 mous to do, was it not of a Divine rise and au- 
 thority. 
 
 4thly. The majesty of its style bears a testimony 
 to the divine original of it, which cannot be 
 equalled by the most elaborate performances ; it 
 delies all the art and wisdom of man to come near 
 it ; and plainly shows itself to be the language of 
 
 « Eccles. Hist. 1. 6. c. 25. •■ Ibid. lib. 4. c. 26. 
 
 ' Euseb. Eccl. Hist. 1. 6. c. 22. .32. ^ Contra 
 
 Marcellum, I. 1. c. 2. ' Synops. S. Script. 1. 16. 
 
 God himself, whose voice is powerful and full of 
 majesty. 
 
 5thly. The power and efficacy which it has iu 
 and over the hearts of men, is another evidence of 
 its being the Word of God ; which is quick and 
 powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, 
 piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and 
 spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a 
 Biscerner of the thoughts and intents of the 
 heart. This book has been jirofitable for doc- 
 trine, for reproof , for correction, for i?isf ruction 
 in righteousness ; which are so many arguments 
 of its being given by inspiration of God; it 
 effectually works in them that believe ; it has 
 been useful to thousands who have had their spiri- 
 tual senses exercised, for the comfort of their 
 souls, the raising of their affections, the increase 
 of their faith, and their instrnction in divine 
 things : the reading and expounding of this ex- 
 cellent portion of Scripture have been owned by 
 God for the good of multitudes, who arc so many 
 sealing evidences of the authority of it. 
 
 6thly. The impartiality of it is another evi- 
 dence of its divine original : the bride is here 
 frequently introduced proclaiming her own 
 weaknesses and infirmities, as in chap. i. 5, 6, 
 and iii. 1, and v. 2, 3. Now was it a mere human 
 composure of Solomon's, celebrating the amours 
 between him and Pharaoh's daughter, would it be 
 reasonable to suppose, that he should so manifestly 
 and openly declare the defects and imperfections 
 of his bride ? But to consider it as a divine poem, 
 expressing the mutual love between Christ and 
 his church, it agrees very well with the other 
 parts of the sacred writings, wherein the infirmi- 
 ties of God's own people are not concealed ; not 
 even of those who were themselves tlie penmen of 
 them ; which is a strong proof of their divine 
 authority. 
 
 7thly. There is a very great agreement between 
 this and other portions of Scripture. Now this 
 has been always looked upon as a considerable 
 evidence of the authority of the sacred writings, 
 that though they have been delivered at sundry 
 times, and in divers manners, yet there has been 
 always an entire harmony between them ; the 
 which also appears in tliis part of Scripture ; for 
 though it is delivered in a mysterious and figurative 
 style, yet it admits of senses which are very agree- 
 able to the proportion or analogy of faith ; nay, 
 in many places of the New Testament, there seems 
 to be manifest allusions to this song, as will be 
 hereafter more particularly observed : but notwith- 
 standing all these evidences of its divine original, 
 there have not been wanting persons who have 
 called in question its sacred authority; as Theouorus 
 of Mopsuest, whose opinion was, that it was not 
 written by inspiration, but was only designed by 
 Solomon to celebrate his amours between him and 
 
 ■" Mr. Wliiston's supplement to his essay towards 
 restoring the text of the old Testament, p. 11. 12. 
 " Durham Clav. Cant. p. 6. 
 
1-] 
 
 SOXG OF SONGS. 
 
 Pharaoh's 'daughler; wliich opinion of his was 
 condemned in the sixth century hy the second 
 council of Constantinople, as has been before ob- 
 served : Castalio in the sixteenth century was 
 condemned for the same opinion, by the senate of 
 Geneva, and was ordered to depart the city upon 
 it ; Grotius in the last century seemed to be ranch 
 of the same mind ; and Mr. AVhiston in this has 
 attempted in a set tract to weaken the authority 
 of it, and make it appear to be a loose, profane, 
 and amorous song : his proposition is this : " The 
 book of Canticles is not a sacred book of the Old 
 Testament; uor was it originally esteemed as 
 such, either by the Jewish or Christian church ;" 
 witJi what truth tiiis is asserted, will in some 
 measure appear from what has been already said. 
 The arguments by whicli he endeavours to confirm 
 and establish this proposition, are as follow, wliich 
 I shall particularly consider. 
 
 I. Because as he asserts, " It was not witten 
 in his younger days, or when he was the good, 
 the wise, the chaste, and the religious man ; but 
 long afterwards, when he was become wicked and 
 foolish, and lascivious, and idolatrous." And he 
 affirms, that there are some very plain and par- 
 ticular chronological characters in tiris book, which 
 determine it to belong to the latter and worse 
 part of his life, and to that only. And, 
 
 The first passage in it, which he mentions to 
 confirm this, is Cant. i. 9, where the church is 
 compared to a compan>/ of Jiorses in FharaoKs 
 chariots ; which he imagines refers to those horses 
 and chariots which Solomon, contrary to an ex- 
 press command, Dent. xvii. 10, had brought unto 
 him out of Egypt,.! Kings x. 28, 29; when he 
 began to degenerate from his former piety : in 
 answer to which, it may be replied, that the com- 
 parison in the text under consideration, is not 
 made to a company of horses brought out of 
 Egypt, which ran in Solomon's chariots; but to 
 a company of horses in Egypt, which ran in Pha- 
 raoh's chariots; so that the text falls very much 
 short of proving what it is produced for. 
 
 His other chronological evidence of this book's 
 belonging to the loose and vicious part of Solo- 
 mon's life, is Cant. vii. 12, whei-e mention is 
 made of the chariots of Amm'madih ; in which he 
 supposes there are more proofs than one of what 
 he contends for ; the first is, that here are chariots 
 referred to, as used in Judea, which, he says, we 
 only lueet with once before, since the days of 
 Moses, namely, 2 Sam. viii. 4 ; tliough that ap- 
 pears to be a mistake; for Absalom prepar-ed 
 himself chariots and horsemen, 2 Sam. xv. 1 ; as 
 did Adonijah, 1 Kings i. 5 ; both which were 
 before Solomon's accession to the throne. His 
 other proof from this text is, that this Amminadib 
 was one of the twelve rulers of provinces, who 
 man-ied Taphath the daughter of Solomon, 
 1 Kings iv. 11 ; and therefore he concludes that 
 Solomon could not be a very young man when he 
 wrote this book. To which I answer. 
 
 Ist. That it is not Amminadib but Abinadab, 
 that is thei'e mentioned. 
 
 2ndly. That it was not Abinadab, but the 
 son of Abinadab, that married Solomon's daugh- 
 ter. 
 
 3rdiy. It is not likely that King Solomon's 
 son-inlaw should be a chariot drivir, as tliis Am- 
 minadib is thought to be by many interpretei-s, 
 who was famous for his skill, courage, and swift- 
 ness in driving. 
 
 4thly. This is not the proper name of any 
 person, but are two words, as R. Aben Ezra, and 
 R. Solomon Jarchi observe, and should be ren- 
 dered, the chariots of my free or princfli/ people ; 
 and therefore afford no chronological cliaracter of 
 any part of Solomon's life whatever. 
 
 The last chronological evidence he mentions, 
 page 10, and which he takes to be the principal 
 and most evident one, which shows in what par- 
 ticular time of Solomon's life this book was writ- 
 ten, is chap. vi. 8, 9 ; where mention is made of 
 sixty queens, and eighty concuhines, and virgins 
 loithoiit number ; which he thinks refers to Solo- 
 mon's wicked practice of polygamy, expressly 
 forbidden, Deut. xvii. 17. To which I reply, 
 
 1st. That the allusion does not seem to be 
 made to the number of Solomon's queens and 
 concubines, but to the custom of some princes in 
 the East, which Solomon had in view ; for tiie 
 number of queens and concubines here docs not 
 agree with the number of Solomon's, recorded 
 1 Kings xi. 3, where he is said to have seven 
 hundred wives, and three hundred concuhines, 
 which is vastly different from the account which 
 is given' here : and if it should be said, that 
 though when he wrote this book, he had not ar- 
 rived to that prodigious pitch of wickedness in 
 the practice of polygamy, to which he afterwards 
 did ; yet he had begun, and gone a great way in 
 it, and had at the time he wrote it, such a num- 
 ber of wives and concubines as are here mentioned, 
 which he refers to. I answer, 
 
 2udly. That it is not likely that Solomon 
 should prefer one of his wives, and praise her 
 above all the rest ; which would have been the 
 way to have alienated their affections from him, 
 and made her the object of their envy, as well as 
 have raised such domestic feuds and quarrels, 
 which would not easily'^e laid. Besides, 
 
 3i*dly. It does not seem reasonable to suppose 
 that those other queens and concubines of Solo- 
 mon's should speak so much io the praise and 
 commendation of his lawful wife, as these are 
 said to do here ; which is not usual for such sort 
 of pei-sons to do. As to those other texts referred 
 (o, namely, chap. i. 3, 5, and ii. 7, and iii. 5, 10, 
 11, and V. 8, IG, and vi. 9, and viii. 4, 6, 7; 
 produced by jNIr. "Wliiston, to prove that the per- 
 son, who is the bridegroom in this song, loved 
 many other women an3 virgins, of which his 
 spouse is jealous ; I need only say, that those 
 texts do indeed express the love of the daughters 
 
 B 3 
 
AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. I. 
 
 of Jerusalem to him, and the notice which the 
 spouse took of them, for whom siie appears to 
 have a very great value and affection, to whom 
 she often points out her beloved, and directs them 
 to observe the transcendent excellencies and beau- 
 ties of his person, as well as strictly charges them 
 to give him no disturbance : yet she also signifies 
 her very great love and regard to him ; but no 
 where insinuates any wandering affection or wan- 
 ton love in him unto others, or that she was 
 jealous of him upon that account. 
 
 II. liis next reason, page 12, 13, is, " that 
 there is no foundation for an allegorical, or mys- 
 tical sense of this book ; there being not the least 
 sigQ of a sober, virtuous, or divine meaning 
 therein, nor any thing that in the least concerns 
 morality or virtue, God or religion, the Messiah 
 or his kingdom;" which, if true, would iudeed go 
 a great way against the authority of it ; but I 
 hope the following Exposition will make it appear 
 that there is a good fouudatioa ia it for a mys- 
 tical or allegorical sense, agreeable enough to the 
 analogy of faith ; as well as show that there are 
 many things in it which encourage morality and 
 virtue, promote the cause of God and religion, and 
 concern the Messiah and his kingdom ; and Mr. 
 Whiston has not thought fit to give any one in- 
 stance which discovers the contrary. 
 
 III. He says, page 13, that " the introduc- 
 tion of double or mystical senses of Scripture 
 among the Jews, is much later than the days of 
 Solomon, and cannot therefore be supposed to 
 belong to any book of his writing :" but this does 
 not appear to be true, for surely the speech of 
 Jotham to the men of Shechem, recorded in 
 Judg. ix., must be understood in an allegorical or 
 mystical sense; and Nathan's parable, 2 Sam. 
 xii. I, which was delivered before Solomon's time. 
 Moreover, the forty -fifth Psalm is of the very same 
 strain, and bears a very near resemblance with 
 this song, which was written by David, Solomon's 
 father ; besides, suppose this allegorical and mysti- 
 cal way of writnug had not been used before by the 
 inspired writers, it is no argument that it should 
 not be used now, as it was afterwards in the wri- 
 tings of the New Testament, as Mr. Whiston con- 
 fesses, page 22. 
 
 IV. Another reason which he produces, page 
 23, is, that " neither the contemporary nor suc- 
 ceeding writers of the Old Testament, ever quote 
 or allude to this book of Canticles, nor to any 
 part thereof, upon any occasion whatsoever." The 
 same may be said of many other books of the 
 Old Testament, whose authority was never yet 
 called in question ; nor can this be looked upon 
 by judicious persons, a sufficient reason why any 
 of them should. 
 
 V. He says, page 24, " The apocryphal 
 writers of the Old Testament, never quote nor 
 allude to this book, nor to any part thereof, upon 
 any occasion whatsoever." Which I persuade 
 
 • Contr. Apion. 1. 1. 
 
 myself, will be no ways shocking or stumbling 
 to any thoughtful Christian, nor be looked upon 
 by them as a sufficient objection against the au- 
 thority of it ; had they expressly op|)osed it, it 
 could not have been very cousiderabiy improved 
 against it, much less will their silence have any 
 force to explode it ; and yet after all, in Eccl. 
 xlvii. 18, Solomon is admired for his Songs, Pro- 
 verbs, and Parables. 
 
 VI. He urges, page 25, that " Philo, the 
 eminent Alexandrian Jew, who was not coutem- 
 poi-ary with Christ and his earliest apostles, and who 
 was prodigiously fond of mystical or allegorical 
 senses of Scripture, does yet never cite nor allude 
 to this book of Canticles, nor to any part of it, 
 on any occasion whatsoever." Be it so, that it 
 is not once cited or alluded to iu his writings ; 
 for though they are voluminous, there are but few 
 citations of Scripture in them ; yet it does not 
 follow from thence that it must be spurious. 
 Many books in the canon of Scripture, whose 
 authority is unquestionable, would yet stand upon 
 a very precarious foundation, if citations out of 
 them and allusions to them in human writings, 
 were absolutely necessary to their continuance ia 
 it. 
 
 VII. What he lays a considerable stress upon, 
 and makes the main foundation for the exclusion 
 of this book, is, that Josephus not only neither 
 cites nor alludes to it, but has also left it out 
 in his catalogue of the sacred writings. That he 
 should neither cite nor allude unto it, in writing 
 a history, need not be wondered at ; but if it caa 
 be made to appear that it is not to be found in 
 his catalogue, it will indeed be a considerable ob- 
 jection against it. Now the account which Jose- 
 phus" gives of the sacred writings among the 
 Jews is only this, namely, that they had ouly 
 two-and-twenty books, five of which are books of 
 Moses, thirteen written by the prophets, and the 
 other four contained holy hymns and moral pre- 
 cepts. Now in this account he seems to have 
 regard to the division of books of the Old Testa- 
 ment into three parts, p used by the Jews ; which 
 was first, the Law; secondly, the Prophets; and 
 thirdly, the Hagiographa ; which our Lord also 
 takes notice of, Luke xxiv. 44, where he saith. 
 These are the words which I spake unto you, 
 while I was yet with you, that all things must 
 be fulfilled, which were loritten in the law of 
 Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, 
 concerning me; where by the Psalms is meant 
 the whole third part called the Hagiograplia, 
 because it began with that book ; which also con- 
 tained the most plain and manifest testimonies, 
 of the person, office, and sufferings of Christ ; 
 more than any other book in that part did. Now 
 the order of the books, according to this division 
 of them, which Josephus had a regard to, was this, 
 namely, 
 
 Iu the Law, which was the first division, stood 
 
 p Buxtorf. Tiberias, c. U. 
 
VER. 1.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 These are the five f 
 
 books of Moses, ac- | 
 
 cording to Jose- ^ 
 
 phus. I 
 
 1. Genesis. 
 
 2. Exodus. 
 
 3. Leviticus. 
 
 4. Numbers. 
 
 5. Deulerouomy. 
 
 la the Prophets, which was the secoad divisiou, 
 stood 
 
 1. Joshua. 
 
 2. Judges, with Ruth; 
 which make but one 
 book. 
 
 3. Samuel I. and II. 
 but one book, hence 
 Samuel is called a 
 prophet, Acts xiii. 
 20. 
 
 4. Kings I. and II. but 
 one book. 
 
 5. Isaiah. 
 
 6. Jeremiah, with the 
 Lamentations, but 
 one book. 
 
 7. Ezekiel. 
 
 8. Daniel. 
 
 9. The twelve minor 
 prophets, but one 
 book. See Mark i. 
 2, Acts vii. 42. 
 
 10. Job. 
 
 11. Ezra and Nehe- 
 miah, but one book. 
 
 12. Esther. 
 
 13. Chronicles I. and 
 II. but one book. 
 
 In the Hagiographa, which was the third divi- 
 siou, stood 
 
 These are the thirteen 
 books of the pro- 
 phets, according to 
 Josephus. 
 
 These are the four 
 books containing 
 holy hymns and mo- ■ 
 ral precepts, accord- 
 ing to Josephus; 
 
 1. Psalms. 
 
 2. Proverbs. 
 
 3. Ecclesiastes. 
 
 4. Solomon's Sons 
 in all twenty-two. 
 
 From hence it appears, that there is no force in 
 this objection ; nor has Mr. Whiston any reason to 
 charge Dean Prideaux with forcing this book of 
 Solomon's Song into Josephus's catalogue ; for his 
 twenty-two books cannot be made up without it ; 
 though the Dean had no manner of reason to leave 
 out the book of Chronicles, seeing Ezra and Nehe- 
 miah, which he makes to be two books, are com- 
 prehended in one by the Jews, which he himself 
 also observes. 1 The Jews indeed, at this present 
 time, reckon the books of the Old Testament to be 
 twenty-four, aud that by making Ruth, which is a 
 continuation of the history of the book of Judges 
 and the Lamentations, which wove written by Je- 
 remy, and so properly belong to him, two books 
 distiuct by themselves ; and even in this accouut 
 of theirs of the sacred writings, this book of Can- 
 ticles keeps its place, nor did they ever pretend to 
 exclude it. 
 
 VIII. Another argument used by Mr. Whistou, 
 
 page 29, is, " our blessed Saviour himself does 
 never once make the least allusion to this book, or 
 to any part of it, on any occasion whatsoever." 
 To this I reply, that it appears plaiu and manifest, 
 that several phrases used by our Saviour bear a 
 near resemblance with, are allusions to, and seem 
 to be taken out of this book -. thus the ellicacious 
 grace of God is expressed by drawing, John vi. 44, 
 agreeable to Cant. i. 4. In his discourse with Ni- 
 codemus, he compares the Holy Spirit to the wind, 
 John iii. 8, which metaphor is used. Cant. iv. 16; 
 likewise he seems manifestly to allude in Matt. xiii. 
 62, where tke instructed Scribe is said to bring 
 forth things new and old, to Cant. vii. 13 ; where 
 the very phrase is used : as also his comparing the 
 church to a vineyard, aud letting it out to husband- 
 men, are very agreeable to, and are the very 
 phrases used. Cant. viii. 11, 12. To all which 
 might be added, several other resemblances and al- 
 lusions, which are to be fouud in the evangelic his- 
 tory, as Matt. XXV. 1, 5, compared with Cant. v. 
 2, and Matt. ix. 13, John iii. 29 ; where Christ is 
 called the bridegroom, and the disciples the chil- 
 dren of the bride-chamber, agreeable to the several 
 parties in this song. 
 
 IX. He says, page 30, that " when St John, the 
 beloved disciple, came at the end of his Revelation, 
 to this very matter of the marriage of the Lamb, 
 or Messias ; yet have we not a word of it ; that is, 
 this book, nor the least allusion to it, nor to any 
 part of it, whatsoever." That John, in his book 
 of Revelation, refers and alludes to this of Solo- 
 mon's song, seems undeniable ; every one may 
 easily observe what a likeness and resemblance there 
 is between the description which the spouse gives 
 of her beloved in Cant. v. and that which John 
 gives of Christ in Rev. i. Moreover, the phrase 
 of Christ's standing at the door, and knocking. 
 Rev. iii. 20, manifestly refers unto, and plainly 
 appears to be taken out of Cant. v. 2 ; where the 
 spouse says. It is the voice of my beloved that 
 knocketh, saying. Open to me, &c. Besides, what 
 John says of the marriage of the Lamb, and the 
 preparation of the bride for it ; if it is not an allu- 
 sion to, yet it is a confirmation of what is said in 
 this book, where the church is represented as beau- 
 tifully arrayed and adorned, and as passionately 
 wishiug for the consummation of the marriage ; 
 nay, this is spoken of as completed, Caut. ii. 16 ; 
 and the glory and pomp of the solemuity described. 
 Cant. iii. 11 ; with the joy that was expressed on 
 that occasion : for there the day of his espousals is 
 called the day of the gladness of his heart ; also 
 it deserves our notice, that those two books of Re- 
 velation and Solomon's Song, conclude much in the 
 same manner. John closes his book of the Reve- 
 lation, and with it the canon of the scriptures, 
 with a passionate wish for Christ's second coming, 
 saying. Amen: even so, come. Lord Jesus ; and 
 the church concludes the book of Solomon's Song 
 thus : Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like 
 
 'i Connexion of the history of the Old and New Testament, part. I. book 5. p. 332. 8vo. 
 
6 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. I. 
 
 to a roe, or to % young hart upon the mountains 
 of spices. 
 
 X. As what he Ihiuks will much prejudice the 
 authority of this book, he says, page 30, that " the 
 writers of the kaowa books of the New Testa- 
 ment, with their earliest companions, the apostoli- 
 cal fathers of the first century ; St. Mattliew, St. 
 John, St. Peter, St. Paul, St! Mark, St. Luke, St. 
 James, St. Jude, St. Clement in his epistles, St. 
 Barnabas, that prodigious allegorizer, and St. Her- 
 nias ; I may add, says he, and St. Polycarp also, 
 one of tlieir later companions, do never once cite 
 or allude to this book of Canticles, or to any part 
 of it, ou any occasion whatsoever." That the evan- 
 gelists, Matthew and John, either in using their 
 own, or in recording the words of Christ, have al- 
 luded to some passages in this book, I have already 
 shown : and the same may be said of the other 
 evangelists, Mark and_Luke, who mention several of 
 the very same things; for which see Mark ii. 19, 
 20," and xii. 1, Luke v. 34, 35, and xx. 9 ; and it 
 seems very evident, the apostle Paul has reference 
 to it in many passages of his writings, as will ap- 
 pear from comparing 3 Cor. ii. 14, 15, 16, Eph. 
 V. 2, with Cant. i. 3, as also Col. ii. 16, 17, Heb. 
 X. 1, with Cant. ii. 17, andiv. 6, to which may be 
 added Eph. v. 27, compared with Cant. iv. 7. So 
 tliat seeing there are so many passages in several 
 of the writers of the known books of the New Tes- 
 tament, which bear so near a resemblance, aud 
 have so manifest an allusion to some parts of this 
 book, it need not much concern us that Clement, 
 Barnabas, Herraas,aud Polycarp take no noticeof it. 
 
 XI. What he thinks will much prejudice the au- 
 thority of this book, is, '"' that the Apostolical Con- 
 stitutions give no manner of reason to suppose that 
 this book of Canticles was then looked upon as a 
 book of scripture, but the direct contrary." Now 
 those books called The Constitutions of the Apos- 
 tles, by Clement, Mr. Whiston looks upon to be 
 truly authentic and apostolical ; when they appear 
 manifestly to be spurious, entirely destitute of 
 apostolical authority, are of a much later date than 
 the limes of the apostles, and contain several things 
 and doctrines directly opposite unto them. As for 
 
 nstance, praying with the face to the east is en- 
 joined, 1. 2, c. 57, andl. 7, c. 44. Trigamy is as- 
 serted to be an indication of incontinency ; and such 
 marriages as are beyond the third, are called mani- 
 fest fornication, and unquestionable uucleauness, 1. 
 3, c. 2. Anointing with oil in baptism is enjoined, 
 L 3, c. 15, 16, andl. 7, e. 27, 41,42. The keep- 
 ing of the day of Christ's nativity, Epiphany, the 
 Quadragesima, or Lent, the feast of the passover, 
 aud the festivals of the apostles, 1. 5, c. 13, and 1. 
 S, c. 33. Fasting on the fourth and sixtii days of 
 the week. 1. 5, c. 15. Baptizing of infants, 1. 6, 
 
 ' Vide CarranzDB Summ. Concil. Coiic. Couatanti- 
 nop. 6. Can. 2. • Since I wrote this, I have met 
 
 with an answer to these arguments of Mr. "Whiston 
 by the very learned Carpzovius, Professor of Divi- 
 nity in the University of Leipsecli, published in his 
 Critica Sacra, par. 3, which was printed in the 
 
 c. 15. Singing for the dead, aud honouring of 
 tlieir relics, 1. 6, c. 30. Nay, praying for saints 
 departed, 1. 8, c. 41, 42,43, 44. As also crossing 
 with the sign of the cross in the forehead, 1. 8, c. 
 12. IMoreover the Lord's Supper is called au un- 
 bloody sacrifice, 1. 8, c. 23, and 1. 8, c. 5, 46. It 
 is likewise asserted, that Christ, in the celebration 
 of tiiat ordinance, mixed wine and water in the cup, 
 1. 8, c. 12. Nay, concubines, coutinuing so, are 
 allowed an admittance to a participation of that 
 sacred ordinance, 1. 8, c. 32 ; with mauy other 
 things which appear foreign enough from the sim- 
 plicity of the apostolic age, doctriue, and practice. 
 And now who tliat reads and considers these things, 
 will ever think that those writings can furnish out 
 an argument sufficient to prejudice the authority 
 of the book of Solomon's Song ? Had anything 
 been said in them, which was expressly against it, 
 it would scarce have deserved consideration, much 
 less should their silence about it be improved as an 
 evidence against it. Aud yet after all, it is pretty 
 to observe how much Mr. Whiston himself is foiled 
 with two passages in them, which appear to be al- 
 lusions and references to a passage in this book : 
 the one is in 1. 6, c. 13 ; where the false apostles 
 are called aXoixinoiv fiepiSes Koi ■)(ajj.aiQrjKaiv 
 a/j,Tre\u>pa)v acpavaralj/ie poriio/i o/foxas, and the 
 spoilers of the low vineyards. And again in the 
 same book, c. 18 : wiiere those same persons are 
 said to spoil the church of God, ws a\(i>TreKes 
 IJLiKpol a/xTreA&j^'as, as the little foxes do the vine- 
 yards ; vvhich are manifest references to (ant. ii. 
 1; and over-agaiust the latter of vvhich passages Mr. 
 Whiston himself has placed this text as referring to 
 it in the edition of the Constitutions which he has 
 published. Now to evade the force of this, he is 
 obliged to make this part of the work to be of a 
 later date than the re^t, even later than the des- 
 sruction of Jerusalem ; lest this book of Canticles 
 should appear to have obtained authority too early 
 in the worhL He acknowledges that it is in the 
 catalogue of the sacred writings mentioned in the 
 Canons of the Apostles, Can. 85 ; which he looks 
 upon to be genuine and authentic, though he ques- 
 tions its being in the original copies of those 
 Canons; he allows, that Ignatius, in his larger 
 epistle to the Ephesians, cites Cant. i. 3, 4 ; and is 
 very willing to grant it a place in Melito's cata- 
 logue, which I have before mentioned : so that 
 from the whole it appears, that the Apostolical 
 Constitutions are so far from raakiug against the 
 authority of this book, that they rather make for 
 it ; though their testimony is good for nothing, the 
 whole being a spurious work, and carries in it evi- 
 dent marks of falsehood and impiety, and was con- 
 demned as false and heretical by the sixth general 
 synod held at Constautinople,"' about the year GSO. 
 
 year 1728, the same year my Eposition of this Book 
 first came out. In the year 1729 was published a 
 translation of the Critica Sacra into English, so 
 far as it is concerned with 3Ir. Whiston, by Moses 
 Marcus, a converted Jew. 
 
VEB. 1.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 Thus have I considered the several arguments and 
 objections produced by ilr. Whiston to disprove 
 the sacred authority of this book, which, notwith- 
 standing, appears to have a divine stamp upon it." 
 There is one objection more made against it, which 
 I think Mr. Whiston has taken no notice of, and 
 that is, that no proper name of God is to be found 
 in this Song. To which I reply, in the words of 
 Mr. Durham ;' 1. " That it is so also in other 
 scriptures, as in the book of Esther; the scrip, 
 ture's authority doth not depend on naming the 
 name of Gad, bat on having his warrant and autho- 
 rity. 2. This Song being allegorical and figurative 
 it is not so meet nor consistent with its stile, to 
 have God named under proper names, as in other 
 scriptures : Yet, 3. There are titles and descrip- 
 tions here given to an excellent person, which can 
 agree to none other but Christ, the eternal Son of 
 God : as. The King; thou whom my soul loveth; 
 the chief of ten thousands ; the Rose of Sharon, 
 and the like; whereby his eminency is singularly 
 set out above all others in the world." And yet 
 after all, the name of God, Jah, the same with Je- 
 hovah, and a coutractiou of that, is mentioned in 
 it, which is the greatest of the divine names, and 
 is expressive of the being, eternity, and immuta- 
 bility of God. It is in chap. viii. 6, n'-n2n:io, the 
 flame of God, or Jehovah, which we render a most 
 vehement flame ; the sense being increased by the 
 word Jab being added, as the word God to mou7i- 
 tains and cedars, in Psal. xxxvi. 6, and Ixxx. 1 ; 
 for these are not one word, as Ben Asher thinks ; 
 but two, according to Ben Naphtali and Aben Ezra; 
 see the exposition of the place. 
 
 Since the second edition of this Exposition was 
 published in 1751) I have met with two learned 
 gentlemen ; I am sorry for it, and that I am 
 obliged to take notice of them, who think that tiiis 
 book is of a later date than the times of Solomon, 
 and so of course none of his, and which must sap 
 the authority of it. The one observes," that the 
 word David, from its first appearance in Ruth, 
 where it is written Tn, without the yod, continues 
 to be so written through the books- of Samuel, 
 Kings, Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and 
 Ezekiel, but appears with a yod im, in the books 
 of Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zechariah ; 
 wherefore he suggests, that if it was custom- 
 ary to write this word without a yod till the 
 captivity, and with one after it ; then he thinks 
 a strong argument may be drawn from hence 
 agaiust the antiquity of the Canticles, and its 
 being made by Solomon, since this name is 
 written with a yod in Cant. iv. 5 ; the only 
 place in it in which it is used. But in answer 
 to this, it must be said, it is not fact that the word 
 is universally used without tlie yod in the books 
 mentioned, particularly in the book of Kings : for 
 the authors of the Masorah have observed on 1 
 Kings iii. 14, that it is five times written fuU, as 
 
 « Tn Clav. Cant. p. 5. " Dr Kennicot, Dissert. 
 
 1 . p. 20, &c. " T. Bab. Beracot. fol. 30. I . 
 
 they call it, that is, with a yod, T^^, three of the 
 places in the book of Kings I have traced out, 
 1 Kings iii. 1-4, and xi. 4, 36 ; and have found it 
 so written iu all the printed copies I have seen ; 
 and so it is read by the Eastern Jews in Ezek. 
 xxxvii. 24 ; and in several printed editions of Ezek, 
 xxxiv. 23. This learned man is aware that it is 
 so written once in Hosea, and twice in Amos ; 
 books written two hundred years before the cap- 
 tivity ; but then he observes that in the two last 
 places in Bomberg's edition it has a little circle (o) 
 to mark it for au error, or a faulty word, though 
 uone over the word in Hosea : But it should be 
 known, that that circle in hundreds of places is 
 not used to point out any thing faulty in the copy, 
 but is only a mark referring to the margin, and to 
 what is observed there : and be it, that it does 
 point out an error or a faulty word, the same circle 
 is over the word in Canticles, and consequently 
 shows it to be faulty there, and to be corrected 
 and read without the yod, which observation de- 
 stroys the argument from it ; and so it is read in 
 that place in the Talmud'*' without it, and in the 
 ancient book of Zohar ;^ and indeed it seems as if 
 it was read without the yod in the copies seen by 
 the authors of the Masorah, since in their note on 
 1 Kings iii. 14 besides the five places where it is 
 written full, or with the yod, they say it is so 
 written throughout the Chronicles, the twelve 
 minor prophets, and Ezra, which includes Nehe- 
 miah, but make no mention of Solomon's Song ; 
 which one would think they would have done, had 
 it been so written there in the copy or copies before 
 them : so that upon the whole, the agument. if it 
 has any force iu it, turns out for, and not agaiust 
 the antiquity of Solomon's Song. But this matter 
 stauds iu a clearer light by obsc^rving the larger 
 ilasorah on 1 Kings xi. 4, aud on Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 
 in which the live places are mentioned where this 
 word is written full, 1 Kings iii. 14, and li. 4, 36, 
 Cant. iv. 4, Ezek. xxxiv. 23 ; in which places this 
 word was originally so written, as well as through- 
 out Chronicles, the twelve prophets, and Ezra ; so 
 that iu all these places it is marked not as a faulty 
 word, but as rightly written, though different from 
 what it is in other places. The other learned man,^ 
 forms his argument from the use of the word mn'nD, 
 in Job XV. 30, and in this Song, chap. viii. 6, his 
 words are, " I am much deceived if this word be 
 not a strong proof of the age of this poem, (the 
 book of Job) for it is not found but in Ezekiel and 
 the Song of Solomon, the one written during the 
 captivity, and the other after it." This proceeds 
 upon a false piece of criticism in a twofold respect ; 
 for he adds, " its construction which is evidently 
 XD for ■!©«, and nan"?, the constructive form of nnn'?, 
 flamma, shows very clearly its age ; since that 
 manner of abbreviation is not found in the books 
 undoubtedly written before the captivity." For 
 1st, this abbreviation appears in books much more 
 
 1 Heath, Comment, ou 
 
 =■ In Gen. fol. 114.3. 
 Job XV. 30. 
 
AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. I. 
 
 ancieut than that not only in the book of Solomon's 
 Soug, the antiquity of which is not only to be set 
 aside by this observation, but frequently iu the 
 book of Ecclesiastes, iindoubtedly written by Solo- 
 mon, and in the Psalms of David his father before 
 him ; for it is not only in psalms without a title, 
 all which are supposed by some to be David's, as 
 in Psalm cxxix. 6, 7, csxsv. 2, 8, 10, cxxxvi. 23, 
 and cxlvi. 5 ; but also in psalms which bear his 
 name, as in Psaj. cxxii. 3, 4, cxxiv. 2, 6, cxxx. iii. 2, 
 
 3, and cxliv. 15; yea, it was iu use long before the 
 times of David, even in the times of the Judges. 
 Deborah has it in her song, 'rrop\D Ti'op^ ir, Judges 
 V. 7, and in other places in that book, chap. vi. 17, 
 and vii. 13, and viii. 29. 2ndly. It is a mistake that 
 the construction of the word nznbv, is \d for nic.^, 
 and nin"? ; for © in that word is not servile but radi- 
 cal, as Aben Ezra and Ben Melech observe ; it is an 
 addition to the Hebrew word after the Chaldee 
 manner, and its derivation from a root in the Chal- 
 dee or Syriac language, snbir, which siguifies to 
 kindle, inflame, and burn, as appears, not only 
 from all the Syriac and Chaldee Lexicons, but 
 from the frequent use of the word in the Syriac 
 version of the Old Testament ; nor is this the only 
 Chaldee or Syriao word in Solomon's Song ; see 
 chap. i. 17, and ii. 11. Though perhaps as this 
 writer from' the Chaldaisms, Syriasms, and Ara- 
 bisras in the book of Job, argues its being a pro- 
 duction of a later age than what is usually assigned 
 to it ; so another of the same way of thinkiug and 
 reasoning may conclude from some Chaldee words 
 used in Solomon's Song, that it must be of a later 
 age than his: but why may not Solomon be 
 thought to make use of Chaldee or Syriac words 
 as well as his father David, who makes use of 
 words in the Syriac signification of them, as in 
 Psal. li. 4, compared with Rom. iii. 4, and Psal. 
 Ix. 4, and with Syro-chaldaic affixes, Psal. ciii. 3, 
 
 4, 5, and cxv. 7, 10? and why may not David 
 and Solomon be thought to understand Chaldee 
 or Syriac as well as Hezekiah's courtiers ? see 2 
 Kings xviii. 26 ; and certainly Solomon must un- 
 derstand it, if what is said of him is true, though 
 1 lay no stress upon it, that he wrote the book of 
 Wisdom in the Chaldee language," though not by 
 iuspiration. Moreover, since the Hebrew, Chal- 
 dee, Syriac, Arabic, &c., are supposed to be dialects 
 of the same language, why may not a word in one 
 dialect less frequently used in a book appear in it 
 without determining the age of it? since one dia- 
 lect may be as early or nearly as early as another, 
 and can be no evidence of a book being of a later 
 production than is generally thought, or of it being 
 written when the purity of the Hebrew language 
 began to decline, and after the dispersion of the 
 Jews throughout the East, when it began to re- 
 ceive a taint of the other dialects, as this writer 
 suggests ; for what taint of the other dialects, as 
 he calls it, did the Hebrew language receive in 
 the captivity, and by the dispensation of the Jews ? 
 
 Preface, ibid, p, li. 
 
 what appearance is there of Chaldaisms, Syriasms, 
 &c., in the book of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malacti, 
 excepting the names of the months, books written 
 after the captivity, more than in any books before, 
 or even so much? are they not written in as pure 
 Hebrew as any of those books, which may be 
 thought to be written when that language was in 
 its greatest purity ? and if so, a few words in an- 
 other dialect here and there in a book, is no rule 
 to judge of a book by, and determine the age of 
 it. Upon the whole, it is irresistibly clear, that 
 the sacred and divine authority of this book re- 
 mains firm and unshaken, notwithstanding the 
 above objections made against it ; nor is there any 
 reason for persons to scruple it, much less to reject 
 it from the canon of the scriptures, nor to question 
 in the least the antiquity and authenticity of it. I 
 proceed, 
 
 Secondly. To consider the nature and subject 
 of this book ; it being a Sony in which the bride 
 and bridegroom, with their friends and companions, 
 and daughters of Jerusalem, bear their several 
 parts ; and it beiog a divine song, is, no doubt, 
 intended for the glorifying of Christ, the cheering 
 and refreshing of his church, and also the edifica- 
 tion of others ; for it is the duty of saints to be 
 teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, 
 and hymns, and spiritual songs ; singing with 
 grace in their hearts to the Lord, I shall not 
 enter into the consideration of the controversy, 
 whether singing of the praises of God vocally, is 
 an ordinance to be used under the New Testament, 
 though I firmly believe it to be so ; nay, that it 
 is one of the most noble, and most glorious 
 branches of religious worship, it being that which 
 comes nearest to the employment of saiuts in a 
 glorified state ; and what requires a great deal of 
 light, knowledge, experience, faith, and love to 
 perform in a right way and manner ; nor shall I 
 need to observe those several cases of conscience " 
 concerning singing, which have a very good solu- 
 tion from this song; such as these, namely, 
 whether the distressed cases of God's children may 
 be sung, or they sing when in distressed circum- 
 stances : whether complaints of their sins, failings 
 and iufirmities, may be put into their songs: 
 whether eases diflerent from theirs, yea, such as 
 they have not attained unto, may be sung ; as also 
 whether it is lawful to sing the praises of God iu 
 mixed assemblies ; all which may be answered in 
 the afiirmative, and for which this song affords 
 a sufficient foundation ; the church here briugiug 
 her sorrows and distresses into this soug as well as 
 her comforts aud privileges, chap. i. 6, and iii. 1, 
 and v. 7, nay, her sius aud failings, chap. i. 5, 6, 
 and V. 2, 3, 4. Very different cases are also here 
 sung ; yea, such, which, if taken in a strict sense, 
 she had not fully attained to, as in chap. viii. 12. 
 Moreover, she sings in the presence of, and joins 
 with the virgins, and daughters of Jerusalem, who 
 seemed in a great measure to be ignorant of Christ. 
 • R. Azarias, Imre Binah, c. 57. fol. 175. 2. 
 
VER. 1.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 9 
 
 chap. V. 8, 9, and vi. 8, 9, 10 ; al! which are 
 largely and judiciously insisted upon by the ex- 
 cellent Mr. Durliam, in his Exposition of this place, 
 to which I refer the reader. I proceed more par- 
 ticularly to consider the nature and subject of this 
 song; which, 
 
 1st. Is not a celebration of the amours between 
 Solomon and Pharoah's daughter, which has been 
 the opinion of some, as has been already observed; 
 for there are some things in it which are spoken 
 of this bridegroom, which cannot be applied to 
 Solomon, as that he was both a king and a shep- 
 herd, as in chap. i. 4, compared with v. 7, that 
 he was his wife's brother, and she his sister, chap. 
 V. 2, and viii. 1. Nor is it likely that Solomon 
 would ever give such commendations of himself, 
 as are mentioned in chap. v. 10, &c. There are 
 also many things spoken of the bride, which by no 
 means agree with Pharoah's daughter, as that she 
 was a keeper of the vineyards, chap. i. 6, and yet a 
 prince's daughter, chap. vii. 1 ; that she should be 
 represented as running about the streets in the 
 night, unattended, chap. iii. 2 ; and be exposed to 
 the blows and contempt of the watchmen, chap. v. 
 7 ; besides, several of the descriptions here given 
 of her, if taken in a literal sense, would rather 
 make her appear to be a monster than a beauty, 
 as chap. iv. 1 — 5, and chap. vii. 1 — 5 ; all which 
 agree very well, when understood of Christ and his 
 Church. Nor 
 
 2ndly. Is it typical, that is to say, this book does 
 not express the amours and marriage of Solomon 
 and Pharoah's daughter, as typical of that inexpres- 
 sible love and marriage-union between Christ and 
 his church ; it is true, there is some resemblance 
 between natural and spiritual marriage, as is mani- 
 fest from Eph. v. 23, 24, 25, 29, 31, 32 ; nor is 
 it altogether to be denied, that Solomon was a type 
 of Christ, in some respects, in his marriage of that 
 person ; but that this book is an epithalamium, or 
 nuptial song composed by him on that occasion, 
 and that in such a manner, as at tlie same time 
 also to be expressive of the love of Christ to his 
 church, must be denied ; for Solomon's marriage 
 with Pliaroah's daughter was at least twenty years 
 before this book was written, as appears from chap, 
 vii. 4 ; where mention is made of the tower of 
 Lebanon, by which seems to be meant, the house 
 of the forests of Lebanon, or some tower near 
 unto it; now he was seven years in building the 
 temple, 1 Kings vi. 38, and thirteen more in build- 
 ing the temple, 1 Kings vii. 1, after which he 
 built this, V. 2. From hence it may be reasonably 
 concluded, that this book was not penned on auy 
 such occasion ; for Solomon would never write a 
 nuptial song twenty years after his marriage, which 
 should have been sung the same night he was 
 married, !M. Bossuet'' has an ingenious conjec- 
 ture, though it seems to be without a solid foun- 
 dation, that whereas the nuptial feast with the 
 Hebrews was kept seven days, this song is to be 
 
 distributed into seven parts, a part to be sung on 
 each day during the celebration. The first day, 
 chap. i. ii. 6 ; the second day, chap, ii. 7 — 17 ; 
 the third day, chap. iii. v. 1 ; the fourth day, 
 chap. V. 2— vi. 9 ; the fifth day, chap. vi. 10— vii. 
 11 ; the sixth day, chap vii. 13— viii. 3 ; the 
 seventh day, chap. viii. 4 — 14. Nor, 
 
 3rdly. Is tliis book prophetic, expressing the 
 state of the church and kingdom of Christ in the 
 several ages of the world, with regard to particular 
 historical facts and events, which had befel or 
 should befal it, either under the Old or New 
 Testament-dispensation ; this way indeed go most 
 of the Jewish interpreters, as the Targum, R. 
 Solomon Jarchi, and II. Aben Ezra ; who 
 have been followed by many Christian writers, 
 though with more judgment and greater re- 
 gard to the analogy of faith, as well as to 
 the times of the New Testament : and who 
 consider this book as describing the state of the 
 church of God, whether the church under the legal 
 dispensation, from the times of David and Solomon ; 
 and before, and in, and after the captivity to the 
 birth and death of Christ ; or the church under 
 the gospel-dispensation, in its beginning, progress, 
 various changes, and consummation, as Brightmau 
 and Cotton. Others interpret this book as point- 
 ing to the several ages and periods of the Chris- 
 tian church, in agreement with the seven churches 
 of Asia, as Cocceius, and those that follow him, 
 Horchius, Hofman, and Hennischius ; which last 
 writer makes this distribution of them : 1. The 
 church at Ephesus, Cant. i. 5 — 17; from the 
 ascension of Christ to heaven, A. C. 33, to 370. 
 2. The church at Smyrna, Cant. ii. 1 — 17, from 
 A.C.371 to 707. 3. The church at Pergamos, Caut. 
 iii. 1—11, from A. C. 708 to 1045. 4. The church 
 at Thyatira, Cant. iv. 1, to chap. v. 1, from A. C. 
 1046 to 1383. 5. The church at Sardis, Cant. v. 
 2, to chap. vi. 8, from A. C. 1384 to 1721. 
 6. The church at Philadelphia, Cant. vi. 9, to chap, 
 vii. 14, from A. C. 1722 to 2059. 7. The church 
 at Laodicea, Cant. viii. 1 — 14, from A. C. 2060, 
 and onwards. But hereby the book is made liable 
 to arbitrary, groundless, and uncertain conjectures, 
 as well as its usefulness for the instruction and 
 consolation of believers, in a great measure, is 
 laid aside ; for then such and such pai'ts of it, 
 which regard the church and believers, in such an 
 age or period of time, can only be applied to them 
 that lived at that time, and not to others ; whereas 
 all, and every part of this song, the first as well 
 as the last, is applicable to believers in all ages of 
 the world, whicli is a manifest proof that it cannot 
 be historical, or prophetical. But 
 
 4thly. The whole is figurative and allegorical, 
 abounding with a variety of lively metaphors, and 
 allusions to natural things ; and so may be illus- 
 trated by the various things of nature, from whence 
 the metaphors are taken, and to which the allu- 
 sions be, and by the language and behaviour of 
 
 •• Vide Lowth. de Sacr. Poef. Hub. Prtelect. 30. p. 393, Ja4. and Not. Michael, iu ibid. p. 156—159. 
 
10 
 
 AN KXPOSITIOX OF THE 
 
 [chap. I. 
 
 natural lovers to each other, aud which are to bo 
 observed in love- poems, though here expressed 
 more decently and beautifully. This divine poem 
 sets forth in a most striking maoner the mutual 
 love, union, and coramuniou, which are between 
 Christ and his churcii ; also expresses the several 
 different frames, cases, and circumstances which 
 attend believers in this life ; so that they can come 
 into no state or condition, but here is something 
 in this song suited to their experience : which 
 serves much to recommend it to believers, and dis- 
 covers the excellency of it. Which, 
 
 Thirdly. Comes next to be considered, it being 
 called the Song of songs, for this reason, because 
 it is the most excellent of songs ; so the holy of 
 holies is used for the most holy, and the King of 
 kings and Lord of lords, for the greatest King and 
 chiefest Lord. This song is more excellent than 
 all human songs ; there is no comparison between 
 them, either in the subject, stile, or manner of 
 composition : it has the asceudaut of all those 
 thousand and five songs which Solomon himself 
 made, of which we read 1 Kings iv. 32, nay, is 
 preferable to all scriptural songs ; the subject of it 
 being wholly and purposely the love of Christ to 
 his church ; its style is lovely and majestic ; the 
 manner of its composition neat and beautiful ; and 
 the matter of it, full and comprehensive, being 
 suited to all believers, and tlieir several eases : 
 This song indeed contains all others in it, and 
 has nothing wanting and deficient therein. The 
 Jews say in their ancient book of Zohar,'^ that 
 " this song comprehends the whole law ; the 
 whole work of the creation ; the secret of the 
 fathers; the captivity of Egypt, and the coming 
 out of Israel from thence ; the song that was 
 sung at the sea ; the covenant of mount Sinai ; 
 the journey of the Israelites through tbe wilder- 
 ness ; their entrance into the land of Canaan; 
 the building of the temple; the crown of the 
 holy name ; the captivity of Israel among the 
 nations, and their redemption ; the resurrection 
 of the dead ; aud the sabbath of the Lord, which 
 is, and which was, and which is to come." 
 
 Fourthly. The author or penman of this song 
 is said to be Solomon; the Song of songs, which 
 is Solomon's ; that is, which is of, or concerning 
 Solomon,'' as the words may be rendered ; and so 
 respect the subject of this song, which is Christ, 
 the true Solomon, of whom Solomon was an emi- 
 nent type, as is at large shown in several parti- 
 culars, on chap. iii. 7. Now it is he that this 
 song treats of ; the transcendent glories and ex- 
 cellencies of his person ; his inexpressible love unto, 
 care of, and concern for his church and people, to- 
 gether with the nearness of access unto and sweet 
 comraunioH and fellowship with himself, which he 
 indulges them witli, are here particularly expressed 
 and set forth ; so that it may well be called the Song 
 of songs, which is concerning Solomon ; though 
 
 « In Exod. fol. 59. col. 3. * noVcV de Solo- 
 
 mone Cocceius. so Midrash in loo. • See his 
 
 perhaps, the words may regard Solomonas the author 
 aud penman of it, who was used by the Holy clmst 
 as his amanuensis therein, which was no small 
 honour to him; his wisdom, riclics, and gran- 
 deur, did not set him above an employment of 
 this nature ; nay, his being concerned herein, 
 was a greater honour to him than all the rest : 
 aud it may not be amiss to observe, that his royal 
 title, as king of Israel, is here omitted, which yet 
 is put at the begiuning of both his other books. 
 Proverbs and Ecclesiastes ; the reason may be, 
 either because such a title, expressive of majesty, 
 would not as well have suited a song of loves ; or 
 else it is purposely omitted, lest he should be 
 thought to be the king, so frequently spoken of 
 in this song ; or rather because that the subject 
 of this song is the King of kings ; aud therefore, 
 whilst he is speaking of the things which he had 
 made, touching the Icing, he lays aside his own 
 royal title, veils his majesty, and casts his crown 
 at the feet of Him, by whom kings reign, and 
 princes decree justice. The time of his writing 
 this book does not appear very manifest ; some 
 think that he wrote it in his youthful days, the 
 subject being love, and the manner of its writing 
 being poetry, both which the youtliful age mostly 
 inclines to, and deliglits in ; but it appears from 
 what has been already said, that it was not written 
 until twenty years after his marriage, when he 
 could not be a very young man ; and so might be 
 written in the middle part of his life, when in the 
 most flourishing circumstances as to body, mind, 
 and estate. Dr. Liglitfoof^ is of opinion it might 
 be written in the thirtieth year of his reign, about 
 ten years before his death, after he had built his 
 summer-house in Lebanon, to which he supposes 
 he alludes in chap. iv. 3, and vii. 4; and upon his 
 bringing Pharaoh's daughter to the house prepared 
 for her, 1 Kings ix. 24. The Jewish chrouologer' 
 says, that the books of Proverbs, the Soug of 
 songs, and Ecclesiastes, were all written in his old 
 age, as indeed the last seems to be ; aud perhaps 
 he wrote this also a little before his death, after 
 his fall and repentance, when he had had a larger 
 discovery of the love of God unto his own soul, 
 notwithstanding all his sins, failings, and infirmi- 
 ties ; and so a proper person for the Holy Ghost 
 to use in setting forth the greatness of Christ's 
 love to his people, and the several diflereut states, 
 conditions, cases, and circumstances, which they 
 are, at one time or another, brought into in this 
 life, of which he had had a very great experience. 
 But from the title, I shall now proceed to the 
 consideration of the book itself; which thus 
 begins, 
 
 Verse 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of 
 his mouth ; for thy love is letter than wine. 
 
 Having considered the title, now follows the song 
 itself, which begins with these words ; and it 
 
 works, vol. 1. p. 7r.. ' In Seder 01am Rabba, c. 
 
 15. p. 41. so Shir ilashirim, fol. 3. 3. 
 
VEB. '2.1 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 11 
 
 being dialogae-wise, where several parties arecon- 
 ceraed, and do interchariireably speak, it will be 
 therefore necessary, in order to explain them, to 
 consider, 
 
 I. Who the person is that speaks and begins 
 the song. 
 
 II. To whom this speech is directed. 
 
 III. The nature of the request that is made. 
 And, 
 
 IV". The reason of it. 
 
 I. Let us consider who the person is that 
 speaks ; it appears clearly to be the church and 
 bride of Christ, who here begins and continues 
 speaking to ver. 8. Slie first directs her speech 
 to Christ, in this and the two following verses ; in 
 ver. 5, 6, she turns herself to the daughters of 
 Jerusalem; and then again to Christ, in ver. 7, 
 she begins the song, which, 
 
 1st. Does not suppose that she was first in her 
 love to Christ : she was not beforehand with him, 
 neither in her love, nor in the expressions, and 
 manifestations of it ; for he had loved her with an 
 everliistiug love, and therefore had thus sweetly 
 drawn her with the bands of hue, to himself. 
 Christ is first, both in his love and in the disco- 
 very of it; for toe love him because he first loved 
 US; it is the manifestation of Christ's love to 
 our souls, which causes us to love him again, and 
 in some way or other to show it. 
 
 2ndiy. Neither does it suppose, that her love 
 to Christ, and desires of his presence and com- 
 pany, were more ardent than his were to lier ; 
 for as Christ's love is prior to ours, so it far ex- 
 ceeds, and is much superior to it ; neither can be- 
 lievers be more desirous of Christ's company than 
 he is of theirs. But, 
 
 3rdly. It shows that slie was impatient of delay, 
 and could not bear his absence any longer ; she 
 was sick of love ; for hope deferred makeih the 
 heartsick ; she had, perhaps, been hoping, waiting 
 for, and expecting his presence a considerable 
 time, and he was not come ; therefore growing 
 impatient, breaks out in this abrupt manner. Let 
 him kiss, ^-c, or, " Oh, that he would kiss me with 
 one of the kisses of his mouth ! I cannot be easy 
 unless he does." 
 
 4thly. She speaks as one who Iiad had experi- 
 ence of Christ's love; she knew how sweet the 
 kisses of his mouth were, and how delightful his 
 company had been to her iu time past ; she had 
 tasted that the Lord loas gracious ; and therefore 
 was so earnestly desirous of the returns of these 
 love-visits, venting her heart and soul in these 
 passionate wishes and desires. And, 
 
 5thly. Tiiough Christ gives the first discove- 
 ries of love on his part ; yet when the church is 
 espoused unto him, it highly becomes her to show 
 an affectionate regard unto him, and strong de- 
 sire after his company. 
 
 II. It will be proper to take notice of the per- 
 son to whom this speech is directed, and that is 
 Christ ; and the form of speech here used, is 
 
 also worthy our regard; here is no particular 
 mention made of any person ; no one particularly 
 named, whose company she desired ; but only him, 
 let him kiss me, cj'c, it is a relative without an 
 antecedent, of which we have many instances iu 
 scripture, as Ps. Ixxxvii. 1, Isa. liii. 2, Lam. iii. 
 1, unless we suppose that the antecedent to it is 
 Solomon, in ver. 1, let him, that is, Solomon, or 
 Christ, who is Solomon's antitype, whose song 
 this is, and who is the subject of it: Let him, I 
 say, kiss me with the kisses of his mouth ; though 
 the connection seems rather to be with the thoughts 
 of her heart, than with any words before expressed : 
 ■ she had had him so much in her thoughts, and 
 her love was so fixed on him, she knew him so 
 well, and had had so much converse with him, that 
 she thought there was no need to mention his 
 name ; but that every oue must very well know 
 who she designed ; as Mary ^lagdalen, at Christ's 
 sepulchre, when Jesus said unto her, " Woman, 
 why weepest thou ? whom seekest thou ? she sup- 
 posing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, 
 " Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me wliere 
 thou hast laid him, and I will take him away," 
 John XX. 15. Suppose he had been the gardener, 
 how should he have known who this him was she 
 meant? But she was much in the same frame as 
 the church is here, who speaks of Christ as if 
 there was no other in the world besides him ; and 
 indeed he is a nonsuch, the most eminent person 
 in the world, in the believer's esteem ; whose lan- 
 guage is, Wliom have I in heaven but thee ? and 
 there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee," 
 Psal. Ixxiii. 25. Christ then is the person here 
 spoken of, whom she intends, and to whom she 
 directs her speech. 
 
 III. Having taken notice of the person speak- 
 ing, and to whom this speech is directed, we will 
 now consider the request itself, which is here made, 
 " Let him kiss me," ^c, and this may be con- 
 sidered, either. 
 
 First. As the request of the church under the 
 Old Testament. And that, 
 
 1st. For the manifestation of Christ in the 
 flesh ; than which nothing was more passionately 
 longed for, and earnestly desired ; many kings and 
 prophets greatly desired it ; yea, all the Old Tes- 
 tament saints did more or less pray, as David 
 did, " that the salvation of Israel were come 
 out of Ziou," Psal. xiv. 7, and this they were so 
 vehemently desirous of, because thej knew hereby 
 redemption from all evil would be obtained, the 
 curse removed, and all spiritual blessings procured 
 for them ; Christ's incarnation being, like kisses, 
 a pledge and indication of his love, was very de- 
 sirable to the ch*ch, and as appears by her ex- 
 pressions, would be exceeding grateful to all those 
 who were " waiting for the consolation of Israel ." 
 He had sent his prophets, and by them had 
 spoken unto her " at sundry times, and in divers 
 manners ;" yet she is not easy and contented here- 
 with, but would have greater displays of his grace, 
 
12 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. ,i. 
 
 by his appearing in his own person to kiss her 
 with the kisses of his mouth. 
 
 2ndly. For the doctrines of the Gospel, in oppo- 
 sition to the law. Most of the Jewish^ writers 
 understand, by the kisses of his mouth, the words 
 of the law, which God spake to the people face 
 to face ; but that dispensation was not so desira- 
 ble a one; for "they that heard that voice of 
 words, entreated that the word should not be 
 spoken to them any more; for they said unto 
 Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear ; but 
 let not God speak with us, lest we die," Exod. xx. 
 19. The words of the law contain sharp and 
 severe rebukes for sin ; pronounce the sinner guilty 
 before God ; curse and condemn him, and are the 
 killing letter to him ; therefore these are not the 
 kisses of Christ's mouth, which the church here 
 desires; but rather they are the sweet and com- 
 fortable doctrines of the Gospel, which may be so 
 called. 
 
 1. Because they come from him ; they are the 
 words of his mouth, which drop from him " like 
 sweet smelliug myrrh ;" he is the author of them, 
 he has spoken and delivered them ; they proceed 
 alone from him, and it is he that owns, blesses, 
 and makes them useful to men. 
 
 2. As kisses they carry in them intimations of 
 his love to souls, to whom they come " in power, 
 and in the Holy Ghost;" the love of Christ is the 
 great subject of the Gospel ; it fills all the doctrines 
 thereof, which give a noble display of it, and lead 
 into a farther acquaintance with it. 
 
 3. As the kisses of a friend, they are grateful 
 and acceptable to believers ; they are more valu- 
 able to them than their necessary food, and are 
 preferred by them to all that is dear in life, yea, 
 to life itself, however they are slighted and des- 
 pised by the men of the world. 
 
 4. As kisses, they raise the affections and fill the 
 soul with love to Christ ; kisses, as they are indi- 
 cations of, so they are incentives to love. When 
 the truths of the Gospel come with power upon a 
 sinner's heart, they let in, not only a great deal of 
 light, but also a large measure of love ; faith comes 
 hereby, and that works by love, both to Christ and 
 to his Gospel. Or, 
 
 Secondly. We may consider this request as the 
 request of the church, or of every particular be- 
 liever, for the eujoyments and manifestations of 
 Christ's love is very desirable to believers, who 
 would always have it if they could; this is their 
 heavenon earth, and thebeginniugof glory to them ; 
 this comforts them in all their troubles, and is pre- 
 ferred by them to all earthly enjoyments , and may 
 be called the kisses of Christ's mouth. 
 
 1st. Because kisses are evidences and pledges of 
 love amongst nearest relations : Christ stands in 
 and fills up all relations to his people, and 
 has affections for them suitable to them all ; he 
 is a kind and indulgent father, a tender husband, 
 
 . e Midrush. Targum.K. Sol. Jarchi.and R. Aben 
 Ezra, in loc. 
 
 an affectionate brother, anfT loving friend ; $f all 
 
 which he has given, and continues to give, full and 
 incontcstible proofs ; of which the kisses of his 
 mouth are plain and undeniable evidences. 
 
 2udly. Kisses are tokens of reconciliation and 
 agreement. Now though reconciliation is made 
 by the blood of Christ, and believers have the com- 
 fortable application of it to their souls ; yet every 
 time that Christ withdraws his presence from 
 them, they are ready to think that he is angry "with 
 them, and is not reconciled unto them ; but when 
 he shows himself again, and manifests his love, 
 then they can behold him, and God in him, aa 
 reconciled unto them. 
 
 3rdly. Kisses are incentives to love : there is 
 nothing raises believers' love higher to Christ, than 
 the flowing in of his love into their sonls; this 
 warms it when cold and chill, raises it to a flame, 
 quickens it when dull, puts it in motion, and sets 
 it at work. 
 
 4thly. By this expression the church intends 
 that nearness and familiarity in communion with 
 Christ, which her soul wauted ; which was not 
 only to show himself to her, feed and feast her, 
 and take his walks with her ; by all which phrases 
 communion with Christ is sometimes expressed ; 
 but to be kissed with the kisses of his mouth, which 
 is yet nearer still : well may the saints be said to 
 be " a people near to the Lord ;" what wondi'ous 
 and surprising grace is this, that Christ should 
 condescend to kiss such vile and sinful creatures 
 as we are 1 to receive us into such near communion 
 with himself! It is a bold request the church 
 makes, and yet she is in it no bolder than welcome. 
 These are called kisses, in the plural number. 
 
 1. To show the various ways Christ has to mani- 
 fest his love, sometimes by one providence, and 
 sometimes by another ! sometimes in one ordinance 
 and sometimes in another j he is not tied to one 
 way, but has divers ways, aud makes use of various 
 means to show himself uato his people; he is 
 never at a loss when he thinks fit to do it. 
 
 2. To denote the frequent and repeated actings of 
 his love to her soul which she was desirous of; she 
 was for having, not one kiss, but many ; one dis- 
 covery and manifestation of his love and grace 
 after another ; yea, many visits from him, until 
 she arrived to the full enjoyment of his love, with 
 himself, in glory. Or, 
 
 3. The words may be read thus. Let him kiss 
 me with one of the kisses of his mouth}' See 
 chap. iv. 9 ; and then ihe sense is, " O that I had 
 but one glimpse, one I'ltfi, one discovery more of 
 his love and grace unto my soul, but oue kiss more 
 from his mouth, which is most sweet, and altoge- 
 ther lovely ; how great a satisfaction would it be ^ 
 to me, could I have but this request granted 1" 
 which way of speaking shows how exceeding 
 grateful the mauifestations of Christ's love are to 
 believers. Moreover it may b<j observed, that 
 
 i" in'D mp'ffiDD nno tantum, vel altero de osculis ori& 
 sui, MJcbaelis ; so Gusset. Comment. Heb. p. 446. 
 
VER. 2.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 13 
 
 kisses with the ancients were not frcqiient, but 
 rarely used, aud but once when persons were 
 espoused, and as a tokeu of that ; and then they 
 were reckoucd as husbauJ aud wife ;' on which 
 account it may be it is here desired; since it was 
 after this wc hear of the spouse being brought into 
 the nupital chamber, and of the keeping of the 
 nuptial feast, ver. 4 — 12. Again, These are also 
 said to be the " kisses of his mouth ;" which is not 
 to be looked upon as a mere Hebraism, or as a 
 redundancy in expression; but this heaping up 
 of words shows, 
 
 1. The vehemency of her affection, how much 
 her heart was set upon, and how eagerly desirous 
 she was of communion with Christ ; and there- 
 fore pours out words, that she might fully express 
 her mind ; " for out of the abundance of the 
 heart, the mouth speaketh." 
 
 2. She mentions the kisses of " his mouth," 
 in contradistinction to any other ; she valued the 
 kisses of no other mouth but Christ's : the kisses 
 of any mouth were not desirable to her, none but 
 the kisses of his mouth were. 
 
 3. She hereby expresses the singular satisfaction 
 she should take herein ; " Let him kiss me with 
 the kisses of his mouth ;" " his mouth, which is 
 sweet and delightful to me; his mouth, whom 
 my soul loves, whom I value and esteem above all 
 others, and in the enjoyment of whom I place my 
 chiefest happiness." Or, 
 
 4. It may point out that particular way and man- 
 ner in whichshe was desirous that he would manifest 
 his love unto her, that is, by his word of promise in 
 the Gospel ; as if she should say, " that he 
 would manifest himself, and break up his love and 
 grace to my sou!, in some kiud promise or other, 
 which may drop from his mouth, aud be brought 
 home unto me by the Spirit of grace." 
 
 Fourthly. She assigns a reason for this request, 
 " forthy love is better than wine ;" here is a sudden 
 change of person, from the third to the second ; 
 before she said, " let iiim kiss me," &c., now she 
 says, " for thy love," &c. ; the reason of which, 
 perhaps is, because he was absent before, but 
 now present ; she had lost sight of him, aud 
 speaks of him as at a distance from her ; but now 
 he is in view, at the very sight of whom her faith 
 is increased, and her soul fired with love ; and 
 having greater nearness to him, grows in her 
 familiarity and boldness with liim. 
 
 Here we shall, 1. Take notice of the love of 
 Christ, and give some account of the nature and 
 excellency of it : And, 2. Show in what respects it 
 is preferable to wine. 
 
 First, Let us consider this love of Christ, which 
 is so highly commended by the church ; in the 
 Hebrew text it is in the plural number, loves,'' to 
 show, 
 
 1st. The various ways in which Christ has disco- 
 veredit; he showed it by hissuretyship-engagements 
 
 • Salmuth in Pancirol. Memorab. licr. par. 1, tit. 
 46. p. 215. 
 
 for the elect in the everlasting covenant of grace and 
 peace, of which he is the Surety, Mediator, and 
 ^Messenger ; he showed it in his assumption of 
 human nature in time ; he has given a full dis- 
 play of it in laying down his life for the sheep, 
 in giving himself a ransom for many, and in 
 offering himself a sacrifice for the sins of all his 
 chosen ones ; he has loved them and died for them, 
 loved them and shed his precious blood for them, 
 and* in that blood has washed them from all their 
 sins ; he now shows that he loves them, by ap- 
 pearing in the presence of God for them, actmg as 
 an advocate with ihe Father, aud preparing glory 
 for them ; and he will, ere long, come again to 
 take them to himself, that where he is, there they 
 may be also. 
 
 2rdly. It may intend the various effects of it ; 
 all the blessings of grace flow from it, such as vo- 
 cation, sanctification, justification, adoption, and 
 glorification : all spring from this boundless and 
 matchless love of Christ. 
 
 3rdly. Being in the plural number, may denote 
 the abouudings of it ; it is superaboundiug love ; 
 love that has heights, and depths, and lengths, and 
 breadths; it is immeasureable and inconceive- 
 able ; it passeth the perfect knowledge of meu and 
 angels. 
 
 4thly. The frequent discoveries of it, which are 
 made to the saints : aud which, like the waters in 
 Ezekiel's vision, increase and rise from the ancles 
 to the knees, and from the knees to the loins, and 
 from thence become waters to swim in, a river, 
 an ocean of love which cannot be passed over. 
 
 5th!y. The great esteem the church had of 
 Christ's love, which she shows by calling it 
 " loves," in the plural number, as well as by 
 saying that it was " better than wine :" the ex- 
 cellency of which will farther appear, if we con- 
 sider the nature and properties ot it, which are as 
 follow : 
 
 1. As to the original of it, it is free and sove- 
 reign ; it does not take its rise from any thing in 
 us, or done by us ; nothing of this nature moved 
 him to it, but he loved ns, because he would love 
 us : nothing out of himself moved him to it ; it 
 was not because we were better than others, for 
 we " are by nature children of wrath," even as 
 others ; he loved us when unlovely ; he died for 
 us while we were yet sinners, and ungodly in our- 
 selves, aud enemies to himself; our love to him 
 is not the cause of his loving us, but his love to 
 us is the cause of ours : in this he is entirely free 
 and sovereign ; he has pitched his love and grace 
 on whom he will, and these he loves freely ; he 
 was not moved or influenced by foreseen faith or 
 works, or any deserving of ours whatever ; for 
 we neither deserved nor desired his love, neither 
 indeed could we have expected it. 
 
 2. As to the time of its commencement, it is 
 from eternity ; before the mountains were formed, 
 
 ■■ T"'^"' auiores tui, Pagninus, Montagus, Junius 
 and Tremellius, Piscator, &c. 
 
]4 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. I, 
 
 and the highest part of the dust of tlie earth was 
 made, he was " rejoicing in the habitable part of 
 his earth, and his delii^hts were with the sons of 
 men ;" that he loved his people from eternity, is 
 manifest from his cn.n;aginj; as a Surety for them ; 
 his becoming the Mediator of an everlasting cove- 
 nant; in which he agreed to take care of their 
 persons, and by dying to redeem their lives from 
 destruction, and to bring them to eternal glory : 
 as also from his receiving all grace for them be- 
 fore the world began; all which manifestly show 
 that he had a love for them, for all the after- 
 actings of his love and grace are but the openings 
 and brealdngs forth of tiiis love of his, which he 
 bore towards them from everlasting. 
 
 3. As to its duration, it is to eternity; 
 " having loved his own, which were in the world, 
 he loved them unto the end," John xiii. 1 ; his 
 love is invai'iable, unalterable, and unchangeable : 
 it is like himself, " the same yesterday, to-day, 
 and for ever ;" all the waters of sin and corrup- 
 tion cannot extinguish it ; nor can any creature 
 in heaven, earth, or hell, separate his people from it. 
 
 4. As to the degree of it, it is the greatest love, 
 " greater love hath no man than this, that a man 
 lay down his life for his friends, " John xv. 
 13 ; but Christ's love is greater than this, for 
 he hath laid down his life for enemies, and even 
 whilst they were such ; here is great love for 
 great sinners, shown by a great person, one who 
 " thought it no robbery to be equal with God ;" 
 and this he showed by giving " himself a ran- 
 som" for them ; such is the greatness of this 
 love, that it cannot fully be expressed by men or 
 angels. 
 
 5. As to the quality of it, it is the nearest; 
 that of the nearest relations and friends to each 
 other, as of a parent to a child, of an husband to 
 a wife, of brothers, or friends, to each other, are 
 but faint resemblances and mere shadows of 
 this ; all fall short of painting and expressing to 
 the life the nature of this love. 
 
 6. As to the pattern or form of it, it is as the 
 Father's love to him ; " as the Father hath loved 
 me ; (says he) so have I loved you ;" John xv. 
 9 ; as the Father loves Christ, as Mediator, with 
 an everlasting, unchangeable, and inseparable 
 love, so does Christ love his people. \\ hat sur- 
 prizing grace is this, that Clirist should love us 
 with such a love ; when there is no comparison 
 between him, who is the object of the one, and 
 them, who are the objects of the other ; when 
 we contemplete this amazing love conceptions 
 fail us to comprehend it, words fall short of ex- 
 pressing it ; in eternity only will those sur- 
 prising mysteries of grace be unfolded to us. 
 
 7. As to any instance of love, none can be 
 compared with it, it is unparalleled ; that of Jo- 
 nathan's to Uavid, of one friend's dying for 
 another, and of those brave Komans who died 
 for their country, which history furnishes us 
 withal, can by no means equal or come near it; 
 
 scarcely for a righteotis man will one die, per- 
 adventure for a good man some would even dare 
 to die, says the apostle, Rom. v. 7, 8 ; where he 
 alludes' to the division of the Jewish nation into 
 three parts, whicli were tiiese ; Tirst, There were 
 nvnr, or righteous persons, who kcjit to the ex- 
 ternal letter of the law, and did, as they imagined, 
 what that required, but would do no more. 
 Secondhj, There were others called □'Tcn, or 
 good men, who were bountiful and liberal to the 
 poor, and did more than the law required in re- 
 pairing the temple and maintaining of sacrifices, 
 &c. But, T/iirdhj, there were another sort who 
 were called □'yiin, or wicked or ungodly persons, 
 who had no regard to the law, profligate wretches, 
 the refuse of the people. Now for one of these 
 righteous ones, says the apostle, scarce any would 
 die, because what he had done, he was obliged 
 by the law to do ; peradventure for one of these 
 good men, one to whom he had been kind and 
 liberal, a person would even dare to die ; but 
 who will die for the other sort, the wicked and 
 ungodly? not one; bat God commendeih his 
 love towards us, in that while we were yet sin- 
 ners, Christ died for us ; O matchless and un- 
 paralleled love ! 
 
 8. As to its effect upon the hearts of sinners, 
 it is surprising, comfortable, and rejoicing; for 
 souls, when but just let into it, begin that won- 
 der which will last throughont an endless eter- 
 nity ; they now place an ecce, a behold before 
 it, and say as the Jews did of Christ, in regard 
 to Lazarus, behold how he loved him. ; how 
 has he loved me, and me! says one and (he 
 other; what manner of love is this! it is sur- 
 prising, wonderful , passing the love of women, as 
 David said concerning Jonathan's ; and it being 
 shed abroad in the heart by the Spirit of God, 
 fills the soul with an universal pleasure, vjith a 
 joy unspeakable and full of glory ; the mani- 
 festations and discovery of it bear up the soul 
 under all the trials of life, and make it long to 
 be in glory, that it may have its fill thereof, 
 wherefore it is no wonder the church here prefers 
 it to wiue, which. 
 
 Secondly, We shall now consider. The church 
 had a real value for Christ's person, and tliere- 
 fore must needs esteem his love; his person 
 being, to her, the chiefest among ten thousands, 
 his love must be preferable to all others ; she 
 hath tasted a real sweetness in it, and hath seen the 
 vanity and emptiness of all earthly enjoyments, 
 and tlierefore prefers it to wiue ; by which is in- 
 tended the most sumptuous banquet, with all the 
 daiuties, and delightful entertainments thereof : 
 nothing is so valuable as the love of Christ ; 
 how excellent is thy loving -tcindness, says the 
 Psalmist, it is better than life, Psal. xxxvi. ", 
 and Ixxiii. 3 ; and all the comforts, pleasures, 
 and profits thereof. I will now eudeavonr to 
 show, in a few particulars, wherein this love of 
 Christ is better than wine. 
 
 ' Vide Godwin's Moses and Aaron, 1. I. c. 9. 
 
VKR. 
 
 3.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 15 
 
 1st. It is preferable to it for its antiquity ; g;ood 
 old wine is accounted the best ; and therefore 
 Christ says, No man having drvnk old wine, 
 straighlioay desireth new -. for he saith, the 
 old is better, Luke v. 39. Age makes wine 
 better, but not oil, as Plutarch observes.™ Now 
 no wine is comparable to this of Christ's love, 
 for its antiquity ; for, as has been already shown, 
 it is a love which commences from everlasting ; 
 it docs not bear date with time, but was before 
 time was, and will be when time shall be no 
 more. The Jews" often speak of wine, that 
 has been reserved in the grape ever since the 
 creation of the world, which they imagine, they 
 shall drink in the earthly kingdom of the Mes- 
 siah ; but this wine of divine love was laid up 
 and reserved in the heart of Christ long before 
 the creation of the world : this excels all other 
 wine for its antiquity. 
 
 2ndly. It is preferable to wine for its purity : 
 no wine so pure and unmixed as this of Ciirist's 
 love ; it is ivine on the lees toell retined, free 
 from all dregs of deceit, hypocrisy, and dissi- 
 mulation ; it is a love unfeijtied, a pure river of 
 water of life. 
 
 3rdly. It is better than wine, and is preferable 
 to it for its freeness and cheapness : wine is not 
 every one's liquor, every one's purse cannot reach 
 it, especially in some countries ; but this wine of 
 Christ's 'love, is to be had without money, and 
 without]' jtrice, than which nothing can be 
 cheaper ; nor is any thing freer, for it is freely 
 shed abroad in the hearts of God's people, by the 
 Spirit. 
 
 4thly. For the plenty of it, it is preferable to 
 wme; wine, as it is dear, so it is scarce in some 
 places ; but this as it is cheap, and to be had 
 freely ; so there is plenty of it : in the marriage 
 at Cana of Galilee, there was want of wine ; but 
 there is no want thereof in this feast of love, 
 which Christ has made for his spouse and bride: 
 this is a river, nay, an ocean of love, which flows 
 forth in plentiful streams to poor sinners. 
 
 5thly. It is preferable to wine in the effects 
 of it. 
 
 1. Wiue will revive and cheer a man that is of 
 a heavy heart, and therefore it is advised to be 
 given to such, Prov. xxsi. 6 ; yet it will not 
 bring a man to life that is dead ; bet such is 
 the nature of Christ's love, that when it is con- 
 veyed into ; the heart of a sinner, dead in tres- 
 passes and sins, it makes him alive ; for when- 
 ever it is a time of love to a poor sinner, it is 
 also a time of fife ; nay, it not only conveys life, 
 but it maintains and supports it, aud keeps souls 
 from dying ; he that has had it' shed abroad in 
 his heai-t, by the Spirit, shall never die the 
 second death. 
 
 2. Wine may remove a worldly heaviness, or a 
 sorrow on the account of^ worldly things, the 
 things of time ; but not a spiritual heaviness,ior 
 
 a sorrow on the account of the things of another 
 world, the things of eternity ; but the manifesta- 
 tion of Christ's love to the soul, can remove this 
 sorrow and heaviness, and fill it with a joy un- 
 speakable and full of glory, and give him that 
 ease, and comfort, and satisfaction of mind, he is 
 wishing for. 
 
 3. If a man drinks never sncli large draughts 
 of the wine of Christ's love, it will never hurt 
 him ; when other wine, with excessive drinking of 
 it, not only wastes the estates, but consumes the 
 bodies, and destroys the health of men ; but of 
 this a man may drink freely and plentifully, 
 without doing himself any hurt ; nay, it will be 
 of considerable advantage to him, and therefore 
 says Christ, in chap v.'l. Eat, friends, yea, drink 
 abundantly, my beloved. 
 
 No wonder then that the church was so desi- 
 rous of enjoying Christ's presence, and having the 
 manifestations of his love to her soul, seeing his 
 love is thus better than wine ; besides, it may 
 be observed that she makes use of this as an 
 argument with him to obtain her request ; and 
 in so doing, shows what a value she had for the 
 love of Christ, how much she esteemed it, as also 
 what it was she expected and sought after, in 
 desiring communion with him. 
 
 Verse 3. Because of the savour of thy good 
 ointments, thy name is as ointment poured 
 forth ; therefore do the virgins love thee. 
 The church having mentioned the excellency of 
 Christ's love, as the reason why she desired such 
 intimate communion with him, proceeds in these 
 words to take notice of his savoury ointments 
 and precious 7iame ; which were both so de- 
 lightful, fragrant, and odorous, that even the 
 Virgiyis, those chaste creatures, were ravished, 
 and had fallen in love with him; and therefore 
 it was no wonder that she, who was his spouse 
 and bride, should express her love to him, and be 
 so desirous of his company. In these words we 
 have, 
 
 I. The savour of Christ's ointments expressed. 
 
 II. The fragrancy and preciousness of Christ's 
 name declared. 
 
 III. The influence that all this has upon the 
 hearts of the virgins, in attracting their love to 
 Christ : therefore do the virgins love thee. 
 
 I. The savour of Christ's ointments is here 
 expressed by the church, as having knowledge of 
 them herself, and as having observed the efi"ect of 
 them upon the hearts of others. By ointments we 
 are to understand the graces of the Spirit of God, 
 that o'll of gladness \\'\i\i which Christ, as Mediator, 
 is anointed above his fellows ; this was poured out 
 without measure upon him; it is like the precious 
 oititment upon Aaron's head, that ran down upon, 
 his beard, and went doivn to the skirts of his gar- 
 ments ; for this being poured upon Christ, the 
 head, descends to all his members ; fiom him they 
 receive that anointing, tchich teacheth all things. 
 
 Sympos. 1. 7. p. 702. 
 
 Targum in Cuut. 3. ! 2. aad Zoliar in Gen. fol. 81. 4. 
 
16 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. L 
 
 In explaining these words, I will endeavour, 
 
 First. To show why the graces of the Spirit 
 in Christ, or in his members, are compared to 
 ointments. 
 
 Secondly. Why they are called C/irist's oint- 
 ments. 
 
 Thirdly. In what sense they are said to be 
 ffood. And, 
 
 Fourthly. What is meant by the savour of them. 
 
 First. I shall endeavour to show why the graces 
 of the Spirit, either in Christ or in saints, are 
 compared to ointments. 
 
 1st. With the holy anointing oil, which was 
 made according to a divine prescription and di- 
 rection, kings, priests, and prophets were for- 
 merly anointed, and thereby installed into their 
 several offices : thus Saul, David, and Solomon 
 were anointed to be kings ; thus Aaron and his 
 sons were anointed to be priests ; and thus Elisha 
 was anointed prophet in the room of Elijah ; 
 now, as with this anointing oil these were anointed, 
 and thereby installed into their offices ; so Christ, 
 with the anointing oil of the Spirit, was anointed, 
 and thereby installed into those offices which he 
 has taken upon him, and bears for the good of 
 his people ; it is with this he is anointed to be 
 king, and is set over God's holy hill of Zion ; 
 it is vvith tliis he is consecrated a priest for 
 evermore, to ofTer sacrifice, and make intercession 
 for transgressors ; and this same Spirit being upon 
 him, he is anointed therewith a prophet to " preach 
 good tidings to the meek." Christ, as the glorious 
 God-man, was anointed and installed into his 
 office as Mediator, from eternity ; his human na- 
 ture was anointed with the Holy Ghost, at the 
 time of its conception in the virgin's womb ; and 
 more visibly at his baptism, when the Spirit de- 
 scended upon him as a dove ; and still more 
 gloriously at his ascension to, and session at the 
 Father's right hand, when he received from him 
 the promise of the Spirit, and was made or de- 
 clared to be both Lord and Christ: and it is with 
 the same unction that saints are by him made 
 kings and priests unto God; kings, because grace 
 reigns in their hearts now, and they shall reign 
 with Christ iu glory, for ever hereafter ; priests, 
 " to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God 
 by Jesus Christ." 
 
 2ndly. With this holy anointing oil, all the vessels 
 of the tabernacle were anointed and made fit for 
 use; to which saints may be comparcil, who are 
 chosen vessels, vessels of mercy, that were fore- 
 ordained for glory ; now these, in their natural 
 state, are not fit for their master's use ; yet wlien 
 anointed with this unction, they are not only fit 
 for their master's present use here, but are pre- 
 pared for glory hereafter : the saints having the 
 oil of grace, as well as the lamps of profession, 
 are ready to go in with the bridegroom, whenever 
 he comes and calls for them. 
 
 Srdly. Anointing with oil was made use of for 
 ornament ; " it makes the face to shine," as the 
 
 Psalmist says, Psal. civ. 15 ; Christ, as man and 
 Mediator, is adorned with the grace of the Spirit ; 
 he is " fairer than the children of men," and the 
 reason is, because " grace is poured into his lips :" 
 he has a larger measure of this " oil of gladness " 
 than others, and therefore is " the perfection of 
 beauty ;" he is " white and ruddy, the chiefest 
 among ten thousand ;" and as Christ is, so the 
 saints are adorned herewith, and become beautiful 
 in his eye, being " all glorious within :" by this 
 grace they are purified and prepared, and so pre- 
 sented as a chaste and beautiful virgin to Christ. 
 
 4thly. Anointing with oils or ointments was 
 used for cheering and refreshing guests at festi- 
 vals, being very useful for this purpose in hot 
 countries ; the smell of which was very delightful 
 and pleasing ;" hence Solomon says, " Ointment 
 and perfume rejoice the heart," Prov. xxvii. 9 ; 
 and for this reason Mary brought ointment and 
 anointed the feet of Jesus, to cool and refresh them 
 while he sat at meat : these ointments, or graces 
 of the Spirit, are the oil of gladness, both to 
 Christ and to his people ; in the exercise of them, 
 he, as man, was delighted and refreshed, and so 
 are his saints ; the grace of the Spirit is, to them, 
 the oil of joy for mourning ; he, by his sweet in- 
 fluences and delightful operations on their souls, 
 powerfully draws forth grace into exercise, and 
 thereby administers much comfort to them ; they 
 are oftentimes filled with joy and peace in be- 
 lieving, being made to abound in hope through 
 the power of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 5thly. Ointments are useful for mollifying and 
 healing wounds, Isa. i. 6 ; these being applied, 
 soften hard tumours, break them, and then heal 
 them ; the hearts of sinners are hard and obdurate, 
 being swelled with pride, vanity, and conceit of 
 themselves ; but the ointments of divine grace 
 being applied, softens them, breaks these hard 
 swellings, makes their hearts contrite, and then 
 heals them : Christ, the great Physician, acting 
 herein, like the good Samaritan, who had com- 
 passion on the wounded man, and bound up his 
 wounds, pouring in oil and wine. 
 
 Secondly. We will now consider why these 
 ointments are said to be Christ's. 
 
 1st. They are of his making ; as he is God, he 
 has an all -sufficiency of grace in himself, underived 
 from any other, and is the Author of all grace ; 
 this excellent composition is all his own ; this 
 ointment is made and prepared by his own hand ; 
 the holy anointing oil, though of God's pre- 
 scribing, yet it was not of his making, though ac- 
 cording to the composition of it, no other was to 
 be made; but these ointments are not only pre- 
 scribed, but made by him, that is God : and none 
 can make according to the composition thereof ; 
 which shows the excellency of them. 
 
 2ndly. He is the subject of them ; as God, he 
 is the Author and Maker, but, as Mediator, they 
 are communicated to him ; they are poured into 
 him, and upon him without measure; it pleased 
 
 Non to lUiuS ungutntorum odor, non vmi anhelitus, &c. Cicero. Orat. 28. c. 7. 
 
VER. 3.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 17 
 
 the Father, that in him should aU fahtess dwell ; 
 thej' arc his, not only because made by him, but 
 because they are in his possession ; he is anointed 
 with them above his fellotcs. 
 
 3rdly. They are his, because he has a right to 
 dispose of them ; they are his own as God, being 
 the Maker of them ; and they are his own as 
 Mediator, being given to him ; wherefore he may 
 do what he will with them, as indeed he ^oes ; he 
 gives these ointments to whom he will, and he 
 gives them freely and plentifully ; he has a fulness 
 of all grace in himself, and from thence saints re- 
 ceive grace for grace. This ointment being poured 
 plentifully upon the head, runs down freely to all 
 the members ; these ointments are first Christ's, 
 and then they are ours ; he composed them as 
 God, for our use and service, and they were given 
 to him as Jlediator, for that purpose ; grace in 
 Christ, and grace in us, are of the same nature, 
 though not of the same degree : grace in us is 
 as in its streams, but grace in Christ is as in its 
 fountain ; it is but a small measure we have, but 
 it is an infinite, and inexhaustible fulness that is 
 in him ; which may serve to recommend Christ 
 to lis, and direct us where to go for these oils or 
 ointments. 
 
 Thirdly. They are said to be good ointments, 
 or oils ; some oils are better than others, and 
 some places produced better than others : Tckoah 
 was the chief place for oil in Judea, and the next 
 to it was Regah beyond Jordan ; * no doubt but 
 Solomon had the best. The oils or ointments 
 of the true Solomon are best of all. And of oint- 
 ments there were various sorts,'' as of roses, lilies, 
 almonds, nard, myrrh, saffron, &c. ; and Si/ria, a 
 neighbouring country to Judea, was famous for 
 some sorts of ointments, from whence Solomon 
 might be supplied. 
 
 1st. They are good in their own nature — are an 
 excellent composition, there is no ingredient in 
 them but what is good ; grace, as wrought in us, 
 is called some good thing toward the Lord God 
 of Israel ; it is a good work, which being begun, 
 shall be performed until the day of Christ. 
 
 2ndly. These ointments are both made, and 
 applied by a good hand ; for he that has made 
 them, and he that anoints us with them, is God. 
 The ingredients are not only good, but they are 
 put together by a skilful hand ; this unction is 
 made by, and received from the Holy One. 
 
 3rdly, They are good in their effects : tliey are 
 good to fnake the face to shine, to adorn the saints, 
 revive and refresh them ; they are good to soften 
 hard hearts, and heal wounded spirits ; they are 
 good to anoint the eyes with, and thereby recover, 
 continue, and increase sight. 
 
 4thly. They are good in the believers' esteem ; 
 they have had experience of their nature and ef- 
 fects, and can write probatum est upon each of 
 
 p Misn. Menachot. c. 8. s. 3. i Atheua;i 
 
 Deipnosophist. 1. 15. c. 11. ij. 688, 689. Clement. Alex. 
 Paedagog. 1. 2. p. 183. ' Abundant vino, un- 
 
 them ; and therefore highly value them, and with 
 very good reason. For, 
 
 5thly. These ointments are exceedingly rich 
 and costly. The holy anointing oil was rich and 
 costly, being made of the principal spices, but 
 not to be compared with these; the ingredients 
 of which are preferable to gold and silver, to 
 rubies, and all things that can be thought of or 
 desired; these are precious, rich, and costly oint- 
 ments indeed. 
 
 6thly. Which makes them still more valuable, 
 they ne?er lose their efficacy ; dead flies cause the 
 ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stink- 
 ing savour ; corrupt it so, that it loses its virtue, 
 and becomes good for nothing ; grace cannot be 
 lost and perish in the saints ; the anointing which 
 they receive, abides in them ; it is an immortal 
 seed, a well of living water, springing up into 
 eternal life ; and notwilhstanding the dead flies of 
 their sins and corruptions, yet they cannot make 
 the ointment of grace send forth a stinking savour ; 
 corruptions do, but grace never will ; it is not 
 indeed always in exercise, but it never will lose its 
 nature or its virtue; the saints' lamps shall never 
 go out, being supplied with oil from that fulness 
 of it that is in Christ. 
 
 Fourthly. These ointments are said to have a 
 savour in them ; precious ointments have a 
 fragrancy/ a sweet savour in them, very delight- 
 ful ; a greater savour has the grace of Christ to a 
 believer, who savours not the things of men, bat 
 the thinsrs of God; for, as the natuml man, ^<> 
 receiveth not, that is, he savours not, the things 
 of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness, 
 unsavoury and insipid things unto him ; these 
 ointments can no more be savoury to a carnal 
 man, than food can be relishing to a man of a 
 vitiated taste, or music be delightful to a deaf 
 man, or colours pleasant to one that is blind ; 
 for as the one wants his taste, the other his hear- 
 ing, and the third his sight, so this man wants 
 his smelling, and therefore these ointments 
 cannot be savoury to him ; but they are so to 
 the believer, who has his spiritual smelling; now 
 by the.. savour of these ointments, is intended the 
 manifestation of Christ's grace unto the soul ; 
 the sense and perception which souls have of it, 
 and their interest in it, fill them with pleasure 
 and delight ; and it was this which made the 
 virgins love Christ, and the church so desirous of 
 his company. There is an emphasis on the word 
 thy ; thy good ointments, none so odorous, so 
 savoury, and of so grateful a smell as his ; as 
 lovers used to admire and commend each others 
 ointments, by which they sought to recommend 
 themselves.' 
 
 II. The church in these words declares the 
 fragrancy and preciousness of Christ's name, 
 when she says, that his name is as ointment 
 
 guentorum fragrantia. Valer. Maxim. 1. 9. c. 1. 
 extern. I. • Nam omnium unguentiumodosprai 
 
 tua nautea est. Plauti Curculio, act. 1. sc. 2. v. 5. 
 
 C 
 
IS 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 foured forth. It will be proper to enquire what 
 is intended by the name of Christ, and in what 
 sense that may be said to be as ointment poured 
 forth. 
 
 1st. By the name of Christ may be meant his 
 person, this being not an unusual way of speakina; 
 in the scripture ; thus in Rev. iii. 4, " Thou 
 hast a few names," that is, persons, " even in 
 Sardis," &c., and in Matt. xii. 21 : " and in his 
 name shall the Gentiles trust," that is, in the 
 person of Christ shall the Gentiles trust ; so 
 here thy name is as ointment poured forth, that 
 is, thy person is as delightful, grateful, and odo- 
 rous to me, as the pouring forth a box of oint- 
 ment ; thou art altogether lovely to me, thy 
 ■whole person is so ; every thing in thee is en- 
 gaging, and ihou hast every thing to reader thee 
 desirable to me ; all beauty, power, wisdom, and 
 grace, are in thee, that it is no wonder the 
 virgins love thee ; for not only thy mouth, but 
 all of thee is lovely and desirable. 
 
 2ndly. Ey it may be intended some one, 
 or any ouc of those names by which he is called. 
 As, 
 
 1. The Messiah or Christ, which signifies 
 anointed. So that in comparing it to ointment, 
 there may be an allusion to the signification of 
 the name itself, and may more particularly point 
 out which name is intended, even tlie name Mes- 
 tiah, to which Christ, in the new Testament, 
 answers ; which, though not very frequently met 
 with in the Old Testament, yet was well known 
 to the ancient Jews, as appears from their 
 Targums, where it is made use of in upwards of 
 sixty places, in which the Redeemer is treated 
 of;' and as it was well known, so it was highly 
 esteemed of by them ; they expected him who 
 was to redeem Israel, under this title and cha- 
 racter; aud when he was come, and had revealed 
 himself unto some, in an exulting manner they 
 said one to another. We have found the Messiah, 
 which is, being interpreted, the Christ; that 
 name had been always precious to the saints, 
 who waited for the consolation of Israel, and 
 was then like a box of ointment poured forth, 
 exceeding grateful, delightful, and refreshing to 
 them. 
 
 2. Another name by which Christ is called, 
 and which may be said to be as " ointment 
 poured forth," is the name Jesus, which signifies, 
 a Saviour, and was given him, because he " saves 
 his people from their sins." Christ is, in the 
 everlasting Gospel, revealed as a Saviour ; it is 
 therein declared, that the design of his 
 coming into the world was to save sinners, and 
 that he has obtained eternal salvation for them, 
 and is both able and willing to save the chief of 
 them ; the discovery the Gospel makes of him 
 is exceeding delightful and pleasant to awak- 
 ened sinners. This name Jesus, a Saviour, how 
 sweet is it to such who have seen the exceedins 
 
 sinfulness of sin, themselves lost and undone 
 ihereb)', and in a peri.^hing state and condition ! 
 the news of a Saviour are good news and glad 
 " tidings of great joy " unto them ; the discovery 
 of it is like the breaking open a box of ointment, 
 and pouring it out ; it at once removes the filthy 
 stench of sin from the sinner's nostrils, and that 
 sadness and sorrow of heart which arise from 
 the guilt of it upon the consciencs. 
 
 3. Christ's name, Immanuel, may be said to 
 be as " ointment poured forth," which signifies 
 " God with us ;" and there are two things in it 
 which make it like " ointment poured forth," 
 that is, exceeding odorous and grateful to be- 
 lievers. 
 
 1. That he is God ; hence they know, and 
 are well assured, that he is able to save them ; 
 that the work is not too heavy for him ; that he 
 has not undertaken that which he is not able to 
 accomplish, which they would have reason to 
 believe, if lie was only a creature: from hence 
 they comfortably conclude, as well they may, that 
 all he did was efficacious, and answered the purposes 
 for vvhich it was done; as that his sacrifice was 
 efi'ectual to atone for and expiate sin ; his blood 
 to procure the pardon of it, and thoroughly 
 cleanse from it ; his righteousness to justify 
 from all sin, and render them acceptable in the 
 sight of God ; and all this, because they are the 
 sacrifice, blood, and righteousness of one that is 
 God. From this name they also gather, that he 
 having taken the care and charge of them, " is 
 able to keep them from falling ;" and that none 
 is able to pluck them out of his hands, no more 
 than they can separate them from his heart, 
 which they could not be so assured of, was he a 
 creature. 
 
 2. Another thing which makes this name like 
 " ointment poured forth," is, that he is " God 
 with us ;" God dwelling and conversing with us, 
 God in our nature, God manifest in the flesh; 
 hence it appears, that He who is the great God, 
 and our Saviour, is near akin to us, and we to 
 him ; being " flesh of his flesh, and bone of his 
 bone," we are both of one and the same nature, 
 and therefore he is not ashamed to call us bre- 
 thren ; and his assuming our nature, gives him 
 a I'ight, as well as makes him a proper person 
 to be our Goel or Redeemer, whereby all the 
 blessings, which he procured in this natui-e, are 
 communicated to us, and not to angels ; now 
 what makes this name still more sweet, savoury, 
 and delightful, is, that he, who is Immanuel, 
 God with us, God in our nature, is, and will be 
 on our side ; and if God be with us, and for us, 
 who shall be against us ? 
 
 4. Christ's name, " the Lord our righteous- 
 ness," may be said to be as " ointment poured 
 forth," by which he is called, Jer. xxiii. 6 ; this 
 is exceeding grateful, sweet, and precious to a 
 poor sinner ; one who has seen his own righte- 
 
 Vide Biixtorf. Talin. Lox. p 12(H, 1269, &c. 
 
VER. 
 
 3.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 19 
 
 ousness as filthy rags, aud as an unqleaa thiiig, 
 how does he value Christ as the Lord his righ- 
 • teousness ! he counts all things but loss and 
 dung, in comparison of him, aud desires ouly to 
 be found in him, and iu his rigliteousness, and not; 
 m his own ; but what makes this so exceeding 
 precious to him, is, because it acquits from all 
 sin, and s;cures from all wrath and condemnation, 
 and renders him spotless, unblameable, and irre- 
 proveable iu the sight of God. 
 
 5. Any, or all of those names of Christ, in 
 Isa. ix. 6, may be said to be as " ointment 
 poured forth," they being exceeding precious and 
 delightful to believers; such as Wonderful, 
 Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting 
 "Father, aud Frince of peace. Christ's name 
 " Wonderful," is so ; he being wonderful iu his 
 incarnation and grace, in his person and offices, 
 in his works, relations, and characters ; this emits 
 a sweet odour to believers, even like a box of 
 ointment opened to them : and so is his name 
 " Counsellor ;" under which character he acted 
 from everlasting, consulting with the other two 
 persons, our eternal welfare in the ancient council 
 of peace ; and still continues to bear this charac- 
 ter, which he makes good, by giving to us the 
 best advice and most wholesome counsel, and this 
 he does freely and faithfully : his name, " the 
 Mighty God," carries in it as much sweetness 
 and comfort to the believer, as it does greatness 
 and majesty; and that endearing title, the 
 " everlasting Father," who, as such, loves his 
 children with an everlasting love, and has made 
 everlasting provisions for tlienr, aud takes ever- 
 lasting care of them, fills those he stands thus 
 related to, with the utmost pleasure : and that 
 noble character, the " Prince of peace," which he 
 bears on the account of his having obtained 
 peace by " the blood of his cross," for rebellious 
 sinners, so sweetly diffuses the odour of his grace, 
 that it charms and captivates the believer's heart. 
 The names of true lovers are dear to each other, 
 to which the allusion is ; they love to hear their 
 names mentioned, &c., which are as precious oint- 
 ment, as delicious nectar." Or else, 
 
 Srdly. By Christ's name, we may understand 
 his Gospel ; thus, the apostle Paul is said to be 
 a chosen vessel, to hear the name of Christ before 
 the Gentiles, that is, to preach his Gospel to 
 them ; he was a vessel full of the precious oint- 
 ment of the Gospel, and his preaching of it was 
 the pouring of it forth, which was exceeding 
 grateful to poor sinners. The Gospel to some is 
 like a box of ointment shut up ; it is hid unto 
 them, they know it not, it is a sealed book, a 
 hidden mystery, an unpleasant story, and unsa- 
 voury words ; it sends forth no other savour than 
 that " of death unto death ;" but unto others, it 
 is like a box of ointmeut opened, and poured 
 forth, which diffuses and spreads a sweet and 
 
 ° Nomen nectari dulciu.s beato. 
 9. ep. 9. 
 
 Martial. Epigr. 
 
 delightful odour abroad. The ministers of the 
 Gospel make manifest the savour of Christ's 
 knowledge in everyplace where they are sent, aud 
 become to some the " savour of life unto life ;" 
 they open the box, and pour forth the ointment 
 of the Gospel, which coming with power, is re- 
 ceived with pleasure ; and being " worthy of ac- 
 ceptation," it meets with it in the hearts of 
 awakened sinners. 
 
 4thly. By the name of Christ, may be inteud- 
 ed the fame which was, aud still is spread abroad 
 of him : some Jewish writers^' expound it of a 
 good name or good report which Solomon 
 says, " is better than precious ointment," 
 Eccl. vii. 1 ; and then the sense is this, 
 " such is the fame that is spread abroad 
 ot thee, of thy greatness and goodness, of thy 
 beauties and excelleueies, that even those who 
 have ouly heard of thee by the hearing of the 
 ear, and to whom, at present, thou art not known 
 by sight, liave fallen in love with thee." In the 
 days of Christ's flesh, his name was renowned his 
 fame was s^iread far and near, for the good he did 
 to mankind, in healing the sick, and curing all 
 manner of diseases ; for the surprising miracles 
 which he wroui;ht, and for the work of the minis- 
 try, whicli he was engaged in; his matter being 
 excellent and divine, words of grace and wisdom, 
 such as " never man spake;" and his manner of 
 delivery being with power and authority ; and now 
 his fame is great, aud an excellent report is spread 
 abroad of him, through the preaching of the 
 everlasting Gospel, for the mighty achievements 
 of his grace, aud what his arm of Almighty power 
 has done, in working out, and bringing in salva- 
 tion for poor sinners ; as also for those peculiar 
 blessings of grace, which souls daily receive from 
 him, as well as for those personal excellencies 
 which are in him ; now such a report going 
 abroad of him, his name being thus " as oiut- 
 raent poured forth," the virgins love him, souls 
 flock after him, and come unto him. "Which 
 brings me to consider, 
 
 III. The influence that all tliis has upon the 
 hearts of others ; " thorcfore do the virgins love 
 thee." In explaining which clause, I shall endea- 
 vour, 
 
 1st. To show who are meant by the virgins. 
 
 2udly. Give some account of the nature of their 
 love and atfectiou to Christ. 
 
 1st. Let us consider who are intended by the 
 virgins. Some think carnal professors are here 
 meant, who are called virgins iu scripture, though 
 foolish ones ; but their love is not real, such as 
 this seems to be in the text : others have thought 
 that they are the uncalled and unconverted among 
 the Gentiles, who are not yet espoused to Christ ; 
 but they rather appear to be true believers in 
 Christ, by their love to Jiim, for " faith works by 
 love ;" aud, perhaps, persons lately converted are 
 
 ' R. 
 
 in loc. 
 
 Sol. Jarchiin loc. So Lyra. Vide Targum 
 c 2 
 
20 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF Tlffi 
 
 [CIIAP. 
 
 intended, whose love to Christ is generally warm 
 and lively, and their afFections strong, not having 
 as yet met with those chills, nor attended with 
 that coldness and indifFerence, which too often, 
 and too soon, befal God's children : the first love 
 is the best and strongest, but oftentimes doth not 
 last long, warm and lively, being gradually chilled 
 with the aboundings of corruption within, and the 
 snares of the world without ; though, perhaps, all 
 true believers, whether of a later or of a longer 
 standiug, may be uaderstood here, and may be 
 justly called virgins. 
 
 1. For their chaste and strict adherence to 
 Christ, their only husband, to whom they are 
 espoused; "I have espoused you to one husband," 
 says the apostle, " that I might present you a 
 chaste virgin to Christ," 2 Cor. xi. 2 ; these being 
 betrothed to him, " in righteousness, in loving- 
 kindness, in mercies, and in faithfulness," know, 
 own, and acknowledge him as their Lord and 
 Husband, and steadfastly adhere to him as such ; 
 he is a Head, both of eminence and influence to 
 them ; to him they hold, and him alone they 
 submit unto as such ; he is the Saviour of the 
 body, the church, and they acknowledge him to 
 be theirs, and will have no other. Their language 
 is, " Ashur shall not save us, neither will we say 
 any more to the works of our hands, Ye are our 
 gods." They make use of none, as the mediator 
 between God and them, either as a mediator of 
 redemption, or of intercession, but the Lord Jesus 
 Christ ; him they know and love, to him they 
 have given up themselves, and by hiin they will 
 abide, as their He.ad and Husband, their Saviour 
 and Mediator. 
 
 2. For the singleness of their love and affection 
 to Christ. Their love is not common to all ; it is 
 not bestowed upon any creature, but purely re- 
 served for him who alone deserves it ; they can 
 every one of them say, " Whom have I in heaven 
 but thee? and there is none on earth that I desire 
 besides thee," Psal. Ixxiii. 25. Christ requires all 
 their love, he will admit of no rival in it, and they 
 are heartily willing to bestow it all upon him. 
 Those who love any creature, or creature-enjoy- 
 ment more than Christ, or equally with him, are 
 not worthy of him, nor worthy to be called by 
 the name of virgins. 
 
 3. For their incorruptuess in the doctrine of 
 faith : this is what tlie apostle seems to have a 
 I'egard to, when he declared his fervent desire to 
 present the Corinthians, as a chaste virgin to 
 Christ ; he was jealous, lest they should be 
 seduced through the subtilty and craftiness of ill- 
 designing men, and their pure minds be corrupted 
 and drawn aside " from the simplicity that is iti 
 Christ ;" lest they should be polluted with error, 
 and so not answer the character of virgins, which 
 they had hitherto borne, and which he earnestly 
 wished might continue with them. Now virgins 
 are such, who having received, " hold fast the 
 faithful word, as they have been taught ;" whose 
 
 souls having been " nourished up in the words of 
 faith," and of good doctrine, and established there- 
 in, cannot be moved from thence, but will ear- 
 nestly contend, and strive together " for the faith 
 once delivered to the saints." 
 
 4. For the truth and sincerity of their worship : 
 they are such who " worship God in Spirit and in 
 truth ;" who make the word of God, and his will 
 therein revealed, the rule to act by, in all solemn 
 and social worship, and not the authorities, cus- 
 toms, and inventions of men ; and when they are 
 concerned iu any part of religious woiship, their 
 desires are, that their hearts and souls may be 
 engaged tlierein, they are not of those wlio " draw 
 near to God with their mouths, and with their 
 lips honour him, but have removed their hearts 
 far from him, and their fear towards hiin, taught 
 by the precepts of men ;" for as they have not 
 committed spiritual whoredom, which is idolatry, 
 so they serve the Lord with pure spirits ; they 
 desire that whatsoever they do, more especially in 
 divine worship, might be done in faith, from » 
 principle of love to God, and according to his 
 word and will : these are they who are said not to 
 " be defiled with women, for they are virgins ; 
 these are they which follow the Lamb whitherso- 
 ever he goeth," Rev. xiv. 4 ; iu every ordinance 
 and institution of his, which he in his word has 
 pointed out unto them, and marked out for them. 
 
 5. For the purity of their lives and conver- 
 sations ; they hold " the mystery of the faith," not 
 merely notionally and by a profession of it, but 
 " in a pure conscience," and hereby "adorn the doc- 
 trine of God, our Saviour;" their garments are, 
 in some measure, kept from being spotted with 
 the " pollutions of the world," and which they also 
 frequently wash and make " white in the blood of 
 the Lamb." Besides, " that grace of God, which 
 bringeth salvation," Tit. ii. 11, 12; that is, the 
 doctrines of grace, which bring the news of sal- 
 vation by Christ, to poor sinners, " teach them, 
 that denying uugodlines and worldly lusts, theij 
 should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in 
 this present world ;" which through the mighty 
 power of God's grace, they are in some measure 
 enabled to do. 
 
 6. For their fairness and beauty. Virgins be- 
 ing fair and beautiful, believers are therefore com- 
 pared unto them ; for though they are black in 
 themselves, yet they are comely iu Christ ; though 
 full of spots iu themselves, yet, as considered in 
 him, they are " all fair, and there is no spot" in 
 them : through that comeliness, which he has put 
 upon them, they are a perfection of beauty, and 
 being so, are the delight of Christ, and wonder 
 of angels. 
 
 7. For their gay and costly attire, and yet 
 modest behaviour. Virgins, in their youthful 
 days, if modest, though their attire is gay and 
 splendid, suitable to their age, yet are of decent and 
 becoming behaviour. Believers are richly attired : 
 these virgins appear in cloth of gold, " in raiment 
 
VEB. 3.] 
 
 SONfl OF SONGS. 
 
 21 
 
 of needlework," curiously wrought, which cannot 
 be matched ; they are decked with all kinds of 
 ornaments, with bracelets, chains, rin^s, aud 
 Jewels ; they have on tiie glorious robe of Christ's 
 righteousness, aud are adorned with the various 
 graces of the S[)irit, which make their behaviour 
 decent aud modest ; for they are not proud aud 
 haughty, one of their oruiiments being that " of 
 a meek and quiet spirit ;" they have low, mean 
 and humble thoughts of themselves ; suitable to 
 their character is their carriage and deportment ; 
 for though they are so riclily clothed, and so nearly 
 related to the King of kings, yet, like their Lord, 
 are meek and lowly. 
 
 Secondly. I shall now proceed to give some 
 account of the love which these virgins bear to 
 Christ : in doing which 1 shall, 
 
 1st. Give some account of the nature of it. 
 
 2ndly. Show from whence it arises. And 
 
 Srdly. How it manifests itself. 
 
 Ist. Let us consider the nature and prope rlie* 
 of it. 
 
 1. It is a su])erlative love which souls bear to 
 CJirist ; it exceeds aud excels their love to all crea- 
 tures, or creature-enjoymeuts. Christ loves them 
 above all others, aud they love him more thau 
 all persons or things besides ; of all that claim a 
 share in their love, as noue deserves, so uone has a 
 greater interest therein than himself. 
 
 2. It is universal ; they love all of Christ, and 
 all that belong to him ; they love him in his Per- 
 son, and in all his offices, relations, and characters, 
 which he has taken upon him, aud by which he is 
 pleased to manifest himself unto them : they love 
 all his saiuts, be they high or low, rich or poor, and 
 by whatsoever character or denomination, they 
 are distinguished, if it appears that his grace is 
 but wrought in their hearts, and they bear his 
 image and superscription ; they love all his com- 
 mands, ordinances, and institutions ; they " esteem 
 his precepts concerniug all things to be right," and 
 are not partial in their obedience thereunto. 
 
 3. It is, or at least ought to be, constant and 
 faithful, as his is to them, and as Jonathan's was 
 to David ; we should love him in adversity as well 
 as in prosperity, at all times ; nothing should 
 separate our love from Christ, as nothing can sepa- 
 rate his love from us, 
 
 4. It is, or ought to be, fervent and ardent ; 
 and so it is usually at first conversion, as has been 
 already observed ; and this is called in scripture, 
 the " first love," whicli the church at Ephesus was 
 blamed for leaving ; not that she had lost her 
 love to Christ, but the fervency thereof was much 
 abated ; she began to grow cold and lukewarm in 
 her affections, which is too often the case of God's 
 people, through the prevailing of corrujjtions, aud 
 an immoderate desire aud pursuit alter the things 
 of this world ; " because iniquity shall abound," 
 says Christ, " the love of many shall wax cold," 
 Matt. xxiv. 12. 
 
 5. Where there is true lov« to Christ, it is al- 
 
 ways hearty and unfeigned ; the virgins, true be- 
 lievers, love hira " with all thuir heart, and with 
 all their soul ;" they love him " in sincerity," and 
 from their very hearts can appeal to Him, who 
 is the heart-search iug aud reiu-trying God, as 
 Peter did, and say, " Lord, thou knowest all things, 
 thou knowest that I love thee," John. xxi. 17. 
 IJere is no deceit, dissirauUition, or hypocrisy ia 
 their love; though it may be sometimes weak 
 and languid, yet whenever it exerts and shows it- 
 self, it is real and hearty ; these love not " in word 
 only," neither in tongue, " but in deed and in 
 truth." 
 
 2ndly. It will be proper to enquire into the 
 springs and causes of this love, aud to observe 
 from whence it arises. And, 
 
 1. It springs and arises from a sight of Christ's 
 loveliness : an unbeliever sees no beauty in Christ, 
 wherefore he should desire him ; there is nothing 
 in him lovely to a carnal eye; but one that is 
 " made^light in the Lord," and has but a glimpse of 
 
 the King in his beauty," his heart is wou, his 
 soul is ravished and drawn forth in love to him ; 
 he admires and desires him above all, and cannot 
 be easy without an interest in him. 
 
 2. From a view of his suitableness, as a 
 Saviour ; the believer not only sees personal and 
 transcendent excellencies in him, which ravish him, 
 but special blessings, which are proper for him; 
 he beholds him as " full of grace and truth ;" 
 he smells a sweet savour in his ointments, and 
 that name Jesus, a Saviour, becomes exceeding 
 precious to him ; he views all righteousness and 
 strength, peace aud pardon, light and life, joy 
 and comfort, grace aud glory, and all things ap- 
 pertaining to salvation, every thing to make him 
 comfortable here, and happy hereafter, in Clirist ; 
 and therefore says, as David did, " I will love 
 thee, O Lord, my strength," Psal. xviii. 1. 
 
 3. From a sense of his lore and manifestation 
 of it to their souls ; " we love him," says the 
 apostle, " because he first loved us," 1 John iv. 
 19; our love is not the cause of his, but his is 
 the cause of ours ; aud it is not merely his loving 
 us, but the shedding it abroad in our hearts by 
 his Spirit, which draws out our love to him ; 
 for though he loved us, yet if he had not some 
 way or other manifested it to us, and overcome 
 our hearts with it, we should still have remained 
 enemies to him ; but his giving us the sense and 
 perception of it in our hearts, is what has drawn 
 us to himself, and will keep us there. 
 
 4. From a view of union and relation to hira ; 
 how can persons do otherwise thau love him, 
 when they see themselves so nearly united to him, 
 as to be " members of his body, of his flesh, 
 and of his bones ?" How can they but love him, 
 when they view him standing in and filling up 
 the relations of an indulgent Father, a tender 
 Husband, a loving Brother, and faithful Friend 
 unto them ? 
 
 5. This is more and moi'« increased by enjoying 
 
22 
 
 AN KXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. I. 
 
 commiinioa with him ; the more intimate a be- 
 liever is with Christ, the oftener he sees him, 
 the more frequent visits he receives from him, 
 and tiie greater aoquaiutance and fellowship he 
 has with him, the more he loves him ; every 
 ti^ht of him, visit from him, and enjoyment of 
 his |)resence, add fresh strength and fervency to 
 his love ; John, the beloved disciple, who leaned 
 on Christ's bosom, and had intimate communion 
 with him, had his heart filled with love to him, 
 and wrote the most largely of it. But, 
 
 3rdly. I shall now endeavour to show how this 
 love manifests itself ; and it does so, 
 
 1. By a regard to Christ's commands and or- 
 dinances ; " If ye love me," says Christ, " keep 
 my commandments ; for he that hath my com- 
 mandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth 
 me," John xiv. 15—21 ; that is, lie that hath 
 my commandments written upon his heart, by 
 the finger of the Spirit, according to the tenor of 
 the covenant of grace, aad is enabled to keep 
 them by the assistance of my grace and Spirit, 
 he it is that shows his love to me ; and therefore, 
 as you say, you love me, show it by an observance 
 of my commands : and all that love Christ will 
 do so, according to the measure of grace received ; 
 they will love the place of divine worship, and 
 have a respect to all his ordinances and institu- 
 tions ; for all his tabernacles are amiable and 
 lovely to them. 
 
 2. By a regard to his truths, the doctrines of 
 the Gospel; they receive the truth in the love of 
 it, and value it more than their " necessary 
 food ;" they Wghly esteem the preachers of it, 
 and cannot bear to hear one truth of the Gospel 
 •poken against. 
 
 3. By a i-egard to his people ; they love the 
 saints, who love Christ, t'ley delight in their 
 company, and take pleasure in conversing with 
 them ; they are the " excellent in the earth, in 
 whom is all their delight ;" and indeed, where 
 there is no love to the saints, there can be no 
 true love to Christ ; for, as the apostle Jo/m 
 says, " he that loveth not his brother, whom he 
 hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath 
 not seen ?" 1 John iv. 20. 
 
 4. By a regard to his presence ; a soul that 
 loves Christ, values the presence of Christ; 
 nothing so desirable to him as that is : and when 
 he lias lost sight of Christ, cannot be easy with- 
 out him, but seeks here and there until he has 
 found him whom his soul loves : he thinks him- 
 self never more happy than when he has Christ's 
 presence, and never worse than when he is vrith- 
 out it. 
 
 5. This love manifests itself, by parting with 
 and bearing all for Christ : a soul that truly loves 
 Christ, will part with all that is near and dear 
 to him, for him , he will forsake his own kindred, 
 and his father's house ; he counts Christ " the pearl 
 of groat price," and is therefore willing to quit 
 all he has, that he may but eujoy that ; he leaves 
 
 all, as the disciples did, and follows Christ ; and 
 resolves, come what will, that Christ's God shall 
 be his God, and Christ's people his people, and 
 where Christ lodges he will lodge, and where he 
 2oes he will follow, and cleave close to him, as 
 Rui/i did to Naomi. Jloieover, he is not only 
 willinir to leave and lose all for Christ, but also to 
 bear all for him, that he is pleased to lay u))on 
 him, and call him to; he is willing to suffer 
 reprop.ches, afflictions, and persecutions for the 
 sake of him and his Gospel, and to bear any cross 
 whatever he thinks fit to enjoin him : all which 
 he would never be willing to submit to, was not 
 his soul filled with love to Christ ; and such a 
 love as this, which springs from such causes, 
 and manifests itself in these ways, is exceeding 
 grateful to Christ, as appears from chap. iv. 10. 
 
 Verse 4. Draw me, we ml! run after thee : The 
 King hath hrovght me i)ito his chambers. We 
 will be glad and rejoice in thee : We will re- 
 member thy love more than wine: The uyright 
 love thee. 
 
 The church having taken notice of the excellency 
 of Christ's love, the savour of his ointments, 
 and preciousuess of his name, which made the 
 virgins, her companions, love him ; she persists 
 in and continues her request, for communion with 
 him, in these words; in which we have, 
 
 I. A petition ; " draw me." 
 
 IT. An argument which she makes use of to 
 obtain this request; " we will run after thee." 
 
 III. The request granted to her, which is ac- 
 knowledged by her ; " the king hath brought me 
 into his chambers." 
 
 IV. The effects thereof, or the influence which 
 this had upon her^ " we will rejoice," &c. 
 
 I. Here is a request or petition made by the 
 church to Christ ; "'draw me." V/hat she intends 
 hereby will be proper to consider. And, 
 
 1st. There is a powerful efficacious drawing of 
 souls to Christ, at conversion, when God calls a 
 poor sinner by his grace, brings him to Christ, 
 enables him to venture upon him, and believe in 
 liim for life and salvation ; which is what Christ 
 speaks of in John vi. 44, when he says, " No man 
 can come to me except the Father which has sent 
 me, draw him." A soul's coming to Christ for 
 life, is not the produce of power and free-will in 
 mau, but of the grace of God in drawing, though 
 it is not effected by force or compulsion ; it is true, 
 the sinner, in his natural estate, " is stout-hearted, 
 and far from righteousness," averse to Christ and 
 the way of salvation by him ; but by mighty 
 grace, this stout heart is brought dowu, and made 
 willing to submit to Gud'o way of salvation ; this 
 obduracy is removed, and hardness of heart taken 
 away by him, who has promised to take away the 
 " stony heart, and give a heart of flesh." Uncon- 
 verted sinners are indeed unwilling to come to 
 Christ for life ; but those who belong to the 
 election of grace, arc made " willing in the day of 
 
•i-l 
 
 SONG OF SOJfGS. 
 
 23 
 
 Christ's power :" the macslaj'er did not more 
 willingly flee from the avenger of blood, to the city 
 of refuge, than a sinner, sensible of sin, and the 
 danger of his state, does to Christ for salvation ; 
 for though a soul is not brought to Christ, by the 
 power of his free-will, yet he is not brought 
 against his will : drawing does not always suppose 
 force and compulsion; there are other ways of 
 drawing besides that. Thus the fame of a sJiilful 
 physiciau draws many peo])le to him ; thus music 
 draws the ear ; love the heart ; and pleasure the 
 mind; as the poet says, " Ti;|ihit sua queraque 
 voluptas." Nor is this done by mere moral sua- 
 sion, which is what miuialers use ; knowing the 
 terrors of the Lord, tiiey persuade men : but if 
 the mighty power of grace does uot attend their 
 ministry, not one soul will ever be converted ; 
 though they represent the joys of heaven and the 
 terrors of hell, in never such a lively manner ; 
 speak in never such moving strains, and use the 
 most powerful arguments to win upon souls; yet 
 they will stretch out their " haads all the day, 
 to a gainsaying and disobedient people ;" they 
 will return with a " who hath believed our re- 
 port ? the arm of the Lord " not being " revealed" 
 unto them. God does not act as a mere moral 
 cause in man's conversion ; he does not only pro- 
 pose an object, and then leave the will to choose, 
 but powerfully and effectually works both " to 
 will and to do of his own good pleasure ;" for this 
 drawing is accomplished by the secret aud invisi- 
 ble power of his mighty grace : and in this seuse 
 is the word used, in Judges iv. 7, when Deborah 
 tells Barak, that the Lord had promised, saying, 
 " I will DRAW unto thee, to the river Kishon, 
 Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his 
 chariots aud his multitudes, aud I will deliver 
 him into thine bauds ;" that is, I who have the 
 hearts of kings, generals, and captains of armies 
 in my hands, and can turn them " as the rivers of 
 waters, whithersoever I will," will powerfully and 
 • invisibly work upon, move, and incline Sisera'i 
 heart to lead his array to the river. Kishon, where 
 I will give an instance of my power and goodness 
 in delivering him into thine hands. Thus God 
 powerfully and invisibly works upon the hearts of 
 sinners, beuds their wills, slays the enmity of 
 their minds, allures and draws them to Ciirist, 
 " suavi omuipotentia, aud omnipotcute suavitatc," 
 " by a sweet omnipotence, and an omnipotent 
 sweetness;" aud this he docs by revealing Christ 
 unto them, in all his beauty and loveliness, disco- 
 vering the love of Christ unto their souls ; by the 
 kind invitations of his grace, the precious aud en- 
 couraging promises of the gospel, aud the special 
 teachings of his Spirit ; all which is an evidence 
 of his everlasting love ; for it is, because be hath 
 " loved them with an everlasting love ; therefore 
 " with loving kindness" he hath " drawn" them ; 
 this is also a fruit of Christ's death ; " I, if I be 
 lifted up from the earth," says he, meaning his 
 
 elevation upon the cross, " will draw all men unto 
 me," John xii. 32 ; that is, all that the Father 
 hath given me, and iias promised, shall be ga- 
 thered to me, and wlio.-n I shall shed my blood 
 for. iloreover, it is likewise an indication of the 
 weakness aud impotence of sinners, seeing they 
 cannot come unless they are drawn ; and suffi- 
 ciently destroys the notion which advances the 
 free-will and power of the creature in conversion : 
 but I apprelieud that this is not the drawing in- 
 tended in this petition, for thus the church had 
 been already drawn. 
 
 The Septuagint read it, " They have drawn 
 thee: at the smell of thine ointments, will we run;"* 
 that is, the virgins have loved thee, and shown 
 their love to thee ; and this has so taken with thine 
 heart, that it has drawn thee after them, they have 
 thy company, which I want ; but by the smell of 
 those ointments, which thou carriest about with 
 thee, I, and others, will run after thee, till we find 
 thee : so that Christ, according to this version and 
 sense of the words, is the person drawn, and not 
 the person petitioned to, to draw ; though the 
 latter seems best to agree both with the Hebrew 
 tejt, and the sense of the words. 
 
 R. Aben Ezra thinks that they are the wordi 
 of the virgins, who, every one of them, desire, 
 saying, " draw me ; we," every one of us, " will 
 run after thee ;" but they seem rather to be the 
 words of the church, desirous of more intimate 
 communion with Christ ; for there is. 
 
 Secondly. A drawinsj to nearer communion 
 with Christ, which believers oftentimes want, and 
 are desirous of, and which the church had en- 
 joyed ; as appears from the following clause in this 
 verse ; in which she declares that " the king had 
 brought her into his chambers," where he con- 
 versed with her, and disclosed the secrets of his 
 heart to her : now this petition of hers for nearer 
 communion with him, supposes, 
 
 1. A distance between Christ and her; not a 
 distance with regard to union ; for believers being 
 one with Christ, they never are, nor can be dis- 
 tanced from him ; they are always in this sense, 
 " a people near unto the Lord ;" nor is there a 
 distance of affection, for " hiving loved his own, 
 which were in the world, he loves them to the 
 end;" they can never be separated from his love, 
 seeing they are engraven as a seal upon his heart : 
 but this is a distance as to communion ; and, in 
 this sense, Christ does sometimes stand at a dis- 
 tance, and hides himself from his people ; as ap- 
 pears by their frequent complaints of it, they then 
 thinking themselves forsaken and forgotten by 
 him. 
 
 2. This petition shows her uneasiness in this 
 condition, and therefore she says, " draw me ;" 
 not but that sometimes believers are lukewarm 
 and iudiflferent ; for falling asleep upon a bed of 
 security, they become insensible of their condition, 
 and therefore unconcerned about it ; but when 
 
 » "EiXiii.ffatjTe, &c. Sic legunt Origen. Theodor aud Ambros. in Sanct. in loc. 
 
24 
 
 AN EXl'bSlTlON OF XUJ 
 
 [ciiAP. T. 
 
 they are awakened, and find their beloved gone, 
 their souls are troubled, and being impatient of 
 delay, though in the night, an the church in 
 chap, iii., arise from their beds, and in " the 
 streets and broad ways" seek him, whom their 
 souls love. 
 
 8. This request shows the sense she had of 
 her own inability to attain to a state of nearer 
 communion with him : "when he hides his face, 
 who can behold him ? " when he stands at a dis- 
 tance, who can come near him ? if he is pleased 
 to withdraw his presence, there is no commanding 
 it ; the light of his countenance, the enjoyment of 
 his presence, and fellowship with him, are as much 
 the instances of his distinguishing and sovereign 
 grace, and as much depend upon his sovereign 
 pleasure, as the first workings of grace itself; we 
 can no more enjoy the one at pleasure, than we 
 could effect the other ; the same Spirit that 
 wrought grace in us at first, must give us access 
 into Christ's presence ; we need now the same 
 bands and cords of love to draw us to Christ, as 
 then we did. 
 
 4. It signifies the apprehension she seems to 
 have of danger ; draw me, or I shall be drawn 
 away : believers may be sometimes under fearful 
 apprehensions of being drawn away by the cor- 
 ruptions of their nature, the snares of the world, 
 and the temptations of Satan, though they can 
 never be drawn totally and finally from Christ. 
 He has, by the cords of love, drawn them to him- 
 self ; and though they may not always experience 
 it, yet he will never leave his people till he has 
 brought them safe to glory. 
 
 5. It shows that high value and esteem she 
 had for communion with Christ, which makes her 
 so earnestly importune that blessing, and use such 
 pressing and repeated instances for the enjoyment 
 of it ; this was the " one thing " she earnestly de- 
 sired and sought for, yea, preferred to all other 
 enjoyments. Moreover, 
 
 II. Here is an argument made use of to obtain 
 this request, " We will run after thee :" or else it 
 may be considered as the end of her asking this 
 favour, " draw me," that we may " run after 
 thee.y " Lord, dotthou draw, that we may run, 
 which we cannot do, unless thou do=t; but if thou 
 wilt, we shall run after thee. Here is a change 
 of persons in these words; first she says, draw 
 me, and then we will run after thee ; by whom 
 are meant, she, and the virgins, her companions ; 
 the church, and particular members : every one 
 in their stations would act with more life and 
 vigour upou such drawings. " We wiU run after 
 thee ; " this is not a running to Christ, as sinners 
 do under apprehension of danger, as to a city of 
 refuge, and saints, as to a place of protection, 
 safety, and security ; but this is a running after 
 him : Christ is the fore-runner who has gone 
 before us, and left us an example, both in doing 
 
 » nST>3 ut curramus, so some in Marskius. 
 
 and suffering, as the Pulflller of righteousness, and 
 the great Captain of our salvation ; and we must 
 follow him, the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth ; 
 and not only follow, but run. Our life is fre- 
 quently, in scripture, called a race ; Christ is the 
 mark we must press after : heaven is the jor/ii? 
 we should have in view; and the way or stadium 
 in which we should run, are Christ's command- 
 ments ; though our running therein, or performing 
 them, is not the cause of our obtaining the prize ; 
 for " it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that 
 runneth, but of God that showeth mercy ;" yet 
 running herein is our duty ; which supposes, 
 
 1st. Cheerlulness, readiness, and willingness ; 
 then, says David, " will I run the way of thy 
 commandments, when thou shall enlarge my heart," 
 Psal. cxix. 32 ; that is, I shall observe them more 
 cheerfully, readily, and willingly; it will remove 
 that backwardness that is in me to duty. 
 
 2ndly. Swiftness; "I made haste, aud delayed 
 not, to keep thy commandments," Psal. cxix. 00, 
 says the same psalmist; such obedience as this, 
 though far more perfectly than we are capable of, 
 do the angels perform in heaven. 
 
 3rdly. Strength; and this we have not; but 
 there is fulness of it with Christ ; who, whilst we 
 are waiting on him, is pleased to renew owvstrenytk, 
 so that we " mount up with wings as eagles, and 
 run and are not weary, and walk and do not 
 faint." Novv this is the effect of that drawing, 
 without which there is no running; we cannot 
 set one step forward unless he speak to us, 
 much less can we run, unless he draw us. 
 
 III. Here is an account of the request being 
 granted, which she observes with pleasure, " the 
 King hath brought me into his chambers ;" though 
 others read it, " Let the King bring me,' or, ! 
 that the King would bring me," &c. and so take 
 it as a contiimation of her desires after commu- 
 nion with Christ ; but this is for want of know- 
 ledge iu the Hebrew language, as Mercer observes : 
 others think that the past tense is put for the 
 future, and so read it, " The King shall or will 
 bring me," &c., as being expressive of her faith, 
 that she should enjoy what she was desirous of. 
 Junms renders it, " When the King shall have 
 brought me," &c., and so carries in it the nature 
 of a promise, as to her and her virgins future 
 behaviour upon the enjoyment of such a blessing ; 
 though I think it is much better rendered by our 
 translators, " The King hath brought me," &c., 
 and so signifies her enjoyment of the mercy she 
 sought after. Wherein are three things to be 
 considered, 
 
 1 St. Who this Kinr/ is, that brought her into 
 his chambers. 
 
 2ndly. What chambers those are, which he 
 brought her into. 
 
 3rdly. What is meant by his bringing there, or 
 what this phrase is expressive of. 
 
 « iiicru7a7eTu) /le, Symmachus ; introducat me, MarcT 
 kius, ' 
 
VEK. 
 
 4.] 
 
 SONG OF SOXGS. 
 
 05 
 
 1st. Who this King is, not Solomon, for " a 
 greater thaa Solomcn is here ;" but the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, who is kot' €|ox'?>', by way of emi- 
 nency, called, " Tlie King-."' who is the King of 
 the whole word, the Kins; of the kings of the 
 world, and the King of saints ; he has, as he is 
 God, an universal empire over all worlds, heaven, 
 earth, and hell; and as Mediator, has a kingdom 
 t'iven him by his Father, which he has purchased 
 with his own blood, and by the mighty conquests 
 of his grace, has brought into subjection to him- 
 self; in this kingdom he enacts laws for the sub- 
 jects thereof, by which Ihcy are governed and kept 
 iu order ; he subdues all their enemies, siu, Satan, 
 and the world ; protects them from all dangers ; 
 encourages his loyal and faithful subjects ; cour- 
 teously receives them, graciously takes notice of 
 all their petitions, and supplies them with every 
 thing needful for them : now this kingdom, which 
 Christ as Mediator, is possessed of, is of a spiritual 
 
 2. The doctrines of the Gospel, which contaia 
 the unsearchable riches of Christ, and the mys- 
 teries of his grace, which he brings his people gra- 
 dually into, and shows them those things which 
 eye hath not seen, neither hath ear heard, nor the 
 heart of man conceived of:"* He took me, as if she 
 should say, into his chambers, and there more 
 thoroughly iustructed me into his n)ind aud will; 
 gave me to know more fully the mysteries of the 
 kingdom ; opened all the treasures of his grace, 
 aud showed me all his riches, and glory contained 
 therein. Now this sense suits well with a practice 
 much used by the Jews, who frequently taught in 
 chambers, where they also met togecher to con- 
 verse about, and determine matters in religion, as 
 fully appears from their writings ;' and we have 
 many hints in the New Testament, which confirm 
 it ; it was in such a chamber that Christ kept the 
 passover, and instituted the Lord's Supper, and 
 gave there a discovery of the nature of his death 
 
 nature, and managed in a spiritual way ; it is kept and sufferings to his disciples : in such a room the 
 
 in peace, being governed in wisdom and righte- 
 ousness ; and will continue for ever, when all 
 other rule and authority shall be thrown down. 
 But, 
 
 2ndly. What chambers are these which this king 
 is said to bring her into ? Not the temple, into 
 which Solomon introduced the people of Israel, 
 which is the same sense' some give of the words ; 
 though there may be an'= allusion to the temple, 
 and the chambers thereof, of which mention is 
 made, 1 Chron. xxviii. 11, 12; and more espe- 
 cially to the holy of holies, which was inaccessible 
 to any but the high priest ; as that, which was 
 typified by it, is to any but Christ the lligh-priest, 
 and those who belong to him, to whom he gives 
 access, and who have boldness and liberty to enter 
 into the holiest of all, by the blood of Jesus : nor do 
 1 think that by them are meant those everlasting 
 mansions of peace and rest, which are in Christ's 
 Fathers's house, which he is preparing for his 
 spouse, and bride, and into which he, ere long, 
 will introduce her, where they will keep an ever- 
 lasting nuptial feast ; for at present she could not 
 say, that she was brought thither, though she 
 might be assured of it, that she should, by those 
 kind intimations of his love unto her ; therefoi-e 
 it seems better to understand them either, 
 
 1. Of those chambers of intimate communion 
 and fellowship, which Christ sometimes brings 
 his people into, and of which they are exceeding 
 desirous; this inestimable blessing Christ fre- 
 quently grants to his people in his ordinances ; 
 for he does not always sufi'er them to stand 
 without, in the outer courts, but sometimes takes 
 them into his inner chambers, where he discloses 
 the secrets of his heart unto them, gives evident 
 intimations of his love, and fills their souls with 
 
 divine consolation : or else, 
 
 » So tke Cabalistie Doctors interpret the King, 
 when put alone, of Tiphereth, the bridegroom, 
 Lexic. Cab p. .^36. t" Briglitman and Cotton, 
 
 iu loc. ' Vulc Bishop Patrick, in loo. '' So 
 
 disciples met together, after his ascension ; and 
 in such an one Paul preached till midnight. 
 But. 
 
 3rdly. What is meant by being brought into these 
 chambers ; or what does this phrase import, or 
 express ? 
 
 1. On Christ's part. 
 
 (1). An acknowledgement of her to be his 
 bride ; he having espoused her to himself, and 
 solemnized the marriage among her friends, which 
 was the Jewish custom, takes her home to him- 
 self as his spouse and bride, to live and converse 
 with him ; leads her into his chambers, aud there 
 unlocks all his treasures; shows her all his riches 
 and glory, and puts her into the possession of 
 them. 
 
 (2). It imports wonderful condescension in 
 him, that he, who is the King of kings, should 
 vouchsafe to regard such a worthless creature, as 
 the church is in herself ; and much laore espouse 
 her to himself, aud in such a kind, loving, and fa- 
 miliar manner, give her access to his person, and 
 all he has, and grant her such intimate communion 
 and fellowship with him. 
 
 (3). It shows us, that all our nearness to, and 
 communion with God, are in and through Christ ; 
 it is he that gives us " access into the grace where- 
 in we stand," and leads us into the presence of his 
 Father ; he is our only way of access unto him, and 
 acceptance with him. 
 
 2. On her part , they being her words, show, 
 
 (1). That she does not ascribe this to herself, 
 but to his powerful and eiBcacious grace ; she was 
 conscious of her own inability, and therefore makes 
 application to him, and, having obtained her de- 
 sires, acknowledges it to the glory of his grace ; 
 who " brought, or caused her to come," as the* 
 word may be rendered, notwithstanding all difii- 
 
 Theodoret. and Tres Patres, in loc. ' Vide 
 
 Targuni in Cant. 3. 4. and Tract. Sabbat, in Mis- 
 nah, c. I. §. 4. f'DN'irtme venire fecit. 
 
2G 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF TIIE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 eulties and obstructions which lay in the way. 
 
 (2). This she does with thaiikfuluess, in an 
 exulting manner, as this way of speaking testi- 
 fies, and the following words declare : what was 
 before matter of prayer, is now the subject of 
 •praise ; she owns, with gratitude, as became her, 
 the mercy she had received. 
 
 (3). It seems to be iu a boasting way and 
 manner that she speaks. Believers are allowed 
 to glory in the Lord, and boast of what he has 
 done for them, and manifests to them, that his 
 grace may be magnified, others take notice of it, 
 and they be encouraged iu their addresses to him : 
 the church here might have an eye to the virgins 
 or daughters of Jerusalem. 
 
 IV. We have, in these words, the effects or 
 consequences of the church's enjoying this valua- 
 ble blessing, as they appear in her own members, 
 or her daughters, " the virgins." 
 
 1st. Gladness and rejoicing in Christ ; " vve 
 will be glad and rejoice in thee." The several 
 clauses of this text, some think, should be con- 
 sidered thus ;B the first clause, " Draw me," as 
 the words of the church ; the next, " We will 
 run after thee," the chorus of the virgins ; then 
 the church agaiu says, " The King hath brought 
 me into his chambers ;" and after that the virgins, 
 " We will be glad," &c., but whether the church, 
 or the virgins, or both, are here intended, it is 
 certain, that this is the laugunge of believers, of 
 whose joy Christ is the object: they rejoice, not 
 in themselves, neither in their works, nor graces, 
 nor frames, but in the Lord Jesus Christ ; this is 
 one part of the character which the apostle gives 
 of true believers ; they are such who " rejoice in 
 Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh," 
 Phil. iii. 3. 
 
 1. They rejoice in his person, in his greatness, 
 fitness, fulness, and glory, as he is God and man 
 iu one person; for, being so, he is able to be 
 their Saviour, a proper person to be a Mediator, 
 has all fulness of grace treasured up in him, aud 
 appears to be " the brightness of his Father's 
 glory, and the express image of his person ;" a 
 view of, and communion with, such an one, must 
 needs fill the believer with " a joy unspeakable 
 and full of glory." 
 
 2. They rejoice in what he has doue for them ; 
 he is the Lord Jehovah, " who has doue great 
 things for them, whereof they are glad ;" he en- 
 gaged as their Surety in the everlasting covenant, 
 and in the " fulness of time " assumed their nature, 
 finished and made reconciliation for their sins, 
 satisfied Divine Justice, fulfilled a righteous law, 
 brought in and clothed them with an everlasting 
 righteousness, procured the pardon of all their 
 sins ; and, in short, has secured all grace and glory 
 for them ; and when they consider all this, they 
 cannot but be glad and rejoice in him. 
 
 3. They rejoice also iu what he is uuto them, 
 as well as in what he has done for them , he 
 
 stands in and fills up aU relations to them ; he is 
 their " everlasting Father," their kind and loving 
 Brother, their tender and indulgent Husband, their 
 constant and faithful Friend, and indeed, their " all 
 in all;" he is every thing unto them, for he " of 
 God is made uuto them, vvisdom, righteousness, 
 sanctification, «««? redemption;" and when they 
 consider him under all these eiideai'ing characters 
 and relations, it is no wonder that they are heard 
 to say, " I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my 
 soul shall be joyful ia the God of my salvation," 
 &c. 
 
 2ndly. Another effect of the church enjoying 
 such intimate communion with Christ, is a re- 
 membrance of his love ; " We will remember thy 
 love more than wine." I have already, on ver. 
 2, shown you the preferableness of Christ's love 
 to wine, and shall not here repeat it, only show, 
 
 1. What it is to remember Christ's love. 
 
 2. Wliy we should, and every believer will do so, 
 1. What it is to remember it. 
 
 1. It is so to record it iu our minds, as not to 
 forget it ; we should, with David, call upon our 
 " souls, and all that is within us, to bless his 
 holy name, and forget not all his benefits," Psal. 
 ciii. 1, 2 ; and more especially we should not for- 
 get his love, from whence they all spring. 
 
 2. We should often meditate upon it ; which 
 would not only serve to advance the glory of di- 
 vine love ; but would sweetly ravish our souls, 
 raise our affections, inflame our love, and quicken 
 our faith. 
 
 3. We should constantly observe that ordinance, 
 which Christ has appointed for this purpose, 
 namely, the Lord's supper : it being his design in 
 the institution of it, that we should remember him, 
 his broken body and precious blood, and particu- 
 larly his special love, which appeared in all. 
 
 4. We should so remember it, as to have our de- 
 sires more strongly after 'it, and our afi'eetions 
 more firmly fixed upon it : Christ's love is excel- 
 lent and valuable; it is preferable to life itself, and 
 all the comforts of it ; and a frequent revolving it 
 in our minds will enlarge our desires afler a greater 
 knowledge of it, and heighten our value for, and 
 esteem of it. 
 
 5. W^d should 80 remember it, as to exercise 
 faith iu it; for it will bring us but little comfort, 
 and do us but little service, uuless we can, iu some 
 measure, appropriate it to ourselves, saying, with 
 the apostle, " He hath loved me, antjlr hath given 
 himself for me;" it will afford us no solid joy aud 
 comfort, that he has loved others, if we have no 
 reason to hope and believe that he hath loved lis ; 
 for it is faith's viewing a peculiar interest in 
 this love, that fixes a sense of it more firmly upon 
 the mind. 
 
 6. It then appears, that this is ujipermost in 
 our minds, when we speak and make mention of it 
 to others: and, indeed, that should be the sub- 
 ject of our discourse now, which will be the de- 
 
 • Vide Bishop Ttttrick in loc. 
 
VER. 5.] 
 
 SONO OF SONGS. 
 
 27 
 
 liglitful theme of glorified saints to all eternity, j 
 ■But, 
 
 2. Why should we, and why will every believer ■ 
 remember Christ's love, value and esteem it more ; 
 than wine? j 
 
 1. Because it is worthy of remembrance, in its : 
 own nature, and in its effects, as has been already i 
 shown ; it is " better than wine ;" it is great and i 
 glorious, stupendous and unparalleled, matchless ; 
 and boundless, everlasting and unchangeable; it' 
 " passeth knowledge, and is the source and spring 
 of all the grace we now receis'e, and of all the glory 
 we are expectants of. 
 
 2. It would be ungrateful in us not to remem- 
 ber it ; should we be unmindful of, and forget this 
 love, and the benefits which spring from it, we 
 should be justly chargeable with the vile sin of in- 
 gratitude ; and it might be very pertinently re- 
 turned upon us, what Ahsolom said to Rushai, " Is 
 this thy kindness to thy friend?" 2 Sam. svi. 17. 
 
 3. Because he hath remembered us, and that 
 " in our low estate, because his mercy endureth 
 for ever ;" even when we were in the depths of 
 sin and misery, could not help ourselves, and were 
 so far from having any love to him, that we were 
 in open rebellion against him ; yet such was his 
 amazing love to us, that he raised us " beggars 
 from the dunghill, washed us from our sins in his 
 own blood," and made " us kings and priests to 
 God and his Father ;" and shall we not remember ? 
 can we be forgetful of this love ? 
 
 4. A remembrance of it promotes our own com- 
 fort and ediScation, serves to make sin odious and 
 detestable, and is oftentimes useful to excite and 
 revive grace, to banish our doubts and fears, 
 and make the person of Christ more precious 
 to us. 
 
 3rdly. Another effect or consequence of the 
 church's being brought into the chambers of near 
 fellowship and communion with Christ, is, that 
 the love of his church and people is the more 
 drawn forth to him, who here go under the 
 character of upright ones, " the upright love thee ;" 
 or according to the Hebrew test, " uprightnesses 
 love thee "^ the abstract for the concrete ; which 
 intends upright men, or men of uprightness, as 
 being the persons who love Christ : unless with 
 R. Sol. Jarcki, we take it to be expressive of the 
 sincerity of their love, and so read it, " in up- 
 rightnesses, or with an uprightlove they love thee:" 
 R. Aben Ezra thinks it is the adjective of tvine, 
 before-mentioned, and intends the excellency, 
 sweetness, and incorruptness of it, as in chap. vii. 
 9 ; and the sense then is this, " we will remember 
 thy love more than wine, yea, more than up- 
 right wine," or wine that goes down sweetly, '' do 
 they love thee :" though I rather think it intends 
 the character of the persons who love Christ. I 
 have already, on the preceding verse, shown the 
 nature of this love, with which souls love Christ, 
 from whence it springs, and how it manifests it- 
 
 k c'"ra~0 w907t\,, Sept. Keclitudiiies. Ar. Mont. 
 
 self : and shall novv only consider the character 
 of those persons who are here said to love 
 him, namely, upright ones ; and they are. 
 
 1. Such who are said to be " upright in heart," 
 of whom mention is made in Psal. cxxv. 4, " Do 
 good, O Lord, to them that be good, and to them 
 that are upright in their hearts ;" such are they 
 who have a work of grace wrought upon their 
 souls ; whose hearts are right with God, and de- 
 sire to worship him with their whole hearts ; who 
 live by faith on Christ, and his rigliteousness, and 
 whose words and actions are without dissimula- 
 tion ; such are " Israelites indeed, in whom there 
 is no gnile." 
 
 3. TVTao are of an upright conversation, as in 
 Psal. xxxvii. 14. These are they who walk accord- 
 ing to the rule of God's word ; they are not par- 
 tial in their observance of his commands, but have 
 a regard to them all ; they make a conscience of 
 avoiding lesser, as well as greater sins ; and in all 
 their obedience to the divine will, seek the honour 
 and glory of God : and what they do, they do in 
 faith, and from a principle of love to God and 
 Christ. Junius understands this clause of the sin- 
 cerity and uprightness of the love of the church 
 and her friends to Christ, and reads it in connec- 
 tion with the former thus, " We wili remember 
 thy love more than wine, a?2«? whosoever most up- 
 rightly love thee ;"' that is, whoever bear a sincere 
 affection to thee will do the same. 
 
 Verse 5. /am black, hut comely ,- ye daughters 
 of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the cur- 
 tains of Solomon. 
 The church in the preceding verses had directed 
 her speech to Christ, where we have observed the 
 request she makes, and the success of it, and also 
 the comfortable and grateful frame of Spirit pro- 
 duced by it : here she turns herself to " the daugh- 
 ters of Jerusalem," and gives an account of her 
 person and state, and delivers her mind to them 
 in this and the following verse. Wherein may be 
 considered. 
 
 I. The persons she speaks to, " the daughters of 
 Jerusalem." 
 
 II. The character wliich she gives of herself. 
 
 III. The reason of hei' so doing. 
 
 I. The persons she speaks to, are " the daugh- 
 ters of Jerusalem :" and seeing these are frequently 
 mentioned in this Song, it will be necessary to 
 consider who are meant by them. R. Sol. Jarchi 
 would have them to be the Gentiles, who, he says, 
 ar^ so called, because Jerusalem shfjl be the me- 
 tropolis of all cations, according to E/ek. xvi. 61, 
 " I wiU give them unto thee for daughters ;" and 
 that they are, in the same sense, " the daughters 
 of Jerusalem," as the towns of Ekron are called in 
 Josh. XV. 45, " the daug,hter3 of Ekron ;" but it is 
 much better to understand them of particular 
 churches, of which, '' Jerusalem that is above," or 
 that general assembly, a«rf church of the first-born, 
 
 ' Quieunque rectissime diligunt te, Jun. 
 
28 
 
 AM EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap I. 
 
 whose names are written iu heaven," is the mother; 
 though I rather think, young converts are intended 
 by them, who, perhaps, had not as yet joined them 
 selves to the church, though they had a very great 
 respect for her, as is manifest from chap. v. 9 ; they 
 seem to be very weak, and their knowledge of 
 Christ but small, yet desirous of knowing him and 
 seeking him with her. (See chap. v. 8, and vi. 1.) 
 And it is very evident, that not only the church, 
 but Christ also, had a very great respect for them, 
 from chap. iii. 9, 10, 13. They were her friends 
 and companions, distinct from mothers' children, 
 mentioned in the following verse, and were far 
 from being enemies either to Christ or his church. 
 II. To these persons she gives a character of 
 herself. 
 
 1st. She makes a concession that she was black. 
 2adly. Not withstanding asserts that she is co«(?/y. 
 And. 
 
 Srdly. Uses some similes to express both by, " as 
 the tents of Kedar, the curtains of Solomon." 
 
 1st. She ingenuously and frankly acknowledges, 
 that she was black. This is not to be understood 
 literally of Pharaoh's daughter, whom Solomon 
 had married ; and whose mother, Grotius conjec- 
 tures, might be an Arabian, and so these words be 
 expressive of her natural complexion ; but this is 
 not intended, nor, perhaps, is there so much as an 
 allusion to it ; but rather to a shepherdess, or keep- 
 er of vineyards, made black by lying in the fields, 
 as the following verse seems to intimate. The 
 Targum applies it to the people of Israel, when 
 they made the calf, and says, that then " their 
 faces became as black as the Ethiopians, that dwell 
 in the tents of Kedar, but when they returned, by 
 repentance, and were forgiven, the brightness of 
 the glory of their countenances was increased, as 
 the angels :" but the words are expressive of the 
 spiritual estate and complexion of the chnrch of 
 Christ, and of all believers in him ; who may be 
 said to be black, @.-adiComeli/ ; black by sin, comely 
 by grace-.'' Black. 
 
 1. Upon the account of many spots, blemishes, 
 and infirmities ; for though they are fair and spot- 
 less, as considered in Christ, yet they are black 
 and full of spots, as considered in themselves ; sin 
 dwells in them, and they are sometimes overcome, 
 and carried captive by it ; it is always present 
 with them ; this body of sin and death, they carry 
 about as their burden ; neither will they be rid of 
 it in this life ; for " if we say that we have no sin, 
 we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us ;" 
 the most holy and righteous man on earth is not 
 without it ; every one is both disturbed and defiled 
 with it, and therefore in this sense may be said to 
 be black ,- and so the' Jewish doctors expound it, 
 of the sinful actions and evil works of the congre- 
 gation of Israel. 
 
 ■■ Nigra p«r naturam, formosa per gratiam, Aug. 
 de Tempore, Serm. 201, p. 354. torn. 10. Fusoa per 
 culpam, decora per gnitiam, Ainbros. in I's. 118. 
 octon. 2. col. 881. tom. 2. ' R. Bol. J»ichi and 
 
 2. Tlie church of Christ may be said to be 
 black, oftentimes on the account of those swarms 
 of hypocrites and heretics that appear iu it ; there 
 have always been more or less of them in tlie 
 church, in all ages, which have been " spots iu 
 their feasts of charity." There was a Cain in 
 Adam's family, a Ham in Noah's, an Ishmael in 
 Abraham's, an Esau in Isaac's, and a Judas among 
 Christ's disciples ; these goats have always been 
 among Chi'ist's sheep, these tares grow up among 
 his wheat, and will do so, till he shall divide the 
 sheep from the goals, aud take his fan iu his 
 hand, aud thoroughly purge his floor. Now upon 
 the account of these, and the several heresies, 
 schisms, and divisions, which frequently arise, aud 
 are made iu the church of Christ, she may be said 
 to be black : And also, 
 
 3. By reasonof the persecutions and reproaches 
 of the world, which the church of Christ, aud all 
 believers in him sustain ; for they that " will live 
 godly iu Christ Jesus ruust suffer persecution" of 
 oue kind or another; if not confiscation of goods, 
 fines, imprisonments, racks, tortures, yea, death 
 itself, which in some ages of the world, have been 
 the lot of God's children, yet, at least, loss of their 
 good name, credit, and reputation ; for if they are 
 loved by Christ, they must expect to be hated by 
 men ; if they have peace in him, iu the world they 
 must have tribulation ; they may be sure of being 
 vilified by the world, aud backbited and reproached 
 by carnal professors ; and this is what the church 
 seems to ascribe her blackness to, in the following 
 verse. So in Zohar,"" tliis blackness is by the 
 Jews, expounded of the captivity of the people of 
 Israel. 
 
 4. She may be said to be black, with sorrow 
 and mournings ; black colour not only being the 
 habit of mourners, but does also, in scripture, 
 express grief and sorrow itself. See Jer. viii. 2L, 
 aud xiv. 2. The sins and corruptions of God's 
 people, oftentimes put them in this mourning 
 liabit; as David says, when he was under a sense 
 of his manifold iniquities, " I go mourning all the 
 day long," Psal. ixxviii. 6, or nearer the Hebrew, 
 " I go in black all the day long ;"" the coldness, 
 hypocrisy, aud formality of professors, give them 
 much uneasiness : the many errors aud heresies 
 among them, and the persecutions and reproaches, 
 both of the world aud carnal professors, produce 
 this black hue and mournful colour. 
 
 5. They are black in the eyes of the world, 
 which indeed is no wonder : for the men of the 
 world see no beauty nor comeliness iu Christ him- 
 self, and therefore not any in bis people , they 
 being, in their eyes, mean, abject, and contempti- 
 ble, desjjised by them, and accounted as the refuse 
 and " off-scouriug of all things." But notwith- 
 standing all this she could say. 
 
 R. Aben Ezra, in loc. 
 in Lev. fol. 25. 1. 
 Juu. 
 
 ' In Exod. fol. 6. I. and 
 "nibn lip atratus pergo, 
 
5-] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 29 
 
 2ndly. That she was comely, that is, beautiful 
 and desireable," having graceful features, and a 
 just symmetry aud proportion. Now the church, 
 and every believer in Christ, may be said to be 
 comely. 
 
 1. By the imputation of Christ's righteous- 
 ness, wlicrcby they are justified from all sin, and 
 stand spotless and irreprovahle in God's sight ; 
 their own righteousness is as filthy rags, aud rather 
 detracts from, than adds to their comeliness ; but 
 Christ's righteousness being that " fine linen, 
 clean, and white," with which being arrayed, they 
 are "adorned as a bride for her husband," they 
 appear perfectly comely through the comeliness 
 which Christ hasp«^ upon them ; they are no ways 
 comely iu themselves, but in Christ they are a 
 perfection of beauty. 
 
 2. By the sanctifying grace of the Spirit, 
 whereby they are made new creatures; Christ is 
 formed in their hearts, and they are conformed to 
 him, who is the " first-born among many bre- 
 thren ;" his image is impressed upon them, and all 
 the parts of the new man are in a just proportion 
 in them, though not grown up to.their perfection ; 
 and thus being made partakers of the divine 
 nature, and appearing in the beauties of holi- 
 ness, they are all glorious and comely within. 
 
 3. Believers are so in their church-state, 
 having fellowship with Christ, and with one ano- 
 ther, walking together in, and according to the 
 commands and ordinances of Christ Jesus : a 
 church of Christ, in gospel order, is beautiful for 
 situation ; all her tabernacles are amiable and 
 lovely ; and enjoying the presence of Christ in 
 them, is " beautiful as Tirzah, comely as Jerusa- 
 lem, and terrible as an army with banners." 
 how comely are the saints in their goings in Zion ! 
 a more lovely sight than this can scarce be seen ; 
 they are then like a " company of horses in Pha- 
 raoh's chariots." 
 
 However black believers may be in the eyes of 
 the world, they are certainly comely in the eyes of 
 Christ ; who often, iu this song, calls his church, 
 his " fair one," and "the fairest among women ;" 
 however undesirable she was to others, she was 
 very desirable to him ; her eyes, cheeks, lips, 
 teeth, head, hair, neck, &c., are commended 
 and praised by him ; so much beauty and come- 
 liness appeared in her, that his heart was even 
 ravished with her ; aud so long as he thinks her 
 comely it matters not what opinion others en- 
 tertain of her. 
 
 3rdly. She makes use of some similes to ex- 
 press both her blackness and her comeliness, "as 
 tlie tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon." 
 
 » m«2 optabilis, Pagninus, Montanus, Tig. Vers. 
 IMercer. So Aben Ezra. p Mercer, in loc. 
 
 I Travels, p. 222. ed. 2. ' Vide R. i?ol. Jnrchi, 
 
 aud R. Aben Ezra in loc. • Noraadas. infestator- 
 esqueChaldi5orum,Scenit£e clandunt,etip«i vagi, seel 
 atabernaculis cognominati, quae ciliciis metantur, 
 ubilibuit.Plin.l. 6. c.28. Arabesnobilesmonte Casio, 
 qui Scenitse causam nomiuis inde dueunl, quod ten • 
 
 Some thinki" that these refer to both parts of her 
 character; aud suppose that tlie tents of Kedar, 
 though they were mean and abject without, yet 
 were full of wealth and riches within ; and a num- 
 ber of them together made a fine appearance, as 
 Dr. Shaw relates they now do ;'' and that Solomon's 
 curtains or hangings had an outward covering, 
 which was not so rich and valuable as that 
 within ; and so are both designed by the church 
 to represent unto us, that though she was mean 
 and abject in the eyes of the world, yet she was 
 rich, glorious, and beautiful within : the outside 
 of a believer is only seen by the world, and they 
 judge of him accordingly ; his inside is hid from 
 them, as the riches of Kedar' s iQ.vA.%, and the fine- 
 ness of Solomon's curtains were from those who 
 viewed the outside only ; though I rather think 
 her blackness is designed by the one, and her come- 
 liness by the other. 
 
 1. For her blackness she compares herself to 
 the tents of Kedar. Kedar was the second son 
 of Ishmael, Gen. xxiv. 13, whose posterity dwelt 
 in the desert of Arabia, Isa. xliii. 11, and their 
 employment being to feed cattle, Isa. Ix. 7, they 
 dwelt in tents, Psal. cxx. 4, 5, which were made 
 of hair-cloth, and that of goat's hair ; which being 
 always exposed to the sun and rain, were very 
 black, looked very mean and contemptible :"■ they 
 had no other houses but these ; and because they 
 always dwelt in them, removing and pitchin'^ 
 them at pleasure, therefore they were called Scen- 
 ites.' Now the church compares herself to these 
 mean, black, and despicable tents, on the account 
 of the sins and infirmities of herself, the carnality 
 and hypocrisy of others, the many errors and 
 heresies she was vexed with, as well as the perse- 
 cutions and reproaches of men, which oftentimes 
 oppressed her, as has been already observed. 
 
 2. For her comeliness, she compares herself to 
 the curtains of Solomon. The Septuagint read it, 
 dis Septets '2a\u/x^u, as the skins of Solomon ; 
 and so the Vulgate Latin likewise ; which version 
 Gilbert Foliot^ following, in this exposition of 
 this place, says, it is not to be understood of the 
 skins of sheep, goats, or any other animal, but of 
 the very skin of Solomon himself; who being a 
 rich king, and living deliciously, he supposes 
 was very comely and beautiful : to whose fine 
 skin he thinks the church here compares herself, 
 to set forth her comeliness : but this is much bet- 
 ter referred by Alcuin, his countryman, to the 
 skins of slain beasts, of which he thinks Solomon 
 made tents for himself; thsngh it seems rather to 
 intend those rich hangings of tajjcstry, which 
 Solomon had, either about his bed, or in the several 
 
 toriissuccedunt, nee alias doraos habent ; ipsa autem 
 tentoria cilicina sunt ; ita nuncupant velamenta e 
 caprarum pilis texta. Solin. Polyhist. c. 46. 
 
 • This Gilbert Foliot was bishop of London, and 
 lived in the 1 2th century, in the reign of King Henry 
 II. whose Exposition, together with the Compen- 
 dium of Alcuin, his countryman, were published by 
 Patricius Junius, p. 1638. 
 
30 
 
 AN EXPOSITION ON THE 
 
 [CUAP I. 
 
 apartments of his house ; which, no doubt, were 
 very rich, costly, and glorious, he being so great 
 and wealthy a prince : or his garments, as The- 
 odoret, see Matt. vi. 29 ; and therefore the church, 
 on the account of her perfect comeliness, through 
 Christ's righteousness put upon her, and the 
 curious aud embroidered work of the Spirit of 
 God in her, as also her walk in Gospel-order, 
 compares herself to these curtains or hangings 
 Moreover, by a metonymy, may be understood, 
 both in this and the preceding comparison, the 
 persons who dwelt m Kedar's icxiis, aud Solomon's 
 courtiers, who lived in those a[)artmeuts of his 
 which were so richly hung ; the former being 
 black, and the latter dwelling in the palace of a 
 wealthy king, and faring deliciously, were no doubt, 
 plump and comely : though neither Solomon nor 
 any of his courtiers, could come near the church 
 for beauty and comeliness; and to this sense 
 agrees Junius' s versioii of the text." But 
 
 III. Let us now consider the reason of her giv- 
 ing this account of herself to the daughters of 
 Jerusalem : her design seems to be to obviate \ 
 what might be objected by, and remove whatever { 
 might be discouraging in her to the daughters of 
 Jerusalem, those young converts ; they might ob- 
 ject to her. Thou talkest of being brought into 
 the king's chambers, and having nearness of access 
 unto him, how can it be, that oue so black as 
 thou art, should be taken notice of by so great 
 a person, and have such nearness to him, who 
 appears to be so mean and so unworthy thereof? 
 To this she answers, by granting, that she was 
 black in herself, but yet was comely, through his 
 comeliness ; in him she was prepared as a 
 bride adorned for her husband ; aud it was this 
 that gave her the favour and acceptance she had 
 with him. 
 
 Again, It might be objected, IIovv canst tliou 
 be chcerfnl, when thou art so black, loaded with 
 persecutions and afQictions, and hated and despi- 
 Bcd by all ? This she obviates by observing, that 
 the world could not see her inward glory, and 
 therefore passed a wrong judgment upon her : and 
 that the unseen gloiy, riches, beauty, aud perfec- 
 tion in Christ, supported her under all reflections, 
 persecutions, and reproaches. 
 
 Also, the sins and infirmities which they saw in 
 her, as well as the suffering she was exposed unto, 
 min-ht stumble those young converts, and be a 
 means to deter them from the ways of Christ, and 
 joining with his church aud people ; and seeing 
 there was danger of this, therefore she informs 
 them of herbeautyas well as of her blackness : other 
 grace, as well as of her corruptions ; of her glory, 
 as well as of her sufferings ; and in doing this, 
 her design is to engage and encourage them to go 
 with her ; in all which, she discovers her strength 
 of faith in Christ, and his righteousness, notwith- 
 standing all her sins and sufferings ; of which she 
 gives a further account in the following verse. 
 
 » Similis sim Scenitis Kedarenis, at similis sum 
 inhabitantibus aulseu Schelomonis. Vide Joseph. 
 
 Verse 6. Look, not upon me, because I am black, 
 because the sun hath looked upon me : 
 My mother's children were angry with me ; 
 they made me the keeper of the vineyard ; bat 
 mine own vineyard have I not kept. 
 
 The church, here continues her discourse to the 
 daughters of Jerusalem : And, 
 
 I. Desires of them, not to look upon her. 
 
 II. Gives a reason why she should not have 
 them do so, because I am black ; of which black- 
 ness she assigns several causes ; some of which 
 are more near, others more remote. 
 
 1st. " Because the sun had looked upon 
 her." 
 
 2ndly. " Her mother's children were angry 
 with her." 
 
 3rdly. " They had made her the keeper of the 
 vineyards." 
 
 4thly. This occasioned a neglect of her own ; 
 mine own vineyard have I not kept ; all which 
 produced this blackness in her ; for it was not 
 her true and native colour. 
 
 I. She desires the daughters of Jerusalem not 
 to look upon her ; which may be understood, 
 either, I. Of a look of scorn and disdain :" she 
 was now in suffering circumstances, surrounded 
 with a variety of enemies, exposed to a multitude 
 of troubles, aud liable to many failings and infir- 
 mities ; for which reasons she might be jealous 
 of failing under their scorn and contempt, aud 
 therefore says. Look not upon me. The mean- 
 ness, poverty, and sutTerings of the saints, render 
 them contemptible to the world; and the failures 
 and imperfections of their lives are oftentimes 
 thrown in their teeth, and this, too often, by 
 professors themselves ; but this we should be 
 very careful of, that we do not treat our fellow 
 Christians after such a manner: we slioi'ld be 
 far from slighting a believer under sufferings, or 
 carrying with a disdainful air to a fallen saint ; 
 for we should consider, that we also are in the 
 body, and liable to the same temptations. Or 
 else, 2. It means a curious and prying look into 
 her failings and infirmities; conscious she was 
 to herself of them, but kuew it was not their 
 duty, though perhaps they too often made it 
 their .business, to look into them. There are 
 some who are never better, than when thus 
 employed, in exposing of the saints ; they watch 
 for their baitings, and are glad to report and 
 spread a tale of the infirmities of their brethren ; 
 their eyes pierce like vultures, and fasten upou 
 nothing else but corruption : but such a curious, 
 prying look as this, is condemned by Christ, 
 Matt. vii. 3, 4, 5, " And why beholdest thou 
 the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but con- 
 siderest not the beam that is in thine own eye," 
 &c. If God did as strictly observe and mark 
 our iniquities, as we are too apt to mark one 
 another's, what would become of us ! This con- 
 Antiq. 1. 8. c. 2. » FWe Alshech in loc. 
 
VER. 6.] 
 
 SOXa OF SONGS. 
 
 31 
 
 sideration should deter us from a practice so i 
 vile ia itself, so dishouourable to religion, and 
 which is so highly rv;seuted by Christ. 3. It 
 may also siguil'y a lookiug with dulijjht and 
 pleasure at her afflictions and falls, which per- 
 haps, she was suspicious of: tJiis was what 
 Edom was blamed for, ia Obad. v. 12, 13, " but 
 thou shouldest not have looked on the day of 
 thy brother," that is, with joy and pleasure, 
 as the following words show ; "neither shouldest 
 thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah, 
 in the day of their destruction," &c. ; believers 
 should be so far from such a temper as 
 this is, that they should rather sympathise with 
 them in their suflTerings, and falls, than triumj)h 
 over them ; for " let him that thiuketh he 
 standeth, take heed lest he fall," Or, 4. She 
 would not have them look upon her as persons 
 astonished and amazed at her present sufferings, 
 as though some strange and unaccountable thing 
 had happened to her; for they need not be sur- 
 prised, wlien they consider, that Christ, her Head 
 and Husband, the holy and the harmless one, was 
 treated after the same, yea, after a much worse 
 manner; that the sufferings which she under- 
 went, were but what were appointed for her, and 
 would all end in God's glory, aud her own good, 
 therefore she would have them not be startled at 
 them, nor be discouraged by them from joining 
 with her. 5. She would have them not to look 
 at her blackness only, but alsa at her beauty ; it 
 is true, she was black in herself, and that she ac- 
 knowledges ; but then she vvas comely in Christ, 
 and that she would have them take notice of, 
 as well as the other : she would have them look 
 upon Christ, who is " white and ruddy, the 
 chiefest among ten thousand," who is altogether 
 lovely and exceeding comely, and consider her 
 in him, aud not as she was in herself, for 
 that might he frightening and discouraging to 
 them. 
 
 II. She proceeds to give the reason why she 
 would not have them look upon her, because, 
 says she, " I am black :" she had said this be- 
 fore; but here she uses the same word in another 
 form, which some think is to diminish the signi- 
 fication of it, and that she was not so black as 
 they thought her to be, or had represeuted her ; 
 and read it " blackish, " or " somewhat black;"'' 
 though the doubling of the radicals seems rather 
 to increase the siaiuification, as in other places, 
 see Psal. xlv. 5, Pro v. viii. 31 ; and therefore 
 should be read, " because I am very black ;" or ex- 
 ceeding black ;'' and this she here mentions again 
 with this addition, that she might have an op- 
 portunity to give account of the particular reasons 
 thereof; which reasons are as follow. 
 
 1st. She declares, that one reason of her black- 
 
 » mmnffi jue^ueXoi/w/ui/n;, Sept. Subnigra, Junius 
 and Tremellius, Piscator, Mercerus, Cocceius; pau- 
 lulum denigrata, Paguinus ; so Aiusworth and Aben 
 Ezra. >• Valde fusca, Bochart. prorsus vel valde 
 
 ness was, " becaase the sun had looked upon her." 
 The Ethiopic version h*s it, " because the sua 
 iiath not looked upon me," that is, not kindly and 
 gently, which would be pleasant and delightful ; 
 but severely, as to scorch her, and therefore looked 
 black: and so Ambrose'^ reads the words; but in- 
 terprets them of tlie Sun of righteousness, who 
 had not shone upon her, being deprived of which, 
 she had not attended to her devotion aud obser- 
 vance of tlie commands, which had brought black- 
 ness upon her. 1. The Targnm expounds this of 
 the congregation of Israel, which was made black 
 by the idolatrous worship of the sun and moon ; 
 against this, a law vvas provided, it was strictly 
 proliibited by God, Dcut. xvil. 3 ; but yet was very 
 early in the world; most nations under the sun (ell 
 into it; some worshipped the sun under one name, 
 and some under another, and all paid a regard unto 
 it ; this idolatrous worship seems to have obtained 
 in Job's time, see Job. xxxi. 26, 27; and the 
 Jewish nation was not exempt from it; they fre- 
 quently fell into it, and were blackened by it, see 2 
 Kings xxiii. 5 — 11, Ezek. viii. 16; for idolatry, 
 error, and superstition, will make the church black. 
 2. Others understand it of Christ, '' " the Sun of 
 righteousness ;" and that she was made black, 
 either by suffering for him, or else by being in his 
 company, in whose presence, all other beauty, but 
 his own, vanishes aud disappears. Thus a jjerson 
 that is not of a fair complexion, being in the com- 
 pany of one that is. looks abundantly worse than 
 if viewed alone : Christ's beauty infinitely exceeds 
 any that is in us ; there is no comparison between 
 them ; we look black, exceeding black, when com- 
 pared to Clirist. But, 3. 1 should rather choose 
 to understand it of the sun of persecution, for under 
 this name it goes in Matt. liii. 6, compared with v. 
 21, and this seems to suit better with the church's 
 present state and circumstances; and, indeed, every 
 one "that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer 
 persecution," from the tongues, if not from the 
 hands of men : and this persecution, which the 
 church underwent, seems to be a very vehement 
 one, in that she compares it to the looks and 
 scorchings of the sun; and it must continue some 
 time upon her, to make and leave such visible 
 marks aud impressions upon it ; and yet she pa- 
 tiently endured all, and bravely " bore the heat 
 and burden of the day," and seems to be more 
 ashamed of her sufferings, than she was of the per- 
 son and cause for whom she suffered. The allu- 
 sion is to persons burnt with the sun,' and so made 
 black or swarthy, as in some countries ; and espe- 
 cially to such who are much in the fields, and 
 employed in rural work, as the church is represen- 
 ted as a keeper of vineyards and of flocks of sheep, 
 in the foUowifig words. 
 
 2ndly. Her " mother's children were angry with. 
 
 et tota nigra, Marckius, Michaelis. • De Isaac, c. 
 4. * Foliot and Cocceiu.s iu loc. • Perusta solibus 
 Pernicis uxor, Horat. Epod. Ode 2. v. 41, 42. 
 AXiOKaviTov, Theocrit. Idyll. 10. v. 2T. 
 
32 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 her." To licr outward perscentions were added 
 intestine broils ; it is therefore no wonder she 
 looked so black as she did : oftentimes a man's 
 worst enemies are those of his own house. The 
 Targum by mother's children understands the 
 false prophets, who taught the congregation of 
 Israel to serve idols, and walk in the statutes of 
 the people; by reason of which, she served not 
 the Lord, neither walked in his statutes, nor kept 
 his precepts and his laws. R. Sol. Jarehi thinks 
 the Egyptians are iutended, among whom the Is- 
 raelites were brought up ; many of whom came 
 along with them out of Egypt, and were frequently 
 the cause of their falling into sin : but rather we are 
 to understand by mothers children, either, 1. In- 
 dwelling sins and corruptions, which are produced 
 with nature: lust conceived, as soon as we 
 were conceived; nay, we were conceived with 
 it, and in it, as the Psalmist says, Psal. li. 5, 
 " Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did 
 my mother conceive me ;" which brought forth 
 sin in us as soon as we were brought forth 
 into the world ; and these indwelling lusts 
 and corruptions proclaim war against us; these 
 war against the soul, and sometimes " bring 
 it into captivity to the law of sin which 
 is in the members ;" they frequently draw 
 us away to the performance of sinful actions, 
 making us the keepers of other^ vineyards, and 
 often divert us from our duty, and cause us to 
 neglect it ; they hinder us from doing the good we 
 would ; for " when we would do good, evil is 
 present with us;" and so we may be said not to keep 
 our own vineyard. Or else, 2. Carnal professors 
 may be here intended, who are members of the 
 same society, externally children of the samemother, 
 who profess themselves of the holy city, are pre- 
 tenders to godliness, but enemies to it ; such are 
 they, who have " a form of godliness, but deny 
 the power thereof," in themselves, and hate it in 
 others ; which, perhaps, may be one reason why 
 these children that were born after the flesh, these 
 false brethren, were angry with the church here ; 
 as they frequently are at her zealous defence and 
 vindication ofgospel-truths and ordinances, in the 
 power and purity of them, and at her faithful re- 
 proofs and admonitions to them and others, throw- 
 ing all the scandal and reproach upon her that 
 possibly they can : now these are generally her 
 most bitter and implacable enemies, are thorns in 
 her side, and give her the greatest uneasiness; 
 causing more grief and trouble to her, than all her 
 sufferings and persecution from the world ; for 
 hereby they blacken and lessen her reputation and 
 character, more than any other whatever ; and yet 
 bear it she must, and patiently she ought to endure 
 it ; Christ himself was not free from it ; for who 
 were more bitter and implacable enemies to him 
 and his Gospel, than the Jews, God's professing 
 
 " So Horace calls his own works Vineta, Epist. 1. 
 2. epist. 1. V. 220. 
 
 people, and the chief among them, the high-priests 
 and Pliarisecs? 
 
 3rdly. She says " they made her the keeper of 
 the vineyards," as an effect of their anger to her, 
 and this, no doubt, added to her blackness ; for 
 being obliged to lie abroad in the fields, to keep 
 the vineyards, she was exposed to the scorching 
 sun-beams, and thereby got the hue she appeared 
 with : this employment being not only very 
 slavish, but base, mean, and reproachful ; it was 
 what was usually done by the poorer sort, and was 
 much below the honour and dignity she was raised 
 unto. By vineyards may be meant false churches ; 
 and by her keeping them, her falling in with 
 their corrupt worship, and observance of the vain 
 traditions and ordinances of men: which Christ 
 complains of, and condemns in the Jewish church, 
 who " made the commandment of God of none 
 effect by their traditions." But this the church 
 was obliged unto by her mother's children ; her 
 compliance does not seem to be voluntary, but 
 forced, and she complains of it as an imposition ; 
 " they made me," that is, forced and obliged mc 
 to do it. And this produced, 
 
 4thly. A. neglect of her own vineyard, " but 
 mine own vineyard have I not kept ;" which still 
 increased her blackness; through outward per- 
 secution, intestine broils, and a sinful coinpliauce 
 to human traditions, arising either from fear or 
 weakness, or both, her own viueyard, the church, 
 or her own soul, was neglected, and the affairs 
 of it ; her duty and business incumbent on her,'= 
 the religious exercise she ought to have beeu 
 employed in : with the Romans, neglect of fields 
 and vineyards came under the notice of the censors, 
 and did not go unpunished.'' Every believer has 
 talents more or less given him to occupy, grace to 
 exercise, gifts to use, and a part assigned him in 
 the Lord's viiieyard, to labour in ; aud when these 
 things are neglected by him, either through the 
 fear of men, or the corruptions of his own heart, 
 he may he said, not to have kept his vineyard ; 
 which, pei-haps, sometimes is like his who was 
 " void of understanding, which was all grown 
 over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face 
 thereof;" but when he is sensible of it, he will 
 acknowledge and bewail it, as the church does 
 here ; she docs not go about to extenuate her sin, 
 by the anger of her mother's children, nor \^ 
 their obliging her to keep other vineyards, but 
 ingenuously acknowledges that it was her fault 
 to neglect her own ; which, as it Avas prejudicial 
 to herself, so it was highly resented by Christ, 
 who thereupon removed his presence from her ; 
 for she seems to be at a loss to know where he 
 was, as is manifest from the following words. 
 
 ■» A. Gell. Noct. Attic. 1. 4. c. 12. 
 
VER. 7.] 
 
 SOXG OF SONG P. 
 
 33 
 
 Verse 7. Tell me, (0 thou whom my soul 
 
 lovetkj, where thou feedest, where thou makesi 
 
 thy flocks to rest at noon ; For wh// should J. 
 
 be as one that turnelh aside ly the fiocks of 
 
 thy companions ? 
 
 Thk church having, in the two former verses, 
 
 directed her speech to the daughters of Jerusalem, 
 
 aod given them an account of herself, and present 
 
 couJition, with the reasons thereof, which she did, 
 
 in order to solve their objections, and remove all 
 
 diseom-agenieiits from them that might arise from 
 
 thence ; and being sensible of her weakness and 
 
 sinfulness in complying with, and embr;iciug the 
 
 traditions and doctrines of men, in which she 
 
 found no solid food for hep soul ; she therefore 
 
 makes application to Christ, the great She|iherd 
 
 of flic sheep, that he would feed, refresh, guide, 
 
 direct, and restore her wandering soul. In these 
 
 words are, 
 
 I. A request made unto him. 
 
 II. Sjme arguments used by her to prevail 
 upon him. 
 
 I. Mere is a request made by the church of 
 Christ, which consists of two parts. Tirst, To 
 l<uow where he feedefh ; " Tell me where thou 
 fecdest." Secondly, That he would inform her 
 where he rested aud refreslicd his flock in the heat 
 of the day, '' where thou makest thy flocks to rest 
 at noon ," botli which we shall enter into a eou- 
 sideration of. 
 
 First. She deiires to know where Ciirist fed : 
 which is to be understood not passively, where he 
 himself was fed, or where lie fed himself; hut 
 actively, where he fed others, namely his flock ; 
 which, though not expressed in the original text, 
 must be understood ; and it may be observed here, 
 that God's own children sometimes may be at 
 a loss to know where Christ feeds ; which may 
 arise, either from the prcvailings of corruptions 
 in them, whereby they have stepped out of the 
 ways of Christ; or from the hidings of God's 
 face, and the wifhdrawings of the Sun of righte- 
 ousness, or from the violent temptations of Satan, 
 and fierce persecutions of the world ; but when 
 they are hungry, and desirous of spiritual food, 
 they will enquire after it, and are very je;Jous, 
 lest they should not be fed by Christ, and with the 
 ^^holesorae words of faith and sound doctrine: 
 therefore in these straits they make their ajipliea- 
 tion to Christ, and him only, who " feeds his 
 flock like a shepherd ;" which branch of Christ's 
 wrork and office we shall now consider ; and shall 
 en3eavo'-ir to show, 1st. Vv'hat this phra3e~^i!p- 
 poses and intends, a.s referred to Christ. 2ndly. 
 ' WiiaTT ie feeds his flock with. 3dl y. IIow, a fter 
 what manner, and by \yhat means he feeds them. 
 4thiy. AVliere he does so. 
 
 TsE It"'^i!T Te proper to euqnire what is 
 supposed and intended by Christ's feedinj; souls. 
 
 1. It supposes that Christ is a Shepiicrd ; and 
 he calls himself so, in John s. The scriptures, 
 
 both of the Old and New Testament, do abnu- 
 dantly testify that he bears this character, and 
 stands iu this relation to his people, where he is 
 called God's Shepherd, " Awake, sword, against 
 my Shepherd, and against the Man that is my 
 fellow, saith the Lord of hosts," Zech. xiii. 7 : 
 rtow he is so called because he is the Shepherd, 
 wiiom God the Father hath approved of, chosen, 
 appoii teJ, set up, and sent to be the Shepherd of 
 the sheep ; who, as such, died for the sheep and 
 rose again, and as sucli must give an account unto 
 the Father, of all t!ie sheep which he has intrusted 
 liim with ; he must bring in the full number, 
 yea, must not have one of them wanting. He is 
 also called the Chief Skeplierdj^ " And when the 
 Chief SheplierJ sliall appear, ye shall receive a 
 crown of glory wliicii fadeth not sway," 1 Fet^ . 
 7, which title he well deserves; for he that is 
 "God's shepherd, is also God's fellow, entirely 
 equal to him in the dignity of his nature, and in 
 the fulness of his power aud glory ; all other 
 shepherds are under him, they receive their com- 
 missions from him, have their several flocks as- 
 signed to them by him, are furnished with abilities 
 from him to feed them ; to him, at last m\istlhey 
 give an accouut of themselves, their work, and 
 the flocks that were put under their care, and 
 from him shall they receive the never-fading crowu 
 of glory. He likewise calls himself the good 
 Shejdierd ; " I am the good Shepherd ; the good 
 shepherd giveth his life for the sheep," John x. 
 11 ; aud he may very justly call himself so, for 
 soTe was to him that employed him, and so he is 
 to those who are made his care aud charge ; he 
 was faithful to his Father, that appointed him, 
 and is merciful and compassionate to, careful and 
 tender of, the sheep committed to his trust; of 
 which, a greater proof caimot be given, than liis 
 laying down his life for them. He is called the 
 great Shepherd ; " Now the God of peace, that 
 brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that 
 great Shepherd of the sheep," Hcb^jsJuL-SP ; 
 which will manifestly appear, if we consider the 
 dignity of his Person, being the Son of God ; thte 
 nature of his flock, the souls of men, therefore he 
 is called " the ^he£lierd and,JJishpj) oj^sojils;" 
 and dso the largeness of his abilities for this 
 work ; he has an exquisite knowledge of them, 
 be. canjcall them all by name ; be is cnduecl-vtiih 
 infinite wisdom aud prudence to manage and order 
 his flock aright ; has an Almighty arm to protect 
 and -defend them from all their enemies; is fur- 
 nished with large supplies of grace for them, and 
 bears an inexpressible love unto them. Finally, 
 he is the One, and the only Shepherd ; " I will 
 set up one Shejihcrd over them, and he shall feed 
 them," Ezek. xxxiv._23 ; not but that there are 
 other shcpEenr~*which are under Christ, and 
 whom he employs in his service, to feed his flock ; 
 but Christ is the Chief and Principle ; God the 
 Father mver did, nor ever will set up any other; 
 he is tlie oijly^heplierd_that owns^ the floeli. 
 
34 
 
 AN EXrOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CUAP. 
 
 havin}^ parcliased it with his own blood, and he 
 alone is able to take care of it. 
 
 2. Feeding being applied to Christ, not only 
 snpposes that he is a Shepherd, but also that he 
 has a flock to feed ; " He shall feed his flock like 
 a shepherd," Isa. xl. 11. All the elect are Christ's 
 flock, thej' are " his people, and the sheep of his 
 pasTure ;" the Father has given them to hira, and 
 has i)ut them into his hands : he has also purchased 
 iheni with his blood, and calls them by his grace: 
 hence they know his voice, follow his steps, be- 
 lieve in hira, and therefore shall never perish, 
 but have everlasting life. Which flock is, 1. A 
 distinct one; it is distinguished from all others, 
 by electing, redeeming, and eflHeacions grace ; 
 Christ's shet'p are distinct from the world's goats, 
 and Satan's wolves in sheep's clothing, and will 
 one day be separated and manifestly distin- 
 guished, not only from the open enemies of Christ, 
 but also from all painted hypocrites, and carnal 
 professors. 2. Though this flock is divided into 
 many parts and branches, yet it is but one flock; 
 for, as there are but " one fold and one shep- 
 herd," so there is but one flock uuder the care of 
 this shepherd ; though there arc many particu- 
 hv flocks or churclies here on earth, yet there is 
 hut " oue general assembly and church of the 
 first-born, whose names are written in heaven." 
 3. Tiiis is but a little flock ; " Fear not, little 
 flock," &c., Luke xii. 32. Christ's flock of sheep, 
 are little and contemptible in the eyes of the 
 world ; and are low and mean in their own eyes ; 
 they are few in number, when compared with the 
 world's goats, though when all appear together in 
 glory, they will be a " great multitude, which no 
 man can number." 4. It is called a flock of 
 slaughter. Thus said the Father to the Son, 
 " Feed the flock of the slaughter," and he replied, 
 " I will feed the flock of the slaughter, even you, 
 O poor of the flock," Zech. xi. 4—7 ; and it is so 
 called, becnuse it is exposed to the cruelty and 
 barbarity of open and avowed euemies, and to the 
 raveniags of wolves in slieep's clothing; the saints, 
 for the sake of Christ and his gospel, have been 
 " killed all the day long, and accounted as sheep 
 for the slaughter," Kom. viii. 36. 5. Nevertheless 
 it is a beautiful flock, as the people of the Jews are 
 cnlled in Jer. xiii. 20; the saints are beautiful in 
 Clirist's eyes, being clothed with his spotless right- 
 eousness, washed in his precious blood, and sanc- 
 titicd by his Spiiit ; therefore, however black they 
 may be in their own eyes, or in the eyes of others, 
 they are comely and delightful in the eyes of 
 Ciirist. 
 
 3. This act of feeding, takes in and comprehends 
 the whole work and business of a faithful shepherd 
 towards his flock : all which Christ fully and ex- 
 actly performs. 1. He knows them distinctly, and 
 takes a particular account of them ; he knows 
 them so, that he can call them all by name : he 
 knew them full well in his Father's gift of them to 
 •hiin, aud so he did when he shed his precious blood 
 
 for them ; he knew distinctly all that he died for ; 
 and in effectual calling, he sets his mark, stamps 
 his iniage^on_them, that it may also appear, both 
 to themselves and others, to wliose flock they be- 
 long ; he look a particular account of them, when 
 the'Tatlier put them into his hands, and made them 
 his care aud charge, an! they shall " again pass 
 under the hands of him that tellcth them :" for 
 he will take care that not one of them shall be lost, 
 but shall be all safely folded in heaven. 2. He 
 not only, as a shepherd, takes a particular account 
 of his flock, but he also leads them out, goes be- 
 fore them, and they follow him ; he leads them 
 out of the barren pastures of sin, and leads them 
 into the green pastures of his love and grace ; he 
 goes before them as an example to the flock, of 
 love, meekness, humility, patience, &c., and they 
 follow him, iu an observance of his ordinances, 
 and in obedience to his commands, till he has 
 safely conducted them to glory. 3. He protects 
 ihe.n from all their enemies ; Christ's flock is ex- 
 posed unto, aud surrounded by many a roaring 
 lion ; ravenous wolves, and suarliug dogs stand 
 ready to devour it, had they but as large a per- 
 mission, and as Kood an opportunity as they desire ; 
 but as David defended his father's sheej) from the 
 lion and the bear, so does Christ defend his ; he 
 has power enough to do it, and there is not want- 
 ing in him, either will, courage, or diligence. 4. 
 He restores his sheep, when they have wandered 
 and strayed from the fold ; as it is natural for sheep 
 to go astray, so it is common to Christ's sheep, 
 not only before, but after conversion; " I have 
 gone astray like a lost sheep," says David, Psal. 
 cxix. 176. " Seek thy servant;" Christ does so, 
 "wten his^ sheep go astray, he seeks every whsje 
 uutil he has found them ; when hejays them uijoa.. 
 his shoulders, and brings them into his fold agaia, 
 rejoicing; he^restpres their souls to their former 
 life and liveliness, and " leads them iu the paths 
 of righteousness, for his own name's sake." 5. 
 He heals all their diseases ; there are many diseases 
 which sheep are liable to, aud therefore had need 
 to be well looked after : so there are many diseases 
 which Christ's sheep arc liable to, but they are all 
 healed by hira; he binds up the broken heartedj_ 
 strengthens the wealc, heals the sicTi and wounded ; 
 none ever die of their diseases ; he is a sovereign, 
 free, universal, and infallible Physician. 6. He 
 watches over them in the night seasons, as the 
 shepherds of Bethlehem did over their flocks ; he 
 watches over them night and day, in the dark and 
 cloudy day, in the night of aftiiction, temptation, 
 and desertion ; he never leaves them, nor forsakes 
 ihem. 7. In short, he makes all necessary pro- 
 visions for them; so that they shall not, neither 
 can they want any good thing ; he takes care that 
 they shall have the best of food, aud what is most 
 suitable and proper for thein ; he has all fulness of 
 grace treasured up in hira, and he freely distributes 
 it among them as they stand in need. 
 
 Having thus taken notice of what is supposed 
 
VER. 7.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 S5 
 
 and' intended iu tliis act of feeding, I shall now 
 consider 
 
 2ndly. " ^Yhnt Christ feeds his flock with," and 
 that is, 1. "WTnPlHmself, who is "Jh«i B.i'cnd of 
 Life," which bcins fed ii])on by faith, sii])ports and 
 raaiiitains the life of God's cliildren ; and such are 
 the nature, virtue, and efficacy of it, that if a man 
 eat thereof, he shall never hunger after the sinful 
 pleasures of this life, so as he lias heretofore done ; 
 he shall also never die the second death, but shall 
 lire spiritually here, and eternally with Christ 
 hereafter. Christ's " flesh is meat indeed, and his 
 blood i^driuk indeed ;" and the believing soul 
 tastes a sweetness therein, and receives nourish- 
 ment from hence. Christ is the hidden manna, 
 the food of the wilderness',' which faith lives upon, 
 whilst travelling through it. O how richly are the 
 saints fed, whose food is Christ himsell' I 2. He 
 feeds them with the Gospel, the doctrines and 
 promises of.-it; the doctrines of the Gospel are 
 " the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ," 
 in which believers are nourished up ; these are 
 sweet to their taste, the joy and rejoicing of their 
 hearts, and are esteemed by them more than their 
 necessary food ; the promises of the Gospel are 
 " exceedingly great and precious ;" faith often 
 lives upon them ; the whole Gospel furnishes the 
 believer witli a variety of food ; iu it are milk for 
 babes and meat for strong men ; there is what is 
 suitable to the dispositions, tastes, and constitu- 
 tions of all God's children. 3. He feeds them 
 with the discoveries of his love and grace; he 
 brings them into his " banqueting-house," and 
 his " banner over them is love ;" there he gives 
 his best wine, and revives and refreshes their 
 fainting and drooping souls with it; he not only 
 feeds them with himself, " the Bread of Life," but 
 he also sheds abroad his love in their hearts, which 
 is " better than wine;" and thus, with both these 
 from time to time, does he regale them; and in 
 making such comfortable repasts for them, which 
 they largely feed upon, they "■ grow stronger and 
 stronger," until, at length they become perfect 
 men in Christ Jesus, But, 
 
 Srdly, " How, after what manner, and by what 
 means does Christ feed his flock ?" This is the 
 part of the church's request ; for so the words may 
 be read, " Tell me hovv thou feedest, and how thou 
 makes! thy flocks to rest at noou.'= Now, 
 Christ feeds his flock : L By his ministers, who 
 are his under-shepherds, to whom he gives com- 
 missions to feed his flock, saying, as he did to 
 Peter, John sxi. 15 — 17, " Feed my lambs, feed 
 my sheep;" who receive food from Christ, the 
 great Shepherd, and have suitable gifts and graces 
 bestowed upon them, that they may feed souls 
 " with knowledge and understanding," that is, 
 with the doctrines of the Gospel ; which is the 
 food Christ would have his fed with, as has been 
 
 • nyin nS'K quomodo pascas, Tigurine version. 
 So tlie Syriac version, and Jarchi, Vid. .Yinswortli 
 inloc. ' lude. uUi quarta sitim coeli collegcrit 
 
 shown already. 2. He feeds them by his ordi- 
 nances, which are " breasts of consolation" to 
 his people, out of which they suck, and are satis- 
 fied. Christ oftentimes makes a feast for his 
 jieople, in his ordinances, and bids them vielconie, 
 and says, " Eat, friends, yea, drink abundantly, 
 O beloved ;" and their faith feeds heartily upon 
 " the goodness and fatness of his house." 3. He 
 does all this by his Spirit : it is the Spirit of Christ 
 tiiat takes Christ, and the things of Christ, and 
 sets them before us, for faith to feed and live upon ; 
 it is he that applies the doctrines, and seals the 
 |)romises of the Gospel to us; and it is he that 
 sheds abroad the love of Christ in us ; the ministry 
 of the word, and the ordinances of the Gospel, are 
 the means of feeding souls ; but these would be 
 dry breasts, and would fall short of satisfying and 
 refreshing them, were they not attended with the 
 Spirit of Christ. 
 
 4thly. The last enquiry is. Where does Christ 
 feed ? To this I answer, in the gai;deus, his several 
 andjiajJicularr-Churches, according to chap^vi^ 2, 
 " ily beloved is gone down into his gardeUj to 
 the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens." "Would 
 any, with the cliurch', know where Christ feeds? 
 It is where his Gospel is powerfully preached, his 
 ordinances purely administered, and the laws of 
 his house faitiifully put in execution: this may 
 tlTeiTsSPrra^' a direction to such enquiring souls, 
 who would be glad to know where Christ feeds, 
 that they may feed with him ; let such seek 
 after a Gospel ministry and sit under it ; or a 
 church in Gospel-order, and give up themselves 
 unto it, to walk with the saints, in all the ordi- 
 nances, and commands of Christ. So much for 
 the first part of the request. It remains to be 
 observed. 
 
 Secondly. That the church is also desirous to 
 know where Christ " makes his flock to rest at 
 noon ;" and there was a great deal of reason for 
 her to make such a request as this, for it was 
 noon with her; the sun was in its meridian, in 
 its full strength, and had looked upon her, as she 
 declares in the former verse. Tlic allusion is to 
 shepherds in hot couutries, leading their flocks to 
 some shady place, where they may be sheltered 
 from the scorching heat of the sun ; which, as Vir- 
 gil says, was at the fourth hour, or ten o'clock, 
 two hours before noon.' We read of -Kpo^aria 
 fxea-efiPpiaCwra, sheep nooning themselves, or 
 lying down at noon, under a shade by a fountain 
 asleep. s Some by noon understand the noon of 
 the everlasting day of the saints' happiness aud 
 felicity in heaven, where Christ feeds his elect 
 with joys that will never end ;■* " leads them to 
 fountains of living water, wipes all tears from 
 their eyes,' and gives them an everlasting rest 
 from all their toil and labour ; but I thiuk, by it 
 we are rather to uuderstand, either, 1. The noon 
 
 hora, Georgic. 1. 3. v. 327. < Plato in Phrrdro, 
 
 p. 1230. I" Hieron. et Bernard, in Sanct. et 
 
 Diodat, in loc. 
 
 n 2 
 
AN E:a=OSlTIOX Of THH 
 
 [chap. I. 
 
 of tcuip latiou, vviiicli is soms;times vcr^y hot, lierne, 1 else, 3. By the voon ninj' be meant tlie noon of 
 
 'i 
 
 and yioleiitV, Sa'aii throws his fiery dart§, thick 
 and iastj-i'.hicii oftentimes givelhe believer much 
 uneasiness ; he is " in iiea\'itiess through maiiifoJd 
 tenifiti^itions ;" but Christ nmkes him to lie down 
 quietly, and rest safely ; which he docs, either by 
 sliadiug him from the violent heat thereof, or by 
 suj)|)ortiiig hiin under it, or else by giving him 
 deliverance from it. Christ has sweet restiiij:- 
 piaees for his peoide, in the time of temptation, and 
 would you know where and what (hey are? I an- 
 swer, the fulness ai'.d all-sulCeiency of grace, which 
 is in him, is what he makes a bclievimi soul 
 sweetly to resfc iu, at such a time; when he is 
 pleased to say nnto it, as he did to the apostle 
 Paul, when iu such a case, " My grace is sufficient 
 for thee ;" such sweet resting-places, in times of 
 temptation, are also his precious blood, which al- 
 ways speaks peace and pai'don, and is of an eter- 
 nal eiricacy ; his spotless righteousness, in which, 
 as neilher law uor justice, so neither can Satan 
 find any Haw : as likewise, his atoiiing sacrilice, 
 by which he has effectually " put away sin, and 
 ]>crfected for ever them that are sanctified ;" and so 
 is his advocateship and intm^ession, iu the dis- 
 charge of which,- he pleads the b;'liever's cause, 
 ans\vers3ll_^^tan^j;haxgcs and accusnUousjx^i- 
 bittd against him, and prays for him, "that his 
 faith fail not ;" moreover, the covenant of grace 
 s another resting-place, which stands firm and 
 sure, and the promises thereof are absolute, un- 
 coudilional, and shall never fail. Ninv these are 
 some of_UjiO-;£.SA'eet reyjju;- places, in wfilc]; t^hrist 
 cauae.s h'sj>eo!)le lojie down and rest in thenoon- 
 tir>!a..,af..tcm,ijtat.iau;..or,e!?5„ by- nooa ««iy be 
 mCiUit, 2. The noon of aillictiou, which is some- 
 times very sharp and severe upon God's children : 
 so that as Job says, chap. xsx. 30, " their skin is 
 black upon them, and their bones are burnt with 
 the heat thereof;" they have generally a large 
 share of aOlictious iu this world ; this sua often- 
 times smites them very severely : but Christ has 
 his resting-places for them, where he makes them 
 lie down and rest, which are such as the world 
 huow nothing of; he grants them his presence, 
 and goes along with them, when they walk through 
 the lire, or Ihrough the water, so that the one sliall 
 not kindle upon them, nor the other overflow 
 them ; he puts underneath his everlasting arm?, 
 aud supports them nuder all their trials; he makes 
 their beds in their adliction, so that it becromes 
 easy to them ; he discovers his love and grace to 
 t'.ieir souls, and gives them views of their interest 
 iu him ; he remembers his word of promise to them, 
 on which he has caused them to hope; lets them 
 see that all their afQictious are in love, that they 
 are all working for their good, and when he thinks 
 pro])er, he delivers them ; and upon such pillows, 
 and in such resting-places as these, does he cause 
 his people to lie dovvi', where '' he gives his be- 
 loved siten," iu the noon-time i)f airiictipu -. Or 
 
 persecution ; and this, indeed, seems to bTtTie case 
 of the church here ; the sun of persecution had 
 scorched her ; and her " mother's children were 
 ngry with her;" and therefore, being^iu distress and 
 angui shofsoul, she desires to know untovvhat coaling 
 and refreshing shades Christ used to lead his flock 
 at such a time. ' It isan allusion to shepherds, as 
 before observed, who, in those hot countries, used 
 to lead their (locks in the heat of the day, vvhich 
 is at noon, to some cool and shady place, where 
 they might repose themselves and be preserved 
 from the vehemence of the scorching sun.* Most 
 of the Jewish writers' interpret it of the captivity 
 of the people oflsrael, vvhich was a time of tribu- 
 lation Fnd 'distress nnto them : the he_aj^of persecu- 
 tion seems chiefly, intended, which fiery trial often- 
 times befals God's children ; but Christ has his 
 resLing;p]aees for them, at such a time, and under 
 such a trial ; he will " recompense tribulation to 
 them that trouble his people," but to those that 
 are troubled, thrit is, with iicrsecution, he will 
 " give ugst^witlr us^" s£iv.5_^tluj, apostle, 2 Tiies^ 
 6, 7 ;. rest here, and rest hereafter ; lie give li- 
 berty of soul when iu prison, and fills with an un- 
 speakable joy, even when both tiieir goods and 
 good names are spoiled, and taken away from 
 tliem ; he gives thein a peace under all the racks 
 and tortures, cruelty and barbarity, (hat are exer- 
 cised upon them by their enemies, which passeth 
 cill understanding : they find such rest, saLisiaetion, 
 and contentment in the person, blood, and righte- 
 ousness of Christ, that they choose rather with 
 Moses, " to suffer affliction with the people of God, 
 than to enjoy the pleasures of siu, which are for a 
 season," Ilcb. xi. 25. 
 
 Thirdlj'-T'TTre' arguments she makes use of to 
 obtain her request, which are these, 1st. She 
 argues from her strous love and affection to hmi^ 
 " Tell me, thou whom my soul lovellT;" it is true 
 these words may be considered as an endearing 
 title which she gave to him ; but yet they seem 
 more strongly to express her singular esteem of 
 him, and her sincere and unfeigned love and af- 
 fection to him, than those usual titles,- my love, or 
 wy beloved, do : which love of hers might be 
 very well improved as an argument to obtain her 
 request, thus : " O thou who art the great Shep- 
 herd of the sheep, tell me in what pastures thou 
 art graciously pleased to feed thy flock, and to what 
 cooling shades thou dost lead them, iu tiie heat 
 of the day, to screen them from the scoA'chingsun. 
 She who makes this humble request nnto thee, 
 though mean and unworthy of thy notice, yet is 
 one tiiat loves thee witli all her heart and soul ; 
 who, though of late, through the weakness and 
 sinfulness of her own heart, and through the 
 fear aud force of others, has stepped aside from 
 thy commandments to the doctrines and tra- 
 ditions of men; yet, being made sensible of her 
 weakness and fully llicrciu, cannot be easy to 
 
 y'oU larijaui et R. Sol. Jarcln iu loc. ho Lyra. 
 
VEK. 7.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 37 
 
 roiitiouc among those false teachers aiul wor- 
 shippnis; aacl therefore, from a real love to thy 
 persoii, a respect to thiue ordinances, aud a re- 
 gard to thy giory, humbly desires to be informed 
 of these things." Now tliough the clmrch knew 
 full well that her love to Christ could merit no- 
 thing, nor deserve a gracious answer from him ; 
 yet she was sensible that expressions of love were 
 very pleasing to him, and therefore she takes this 
 metliod. The nature, causes, and actings of a soul's 
 love to Christ have beeu shown on ver. 3. 2udly. 
 Slie argues and expostulates vvith him, ou the ac- 
 count of her pi'esent case, and what was likely to 
 befal her, if he did not give her some speedy di 
 reclions ; " for why should I be'as one (bat turu- 
 elhaside_^by the flocks of thy companions?" There 
 is much difficulty aud dilference in the rendering 
 of the Hebrew word, which we translate " as oue 
 that turueth aside j"** some render it " as one 
 coverethherself,or is covered,"' eitheras an harlot:" 
 so Tamar covered herself, which madeJudah tukeher 
 to be an harlot, Gen. xxxviii. 14 ; or as a widow in 
 mourning,^ it being the cusloraof mourners tocover 
 themselves, Ezek. xxiv. 17, 22 ; and then the sense 
 is, " "Why should I be suspected to be a u harlot, and 
 looked upon as an unchaste woman, that has left her 
 own husband to follow strangers; when thou who art 
 theSeareherof hearts and Ttisjrof reins, kno west that 
 I ljDveUieeJjj,iiuccxity.^41id are heartjiy desirous of 
 following thee in thincpw.uways ;" or else the sense 
 is, '^VhTrsheuId I apjjcar in a widow's dress, and go 
 mourning and sorrowing as if I liad no husband : 
 tdljiie where thou art, aqd wiiere I may enjoy thy 
 presence, and be delighted willi thy company." 
 Junius and TrsmcTfuis translate the woFds'niiis 
 " ^Vb3?_shoj;ild.J..Le,aaai«ejlut spreadelh the tent 
 wijjij^he flocks of thy companions ?" and give this 
 as the sense, " Why should 1? I would not, 
 though but for a time, have any conversation with 
 such persona, who pretend to be thy friends, and 
 are not ; I cannot bear it, my soul abhors and 
 detests the thoughts of it, though, perhaps, through 
 my weakness arid inCrmilies, 1 may do it; O there- 
 fore, tell me quickly, speedily, where thou feedest." 
 Others render it " as oue that waudcrs about, 
 declines, or turns aside bj the flocks of thy co.ii- 
 Iiauions:"" this agrees with our xprsion : and 
 from these words we may observ^ iK Tijat (here 
 are some «ho would be the assocTaTes anTcoiii- 
 yanions of Christ, who indeed are not : these 
 wereno^teailOi.so, but usurped to tfi?uiselves an 
 equal power sjud, authority with C'lrist ; such are 
 those whojiikt upon, them an arbitrary aud lordly 
 government of Christ's flocic, who make and in\- 
 pose laws on the consciences o! men, which Christ 
 never es tab! islied.'anTwTiirtef.c^Tirocrrlucscoj^ 
 to those which Christ taught^, and whiclL. are 
 derogaTory"TO" hts honour and glory: such riv;ils 
 
 ■t Vide A\e:\ Ezram in loo. P'crD ""^ '^'"^p'" 
 
 /SaWoii'ijvt), Sept. siuct amicta ve'.opcrta, Michat^lis; 
 quasi opcriens se, Piscator; utobnubcns. Coeceins; 
 sittut obvi'laus so, Marokius. !!'o Zohar.in Ley. fol. 
 
 with, and pretended companions of Christ, are, the 
 ■ ope of liome, who exalts himself above all that 
 is called God ; Ariaus, who deny Christ's Divinity ; 
 Sociuians, thai 'appose his satisfaction; aud all 
 self-justieiaries, that advance the doctrine of jus- 
 irfTcalioQ by w~6rks, in opposition (o justification 
 by his imputed righteousness : but such Christ 
 will not own as his friends, nor suffer to be his 
 rivals aud companions ; for as his owu arm 
 brought sidvation to him, so the government is 
 alone upon his shoulders , as he was alone in th.e 
 purcliase and salvation of his flock, so he will be 
 in the government and feeding of it ; for hisgbry 
 which arises from thence, he will not give to an- 
 other. Christ never did, nor never will empower 
 any to make new laws, nan>otn new doctrines for 
 his church aud people.:^ 2. ijhese false and pre- 
 tended frieuds and eompafnotis of Christ, who are 
 no other than wolves in sheep's clothing, have their 
 flocks. Heretics and false teachers, iu all ages, 
 have had their followers, and sometimes large 
 numbers have been drawn away after them ; and 
 this God sutlers in a judicial way : he gives men 
 up to believe a lie, because they love not the truth ; 
 but having itcliiug ears, grow weary of it and want 
 something new : also these are permitted to have 
 their flocks by themselves, that Ciirist's little flock 
 might be distinguished from them, and that those 
 who are choseu, lovrd, and approved by God, 
 might be made manifest; as also to animate and 
 excite the faithful ministers of the Gospel to be 
 constant and assiduous, bold and faithful (o preach 
 _the doctrines of Christ, and to opj)c:se errors. 
 / 3./Eeh'evers are very fearful, lest they should, 
 "^d are very desirous that (hey might not, go aside 
 from the ways of Christ ; tlsey are jealous oftiieir 
 own hearts, and are sensible that t!;cre is in (hem 
 a pi'opeusity thereunto ; they know that Satan 
 uses all the crafty methods, aud lakes nil the 
 opportunities he can to draw theoi sside, and 
 corrupt their niindj " from the si.mplicily that 
 is in Christ;" they arc appiized of their owu 
 weakness, and know th.at they are not kept 
 by their owu jjower, but that if they are 
 left to themselves, they shall soon .divert to 
 (■rooked paths ; and the j)reseut case of the church 
 also manifestly shows that God may, for a time, 
 suffer his owu cliildren to be carried away with 
 the error of the wicked ; but when tliey are 
 made sensible of it, they will be filled Vvith aa 
 holv indignation against it, and make it their 
 principal request at the throne of grace to be 
 delivered o\it of it, and that their feet may be 
 guided and directed in the paths of Christ : now 
 those who are desirous that they may be kei); 
 from turning aside unto, and joining with ihe 
 flocks of f .Ise teachers, who vainly pretend to be 
 the friends and companions of Christ, should aliJc 
 
 7. 3. ■" So Meroer in loo. = Vide Yulkut and 
 
 R. Sol. Jareh iim in loc. • Targum ia loc. U. 
 
 David Kimclii in lib. Shor.ash. rau. rT'.;i\ 
 
38 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CBAP.. I. 
 
 iu lljL' Lord's iiilicritance, keep close to Christ's 
 ways aud ordinances, and not believe every spirit, 
 lut try them accordiuu; to the word of God, as 
 the noble Bereans did ; they should earnestly beg 
 that the gospel which is preaciied unto them 
 miglit effectually work in tliem, and make deep 
 impressions upon them ; so shall they not be 
 " like childien tossed about with every wind of 
 doctrine." But let us hear what directioos Christ 
 himself gives to the church in the following words. 
 
 Verse 8. If thou know not, thou fairest 
 among women 1 go thy waxj forth hy the foot- 
 steps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the 
 shepherd's tents. 
 
 Some think? that these are the words of the 
 chorus of virgins or daughters of Jerusalem, by 
 whom she is called the " fairest among women," 
 in chap. v. 2, and vi. 1 ; who here instruct and 
 direct her where she might find and come at the 
 sight of her beloved ; but the note of R. Solomon 
 Jarchi is much preferable, which is, that " this 
 is the anstver of the shepherd ;" for it was to 
 him, and not to the virgins, that she made her 
 application ; nor were they capable of giving her 
 any directions in this case, but rather stood in 
 need of some from her, as is manifest in chap. iv. 
 9, and vi. 1. In this answer of Christ's unto the 
 church, are these three things : 
 
 I. The commendation he gives her; " O thou' 
 fairest among women !" 
 
 II. A supposition of her ignorance; " if thou 
 know not." 
 
 III. A direction to her ; " go thy way," &c. 
 
 I. Christ in these words gives the church an 
 excellent commendation, " O thou fairest among 
 women ;" in what sense the church is fair and 
 comely has been shown, on ver. 5 ; who, though 
 bhick in herself, aud iu her own eyes, yet having 
 Clirist's righteousness in-.puted to her, aud his 
 grace wrougiit iu her, is fair aud comely : which 
 couimeadation here, both in itself, and as it fol- 
 lows upon the account which she gave of hersell 
 and state, in the preceding verses, may teach us 
 the following things: 1. That the beauty of ihe 
 church is very great aud exceedingly admired by 
 Christ ; as some raeu are eminent for their 
 strength, courage, aud valour, so are some women 
 for their beauty and co.neliness: and she being 
 said to be " the fairest among women," shows 
 that her beauty must be excellent and surpassing; 
 as he is fairer in her eyes than all the sons, so 
 she is fairer in his than all the daughters of 
 Adam. 2. That believers are fairest iu Christ's 
 eyes, when blackest in their own ; she had asser- 
 ted of herself, in ver. 5, that she was black; 
 but here Christ says, that she was " tiie fairest 
 among women." The humble believer that has 
 low and mean tlioughts of himself, on the account 
 of the corruption of his nature, the imperfection 
 of his obedience, the weakness and insunicieucy of 
 
 his righteousness, is much more esteemed and 
 valued by Christ, than the proud, haughty, and 
 vain-glorious Pharisee ; an instance of this we 
 have in Luke xviii. 13, 14. An humble soul is 
 one that looks upon itself as the least of saints, 
 and the chief of sinners ; tiie countenance of such 
 an one blushing at its sins and infirmities, is 
 beautiful aud comely in the eyes of Christ, aud 
 is a sight exceeding desirable to him ; and there- 
 fore he says, iu chap. ii. 14, " Let me see thy 
 countenance, let me hear thy voice, for sweet is 
 thy voice, and thy countenance is comely." 3. 
 That Clirist's thoughts of believers are not accord- 
 ing to those which they have of themselves, nor 
 according to those which the world entertains of 
 them ; he " seeth not as man seeth," neither doe3 
 he look upon, or judge according to the outward 
 appearance: the believer oftentimes looks upon, 
 and judges of himself, according to his indwelling 
 corruptions, and the inward frames of his soul, 
 and draws black conclusions against himself : the 
 world looks upon the outward, mean, aud abject 
 appearance of the saints, and so they become 
 black and contemptible iu their eyes; but Christ 
 views them in himself, aud in his own righteous- 
 ness, and considers them iu all that glory in which 
 he saw them iu the glass of his father's purposes 
 and decrees, which glory he has fully resolved on, 
 aud designed to bring them to the actual posses- 
 sion of; and on this account they appear exceed- 
 ing fair aud beautiful in his eyes. 4. This excel- 
 lent commendation of the cliurch given by Christ, 
 shows his amazing aud unalterable love to her ; 
 he loved her now as well as ever ; not withstand- 
 ing all her blackness through sins aud suflerings, 
 she was as fair in his eyes as ever, nay, surpas- 
 singly fair, fairer than all others ; though she had 
 been negligent of her duty, and had sinfully 
 complied with false and superstitious worship, 
 with the doctrines and traditions of men, and 
 thereby wandered from Christ aud his ways, and 
 knew not where he fed aud caused his flock to 
 rest ; yet upon her Qrst application to him, he 
 gives her such a character, as expresses much 
 love aud tenderness, as well as manifests a very 
 great regard to her, iu directing and instructing 
 of her : O matchless love 1 boundless grace ! 
 
 II. Here is a supposition of her ignorance, 
 " if thou know not:" which is not to be under- 
 stood, either by way of hesitation or reprehension, 
 as if Christ either doubted of her ignorance, or 
 reproved her for it, but by way of inference from 
 what she had suggested ; for this particle if, is 
 not always hypothetic or conditional, but is some- 
 times illative, see Phil. ii. 1, and thus the words 
 may be rendered, " seeing thou knowest not," so 
 Junius; or "because ihou knowest not;" and 
 may be considered as a reason why Christ gave 
 her the following direction and advice, and will 
 lead us to observe these two things: 1. That 
 believers may, in some measure, be ignorant of a 
 
 p Sanct. in loc. and Psellus in ibid. 
 
VER. 8.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 3'.) 
 
 great many things ia this life ; this life is a state 
 of imperfection, both with respect to holiness and 
 knowledge; the greatest believer knows but in 
 part, and sees things but through a glass darkli/ ; 
 he is ignorant of himself in a great measure, 
 though he may know much of the plague of his 
 own heart, of the corruptions and treachery of it, 
 yet he does not know all ; for the heart is " de- 
 ceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, 
 who can know it ?" These words may be ren- 
 dered from the Hebrew text, thus,i " If thou know 
 not to thee, or, for thyself ;" so Ainsworth ; or, 
 " if thou kaowest not thyself;" itis generally looked 
 upon as a pleonasm, yet it may intend, not only 
 the ignorance which was in herself, but also her 
 ignorance of herself. Again, a believer may be 
 in some measure ignorant of Christ and his Gos- 
 pel ; he may not so fully know his relation and 
 union to him, and interest in him : many of those 
 truths, which concern Christ's person, grace, and 
 kingdom, may be but obscurely revealed unto 
 liim; he may have but a small insight into them: 
 though he may have been long in Christ's school, 
 yet he may be but a babe in knowledge, and 
 need to be taught " the first principles of the 
 oracles of God ;" our knowledge of these things 
 at best is but imperfect, and when compared with 
 . that which saints shall have in glory, is very 
 dark and obscure : also believers sometimes may 
 be at a very great loss to know where Christ feeds 
 his church and people; and this has been the 
 case of the saints, as it was the church here, 
 in times of persecution, darkness, and superstition ; 
 they have not only been at a loss for his presence, 
 but they have also been at a loss for his ordi- 
 nances; they have not not only been ignorant 
 where he was, but also they have not known where 
 his gospel was preached in the power, and his ordi- 
 nances administered in the purity of them. 2. That 
 though Christ's people are ignorant of a great 
 many things, and of such which, as one would 
 think, they should not be ignorant of, but should 
 make it their principal business to be acquainted 
 with, yet Christ does not upbraid them with it ; 
 for " he has compassion on the ignorant, and on 
 them that are out of the way ;" as their merciful 
 and faithful High -priest, he has atoned for their 
 sins, both of ignorance and presumption ; and as 
 their prophet he instructs them by his word and 
 Spirit, and " guides their feet in the way of peace ;" 
 and therefore the most ignorantsoul need not be dis- 
 couraged from going to Christ for wisdom, counsel, 
 anddirection; butklhimthat "lackcth wisdom, ask 
 it of him who giveth liberally to all men, and up- 
 braideth not, and it shall be given him," Jam. i. 6. 
 III. Here is a direction which Christ gives 
 her, in answer to her request, which consists of 
 two parts ; First, To " go forth by the footsteps 
 of the flock." Secondly, to " feed her kids beside 
 the shepherd's tents." 
 
 1 "|7 'SJin N?CDW kUv ix\]-^vw o-euuTi/i'.Sept. nisi cog- 
 noveris te, Ar. Moutanus. ' Foliot and Alcuim 
 
 First. The first thing which Christ directs and 
 advises her to, is, to " go her way forth by the 
 footsteps of the flock." Some consider these 
 words, not- as a direction to the church, but as 
 spoken by way of resentment to lier. Christ, ob- 
 serving the church was growing uneasy under her 
 trials and temptations, and, as it were, threaten- 
 ing that if he did not relieve her, she would join 
 herself to the flocks of his companions ; being 
 ignorant, both of her own beauty, which she had 
 received from him, and of that relation which she 
 stood in to him ; as also, that she must expect to 
 meet with more troubles, temptations, and trials 
 with him and for him ; Christ, I say, observing 
 and resenting thisfroward temper of hers, and the 
 ignorance that was in her, bids her be gone from 
 his presence, and follow the sfeps of those flocks 
 which she had mentioned, and see what would 
 be the consequence of it, and whether she would 
 find her account in it or no ; and " feed her kiJs," 
 that is, give a loose to, and indulge her carnal 
 lusts and corruptions among those jjersons whom 
 she seemed to have an inclination to : but they 
 seem rather to be spoken by way of direction than 
 resentment; and there are some, who, thoHgh 
 they look upon the words as a direction of Christ 
 to the church, yet by " the footsteps of the flock," 
 understand the paths and ways of those sheep and 
 shepherds, among whom she was, and by whom 
 she was in danger of being carried away, and 
 read the words thus, " Go out of those foot- 
 steps of the flock,'" so Junius and Tremellius. 
 But though, no doubt, the chiir>:li is here directed 
 and exhorted to depart from the ways of sin, 
 to leave all superstition and idolatry, and come 
 out from among false worshippers ; yet I cannot 
 but think that the " footsteps of the flock " are 
 the rule and n^ark by which she was to go, and 
 keep her eye upon, in finding Christ : and it 
 may be enquired, 1st. What is meant by " tbe 
 flock." 2ndly. What by " the footsteps" of 
 it, by, and in which the church was to go. 
 
 1st; What is meant by " the flock ;" and by 
 it we are to understand, the flock wiiich the 
 Father has committed into the hands of Clirist, 
 which he has purchased with his own blood, and 
 continuilly feeds like a shepherd; this is called 
 a flock in the singular number, in opposition to 
 the numerous flocks of those other shepherds men- 
 tioned in ver. 7 : for as there is but one shepherd, 
 who is Christ, so there is but one flock, which 
 is the church; of which flock I liave given a more 
 large account on the former verse. 
 
 2ndly. By " the footsteps of the flock," are 
 meant the ways and ordinances in which saints 
 by faith walk, in obedience to Christ Jesus ; he 
 has left us an example that we should follow his 
 steps ; so far as believers walk therein, we should 
 follow and walk in the steps of the same faith 
 which they have done, aud iu so doing, may, and 
 
 in loc. ' Egrederd avistigiisillisgregis; but 
 
 then it should have been upi-O and not '3pi-2. 
 
AX EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. I. 
 
 sliiill liiid (lie presence of Christ Jesus. From 
 whence may be observed, 1. That we liave no 
 resteoii to expect a new gospel or new orcinauccs ; 
 but we should enquire for the good old way, 
 uliich the saints in all ages iiavc trodden ; no new 
 lights nor new revelations, that have no foundation 
 in the word of God, are to be regarded by us; 
 for " we bave a more sure word of prophecy, to 
 wliicb we do well if we take beed." Christ bas 
 in his vvorJ established the order of his churches, 
 lixeJ the ordinances thereof, till bis second 
 coining, and mariced out thepaths in vvhiebbe would 
 bave bis people walk ; and these are the footsteps of 
 tlic Hook, which saints in all ages should go by. 
 2. That the faith and obedience of God's chil- 
 dren, as to tbe substance of them, bave been the 
 saine iu all ages: There is but "one faith, one 
 Lord, one baptism ;" the object of faith bas been 
 always tbe same ; so bave the Spirit and Author 
 of faith, and also the grace itself, as to its nature 
 and actings ; there has been but one Lord, who 
 ^bas established bnvs aud ordinances, bas a pQwer 
 to require obedience, aud to whom, in all ages, it 
 has been given by his saints, both in a way of 
 doing and suiferiug. 3. That the practices of 
 former saints, both as to their faith and obedience, 
 are to be imitated by us : see Hcb. vi. 12, and 
 xiii. 7 ; but al#avs with this limitation, given by 
 the apostle Paul, " Be ye followers of me, even 
 as I also am ofChtiet," 1 Cor. xi. 1 ; and indeed, 
 no farther should we follow the most eminent 
 sainis, for faith and holiness, than as tliey have 
 trodden in those stepswhich Christ has marked out 
 for them and us. 4. In so doing, we may 
 expect to have our souls fed and nourished, as 
 theirs were, aud to enjoy the presence of Christ, 
 as tlicy did ; for though our faith and obedience 
 deserve none of all this, yet in uaiking iu Christ's 
 ways, we have most reason to expect it, being eu- 
 coiiraged both by Christ's promises, and by tliose 
 many instances and clouds of witnesses that have 
 gone before us. The Targum and R. Sol. Jarchi, 
 understand this part of tbe direction, of die 
 righteous, in whose steps those that come after 
 should tread. 
 
 Secondly. The other jjart of t!ie direction is, to 
 feed her kids beside the s'lepherds' tents. It was 
 common in the eastern countries, as Fhilo says of 
 tbe Arabs,' not for men only to keep flocks, but 
 women also and young \irgins; of women keeping 
 flocks see Gen. xxxix. 2, Exod. ii. IG; the sane 
 Jusephus says of the Troglodites ," and it was an 
 early custom for sbeplierds to bave teuts where 
 they fed their flocks: they were so early as the 
 days of Jahal, who was tlie inventor of them. Gen. 
 iv. 20. Hence the Arahian sbeplierds, who dwelt 
 in tents, and moved them from place to place for 
 tl-«sake^ pasturage, were called ScenUes ; and 
 
 1st. By shepherds may be nuaiit such who are 
 called the. companians of Clirist in ver. 7 \''' wlio 
 only bad the appearance of shephcixls, but were 
 inwardly ravenous wolves: the words may be ren- 
 dered, "Feed thy kids above the shepherds' tents, 
 or above tbe tents of other shepherds ;" so R, Aben 
 Ezra and Junius; that is, go beyond their tents, and 
 do not pitch tliine where theirs are, but carry thy 
 kids farther, into oilier pastures, aud feed them with 
 better aud mire wholesome food than they can give: 
 or else by them, may be meant tbe ministers of the 
 Gospel, who are Chfist's under-sheplierds, whose 
 business is to feed Christ's sheep and lambs, with 
 the soul-refreshing doctrines of the everlasting 
 Gospel ; who receive their commission from Christ 
 to feed the ftock, are furnished with abilities from 
 him for that work, and must give an account unto 
 him ; and by, or near the tents of these sbejiherds,^ 
 the church is directed to feed her kids. 2. By the 
 tents of these shepherds, may be meaut those iilaees 
 of divine worship, where the ministers of Christ 
 usually preach his Gospel, and administer bis ordi- 
 nances; which tents or tabernacles are amiable 
 and lovely to believers : tbe Jewish writers gene- 
 rally understand them of their schools or synago- 
 gues.^ It is an alhvsion to shepherds' tents, which 
 are usually pitched where they feed their flocks. 
 3. By kids may be n;eAut young converts, who, 
 though they are desirous of the sincere milkof the 
 word, that they may grow thereby, yet are but 
 weak in faitli, and bave but a small degree of 
 knowledge ; and therefore should be near the shep- 
 herds' tents, thit they may be under their imme- 
 diate care and inspeetioii; as Christ himself has 
 the strongest affection for these, and takes a special 
 care of them, as in Isa. xl. 11 ; so he would have 
 his ministers and churches be particularly careful 
 and tender of them : these kids R. Aben Ezra calls 
 n20« 'rip oMyoTTicrTovi, " persons of little faith ;" 
 the very character which Christ gives of his dis- 
 ciples, ?.Iatt. vi. 30 ; young converts are not only 
 called kids, because of their faith and knowledge ; 
 but kids being young goats, lascivious, and of an 
 ill smell,' may iiitimate, that notwithstanding the 
 iirace which is vvrought in them at conversion, yet 
 there still re:nains sin and corruption in them, 
 disagreeable to themselves and others ; as also, 
 that being called by divine grace out of the world, 
 aud having separated t'roiu the men of it, they did 
 mele olere, smell ill, and were become abominable 
 and couteniptible to tiiem ; aud thcrei^ore needed 
 much refreshment aud eueouragemeut from the 
 church aud ministers, that they might net be dis- 
 couraged and east dowu at their own corruptions, 
 nor at the frjwns and reproaches of the world. 
 This direction to the church, to feed her kids be- 
 side the shepherds' tents, where the Gospel was 
 preached by Christ's ministers, shows the uecessitv 
 
 • Da Vita Mosis, 1. 1. p. CIO. " Antiqu. 1. 2. 
 
 •C- 1 '• s- 2. w Vide K. Sol. Jarcbiura, Juniuni 
 
 and .\.insworth in los. ' Juxta, V. L. Tisoator, 
 
 Michaalis; ajjud, Mercerus, Cocceius. 
 
 y Tar^-.a ia loc. aud Zoiiar in Lev. fol. 7. 3, asd 
 
 in Num! fol. GJ. 4. aud 80. 1. >= Hoedi petulci, 
 
 Virgil. Ge:jrgic. 1. 4. v. 10. lasciva c:ipella, Bucolic, 
 cclog. 2. v. G4 florat. C rmin. 1. 2. ode. 15. v. 12. ok't 
 Gorgouius hircum, Horat- Satyr. 1. 1. sat. 2. v. 27. 
 
<. 1 
 
 SON'ii OF SONGS. 
 
 41 
 
 and perpetuity of tlieGospul uiiuistry, and of Gos- 
 pel oitliuaoces; and what a value saiuls sliould have 
 for tlieni, aud also what use they should make 
 of Ihem, as well as iuforms us of the vvreti^hed 
 mistake of those jjcrsous who thiulj themselves 
 above hearing the word, aud regardiug ordiuaufes. 
 
 therefore Christ's love, botli because he loves her, 
 and also because she loves him. 
 
 II. Here is made, by Christ, a comparison 
 of her, " to a company of horses iu Pharaoh's 
 chaiiots : I have compared tliee, O my love," &c., 
 t'liat is, I thovght aud iiaaijined thee to he like 
 I unlo Ihem," or I have raade thee like niUo lliem ; 
 Verse 9. / have compared thee, my love, to a ^vhich shows that she was not only like unlo them, 
 " ■-"""""" —•■.'> — -..".••-» he having asserted her to be so, who must cer- 
 
 tainly know, but also that l.iis was owing to him. 
 
 coiyyaai/ of /torses inF/taiaofi's chariots. 
 Christ having returned a suitable answer, and 
 given proper directions to the church iu her pre- 
 sent difficulties, euters upou a commendation of 
 her, which is begun in this verse, and contiuued 
 in the following one. 'In these words are, 
 
 I. An affectionate title given to her ; " O my 
 love." 
 
 II. A comparison which Christ makes of her, 
 " to a company of horses iii Pharaoh's chariots." 
 And, 
 
 III. It may be enquired why such a coni- 
 parisou is made and mentioned in this place. 
 
 I. Here is a very loving and endearing title 
 given unto her, " my love;" it may be rendered 
 " my friend ;"* thtre is a mutual friendship be- 
 tween Christ and believers : the church oivns 
 Christ to be her beloved and her friend, and 
 
 that show as so : or to my mare, as some render 
 ii,*^ which being a present by Pharaoh to Solomon, 
 he might have a particular regard for it ; nor is 
 such a comparison of a woman a disagreeable one ; 
 many women have had their names from this 
 creature, from some celebrated eseelleuce iuthem, 
 as Hippo, Ilijipe, Hip])ia, &c., and the same figure 
 is made use of by various writers,** Now the 
 church is compared to a co)npany of horses to set 
 forth her greatness and exce!lea(-y, and to Egyptian 
 ones, which were esteemed the best, and to those 
 iu Pharaoh's chariots, which, no doubt, were best 
 of all : all believers may very well be compared 
 " to a company of horses iu Pharaoh's chariots ;" 
 1. Because the horses iu Pharaoh's chariots were 
 a choice and select company, picked and singled 
 
 Christ welcomes his church aud people to the en- I °»^ fr^m others, peculiarly for his service: so R. 
 
 tertaiuiucnts of his grace, under the characters of 
 his beloved, and his friends, saying, " Eat, 
 friends ; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved ;" 
 and he not only calls them so, but uses and treats 
 them as such ; he converses with tliem, aud dis- 
 closes the secrets of his heart unto them ; he is a 
 friend to them at all times, in adversity as well as 
 prosperity, aud has given the most iucoutestible 
 proofs of it in his suffering and dying for them. 
 The Septuagint renders it, " my neighbour :" the 
 church is Christ's neighbour ; they dwell near to 
 each other ; he dwells in their hearts by faith, 
 and they by faith dwell in him : he shows, tliat 
 he regards his church as his neighbour, by loving 
 her as hiaiself; nay, he has so loved her, as to 
 give himself for her. Again, if we consider this 
 title, according to our version, it well suits the 
 church, who is Christ's love. 1. Objectively; 
 She is the object of his love, was so from eter- 
 nity, will be so throughout all time, and wiieu 
 time shall be no more ; he has given the fullest 
 proofs of it in his undertaking, as a Surety fur 
 her, iu his assumption of her nature, iu dying 
 in her room aud stead, and in masing satisfaction 
 for all her transgressions. The nature of this 
 love has been shown already on ver. 2. 2. Siic 
 is Christ's love subjectively ; Christ's love is fixed 
 upon her, and is shed abroad iu her heart, by tlie 
 S])irit, aud this causes love iu her soul to him ; 
 that so as Christ loves her, she loves liini, wiih a 
 real, liearly, sincere, aud superlative love; she is 
 
 Sol. Jarchi interprets it, " a collection of horses," 
 which, no doubt, was a choice aud curious one ; 
 for if there were any more thau others, it is very 
 reasonable to suppose, that they were iu PharaoJi's 
 ciiariois. The church of Christ is a " chosen 
 generation, a royal priest-hood, an holy nation, 
 and a peculiar people ;" they are distinguished and 
 separated from others, by electing, redeeming, and 
 calling grace ; they arc a collection from tiie rest 
 of mankind, made by the free, sovereign, and dis- 
 tinguishing grace of God : they are " a remnant, 
 according to the election of grace," chosen aud 
 siugledout from, others iu Christ, beforetbe fouuda- 
 tiou of the world ; they are " redeemed from 
 among men, and that out of every kindred, tongue, 
 people, and nation ;" whom God is pleased by his 
 mighty, powerful, and efficacious grace to call, even 
 ■one of a city, and two of a family, and bring to 
 • tlie participation of peculiar favours aud privil- g's, 
 throag'ii Christ, in the church on earth, and witli 
 Christ for ever in glory. ' 2. These horses in 
 Pharaoh's chariots were, no doubt, bought at a 
 very great price ; Egyptian horses went at a very 
 great price, iu Solomon's lime ; a single one was 
 valued at a hundred and fii'thy shekels of silver : 
 see 1 Kiiiiis x. 29 ; aud therefore those, which 
 were bought for Pharaoh's service, who was kiug 
 of Egypt, being the best, must be supposed to be 
 bought at a very great price. Tlie church aud 
 people of God are bought with a price, aud that 
 with a vdry great one indeed, such a one, that auoicls 
 
 » 'iTn aniica rcca. Tagniuiis, Jlontanui, Tig. 
 Vers. Mercerus, Michaelis. '' Trt'C] similem 
 
 teju. lice, Tig. Vers. « TCD? 7»i (Trn-MM** Sept. 
 
 eqax mete, raj^uintis, Mouraiius, Gussetius p. oSl- 
 
 So Aben Ezra, Syr. aud Ar. equabus, Piscator. 
 
 "i Theocrit. Idyll. Iti. v. 29. Theognis Sentent. v. 
 257. I'lato in Ilippias iJajor, p. 1250. Uorat. Carniiu. 
 1. 3. ode. U. V.9. 
 
42 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. I. 
 
 and men could uever have given ; they are pur- 
 chased, uot with "corruptible things, as silver 
 and gold ;" no, all the riches in the world amassed 
 together, could not have purchased a single soul, 
 nor have given to God a ransom for it ; " but they 
 are bought with the precious blood" of tlie un- 
 blemished and unspotted Son of God; tiiey are 
 bought for the service of the Xing of kings, and 
 at no less a rate, thau at the expense of his own 
 blood and life ; the ransom which is giveu for 
 them is himself; O how valuable must they be 
 to Christ, and how much must they be esteemed 
 by him! 3. Tiiese horses, being well fed, looked 
 very beautiful and pleasant. Believers are fed 
 with the finest of the wheat, with Christ and his 
 fulness ; Christ himself is ;,the Bread of life, and 
 the hidden manna, which being fed upon by 
 faith, removes hanger, supports life, and pre- 
 serves from the second death, his flesh is 
 meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed, 
 which give spiritual and divine refreshment to be- 
 lievers ; his grace is represented by wine, and 
 milk, and honey, on which his people feeding 
 plentifully, grow and look exceeding delightful 
 and beautiful in his sight. 4. These horses, being 
 the king's horses, as they were well fed, so, no 
 doubt, they were well taken care of ; they had 
 proper persons appointed on pm-pose to attend 
 upon them, and to supply them with what was 
 necessary for them. Believers in Christ have a 
 guard of angels to attend upon them, who encamp 
 about them, and minister to them ; for those 
 " ministering spirits are sent forth to minister 
 for them who shall be the heirs of salvation ;" 
 also the ministers of the gospel, being furnished 
 with suitable grace and abilities, are appointed to 
 feed them with the doctrines of the everlasting 
 gospel, and to give to every one " their portion of 
 meat in due season." Moreover, they are not left 
 merely to the care of angels and ministers, but 
 the Lord himself likewise concerns himself for 
 them ; when his church is represented as a vine- 
 yard, he is said to be the keeper of it, who 
 " watches over it uightand day lest any hurt it ;" 
 when it is compared to a city, he is the wall of 
 fire round about it ; and when to a flock of sheep, 
 he is the Shepherd of it ; and being here compared 
 to a company of horses, it is owing to the food 
 that he gives them, and the care he takes of them, 
 that they appear " as his goodly horse in the 
 battle," Zech. x. 3, 5. Horses have been and 
 are much delighted in by princes; and there is no 
 reason to question but that those which ran in 
 Pharaoh's chariots were so by him ; Solomon's 
 fancy and inclinations ran so strongly this way, 
 and lie took so great a delight in those creatures, 
 that he broke through a divine command, Deut. 
 xvii. 10, compai-ed with 1 Kings x. 29; to satisfy 
 and indulge liis carnal pleasure ; and many, other 
 princes have run prodigious aud excessive lengths 
 this way. Julius Cjesar set up a marble effigy of 
 
 his horse in the temple ;■= Antoninus Verus erect- 
 ed a golden image for his. Nero clothed his with 
 a senator's robe, and told him out a weekly stipend; 
 Poppea Sabina, Nero's wife, had golden shoes 
 made for hers; Caligula used to invite his to sup- 
 per, and held out his golden cups to him ; he 
 would have made him a consul, as he afterwards 
 made himself a priest, and his horse his colleague ; 
 Alexander the great built a city in honour of his 
 Bucephalus; Cimon the Athenian buried his mares 
 by his own sepulclire ; and Commodus the em- 
 peror buried his horse in the Vatican. These in- 
 stances, though vain and sinful, and not to be 
 imitated, yet show how much some princes have 
 delighted in this sort of creatures. Now, as these 
 creatures were tlie delight of princes, and, perhaps, 
 of Pharaoh, so are believers the delight of Christ ; 
 he first makes them beautiful, and then delights 
 in that beauty which he has put upon them ; " the 
 Lord taketh pleasure in his people, he will beau- 
 tify the meek with salvation ;" his heart is often 
 ravished with his own grace in them, and his 
 soul delights in that which he himself has given 
 them ; there is nothing in "them of their own which 
 can render them acceptable to him, and yet they 
 are his jewels, the apple of his eye, and the delight 
 of his heart. 6. Horses are stately and majc-stic 
 creatures, especially a company of choice and well 
 fed ones, that run in a chariot, as these were. 
 There is a stateliness and majesty in believers, 
 especially when they are united together in gospel- 
 order, in a church-state ; and the majesty, state- 
 liness, and glory of a church of Christ, do not 
 consist in the multitude of members, nor in their 
 outward riches, pomp, and splendour ; but in their 
 being all clothed with Christ's righteousness, and 
 possessed of his grace ; in the enjoyment of his 
 presence in ordinances ; in their walking in love 
 and unity with each other, and wisely towards 
 them that are without ; in having their conver- 
 sation as ^becometh the gospel of Christ, and the 
 profession which they make of it, and in showing 
 a becoming zeal for the truths and ordinances 
 thereof: being thus blessed with these things, 
 they may be truly said to be as stately and 
 majestic as " a company of horses in Pharaoh's 
 chariots," which were well fed, and harnessed in a 
 splendid manner. 7. Horses are very strong 
 creatures, especially a company of them joined 
 together, as these were ; concerning the strength 
 of the horse, the Lord says to Job, chap, xxxix. 
 19, "Hast thou giveu the horse strength ; hast 
 thou clothed his neck with thunder?" Believers 
 are strong, not in themselves, but in Christ ; their 
 strength lies in their Head, and in their union to 
 him ; they can do nothing of themselves, but " can 
 do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth 
 them ;" having strength communicated to them from 
 him, they can endure all hardships, go through all 
 difficulties, withstand all temptations, and perfoi'ia 
 all duties which he calls them lo: and next to their 
 
 Frautz. hist. Animal, sacr. par. I. c. 12. 
 
10.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 43 
 
 union to Christ, the strength of.i society and com- 
 pauy of believers, or a church of Christ, lies in their 
 union and close adherence to each other; tliey 
 are like the bundle of sticks in tlie fable, which, 
 wliilst kept bound together, could not easily be 
 broken, but when separated from each other, were 
 soon snapped asunder ; which consideration should 
 excite mutual love among believers, and an en- 
 deavour " to keep the unity of the Spirit in the 
 bond of peace ;" by doing which, they will not so 
 easily fall a prey to their enemies, but will ap- 
 pear " terrible as an army with banners." 8. 
 Horses are of an undaunted courage, especially 
 such as are well fed, as these were ; an elegant 
 description of the majesty, and undaunted courage 
 of the horse, as given by God himself, may be 
 read in Job xxxix. 20 — 25. Believers in Christ 
 " are bold as a lion ; whilst the wicked flee, 
 when no man pursueth ;" they remain uudanuted 
 at all the reproaches, threatenings, and manaces 
 of men, and cannot be deterred thereby, from the 
 service of Christ ; they fear not the wrath of kings 
 and princes ; neither can couQscatioa of goods, 
 imprisonment of body, racks, tortures, or death 
 itself, scare them from a profession of Christ 
 and his gospel ; but viewing all these with an un- 
 daunted courage, say, " Who shall separate us from 
 the love of Christ?" instaaces of this we liave in 
 Daniel and his companions, the apostles of Christ, 
 the believing Hebrews, whom Paul wrote to, and 
 thousands of martyrs for, and confessors of, the 
 truth in all ages. 9. These horses were not em- 
 ployed in ordinary service, in mere drudgery, but 
 were selected for the service of Pharaoh, to run 
 in his chariots. The elect of God being called by 
 divine grace, are not, or at least, they should not 
 be employed in the service and drudgery of sin 
 and Satan ; but being subjected to Christ, whom 
 they acknowledged to be their Lord and King^ 
 are directed and guided by him, into th9se paths 
 in which he would have them go, aud so readily, 
 cheerfully, and swiftly, " run the ways of his 
 commandments." These are not common, servile 
 horses, which the church is here compared to, 
 but royal ones, such that were in the service of a 
 king. 10. These horses were not wild, nor loose, 
 running at random, but beiug fitted for service, 
 were joined and coupled together, and so peace- 
 ably and orderly drew one way ; and perhaps, 
 were all of the same colour, aud of an equal size 
 and bigness, which is usual in the chariots of 
 princes. The church is not a company of wild 
 and unconverted sinners, ruuuiug loose, and en- 
 joying their carnal liberty; but of persons, who 
 by divine grace, are put under the yoke of Christ, 
 being joined together iu Gospel-bonds, and " strive 
 together for the failh of the Gospel, worshipping 
 the Lord with one shoulder and one consent ;" 
 and when they are all of the same faith, of the 
 same mind and judgment, speak the same things, 
 and harmoniously agree together, without dis- 
 orders, couteulious, aud divisions, then may they 
 
 be said to be like " a company of horses in 
 Pharaoh's chariots." But, 
 
 in. It may be inquired, why this comparison is 
 made and mentioned here ; which was, 1. To com- 
 fort and su])port her under the mean apprehensions 
 she had of herself, and also to strengthen her against 
 the reproach and scandal that was thrown upon her 
 by others ; therefore Christ lets her know, that 
 though she was black in her ovvn eyes, and slighted 
 and despised by her mother's children, yet she was 
 glorious in his, for he had compared her to a 
 '' company of horses," &c. 2. To inform her, that 
 she was in a militant state, and that she must not 
 expect much ease and rest, which she seemed to be 
 seeking for in ver. 7 ; therefore he would have her 
 know, that this was a time for fighting the Lord's 
 battles against sin, Satan, and the world ; aud for 
 that purpose he had " made her as his goodly horse 
 in the battle," Zech. x. 3. 3. Christ having di- 
 rected her to tread in the " footsteps of the flock, 
 and to feed her kids beside the shepherds' tents," 
 would have her consider, that she must expect 
 trouble, persecution, and opposition from those 
 other shepherds, whose flocks are mentioned as dis- 
 tiuct from Christ's, in ver. 7 ; and therefore to 
 support her under, aud comfort her agaiust these, 
 he tells her, that he had " compared her, or made 
 her like to a company of horses," stout, strong, 
 courageous, warlike, aud victorious ; and therefore, 
 seeing he had " not given her the spirit of fear, 
 but of power, and of love, aud of a sound mind," 
 she should not be discouraged and dismayed at 
 these troubles aud afflictious that came upon her. 
 
 Verse 10. Tliy rheelcs are comely with rows of je- 
 wels, thy neck with chains of gold. 
 Christ in these words continues to give an ac- 
 count of the church's beauty and glory ; and that 
 either in opposition to what she had said in ver. 5, 
 6 ; aud assures her, that her cheeks and neck were 
 not so black as she imagined ; but were like the 
 blushing cheeks of a beautiful woman, adorned with 
 jewels, aud her fair neck adorned with bracelets, 
 necklaces, and chains of gold or pearl ; see Ezek. 
 xvii 11, 12 ; or else he continues the metaphor 
 used in the preceding verse, where he compares her 
 to a " couipany of horses in Pharaoh's chariots ;" 
 whose bridles being richly adorned, having chains 
 of gold hung about their necks, as the camels of 
 the kings of iMidian had. Judges viii. 2G ; glo- 
 riously set forth the beauty of the church ; aud 
 perhaps, the church's glory under the Old Testa- 
 ment dispensation is represented in this verse, and 
 a furllier increase and display of it under tiieNew 
 Testament dispensaliou promised iu the text. And 
 here, 
 
 I. Iler cheeks are said to be " comely, with rows 
 of jewels." 
 
 II. Her " neck with chains of gold." 
 
 I. Her cheeks are said to " be comely with rows 
 of jewels:" the worijewefs is not in the Hebrew 
 text, Ixit supplied by our translators ; and the word 
 
44 
 
 AN EXPOSITION Ol' TllK 
 
 [chap. 
 
 Torim, translated rows, soinctiines signifies turths, 
 which gave occasion to the Sepluagint to render 
 the words thus : " How beantiful are thy cheeks, 
 as the turtledove's." R. Aben Ezra thinks that 
 the bridles of those horses, to which she is com- 
 pared, had the images of turtles upon them ; 
 others,' that these were some ornaments of women, 
 as jewels and ear-rings, which had the figure of a 
 lamb upon them, and therefore were called tur- 
 tles, or turiurelltts, according to Drusius ; even as 
 those pieces of money, which had the figures of 
 turtles upon them, are called Jambs, Gen. xxxiii. 
 19, Job. xlii. 11. Now the cheeks of the church 
 being said to be comely with these, show her in- 
 nocency and harmlessness, her love, chastity, faith- 
 fulness, and beauty ; all which ajjpear in this crea- 
 ture. The Targum renders it bridles, and very 
 well refers it to the law given on mount Sinai to 
 the people of Israel; which is as a bridle, both to 
 restrain persons from sin, who are by nature as the 
 horse and mule, without nndcrslauding, and also 
 to guide and direct them in the right way, that 
 they may not depart from it ; and on these bridles 
 were rows of jewels or jjrecious stones. The word 
 Tor, which is the singular of this in our text, sig- 
 nifies aa order, or disposition, and course of things;^ 
 see Esth. ii. 13, 15 : and is not amiss rendered by 
 our translators, rows, that is, of jewels, or precious 
 stones ; and by them are intended, either. 
 
 1st, The precepts of the moral law ;•> which 1. 
 Are beautifully ranked and disposed in order; the 
 precepts thereof are so strictly and closely joined 
 together, that he that offends in one point, breaks 
 the link, and so is guilty of all. 2. These are so 
 many rows of jewels, valuable and excellent, and 
 are " more to be desired than gi-ld, yea, than much 
 fine gold." Or else. 
 
 2n(My, The ordinannes of the ceremonial law ; 
 whiA may be compared to rows of jewels, 1. For 
 the variety of them ; this law is " a law of com- 
 mandments," of many commandments, " contained 
 in ordinances," which, as they were carnal, so they 
 were divers, see Eph. ii. 15, Ileb. ix. 10. 2. Eor 
 the ciccllcney of them, as they prefigured the Lord 
 Jesus Christ ; it is true, after Christ the substance 
 was come, they were " weak and beggarly ele- 
 ments," useless and insignificant ; but before 
 Christ's coming, they were lively representations 
 of him, exceeding useful to the saints, and highly 
 valued by them. 
 
 Now tlie church's chec!i"s,that is, the outward face 
 and appearance of the elinreh, vverc comely and 
 desirable iu the eyes of Christ, being adorned with 
 these rows of jewels; her outward conversation 
 being according to the laws of God, she appeared 
 beautiful and delightful, " for holiness beeomes'the 
 house of God" for ever: there was a beauty iu 
 ceremonial worship; the tabernacles of God were 
 
 ' Viue Mercer, Brightman, and Ainsworth iu loc. 
 
 » Vide K. David Kimchium in lib. Shorash. rad. 
 Tin. *" These roics are interpreted by the Jews 
 
 of tlieir Uriltcn ami moral law. and of the laws of 
 buiuit sacrifices, mcit oilcrlngs, &c. in re.-,ilita apiid 
 
 amiable to the saints, and the saints themselves 
 were so to Christ, in their attendance on the ser- 
 vice and ordinances of God ; the staiuttsand ordi- 
 nances with which the external face of the church 
 was beautified, were such as were not given to 
 other people during that dispensation ; wiiieh 
 manifestly showed tiiat God hud a peculiar regard 
 for them. 
 
 II. Her neck is said to " be comely with chains 
 of gold." The word (/old is not in the Hebrew 
 text, but sup])lied by onr translators, and the word 
 Chartizim, which is only found in this place, 
 is generally interpreted by the Jewish doctors, 
 ! chains ,of gold, or jewels and precious stones,^ 
 bored through and hung in a string, to be worn 
 about the neck. A pearl necklace was in use 
 with great personages ; so the eldest daughter of 
 Priamus had collo monile baccatum,^ a pearl neck- 
 lace, which .^neas made a present of to Dido ; and 
 such like was the chain of gold beset with amber, 
 presented to Penelope by her -suitors, which 
 shone like the sun.' And 1st, I shall enquire 
 what is meant by the church's neck, ^udly, what, 
 by those chains of gold, or precious stones, with 
 which it is adorned and made comely. 
 
 1st. By her neck may be meant, either the grace 
 of faith, by which the church cleaves to Christ the 
 Head, and exalts him ; this is also accouij)anied 
 witli other graces, which are linked together as a 
 chain, and is attended with good works: or else, 
 by it is meant the ministers of the Gospel,™ who, 
 as the neck, are jilaced in the most eminent i)art 
 of the body, the church, and ere the means of cou- 
 Te\ing spiritual food from Christ tiie Head, to the 
 members thereof. But of this, see more on eh. 
 iv. 4. 
 
 2nd!y. By those chains of gold, with which the 
 church'*s neck is beautified and adorned, may be 
 meant, 1. The laws and ordinances of God ; which 
 the ministers of the Gospel, and members of 
 churches, should be careful to observe ; and are, as 
 Solomon says, Prov. i. 9, " an ornameut of grace 
 unto the head, and chains about the neck," of 
 those who regard them. Or, 2. Those diver- 
 sities of gifts which are bestowed on the ministers 
 of Christ, by which they are made " able ministers 
 of the New Testament ;" and so become useful to 
 many, and appear comely and beautiful, both iu 
 the eyes of Christ, and of such soids to whom they 
 minister. Or, 3. The various graces of the Spi- 
 rit, with which, not only ministers, but all be- 
 lievers are adorned ; for sins and vices are so chain- 
 ed and linked together, that where there is one, 
 there is all ; so the graces of the Spirit are 
 like chains of gold, which are so closely linked 
 together, that they cannot be separated, but where 
 there is one grace there is every grace, which 
 very much beautify and adorn the believer. This 
 Yalknt in loo. > R. Sol. Jarchi in loc. K. David 
 
 Kinichi in lib. Shorash. rad. pri. '' Virgil ylincid. 
 1. V. G.'iO. pendebaut tereti gemniata nioi'ilia collo, 
 Ovid. Sletamorph. I. 10 fab..". ' lSouii:r. Odyte. 
 
 18. v. !9,i. » So Isidore iu Ice. 
 
11.] 
 
 SOXa OF SONGS. 
 
 45 
 
 golden cliaiu of grnce wiiiuii is put about the 
 church's neck, consists of these ten links: the 
 first .is faith, that precious pearl and valuable jewel 
 which is silike precioris in all saials, as to its na- 
 ture aiul object ; the fruit of electing love, the 
 Father's gift, the Sou's grace, and the Spirit's 
 work. The second is hojie which is called, " good 
 hope through grace ;" this carries tiie soul cheer- 
 fully through all the ditficukics of life, and makes 
 not ashamed at death ; it is both the Christian's 
 anchor and his helmet ; it is valuable in ils nature, 
 and useful in its actings. The third link in this 
 golden chain is love, wlijch is " the fulfillii:g of 
 the law ;" this is highly valued by Christ, sec eh. 
 iv. 10; and is of so gieat a price, that if a man 
 " would give all the substance of his house for it, 
 it would utterly be conlemned," eh. viii. 7. The 
 fourth is humihli/ ; which is, in " the sight of 
 God, of great price ;" and the believer, boing cloth- 
 ed with it, appears very beautiful and comely ; it 
 is a sparkling gem in this necklace. The fifih is 
 patience, which is of exceeding use in the believer's 
 life, much recommends his character and ])rofes- 
 sion, aud is greatly taken notice of by Christ; 
 see Rev. ii. 2, 3, 19. The sixth is self-denial, 
 which is required of, and should be iu exercise in 
 all Ciirist's followers, but seldom appears in its 
 lustre and splendour, being t'requeutiy sullied by 
 carnal and selfish principles and actions. The 
 seventh is contentment iu every state of life ; this 
 is an exceeding great rarity ; fevf persous are pos- 
 sessed of this jewel ; the apostle Paul had it, as 
 appears from what he says, " I have learned in 
 whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." 
 The eighth is a saving kriowledge of Jesus Christ ; 
 this is eternal life itself, and is by believers pre- 
 ferred to all the things of this life ; who, with the 
 apostle, "count ail things but loss for the ex- 
 cellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, their 
 Lord." The ninth is long-suffering sxi^ forbear- 
 ance, whereby saints are not easily provoked, 
 and do readily forgive those who have offended 
 them; this gives great grace, aud is exceeding or- 
 namental to the believer. The tenth aud last 
 link in this golden chain is sincerity ; this ruus 
 through all other graces, and makes them so glo- 
 rious as they are; this was exceeding bright, aud 
 shone with a great deal of lusl!re in Nathaniel, of 
 whom Christ said, " Behold an Israelite indeed, 
 iu whom is no guile." Or, 4. Tliose blessiugs 
 of grace which are laid up iu an everlasting co- 
 venant, come through the blood of Chiist, and 
 are communicated to all his people, may be meant 
 by these chains ; they go iuseparably together ; 
 where a person is blessed with one, he is blessed 
 with all ; for though our interest iu them may be 
 gradually discovered to us, yet are we blessed 
 at once, " wilii all spiritual blessings iu heavenly 
 places iu Christ." Not oue of these links can be 
 broken ; this golden chain of grace aud s;dvation 
 
 " 'o.aiu>iaTa xfvalti, Sept.. JIuncnulas am-eu*, Vulg. 
 Lat. 
 
 is e-Tcellentlj described by the apostle, when he 
 says, Rom. viii. 30, " AVhom he did predesti- 
 nate, them he also called; aud whom he called, 
 them he also justified ; and whom he justiQed llicm 
 he also glorified :" where we may observe, how 
 all the blessings of grace are inseparably linked 
 together ; and which being put about tlie believer's 
 neck, must needs make him look very beautiful au;l 
 comely. 
 
 Verse 11. We will make thee harder s of gold 
 with studs of silver. 
 
 Cueist having described the ciiurch's comeliness 
 iu the former verse, as she was beautiful under 
 the legal dispensation, with the precepts of the 
 moral and ceremonial law, aud \\*ith that measure 
 of grace which was then bestowed on her, pro- 
 ceeds iu this verse to promise in his own, and 
 in the name of the other two persons, a greater 
 glory, and a larger measure of that grace uulo 
 her, under the gospel dispensation. And, 
 
 I. The thing promised is, to " make her 
 borders of gold, with studs of silver." 
 
 II. The persous by whom this is to be per- 
 formed, who are more than one ; "We will maiic 
 the(;," &c. 
 
 I. The thing promised is, tliat she shall have 
 borders of gold, " with studs of silver" made her : 
 some read it, " turtles of gold:" the Septuagint 
 renders it " similitudes, or likeuesscs of gold,"" 
 and it is probable they mean the images of 
 some things, perhaps turtles, which migbt be 
 wrought in silver studs, with pieces, or plates of 
 gold, which also R. Abeu Ezra seems to inti- 
 mate ; others translate it " rows of gold, "" as 
 iu the former verse, it being the same word 
 whieii is used there ; our transkitors render it 
 borders, respecting the borders of garments, 
 where the Jews wore their fringes, and which, 
 in Christ's time, the Pharisees, who were ambi- 
 tious of being esteemed more holy than others, 
 wore very lai'ge. Now a promise of goldeu 
 borders may here intend the glorious righteous- 
 ness of Christ; that golden and silver studded 
 work of his, that laiment and needlework aud 
 curious piece of embroidery, with which the 
 church aud all believers are beautified aud 
 adorned ; in which the church, the queen, stands 
 at the right hand of the king, the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, as one clad in gold of Ophir. Moreover, 
 by these " borders, or rows of gold, with studs of 
 silver," may be meant, either, 1st. The ordi- 
 nances of the Gospel, which are far preferable 
 lo those under the law ; the chuich's cheeks 
 and neck were comely witii these rows and 
 chains, under the legal dispensation ; but these 
 are not said to be rows or chains of gold : the 
 words jewels and gold are not in the original, 
 but supplied by our translators, as has been there 
 observed ; but when he si)eaks of gospel-ordi- 
 
 • 'Tin ouliuesy llarckius, Michaehs. 
 
46 
 
 AX EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 nances, which he would appoint, and his church 
 should enjoy under the gospel-dispensation, he 
 makes mention of gold and silver ; as the Lord 
 does in the prophecy of Isaiah, when he is 
 spealcing of, and promising glory to the church 
 in those times, saying, Isa. Ix. 17- "For hrass, 
 I will bring gold, and for iron, I will bring silver ; 
 and for wood, brass ; and for stone, iron." Gospel 
 ordinances are preferable to the law : ]. They are 
 more easy, pleasant, and delightful ; the eereiuonial 
 law was a yoke of bondage, and some of the ordi- 
 nances of it intolerable ; but Christ's yoke, under 
 the gospel dispensation, "is easy, and his burden 
 is light ;" those ways were ways of pleasant- 
 ness," in which God would have his people walk 
 under the law, much more are those which they 
 are directed to under the gospel ; if those statutes 
 and carnal ordinances were more to be desired 
 than gold, yea, that fine gold," much more are 
 those which believers enjoy now ; the ordinances 
 of that legal dispensation were servile and slavish, 
 and suited to persons who were under a spirit of 
 bondage ; but those of the gospel became Christ's 
 freemen, to be found in obedience to, and are 
 no ways an infringement of their spiritual liberty, 
 but rather an advancement of it ; these command- 
 ments are no ways grievous, but every way de- 
 lightful and pleasant, and are suited to a free, in- 
 genuous, and gospel-spirit. 2. They are more 
 lasting and durable; the ordinances of the 
 Mosaic dispensation were imposed upon the 
 Jewish churehuntil '' the time of reformation," that 
 is, until the coming of Christ in the flesh, and 
 the oblation of his sacrifice : for when he, the 
 substance of all those shadows, was come, they 
 vanished and disappeared; " the middle wall of 
 partition is now broken down ; the law of com- 
 mandments, contained in ordinances," is entirely 
 abolished, and the whole economy is at an end; 
 but the ordinances of the Gospel will last till 
 time shall be no more ; when there will be no 
 more need of such helps as these to assist our 
 sight, or such lights as these to direct us in our 
 way ; they will last till the coming of Christ, 
 till the " Sun of righteousness arises with heal- 
 ing in his wings:" these are things which will 
 remain, till then, unshaken and immoveable ; the 
 gospel-dispcnsatiou is a " kingdom which caunot 
 be moved," in opposition to the legal one, which 
 is already moved, and entirely abrogated. 3. 
 They are more clear and perspicuous ; there was 
 a great deal of obscurity in the legal dispensa- 
 tion ; the faith of God's children was led to 
 Christ through dark representations and cloudy 
 types and figures: but now, under the gospel 
 dispensation, we all with open face beholding 
 through those ordinances, which we now enjoy, 
 " as in a glass, the gloi'v of the Lord, are 
 changed into the same image from glory to 
 glory." 4. They are more spiritual ; the ordi- 
 nances of the ceremonial law are called carnal 
 ordinances, Heb. ix. 10. The external worship 
 
 of the Jews was attended with a great deal of 
 pomp and splendour, but not with so much 
 spirituality and power of godliness as that of be- 
 lievers under the gospel, who " worship God in 
 the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no 
 confidence in the flesh." 5. The obedience 
 which was performed under the legal dispensa- 
 tion, was not so free aad ingenuous as this 
 which is performed by believers under the 
 gospel ; that sprang from fear, and was performed 
 under a spirit of bondage, but this from princi- 
 ples of love and grace. Believers, in their 
 obedience to Christ, as under the constraints of 
 love^ are guided, influenced, and assisted by the 
 Spirit of God, who is a free Spirit, or a Spirit 
 of liberty : for " where the Spirit of the Lord is, 
 there is liberty." Or else 2udly. The doctrines 
 of the gospel may be here intended ; which 
 being " words fitly spoken, are like apples of 
 gold in pictures of silver :" these may be called 
 " rows, or borders of gold studded with silver ;" 
 for the doctrines of grace are by the apostle, 
 in 1 Cor. iii. 12, compared to gold, silver, and 
 precious stones, as are the doctrines of man's 
 invention to wood, hay, and stubble. Now these 
 may be very well called " borders of gold stud- 
 ded with silver." 1. For their valuableuess ; 
 they are valued by souls who have tasted th» 
 sweetness, and felt the power of them, more than 
 " thousands of gold and silver," yea, more than 
 their necessary food, nay, more than life itself ; 
 they contain riches of grace and glory, yea, 
 " the unsearchable riches of Christ." 2. For the 
 glory and splendour of them ; they give a glorious 
 display of the divine perfections, and in a re- 
 splendent manner represent the glory of Christ's 
 peisju, office, and grace; and therefore the 
 gospel is called the " glorious gospel of God 
 and Christ," 1 Tim. i. 11, 2 Cor. iv. 4. 3. For 
 their being tried ones ; " The words of the Lord," 
 says the Psalmist, xii. 6, " are pure words, as 
 silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven 
 times :" they have been tried by saints, and have 
 never failed to support and comfort them, nor to 
 guide and direct them in the right way ; they 
 iiave been tried by enemies, and have stood the 
 bruut of all their rage, malice, and persecution. 
 4. For their durableness: they are as lasting as 
 " borders of gold studded with silver." At- 
 tempts have been made to destroy the gospel, 
 and remove it out of the world, but have all pro- 
 ved abortive ; it is an everlasting gospel, it is 
 immoveable, a burdensome stone to all those 
 who endeavour to subvert or remove it: though 
 all thiugs in nature are fading and perishing, 
 and subject to change and alteration, yet " the 
 word of God liveth and abideth for ever." 5. They 
 may be called " rows of gold," for their order- 
 ly disposition and connexion ; there is an entire 
 harmony and agreement between the truths of 
 the gospel ; one truth has an entire dependance 
 upon another, and they have all close connectioa 
 
VP.R. 11] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 47 
 
 with each other ; this is what the a])ostle calls 
 the proportion or analogy of faith, Rom. xii. G. 
 6. The gospel is full of the silver spepiis or 
 studs of " exceeding great and precious pro- 
 mises ;" it abounds with them, and is delight- 
 fully studded by them; it is filled with such a 
 variety of them as are both useful aud pleasant 
 to believers. 
 
 Now tliere being such a display of the doctrines 
 of grace, under the Gospel dispensation, it appears 
 to be far more glorious than a legal one ; it is true, 
 the law had a gloiy attending it, but the Gospel has 
 an excelling one ; the law was " the killing letter 
 and the ministration of death," but the Gospel is 
 the ministration of life, " the spirit that quickens ;" 
 the law is the " ministration of condemnation, 
 but the Gospel is the ministration of righteousness ;" 
 the law is that " which is done away," but the 
 Gospel is that " which remaineth," and will abide 
 for ever. Or else, 3rdiy. By these " borders of 
 gold, with studs of silver," maj be meant the rich 
 and glorious graces of the blessed Spirit, and a 
 larger increase of them under the Gospel-dispen- 
 sation; which are, 1. Rich and enriching, excel- 
 lent and valuable as gold and silver ; nay, grace is 
 " much more precious than gold than perishetli ;" 
 it is rich in its own nature, and enriches all that 
 aije possessed of it; therefore, says Christ, Rev. 
 iii. 18, " I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried 
 in the fire, that thou mayest be rich." 2. The 
 graces of the Spirit adorn and beautify a soul, as 
 much, nay, more than " borders of gold studded 
 with silver" do the body; on the account of these 
 the cliurch is said to be " all glorious within ;" and 
 though believers in their nature-state were black, 
 like those who " have been among the pots," yet 
 being called by, and adorned with the grace of 
 God, are like " the wings of a dove covered with 
 silver, and her feathers with yellow gold." 3. The 
 graces of the Spirit, are as lasting and durable as 
 golden borders with silver studs ; nay, more so, 
 they shall not perish, can never be lost ; grace is 
 an immortal and incorruptible seed, which remains 
 in the believer, and shall do so for ever. 4. A 
 larger measure of grace is dispensed under the 
 Gospel dispensation than was under the legal 
 one ; it was neither so clearly revealed, nor so 
 largely communicated before Christ appeared in 
 the flesh, " full of grace and truth," as it was 
 afterwards ; aud such a larger revelation and in- 
 crease of grace must needs make the church look 
 more glorious uuder the one than it did under the 
 other. Orelse, 4thly. These " borders ot gold" 
 ifitend the ground-work of believers' faith and 
 which hope, is Christ, as " Jehovah our righteous- 
 ness," who is the only sure foundation, and the 
 " chief corner-stone ;" and the " silver studs " 
 the curious work of sanctiiicatiou, with all the 
 delightful fruits thereof, even those " beauties of 
 holiness" which are so ornamental to, aud do so 
 much become the believer; Christ's righteousness, 
 imputed to us, is the ground-work and foundation 
 
 of faith and hope; and his grace imparted to and 
 wrought in us, is the superstructure that is raised 
 upon it ; the one the golden " borders," the other 
 ihesilver "studs." Or, 5thly,Sonlscalledby Divine 
 grace are meant, eveu the " precious sons of Zion, 
 comparable to fine gold ;" and as a great number 
 of these being called in enlarge the borders of 
 the church, so they likewise increase the glory of 
 it; this is one way by which Christ "beautifies 
 the place of his sanctuary, aud makes the place of 
 his feet glorious." Or, 6thly, aud lastly. The 
 glories of heaven maybe here intended; for as 
 Christ gives his people grace here, so he will give 
 them glory hereafter, which he and the other two 
 persons are preparing and making ready for them ; 
 and we need not wonder that these heavenly glories 
 are represented by " borders of gold studded with 
 silver," when the new Jerusalem is described ; Rev. 
 xxi. 18, 19, 21 ; as a "city of pure gold, like unto 
 clear glass, and the street of it pure gold, as trans- 
 parent glass, the wall of it of jasper, the founda- 
 tions thereof garnished with all manner of precious 
 stones, and the twelve gates, said to be twelve 
 pearls." Can any thing appear more glorious and 
 magnificent than this account of that city, which 
 has " foundations whose builder and maker is 
 God ?" and those, who arc enriched by divine grace 
 here, need not doubt of being partakers of the 
 celestial glory hereafter. But let us now consider 
 who they are that promise and will perform all 
 this. For, 
 
 II. As the things promised are here mentioned, 
 which are " borders of gold with studs of silver ;" 
 so the persons who promise to make these, are in- 
 timated in those words, " we will make thee," &c. 
 It is not the chorus of virgins, or the daughters of 
 Jerusalem, who here speak ; nor angels, who are 
 both incapable of and unfit for such an undertaking; 
 nor is God introduced her speaking regio more, in 
 the manner of kings, who sometimes used to speak 
 in the plural number, when they only mean 'them- 
 selves: but a trinity of persons is no doubt here 
 intended, even " the Father the Word, and the 
 Holy Ghost, which three are one," and are jointly 
 concerned in all the works of grace, as they were 
 in the works of creation : it is a way of speaking 
 much like that in Gen. i. 26. R. Solomon Jarchi 
 paraphrases it thus, " I aud my house of judgment," 
 as he also does Gen. six. 24. Now the ancient 
 Jews by this speech meant a trinity of persons, 
 though the modern unbelieving oaes,as Ainsworth, 
 observes, are ignoi-ant of it ; yet still retain the 
 phrase, and use it as the forementioned Rabbi does 
 in those places where a trinity of persons mani- 
 festly appears : for the house of judgment never 
 consisted of less than three persons. Now this 
 work may very well be ascribed to them ; for 1st. 
 The ordinances of the Gosjjel are the institutions 
 of all the three persons ; divine adoration is given 
 to them in all ; and they are enjoined on believers, 
 and are regarded by them, as being all equally 
 concerned in authorizing them, and in sharing the 
 
48 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF T;IE 
 
 [CIIAI>. I.' 
 
 glory wjiich arises fro.n Ihetn ; tliiis for insLanne, 
 bajtlism is veqiiireJ to be performed " in tije 
 iiatne of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
 Holy Ghost," Matt, xxviii. 19; and accordingly is 
 performed in this manner. 2ndly. Tiie Gospel 
 itself is the work of all the three persons; God 
 the Fatiier is the airthor of it, and therefore it is 
 the " Gospel of God," Kom. i. 1 ; and so is Christ, 
 hence it is also called his, ver. 16; and so is the 
 Spirit, and therefore it is called " the ministralion 
 of the Spirit," 2 Cor. iii. 8. The grace of all the 
 three persons is discovered hy it, and the calory of 
 them iill concerned in it ; the Father sends it, 
 Christ is the snm and substance of it, and the 
 Spirit povverfnlly applies it. 3rdly, The work of 
 grace upon the soul is performed by all the three 
 persons; thus the regeneration and quickening of 
 a sinner, " dead in trespasses and sins," is ascribed 
 to God the Father, 1 Peter i. 3 ; to the Son, John 
 V. 21, and to the Spirit, John iii. 5. 4thly, The 
 increase of grace, which seewis to be the tiling here 
 intended, is owing to them all; thus grace and 
 peace, that is, a larger measure of them, is wished 
 and prayed for by John for the seven churches 
 of Asia, from all the three persons,' Rev. i. 4, 
 5. Blhly. All that glory which saints shall have 
 hereafter, is procured and prepared by them all; 
 the Father, he luis prepared the kingdom for them 
 from the foundation of the world, and it is his 
 pleasure to give it to them; the Son he has opened 
 the way to it with his blood, and is gone to prepare 
 a place for them ; and the Spirit, he is the earnest 
 and pledge of it, he discovers the invisible glories 
 of it to them, and will never leave them till he has 
 made them meet for, and brought them into the 
 enjoyment of them. So that all the three persons, 
 in all these senses, may be very well understood 
 as promising to make for the church these " bor- 
 ders of gold with studs of silver :" which shows, 
 1. That believers should have a great value for 
 the Gospel, and the ordinances thereof; seeing 
 they are not only so valuable in themselves, being 
 preferable to gold and silver, and are so useful 
 and ornamental to the church, but are also the 
 work of all the three persons. 3. That the work 
 of grace upon the heart of u sinner, and tiie 
 carryi'.ig it on to perfection, id done by an Almiglity 
 power, and is the work of the eternal Three; the 
 renewing of men requires the same power, and is 
 effected by the same hands, as the first making of 
 them did ; those who said at the creation of man, 
 " Let us make man," say at this new creation, and 
 in the carrying on and perfecting of the work, 
 " We will make thee borders of gold," &c., as they 
 were all jointly concerned in the one, so they are 
 in the otlier, which shows the greatness and 
 glory of it. 
 
 3. T!;at all these " borders of gold studded 
 with silver," are made for the comfort, glory, and 
 happiness of the church, " We will make thee, or 
 for thee," &c., the whole Gospel, with all its doc- 
 trines and promises, are given for their instruction 
 
 and consolation: all the ordinances thereof, for 
 their comfort and improvement, as well as for 
 God's glory ; all ttie grace which is provided in 
 Christ, wrought by the Spirit in their liearts, as 
 well as the glory which is laid up in heaven ; all, 
 I say, is to make them " a glorious church, 
 without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing." 
 
 Verse 12. JF/n/e the King siltefh at his table, 
 my spikenard sendelh forth the smell thereof. 
 
 CiiKiST having given very large commendations of 
 his church, and promised a great deal of grace and 
 glory to her ; she in this and the two following 
 verses, declares what advantages she received by 
 him, bow lovely his person, and how delightful 
 his company were to her. These words may be 
 uiulefstood either, 
 
 First, Of the time of Ciirist's not being mani- 
 fested in the flesh, after the promise of it, and of 
 the exercise of the faith, hojje, love, desire, expec- 
 tation, &c., of the Old-Testanieut saints, respect- 
 ing his coming in the ilcsh : and then the sense 
 is this. Whilst he, who is constituted Kiug of 
 saints, is appointed to be the Jlediator between 
 God and man, the promised Mcirsiah and Saviour 
 of the woi'ld, is vvilb God, as the only-begotten 
 Son in the bosom of the Father," and not yet 
 manifested in the flesh ; " my spikenard srndt4li 
 fdith the smell!^thereof ;" that is, my grace is in 
 exercise ; my soul is breathing with earnest desires 
 after him ; I long for his coming, and am in 
 earnest expectation of it ; I live in the hope of 
 enjoying this valuable blessing; I firmly believe 
 that he will come according to the divine pro- 
 mise, though his stay is long, and therefore will 
 patiently wait the appointed time. Christ did 
 exist from eternity, as the Son of God ; was set 
 up as the Head and Mediator of God's elect, 
 and was appointed and constituted Kiug over 
 God's holy hill of Zion." He bore this character 
 throughout all the Old-Testament-dispensation ; 
 and being promised to be the Messiah and Saviour 
 of sinners, from the time of the first declaration 
 and publication of it, the Old-Testament-saiuts 
 lived in the faith, hope, and earnest expectation 
 of his coming in the flesh. Or else. 
 
 Secondly. They may be understood of the time 
 of Christ's being in the temple, or in Jerusalem, 
 or in the land of Judea ; during which time the 
 Gospel was preached, and the sweet odour of it 
 diffused throughout all the parts thereof. Christ 
 was promised to come into the woidd as the 
 church's King ; " behold thy King cometh," &c., 
 Zech. ix. 9 ; and as such he did come; the wiSc 
 men of the East sought him under the character 
 of " the King of the Jews." He was accused of 
 making himself King, and for it was put to death. 
 Hence this superscription was written on the cross, 
 " This is the King of the Jews ;" though most were 
 ignorant of the nature of his ofiiee and kingdom, 
 which were " not of this vvoild." Now whilst 
 this great King ^\ as here on eiirih, tlie savour of 
 
VER. 
 
 12.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 40 
 
 the Gospel was spread abroad ; it was preached by 
 Christ himself in the temple, iii the synagogues of 
 the Jews, and in several parts of the laud; for he 
 was " not seat but to the lost sheep of the house 
 of Israel." He sent out his disciples to preach it, 
 but limited them to Judea's land, and forbade them 
 to " go in the way of the Gentiles," or enter into 
 any of the cities of the Samaritans. So that the 
 sweet odour was then confined within that land ; 
 though after his resurrection he enlarged the 
 commission of his disciples, and bid them go and 
 preach the Gospel to every creature, beginning at 
 Jerusalem ; which they accordingly did, and their 
 ministry was owned for the conversion of many, 
 but afterwards being rejected by the Jews, they 
 returned to the Gentiles ; for it was proper and 
 necessary, that the word should be first preached 
 to them, that " out of Zion might go forth the law 
 and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Or, 
 
 Thirdly. These words may be understood of 
 Christ's being now in heaven, whither, after his 
 resurrection, he ascended, where he now is, and 
 he will continue till his second coming, " whom 
 the heaven must receive, until the times of the 
 restitution of all things ;" it is from thence that 
 saints expect him. Now these words, " while the 
 King sitteth at his table, " very well suit with 
 Christ's exalted state in heaven ; his kingly office 
 and power appear more manifest, he is now de- 
 clared to be " both Lord and Christ ;" his posture 
 there is, " sitting at the right hand of God," 
 where he is " in his circuit,"? as the words may 
 be read ; it being the usual custom anciently 
 among the Jews, to sit at table in a circular form, 
 1 Sam. xvi. 11. Christ being in heaven, is " in 
 his circuit," encompassed about with angels and 
 glorified saints; thus in Rev. v. 6 — 11, 12: a 
 large number of angels and saints are said to be 
 " round about the throne," (and Christ, the Lamb, 
 in the midst of them) singing his praises and 
 feasting with him on those joys which will never 
 end. 
 
 Now, whilst Christ is thus solacing himself 
 with saints above, at such a distance from his 
 church below, he is not unmindful of her, but 
 gives such large communications of his grace, as 
 causes her " spikenard " to " send forth the smell 
 thereof." Which may be meant, either, 
 
 1st. Of the graces of the church being in ex- 
 ercise on Christ : Christ, though now in heaven, 
 and so invisible to the bodily eye, yet is the Object 
 of faith, love, hope, and joy ; " whom having not 
 seeu, ye love ; in whom, though now ye see him 
 not, yet believiug, ye rejoice, with joy unspeakable 
 and full of glory," 1 Pet. i. 8. The distance of 
 place no way hinders either the communications 
 of grace to us from Christ, or the exercise of our 
 grace on him ; but while he is there, he is giving 
 it forth to us, and we are exercising it upon him ; 
 
 p 11DD1 in circuitu suo, ?.Iontanus, Piscator, Mi- 
 chaelis. i Plin. 1. 12. c. 12. >■ Plhi. 1, 12. c. 
 
 12. ' Matthiolus in Dioscorid,!. i. c. C. 
 
 it is the manifestation of Christ's love and grace to 
 us that makes our spikenard scud forth its smell. 
 Or else, 
 
 2udly. The prayers of the saints luay be intend- 
 ed by it ; which are odorous, and of a sweet-smell- 
 ing savour to God, being perfumed with Christ's 
 mediation, and offered up with his " much in- 
 cense ;" aud therefore says David, Psal. cxli. 2, 
 " let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense." 
 R. Aben Ezra thinks, that by the smell of the 
 spikenard, is meant the smell of the inceuse, which 
 burnt under the law. Now while Christ is in 
 heaven, the saints put their prayers into his hands, 
 who takes notice of them, and is always ready, 
 with his golden censer, to otfer them up to liis 
 Father on the golden altar, in which he smells a 
 sweet savour ; aud therefore the prayers of the 
 saints are called odours. Rev. v. 8. See also 
 Rev. viii. 3, 4. Or rather, 
 
 Srdly. This may be expressive of the Gospel, 
 and the sweet " savour of the knowledge" of Christ, 
 which by it is made " manifest in every place," ■ 
 wherever it comes, 2 Cor. ii. 14. Now the Gos- 
 pel may be compared to spikenard. 1 . Spikenard 
 is but a small, low plant or shrub ;'' the Gospel is 
 mean and contemptible in the eyes of the world ; 
 it is accounted foolishness by them, aud preachers 
 of it are abject and despicable persons in theii* 
 esteem. Yet, 2. It is very excellent ; it is by Pliny'' 
 accounted the chief and principal ingredient in 
 ointments ; and therefore, John xii. 3, the " oint- 
 ment of spikenard, which Mary took aud anoint- 
 ed the feet of Christ with, is said to be " very 
 precious and costly. " The Gospel is valuable and 
 excellent, both in its nature and effects ; it is a 
 rich and an enriching Gospel ; and therefore called , 
 the unsearchable riches of Christ," an exceeding 
 valuable treasure that is put in earthen vessels; it 
 is a revelation and declaration of the riches of 
 grace, which Christ bestows upon sinners here, 
 and of those riches of glory which saints shall be 
 made partakers of hereafter. 3. It of an exceeding 
 sweet smell, so is the Gospel ; there is such an 
 efficacy in the odour of it, that enlivens dead 
 sinners, and therefore is said to be the " savour of 
 life unto life," and will revive the spirits of faint- 
 ing believers: though it is reported of spikenard," 
 that by its being carried over sea it grows mouldy 
 aud rots, whereby it loses its sweet smell, aud 
 stinks exceedingly ; so the Gospel, to those that 
 perish, is not only of an ill smell, aud abhorred 
 by them, but is " the savour of death unto death." 
 Many of the Jewish writers' understand tlie smell 
 of the spikenard here as an ill one. 4. Spikenard 
 is of a hot nature," aud digestive of cold hu- 
 mours ; it is hot in the first, aud dry in the second 
 degree. The Gospel being powerfully applied by 
 the Spirit of God, warms the hearts of God's chil- 
 dren, makes them burn within, and drives away 
 
 « T. B. Sabbat, fol. 88. 2. and Glttin, fol. 36. 2. Tar- 
 gum and Sol. Jarchi in loc. and Zohav in Exod. fol. 
 7. 2, 3. " Fernel. method, med. I. 5. c. 22. 
 
 1. 
 
50 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CIIAP. I. 
 
 lulce-warmness, dcadaess, and duluess, occasioned 
 by iudwelling sin. 5. It is of a very comforting 
 and strcngtlieuing'" nature to the stomach, it ex- 
 hihirates the spirits : so are the doctrines and pro- 
 mises of the Gospel to the souls of believers ; 
 these strengthen and nourish, comfort and refresli 
 them , they, like Jeremiah, find the word and eat 
 it, and it is the joy and rejoicing of their hearts." 
 For these reasons the Gospel may be compared to 
 spikenard; which some of the Jewish* writers think 
 is musk, other a kind of spice somewhat like 
 saffron ; but it is best to understand it of nard, of 
 which there are many sorts ; the best of which is 
 that which grows up in spikes, and therefore is 
 called spikenard, which is what is here intended. 
 Again, 
 
 Fourthly. These words may be understood of 
 Christ's feasting with his saints here below, 
 during which time their grace is in exercise; 
 there is a mutual feasting between Christ and 
 believers, he sups with (hem, and they with him ; 
 Clirist has furnished a table for his people iu this 
 wilderness, with plenty, and variety of suitable 
 
 and with the old Germans,* also it seems with the 
 Romans,'' but this did not hinder their mutual 
 pleasure. 
 
 The conjecture of a certain Expositor,'' that 
 Clirist himself is intended by the spikenard, is 
 not to be slighted, he bein;^ called a " bundle of 
 myrrh," and a " cluster of camphire," iu the 
 following verses -. it was usually in feasts to 
 anoint the head of hair as well as feet of persons 
 invited thereunto ; and ointment of spikenard, was 
 often used,'' as is manifest from Mark xiv. 3, 
 John xii 3 ; to this custom the Psalmist alludes, 
 Psal. xxiii. 5. At royal banquets in Syria, as 
 this here was one, it was usual to go round 
 the gnests and sprinkle them with Babylonian 
 ointment.® Now the ch\irch was at table vvitii 
 Christ as a guest, and was entertained with 
 the most delicious fare ; here was nothing want- 
 ing to render the entertainment delight- 
 ful and pleasant ; Christ himself, as he is 
 both the blaster of the feast, so he is the oint- 
 ment of spikenard to his guests : and it is as if 
 she should say, " I am now at a sweet and 
 
 food ; and though he is a King, constituted by \ heavenly repast with my beloved, he sits at the 
 his Father, and acknowledged by his church, yet table, and I witli him ; and as he is my food, so 
 
 he sits at this table, with poor, mean, and worth- 
 less creatures, and welcomes them to those sweet 
 })rovisions, saying, " Eat, O friends ; drink, yea, 
 drink abundantly, O beloved." Moreover, 
 Ciirist's presence with his people, and his grace 
 manifested to them, have a mighty influence to 
 draw forth their grace into exercise, even as the 
 rising sun opens the flowers, and exhales the 
 odour thereof, and agreeable breezes spread it 
 abroad. Thus when the graces of believers are in 
 exercise under the influences of Christ, and the 
 enjoyment of his presence, they are exceeding 
 odorous, both to Christ and others ; their spike- 
 nard may then be said to " send forth the sweet 
 smell thereof." On this table, which is some- 
 times called " the table of tlie Lord," are set the 
 body and blood of Christ, whose " flesh is meat 
 indeed, and whose blood is drink indeed;" on 
 which believers, being encouraged by Christ's 
 presence, and assisted by his Spirit, feed plenti- 
 fully ; and he sits there and delights himself by 
 viewing the graces of his own Spirit in exercise ; 
 thus at this table they are both mutually feasted 
 and delighted. Yet there seems to be an em- 
 phasis on the phrase his table, as if it was a table 
 peculiar to himself ; and it was usual with great 
 ])ersonage3, and at grand entertainments, for the 
 master of the feast and each of his guests to have 
 separate tables, though together in the same 
 room : this was formerly a custom with the Jews 
 though now disused," and with the ancieut Greeks,^ 
 
 " Ibid, and 1. 4. c. 7. ^ nV7e K. David Kim- 
 
 chium in lib. Shorash. rad. T^]. y Tosephot T. 
 
 Bab. Beracot, fol. 42. 1 . ■ Homer. Odys». S. v. 
 
 C9. AthensBi Deipnosophist. 1. 1. p. 4. " Tacit, 
 
 de Mor. German, c. 22. >> Vide Cuperi Observ. 
 
 1. I . c. 2. p. 13. c Sanctiu.'! in loc. 
 
 «' JUadidas nardo comas, Slartial. 1. 3. ep. 50. tinge 
 
 he is my spikenard ;' be is my ' all iu all ;' as 
 long as he is here I need no flowers to delight me, 
 no spikeuard, myrrh, cypress, or unguents made 
 of these to refresh me, for he is all this, and 
 much more unto me." Christ's person and 
 grace, his sacrifice, blood, aud righteousness, are, 
 like spikenard, of an exceeding sweet smell ; his 
 person is " altogether lovely ; tiie savour of his 
 graces or ointments " attract the love of his peo- 
 ple ; his " sacrifice is of a sweet smelling savour 
 to God," and to all believers ; his garments, or 
 robe of righteousness, " smell of myrrh, aloes, and 
 cassia," and in them believers are acceptable and 
 well-pleasing to God. 
 
 Verse 13. A lundle of myrrh is wy well-beloved 
 icnto me ; he shall lie all night betwixt my 
 breasts. 
 
 The church in these words continues the account 
 of that comfort, delight, and satisfaction which 
 she had in Christ, expressing the greatest love 
 aud strongest affection for him : and therefore she 
 compares him to (he very best herbs and spices, 
 aud declares (hat if her spikenard, or the graces of 
 tlie Spirit in her, sent forth an agreeable smell to 
 him, whilst he was at his table, much more grate- 
 ful and odorous was he, being as " a bundle of 
 myrrh" unto her. 
 
 I. Here is a title or character which she gives 
 him ; " my well beloved." 
 
 caput nardi, folio ib. Assyrioque nardo potemus 
 uncti, Ilorat. Carmin. 1. 1. ode II. v. 16,17. Vide 
 Tibull. eleg. 1. 2. el. 2 v. 7. and 1. 3. el 7. v. 31. and 
 Ovid de Arte Aniandi, 1. 3. ' Alhena^i Deipno- 
 
 sophist. 1. 1,^. c. i3. p. G'j2. ' Tu mihi stacte, tu 
 
 cinnamomuni, &c. I'lauti Curcnlio, act. 1. sc. 2. v. S. 
 
VER. 
 
 13.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 II. Wbat Christ is uuto her; " a bunille of i 
 myrrh." 
 
 III. The eatertainineat she is resolved to give 
 him ; " he shall lie all uight betwixt tiiy breasts." 
 
 T. Here is a title or character which she gives 
 unto him, " my well beloved." Ainsworth ob- 
 serves, tnat the Hebrew word Bodi, wjiich is 
 thus translated, is written with the same letters 
 as David is, a uarae which is frequently giren to 
 Christ in the Old Testament. See Jer. xxx. 9, 
 Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24, Hosea iii. 5. David was a 
 type of Ciirist, and of him, according; to the flesh, 
 he came ; for he is " the root and offspring of 
 David ;" as he is God, he is David's Lord ; and 
 as he is man, David's son , both words, Dodi and 
 David, signify beloved, and both David and 
 Christ are beloved of God. " David was a roan 
 after God's owu heart," and Christ his " beloved 
 Son, in whom he is well pleased," and both of 
 them beloved of God's people. The Septuagiut 
 render it by a word which signifies a nepheio,^ a 
 brother or sister's son. Christ is near akin to 1 
 his church, he is ])artaker of the same flesh and 
 blood as they are, is of the" same nature with 
 them ; they are " members of his body, of his 
 flesh, and of his bones ;" the Hebrew word Goel, 
 which is frequently rendered a Redeemer, signifies 
 also a near kinsman ; and being applied to Christ, 
 as it is in Job six. 25, shows, that he, who is 
 our Redeemer, is also our near kinsman : but the 
 word is very well rendered here, " my beloved, 
 or well beloved," and is expressive, 1st. Of 
 Christ's love to the church ; he is her " well 
 beloved," and has shown his love by undertaking 
 her cause, espousing her person, assuming her 
 nature, and dying in her room and stead ; which 
 love of his is eternal, free, sovereign, unchange- 
 able and unparalleled, aud is the strongest motive 
 to, and has the greatest influence upon her love 
 to him ; therefore she may well call him her 
 " well belov«d." 2ndly. It is expressive of her 
 love to Christ, which springs and arises from the 
 manifestations of his love to her, for " we love 
 him, because he first loved us ," which love was 
 now in exercise in her soul, he being present with 
 her; and therefore she gives him this affectionate 
 title as an evidence of it. Srdly. It shows that 
 she had a sense of her interest in him, aud his 
 "love ; a greater blessing, a soul cannot be possess- 
 ed of, than an interest in Christ and his love, 
 whose person is " the chicfest among ten thou- 
 sand, and whose loving-kindness is better than 
 life," and all the comforts and blessings of it ; 
 and next to this is a knowledge and sense of it ; a 
 soul may have an interest in Christ, and yet not 
 have the sense of it; the former renders this 
 state safe and secure, the latter makes his life 
 comfortable and pleasant, and is an additional 
 blessing and favour ; for a person is then able to 
 
 B ' Abe's tpiicK!. nepos ex fratre vel sorore. 
 
 •• Solin. poiyhist. c. 40. '< •^^-\•2 folliculus, Coc- 
 
 ceius ; sacculum, Martkius ; fasciculus vel sacculus, 
 Hiicliaelis. ^ lu lib. ijhorasli. rad. ITD. 
 
 say, he " hath lovtd nie, and hath given himself 
 for me." 
 
 II. She declares tiiat Christ her " well beloved 
 was a bundle of myrrh unto her." By a " bundle 
 of myrrh," we are not, I think, to understand 
 the twigs or branches of the myrrh-tree bound up 
 in faggots, which the Arabians used to make 
 fires with, the fumes whereof were very noxious 
 and pernicious, as the historian'' tells us, aud 
 unless they burnt the gum, called slorax, would 
 produce incurable diseases ; but either t'.ie little 
 sprigs or flowers thereof bound up together, and 
 put in the bosom as a pleasant nosegay to smell 
 to, may be meant ; for Christ is exceding sweet 
 aud delightful to the believeY, being " the rose 
 of Sliaron, and lily of the vallies:" or else the 
 gum slacte, which springs from' the myrrh-tree, 
 and so the Septuagint read it, " a bundle of 
 stacte;" or liquid myrrh, which sweats from tlie 
 tree of its owu accord, without incision, and Is 
 accounted the best : and then by a bundle of it is 
 meant a bayi^ or bottle of it, the same word 
 which is used is translated a bag, in Hag. i. G, 
 Job xiv. 17 ; and is an allusion to persons who 
 carry bag of perfumes, and sweet powders, or 
 smelling-bottles in their bosoms, for the reviving 
 of their spirits ; now what these are to such per- 
 sons, that and nmch more is Christ to his church. 
 R. David Kimchi'' relates out of Midrash Cha?.it!i, 
 that Abraham, the fatlier of the faithful, is there 
 compared to myrrh ; but Christ, who was the 
 object of Abraham's faith and joy, may he much 
 better and more aptly compared thereunto,' which 
 I shall now consider. And, 
 
 1st. Christ may be compared to myrrh, if we 
 regard the nature and properties of it ; it being, 
 I. An excellent spice, and one of the most pre- 
 cious aud ])rir.ci{ial spices ; it is reckoned among 
 the chief spices, chap. iv. 14, and as such jMoses 
 is ordered te use it in the anointing oil, Exod. 
 XXX. 23. Christ is " the chicfest among ten thou- 
 sands," and exceeding precious to every believer, 
 in his person, olKce, and grace ; there is none 
 among the angels in heaven, or saints on earth, 
 so desirable to them as he is ; nor none who de- 
 serves to have the pre-eminence in, and over all 
 things, as he does ; seeing he is " the image of 
 the invisible God, and the first-boru of every 
 creature." 2. It is very odorous, it is called 
 " s^veet smelling myrrh," chap. v. 5 ; and the 
 church is said to be perfumed w ith it, chap. iii. 6. 
 Christ, in his person, sacrifice, and righteousness, 
 is of a sweet-smelling savour, both to God aud be- 
 lievers, as has been shown on ver. 12. Believers 
 smell a sweet smell in all his ofBces, characters, 
 and relations : he is in all these as a bundle of 
 mjrrh, exceeding delightful to them. 3. Yet it 
 is somewhat bitter in taste, it is gusta leniter 
 amara, as Pliny'" obseives ; which may be ex- 
 
 ' So the Cabalistic Doctors interpret it of Tipho- 
 reth, the bridegroom, Lexic. Cabal, p. Cfig. 
 "' Lib. 12. c. 10, 
 
 E 2 
 
52 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CIIAP. I. 
 
 pressive, (1.) Of the sufTurings of Christ -, which, 
 though they were grateful, and of a sweet-smelling 
 savour to God, for it pleased the Lord " to bruise 
 hiin ;" here was not only voluntas Dei, the will 
 of God, but here was also voluptis Del, tlie plea- 
 sure of God ; yet tliey were bitter to Christ, wit- 
 ness his agonies in the garden, his sorrows on the 
 cross, and the spittings, buffcttings, scourgings, 
 and revilings of his enemies ; his head being 
 crowned with thorns, and his hands and feet 
 pierced with nails ; being forsaken by his God 
 and by his friends, could not be grateful and plea- 
 sant to him : but though these were so bitter to 
 Christ, yet, like myrrli, how sweet and odorous is 
 a crucified Ciirist to believers ! they desire to know 
 none bat Christ, and him crucified ; the bitter 
 cup which he drank, is the ground of their joy 
 and triumph; his death and sufferings are the 
 foundation of their comfort, and wliich only can 
 secure them against the fears of hell and wrath ; 
 it is this which embitters sin unto them ; sin 
 never appears more odious than in the glass of 
 Christ's sufferings; and they never mourn for it 
 in a better or truer sense, than when they " look 
 upon him whom they have pierced;" repentance 
 is a tear that drops from faith's eye, and is never 
 n«)re evangelic than when faith views a sin-bear- 
 ing and sin-atoning Saviour ; now from the suffer- 
 ings of Christ, or from a crucified Ciirist, distil 
 and drop down the sweet-smelling myrrh of spirit- 
 unl blessings, as justification, sanctification, adop- 
 tion, pardon of sin, peace, reconciliation, and a 
 right to eternal glory; all which come to us 
 through the blood, sufTei'ings, and death of a cru- 
 cified Jesus. (2.) The myrrli, being bitter in 
 taste, though sweet in smell, may show, that the 
 cross goes along with Christ : for as Luther says, 
 Christianus est crucianus, a Christian is a cross- 
 bearer; it is required of every one that will 
 follow Christ, that he take up the cross ; for he 
 that would wear the crown, must bear the cross ; 
 and he who would have the sweet, must have 
 the bitter ; indeed the Christian generally has 
 his share of afflictions, crosses, and trials in 
 this life. The passover-lamb was eaten with 
 bitter herbs, to show, that he that " will 
 live godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer per- 
 socution ;" yet so sweet is Christ, this bundle 
 of niyri'h, to believers, and communion with him, 
 under all afflictions, so delightful, that they would 
 not be without him, though they might be freed 
 from them ; this tree of life sweetens these 
 bitter waters of Marah; tliey have peace in him, 
 when in the world they have tribulation : they 
 are contented with, and rejoice in their portion, 
 and are willing to have the bitters, so they may 
 have but the sweet; for these bitter afflictions 
 and tribulations which they endure for Christ's 
 sake, distil and drop down some precious gums 
 of faith, patience, experience, and hope ; see Ro- 
 mans V. 3 — 5. 
 
 Feruel. method, med. 1. 6. c. 14, 15 
 
 2ndly. Christ may be compared to myrrli, for 
 the use that has been made of it. 1. It beine; 
 very valuable, and liig'ily esteemed of, was used 
 in gifts and presents to great persons ; thus we 
 find it in the present (hat Jacob made to his son 
 unknown, then governor of Egypt, Gen. xliii. 
 11, and it was part of that which the wise men 
 of the East brought to Christ at his incarnation, 
 I\Iatt. ii. 11. Christ is the great gift of God's 
 grace to sinners, and an unspeakable one he is, 
 which does not go alone, for " with him he freely 
 gives all things."" When God gave Christ, ho 
 gave a manifest proof of his greatness and good- 
 ness ; he gave like himself, and what was suitable 
 to us sinners ; a favour which we neither deserved, 
 desired, nor expected. O boundless grace 1 amaz- 
 ing love! 2. It was used, and was a principal 
 ingredient in the anointing oil ; see Exod. xxx. 
 23 ; and may signify that " oil of gladness which 
 Christ is anointed with above his fellows," which 
 being poured upon his head, in its fulness, ran 
 down to all his members, like the oil on Aaron's 
 head, which ran down to the skirts of his gar- 
 ments; for it is from him that we receive that 
 " anointing which teacheth all things." 3. The 
 stacte, which is the gum that drops from the 
 myrrh-tree, was used in the sweet incense ; see 
 Esod. XXX. 3i, and may represent the interces- 
 sion of Christ, who stands at the golden altar, 
 with a golden censer in his baud, to offer up the 
 prayers of all his people, which he perfumes with 
 his much incense ; which is exceeding grateful 
 and odorous, like sweet-smelling myrrh unto the 
 saints. 4. It was used to render persons comely 
 and acceptable in the eyes of others ; thus Esther, 
 and the rest of the maidens, were purified with 
 oil of myrrh, for their admission into the pre- 
 sence of king Ahasuerus, Esther ii. 12; it is in 
 Christ the beloved, that saints only are acceiitcd 
 with God, being clothed with those garments of 
 his, which " smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia." 
 Thus they have liberty of access into God's pre- 
 sence now, and shall have a ready admittance 
 into his kingdom and glory hereafter. 5. It 
 was used in the embalming of dead bodies, being 
 useful to keep them from putrefaction and cor- 
 ruption ; for this purpose Nicodemus brought a 
 mixture of myrrh and aloes to preserve the body 
 of Jesus, John xix. 39, 40 ; an interest in Christ, 
 this " bundle of myrrh," and an application of 
 him to our souls, will secure us from going down 
 into the "pit of corruption," and will eternally 
 save us from perishing ; nothing safer and better 
 than to have this in our bosoms, without which sin- 
 ners, " dead in trespasses and sins," will rot and pu- 
 trify. 6. It is very useful in healing " wounds 
 and ulcers. Christ is the great Physician that 
 heals all the diseases of his people, freely, per- 
 fectly, and infallibly, which he does in an un- 
 common and unusual way ; he performs his cures 
 by his blood and stripes ; his blood is a panacea. 
 
VER. lii. 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 /i3 
 
 a sovereign medicine for all diseases, and " by 
 liis stripes we are healed," Isaiah liii. 6. 
 
 3rdly. Christ may be compared to " a baudle 
 ol' myrrh." 1. To denote the abundance of the 
 spiritual odours of divine grace in him, he is 
 full of grace and truth," as a man and Mediator ; 
 " for it hath pleased the Father, that all 
 fulness should dwell iu liiui ;" which is communi- 
 cated to believers, as they stand in need of it ; 
 who sometimes receive such large measures of it, 
 that they can say, " the grace of our Lord is ex- 
 ceeding abundant " in them ; Christ is " a bundle 
 of myrrh" unto them; they have large views 
 of his love, and sweet communications of his 
 grace. 2. To show the security of this grace 
 iu Christ ; our life is sure in Christ's hands, 
 being bound up in the bundle of life with the 
 Lord our God, with all the mercies aud bless- 
 ings of it, both for time and eternity ; therefore 
 they are called " the sure mercies of David," 
 being hid with Christ in God, so that they can 
 never be taken away from us. 3. To show 
 the inseparableuess of Christ and his grace ; 
 Christ and tlie blessings of his grace never go 
 separate ; where God gives his Son, he gives all 
 things with him; and where a soul enjoys Christ, 
 he possesses all things ; peace, pardon, and 
 riiihteousness, aud life are all in Christ : and the 
 believer is blessed with all spiritual blessings 
 iu heavenly places in hira. 
 
 Now Christ is not so to all persons, only to 
 tliem that " believe he is precious," and to none 
 but them ; Christ is a " bundle of myrrh" to 
 none but his church ; " my beloved is unto nic, " 
 &c., which shows not only the strength of her 
 affection to Christ, the value "that she had for him, 
 and (he delight she took in him ; but also a par- 
 ticular application of him by faith, to her own 
 soul ; which is also expressed iu the following 
 verse, " my beloved is unto me as a cluster of 
 caniphire, " &c. 
 
 III. In tiiese words we have also the enter- 
 tainment which she resolves to give him; " he 
 shall lie all night betwixt my breasts:" Wherein 
 is to be considered, 1st. The place she appoints 
 him, " betwixt her breasts." 2udly. How long 
 we would have him lie there, "all night." And, 
 3rdly. For what ends aud purposes. 
 
 1st. The place allotted Christ by the church 
 is, " betwixt her breasts." R. Ahen Ezra nuder- 
 siauds by them the two cherubim, or the midst 
 of the camp of Israel; R. Solomon Jarchi, the 
 two bars of the ark ;° but it would be much 
 better to understand them either of the two Testa- 
 ments, the Old and New, which are both full of 
 Christ where he is to be found, and does abide, 
 or else of the two ordinances of the Gospel, 
 baptism, aud the Lord's supper, which may be 
 called the church's " breasts of consolation ;" see 
 chap. iv. 5 ; in these ordinances Christ shows 
 himself, and grants bis presence to his people : or 
 
 rather by Christ's lying " betwixt her breasts," 
 is meant his dwelling in her heart by faith, than 
 which nothing is more desirable to the saints : 
 they have no better room than their own hearts, 
 and therefore are desirous that he would lodge 
 there ; as Christ lays them iu his bosom to 
 testify his love to them, so they would have him 
 dwell in their hearts to testify their love to him ; 
 and a wonderful condescension it is in Christ, who 
 is " the High and lofty One that inhabiteth eter- 
 nity," to take up with such a residence as this. 
 So R. Alsheeh explains the phrase " betwixt her 
 breasts," of being " in her heart." 
 
 2ndly. The time she mentions, is all night ; by 
 which may be meant the night of afSiction, temp- 
 tation, &c., it being in Christ alone that she couhl 
 meet with any relief or comfort, under such dis- 
 pensations; or else it means that she would have 
 him with her, not as a stranger, sojourucr, or guest, 
 for a short time, but would have him dwell in her 
 heart, lie iu her bosom, aud grant her intimate 
 communion with himself, all the night of this life, 
 until the everlasting day of glory breaks. Com- 
 munion with Christ here is frequently interrupted, 
 which the church had a long experience of, to her 
 grief aud sorrow : and therefore she desires to enjoy 
 it without interruption. 
 
 3rdly. The ends and purposes for which she was 
 desirous that he should lie all night betwixt her 
 breasts, were, 1. For ornament ; sweet flowers iu 
 the bosom are ornamental, aud are placed there 
 often for that purpose. Christ " the rose of Sha; 
 ron, and the lily of the vallics," being carried iu 
 the hand of faith, or in the busora of love, exceed- 
 ingly adorns the believer. 2. For delight, plea, 
 sure, and refreshment ; nosegays are carried iuthe 
 bosom, to delight the eye aud refresh the spirits. 
 Nothing more delightful to the eye of faith than 
 Christ ; and nothing more savoury and of a 
 sweeter smellto a believer, than his person, blood, 
 and righteousness ; the most delightful and sweet- 
 smelling flowers fall short of expressing Christ's 
 beauty and savour. 3. That she might always 
 have him in her eye, mind, and memory ; persons 
 out of sight are too apt to be forgotten, even our 
 dearest friends andbest enjoyments. The church had 
 no doubt, some experience of this, and therefore to 
 remedy it, she would have Christ, this bundle of 
 myrrh, always in her bosom, and in her sight, to 
 contemplate upon and wonder at; as the Psalmist 
 did, who says, Psalm, xvi. 8. "I have set the 
 Lord always before me." 4. That she might keep 
 him safe ; thus persons often put things into their 
 bosoms; which they would not lose ; she had often 
 lost a sight of Christ, aud been without an enjoy- 
 ment of his presence, which had given her a great 
 deal of uneasiness ; aud for the future was there- 
 fore resolved to be more careful in keepi: g him, 
 and for that reason would have him lie in her 
 bosom. 5. To show her singular value for Christ, 
 and her invaluable chastity to him : she sets him 
 
 Vide Yakut iu loc. 
 
54 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 1_CHAP I. 
 
 in the higliest place, and gives liim the best enter- 
 tainment : she fjives him admiUanee wlicre she 
 woiilil allow none else ; he, and none but he " shall 
 lie all night between my breasts;" these were in- 
 accessible to any but to Christ. 
 
 Verse 14. M^ beloved is unto me as a cluster of 
 campjiire, in the vineyards of Engcdi. 
 
 The church having had sucli sweet communion 
 with Christ nt his table, ver. 12 ; which excited 
 and drew forth her grace into exercise, enters into 
 a commendation of him, ver. 13 ; and finding so 
 much sweetness in him, she scarcely knew what 
 was excellent enough to compare him to, that 
 thereby she might express his excellency in him- 
 self, his usefulness to her, and that delight and 
 pleasure which she took in him ; havir.g declared 
 that he was " a bundle of myrrh" to her, whieii 
 she desired might always have a place in her bosom, 
 she does, in these words, compare him to " a clus- 
 ter of campliire." 
 
 I. She gives him the same title or character as 
 before; "' my beloved." 
 
 II. Says that he was, to her, " as a cluster of 
 camphire in the vineyards of Engedi." 
 
 I. She gives the same title or eliaractcr to Christ 
 here, which slie had in the former verse, " my be- 
 loved ;" which teaches us, 1. That Christ being 
 once tlie believer's beloved, is always so ; he has 
 ulways an interest in Christ, audcan never lose it; 
 it is true, he may not always have the manifesta- 
 tions of Christ's love, but he has always aa inte- 
 rest iu him, as his beloved ; for nothing can " se- 
 parate him from the love of Christ." 2. This 
 shows, that lier faitii in him, and her love towards 
 him, still continued ; these two graces are never 
 separate ; they are implanted in the heart at one 
 and the same time ; they grow up and increase to- 
 gether, "faith works by love ;" tlicy continue to- 
 gether, and can never be lost ; they are not indeed 
 always alike iu c.>iercise, but they are always in 
 being ; but here they were in exercise as before, 
 and ratlier increased, while she was contemplating 
 and commending her beloved's excellencies. 3. 
 Trom hence it appears that she was not ashamed 
 of Christ under this character, and therefore she 
 repeats it, and indeed she had no reason : for her 
 Maker was her husband, " the Lord of hosts is his 
 name, the God of the whole earth shall he be 
 called ;" he had more reason to be ashamed of her, 
 she being a poor, sinful, and despicable creature 
 in herself, and he the Creator of all things, and the 
 holy One of Israel ; and indeed, she was so far from 
 being ashamed of Christ as her beloved, that she 
 took a pleasure in looking on him, and conversing 
 with him as such. 4. Her repeating it, shows not 
 only the vehemence of her love to him, but also 
 the singular esteem that she had for him ; that he 
 was her beloved, aud none else ; that she chose, 
 ii))])r oved of, aud valued him above all others ; he 
 ' V Nat. Hist. 1. 11. c. 1. 
 
 was to her " the chiefcst among ten thousands," 
 and preferable to all other beloveds . 
 
 II. She compares him to " a cluster of cam- 
 phire in the vineyards ot Engedi -." it is somewhat 
 puzzling aud perplexing to interpreters, to know 
 what this cophcr, which is translated cawijliire, 
 was. 
 
 First. It is, by the Septuagiut, rendered, Cy- 
 prus, by which is meaut either the island so 
 called, of which we read. Acts xi, 19, 20, and 
 xxvii. 4 ; and then we must understand, by " a 
 cluster of Cyprus," a cluster of the grapes of 
 tliose vines wliich grew in Cyprus, which were 
 the best and largest vines, asP Pliny observes; 
 aud these being said to be in tlie vineyards of 
 Engedi, mean either those vines that were 
 brought from Cyjirus, perhaps iu Solomon s time, 
 and planted in the vineyards of Engedi ; or else, 
 some of the best vines in the land of Canaan, 
 which were much like those in Cyprus. Tlie 
 land of Canaan was very fruitful of vines, and 
 some of the best sort, which bore very large 
 clusters; such an one was that which was car- 
 ried by two men upon a staff, who were sent by 
 Moses to spy the land. Numb. xiii. 23, 24 ; in 
 memory of which the place whence it was taken 
 was called Eshcol, the same vvord that in this 
 text IS rendered a cluster ; and it is highly pro- 
 bable, that those vines, which grew in the vine- 
 yards of Engedi, were the best of all : R. Solo- 
 mon Jarchi relates, out of the Agadah,'i that 
 these vineyards brought forth fruit four or five 
 titnes a year, and R. Alslicch says seven times. 
 Now Christ may be compared to a cluster of 
 grapes, which grew in these vineyards ; he com- 
 pares himself to a vine, John xv. 1; and there- 
 fore may be very well compared to a cluster of 
 grapes that grew upon the vine. And that, 
 
 1st. For the number of berries that there are 
 iu a cluster of them. 1. In Christ is a cluster 
 of divine and human j)erfections ; " in him dwel- 
 Icth all the fulness of tlie Godhead bodily" ; every 
 divine perfection is to be found in him ; eternity, 
 immuiability, omniscience, omnipresence, omni- 
 potence, &c., are as it were in a cluster in him ; 
 and as all divine, so all human perfections are 
 iu him ; for he is perfectly man, as well as per- 
 fectly God ; he is " God manifest in the flesh ;" 
 he was made in all things like unto us, sin only 
 excepted, which is the greatest imperfection of 
 human nature. 2. In Christ is a cluster of all 
 spiritual graces ; he is " full of grace and truth ;" 
 he is full of grace to communicate to others, 
 as Jlediator; and has all grace habitually in his 
 human nature, God having not given " the Spirit 
 by measure " to him ; for he is " anointed with 
 the oil of gladness above his fellows;" a cluster 
 of the graces of the Spirit, which are in the 
 himian nature of Christ, may be seen iu Isa. 
 xi. 1—3. The Jews used to call such men 
 who had all excellencies and virtues in them, 
 '1 J kh Yalkut iu loc, 
 
VEB. 
 
 14] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 55 
 
 mblDC^, eshcoloth, clusters ; hence they have a 
 saying/ that " after the death of Jose Ben Joezer, 
 a man of TzercJa, and Jose Ben Jochanan, a mr:n 
 of Jerusalem, the clusters ceased, according to 
 Micah vii. 1 ;" and they say," " what is biDir«, 
 eshcol, a cluster?" why say they, " it is 13 Van® 
 TO't«, ish sheJiaccol bo, a man that has all things 
 in him," that is, that has all virtues, a perfect 
 knowledge of the law, &c. Now Christ is such a 
 cluster that has all moral and spiritual perfections 
 in him ; all virtues and every grace are clustered 
 together in him. 3. In Christ is a cluster of all 
 spiritual blessings ; all tiie blessings of the ever- 
 lasting covenant are in his hands, and at his dis- 
 pose ; and saints are " blessed with all spiritual 
 blessings in heavenly places in him ; he is the 
 believer's " wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, 
 and redemption ;" there is not a mercy we want, 
 but is in him ; nov a blessing we enjoy, but what 
 we have received from him ; he is the believers' 
 " all in all." 4. In Christ is a cluster of " ex- 
 ceeding great and precious promises," all suited 
 to the various cases of God's children, and to 
 advance his glory ; for " in him are all the pro- 
 mises, yea, and in him, amen, to the glory of God 
 by us :" and these look like " a cluster" of 
 grapes growing " in the vineyards of Engcdi." 
 
 2udly. Christ may be compared to a cluster of 
 grapes for the abundance of juice that is in thera. 
 1. The cluster is squeezed and pressed, that the 
 juice may be obtained ; so Christ was " wounded 
 for our transgressions, and bruised for our ini- 
 quities, under the severest strokes of justice, and 
 pressure of his Father's wrath ; for " it pleased 
 the Lord to bruise him," and all this for our 
 good, that our sins might be expiated, our souls 
 comforted, and persons accepted with God. 2. 
 The juice squeezed out of this cluster may denote 
 the blood of Christ and efficacy of it ; which 
 being " shed for the remission of sin," perfectly 
 procured it ; it " eleanseth from all sin," and 
 pnrgeth " the conscience from dead works," and 
 has an influence in our justification, and in every 
 other blessing of grace. 3. As the wine, which 
 is the blood of the grape, is of a cheering and 
 refreshing nature, so is a crucified Christ to a 
 poor sinner; that there are salvation, righteous- 
 ness, peace, and pardon through his blood, for 
 the chief of sinners, is a reviving cordial to those 
 that see themselves so, and the best and most ac- 
 ceptable news that they can hear of ; this is more 
 cheering and refreshing than the choicest wine. 
 Or else. 
 
 By Cyprus is meant the Cyprus-tree' which 
 grew upon the banks of the Nile, and at Ascalon 
 in Jndea, and very probably in the vineyards of 
 Engedi, here mentioned, as it did also in the 
 island of Cyprus, from whence, perhaps, it had its 
 
 ' Misnah, Sotah, c. 9. s. 9. • Vide T. Bab. Vemu- 
 rah. fol. 15. 2. E. Sol. Jarchium and Ez. Chayim in 
 Misuam, ibid. ' Plin. 1. 12. c. 24. " Sheviith.c. 7. s. 
 0. - In ibid. « Travels, p. 113, 114. ed. 2 
 
 r See Od-ijafcu. in Cant, riomil. 2. fol. h7. e. f. uud 
 
 name. The word Coplier is used in the Misnah" 
 and translated Cyprus; and ]\Iaimon and Bar- 
 tenora'' say, it is the same which in the Arabic 
 is called wn^N, the Alhenna, and refer to this 
 place ; and observe, that there are some that say 
 it is the spice called the clove. Of the Alhenna 
 Dr Shaw^ says, " this beautiful and odoriferous 
 plant, if it is not annually cut and kept low, 
 grows ten or twelve feet high, putting out its 
 little flowers in clusters, which yield a most grate- 
 ful smell, like camphire." There seems to have 
 been a likeness between the Cyprus-tree and the 
 vine, especially in their flowering ; and it is said 
 to bear a flowery fruit like a grape in flower ; 
 and hence as vines when they flower are said to 
 Cypriie, as the Greek version of chap. ii. 15, 
 so a bunch of Cyprus-flowers in likeness to the 
 vine, is called here a cluster J and with propriety 
 is the flower of the Cyprus referred to, since it 
 induces sleep ;' see ver. 13. And, 1. The" seed 
 of the Cyprus-tree is much like a coriander seed, 
 which the manna also resembled. Numb. xi. 7; 
 whicli was typical of Christ, who is called " the 
 hidden manna," Rev. ii. 17 ; being exceeding 
 sweet, delightful, pleasant, and nourishing to 
 believers. 2. The'' flower of the Cyprus-tree 
 which may be chiefly designed, is of a white 
 colour, and a sweet smell ; and may denote the 
 pnrity of Christ's nature, and the innocence and 
 holiness of his life, who in both appeared to be 
 " holy, harmless, and undefiled ;" as also the sweet 
 fragraucy of his person, blood, sacriSce, and righte- 
 ousness. 8. The<= leaves thereof are good for 
 the healing of ulcers, &c. " So the leaves of the 
 tree of life," which is Jesus Christ, are said to 
 be " for the healing of the nations;" that is, 
 for the healing of their spiritual maladies and 
 diseases. 4. An excellent"^ oil was made out of 
 it; and of this with other things was made an 
 oiutment which by Pliny, is called the royal 
 ointment. Christ is by the holy Spirit anointed 
 above measure with the " oil of gladness," and is 
 possessed of those good ointments which are ex- 
 ceeding savoury ; and from him do saints receive 
 that " anointing, which teacheth all things." 
 
 Secondly. Some« think that the Cyprus or 
 Cypirus, of which Pliny writes, lib. 21, c. 18, 
 is here meant, which is a kind of rush or sword- 
 grass, is of a sweet smell, and has bulbous roots, 
 to which it is thought the allusion is here made. 
 And, 1. The smell of it, as Pliny, in the place 
 before cited, writes, is much like that of spikenard ; 
 and for the same reasons that Christ may be 
 compared to the spikenai-d, in ver. 12, may he be 
 compared to the cyperus here. 2. The smell of 
 it, as the same naturalist observes, makes men 
 vegeiiores et firmiores, more lively and strong; 
 active and robust: in Christ is all a believei-'i 
 
 Comment, in Matt. p. 463, 464. and Ihiet. Not. lu 
 ibid, p 79. > Plutarch. Sympos. 1. 3. p. 047. 
 
 » Plin. 1. 12. c. 24. I" Ibid. ' IViid. 1- 23. 
 
 c. 4. ■> Plin. 1. 12. c. 24. and 1. !3. c. 2. 
 
 • Vid. Cocceiuni and Bifhop Patrick in loc. 
 
56 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 strength, and from hira they receive fresh supplies 
 of it ; and the more they exercise faith on him , the 
 stronger they are : so that though they are poor 
 weak creatures in themselves, yet they " can do 
 all things through Christ, which strengtheneth 
 them." 3. The root of it, as is observed by the 
 same author, is good against the bitings of ser- 
 pents, especially scorpions. Christ, who is " the 
 root of Jesse," was typified by the brasen serpent, 
 which Moses, by a divine command, erected upon 
 a pole, that every Israelite that was bitten by the 
 fiery serpents, might look to it and have a cure. 
 Clirist was lifted up on the cross, and now is in 
 the Gospel, that whosoever looks unto him may 
 live and not perish ; see John iii. 14, 15 ; he is 
 a sovereign and infallible remedy against the bit- 
 iogs of those fiery serpents within, our own sius 
 and corruptions, and of that old serpent without, 
 the Devil. 
 
 Thirdly. Others have thought that a cluster of 
 dates, the fruit of the palm-tree, is here intended, 
 which is the opinion of R. Aben E^ra and other 
 Jewish writers ; and indeed Engedi, as is manifest 
 from Pliny,' was famous for those sort of trees, 
 as was Jericho, which is therefore called i/ie city 
 of the ■palm-trees. Dent, xxxiv. 3 ; and it ia very 
 probable that Engedi was called Hazzazon-tamar, 
 as it is 2 Chron. xx. 2, for the same reason ; 
 also the^ fruit of tliis tree grows in clusters, and 
 is very sweet and luscious, and may be expressive 
 of Christ, and the fruits of divine grace, which 
 souls receive in clusters from him, and are ex- 
 ceeding sweet to their taste. 
 Fourthly. Others think, and particularly Sanetius, 
 that the balsam-tree is here intended, which only'' 
 grew in the land of Judca : this place, Engedi,' 
 was remarkably famous both for that and palm- 
 trees ; so Origen observes,'' that Engaddi abounded 
 not so much with vines, as with balsams ; the 
 vinedressers '\xi. Jer. Hi. 16, are interpreted by R. 
 Joseph,' of the gatherers of balsam, from Engedi 
 toRamatha; and places where those trees grew 
 might with propriety be called vineyards, since 
 the balsam-trees were like to vines," and were 
 cultivated after the manner of vines ."" From this 
 tree dropped the precious balsam, which was of a 
 sweet smell, and of an healing nature ; to which 
 Christ may be very well compared, who is the 
 great and only Pliysician of souls, wliose blood is 
 a balsam for every sore, and has virtue to cure 
 every disease. 
 
 P'iflhly. The word Gopher is by our translators 
 rendered camphire, and so it is by " Pagnine, 
 David de Pomis," and others ; which" is of a sweet 
 smell, is a very good remedy against the pains 
 and aches of the head, a reviver of the spirits, and 
 a refresher of the brain ; and, if intended here, 
 may be ex])ressive of that sweet consolation and 
 
 ' Lib. 5. c. 17. 8 Plin. 1. 13. c. 4. •' Ibid. 
 
 1. 12. c. 2.5. ' Josephus Antiqu. 1. 9. e, 1. s. 2. 
 
 '' IToniil. 2. in Cant. fol. 87. e. ' In T. Bab. 
 
 Sabbat, loi. 20. 1. ■» ]>iin i. 12. c. 25. 
 
 ■' Justin. Hist. 1. 30. c. ?. 80 Foliot in loc. Vido 
 
 Divine refreshment which believers enjoy, resul- 
 ting from views of acceptance in Christ's person, 
 pardon through his blood, and justification by his 
 righteousness. Though what we call camphire, 
 seems not to be known to the ancients, nor does it 
 grow in clusters ; but is the tear or gum, or some- 
 tiiing of a resinous nature, which drops from an 
 Indian tree. 
 
 Sixthly. There is one thing more to be remarked, 
 and that is, that the Hebrew word nQD copher 
 signifies " an atonement or propitiation ;" and so 
 may very well be applied to Christ, who is " the 
 propitiation for our sins," and has made full 
 atonement for them by " the blood of his cross." 
 Bishop Patrick^ observes, that the ancient He- 
 brew doctors, by dividing the first word bniDM, 
 " eshcol, a cluster," found out the mystery of the 
 Messiah in these words, and considered them as 
 if they were read us, IDID bD ©'N, ish col copher, 
 " my beloved is unto me the man that propitiates 
 or expiates all things," that is all sins and trans- 
 gressions. In the Talmudi it is explained, " He 
 whose all things are, has atoned for my ini- 
 quity." Both the Targnm and R. Sol. Jarchi 
 carry it in the sense of atonement, though not 
 as made by the Messiah : but it is certain that the 
 great atonement for sin was to be, and is completely 
 made by the Lord Jesus Clirist, the true Messiah ; 
 in which appeared a cluster of all the Divine per- 
 fections, shining in equal glory; here grace and 
 mercy, justice and holiness, truth and faithfulness, 
 sweetly joined and harmonised together ; whereby 
 also a cluster of Divine blessings was procured 
 and eternally secured to all his redeemed ones, 
 such as peace, pardon, justification, &c., all which 
 are sweet and comfortable, and fill them with 
 unspeakable joy and pleasure. 
 
 Verse 15. Behold, thou art fair, my love : 
 Behold, thou art fair ; thou hast dove's eyes. 
 
 The church having spoken in the three former 
 verses of the glory, excellency, and sweetness, 
 which she saw and experienced in Christ ; he 
 reassumes his part in this verse, and sets off the 
 fairness and beauty of the church. lu which, 
 
 I. Is a general assertion that she is fair; 
 " Behold, thou art fair, my love : Behold, thou 
 art fair." 
 
 II. A particular instance of her beauty given ; 
 " Thou hast dove's eyes." 
 
 I. Here is a general assertion of her fairness ; 
 In which we have, 1st. the thing asserted, 
 that she is fair. 2ndly. An " ecce, a behold," 
 prefixed to it; "behold thou art fair." 3rdly. 
 A loving character given, " my love." 4tbly. 
 The assertion repeated. 
 
 1st, The general assertion is, that she is 
 " fair ;" not on the account of her good works. 
 
 Jerom. de loc. Heb. in voce Engnddi. 
 
 " Fernel. method, med. 1. 5. c. 17. and 1. 6. c. 1. 
 
 p In loc. 9 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 88. 2. Yalkut 
 
 in loc. 
 
VER. 
 
 15.] 
 
 SOXa OF SONGS. 
 
 or any righteousness performed by her, which is 
 as filthly rags and " an unclean thing," as the 
 Targum and R. Sol. Jarchi interpret it ; but on 
 the account of her being clothed with Christ's 
 righteousness, washed in his blood, and sanctified 
 by his Spirit, as has been shown on ver. 5. 
 
 2adly. To this general assertion is prefixed an 
 ecce, a behold ; which is sometimes, 1. A note of 
 attention; and may be here designed to stir her 
 up more seriously to consider her own beauty 
 which she had in and from him : believers are 
 too apt to keep their eyes npon their blackness, 
 sius, and imperfections which fills them 
 with sorrow, weakens their faith, and inclines 
 tiiem to diflBdeuce; and though a consideration 
 of this is sometimes necessary for the hum- 
 bling of our souls, and the magnifying of 
 Divine grace; yet we should not luive our eyes 
 so fixed upon these things as to be unmiudlul of 
 aud not regard our perfection, completeness, 
 beauty, and comeliness, we have in Christ, who is 
 " both our sanctification and our righteousness." 
 2. Tt is sometimes a note of admiration. Christ 
 liere, setting forth the greatness and excellency 
 of the church's beauty, is introduced wondering 
 at that " comeliness" which he himself had put 
 upon her, she being in his eyes " the fairest among 
 women ;" and much more reason have we to 
 wonder at it, that we who are " by nature chil- 
 dren of wrath," whose natures are corrupted and 
 depraved, who are both by actual and original 
 sin, black, uncomely, and deformed, yet are now 
 fair and beautiful in Christ, through his blood and 
 righteousness ; that we, who were clothed with 
 the rags of sin, are now arrayed with " the 
 Sun of righteousness ; that vie. who were cast out 
 into the open field, to the loathing of our persons, 
 in the day that we were born, yet now should be 
 clothed with raiment of fine linen, silk, and broi- 
 dered work," and be adorned with bracelets, 
 chains, jewels, and ear-rings ; O stupendous grace 1 
 astonishing love I 3. It is sometimes a note of 
 asseveration ; aud may be so used here, to assure 
 her of the truth of what he asserted concerning 
 her. Believers are very apt to call in question 
 their fairness and completeness in Christ; and to 
 indulge themselves in fears, doubts, and unbelief 
 about it, especially when they consider how full 
 they are of imperfections, sins, and spots; in the 
 view of which they are very hardly brought to 
 believe, that they are " all fair, and there is no 
 spot in them :" Christ therefore to remove his 
 church's doubts aud fears, banish her unbelief, 
 aud streugthen her faith, uses this way of speak- 
 ing. 
 
 Srdly, Christ gives his church here a vei-y af- 
 fectionate title, " my love," which has been al- 
 ready considered and explained on ver. 9 ; and is 
 here mentioned ascain to let her know, that she was 
 
 « a'JT "|''3''3? oculi tui velut colunibarum, Pag- 
 niuus, Munster, so Bcu Jlelech. <> So Juuo, Mi- 
 
 ucrva, and Chryseus, are destribtd by thyir eyes 
 
 still the object of his love, pleasure, and delight ; 
 that his love towards her was great, strong, last- 
 ing, aud unchangeable ; as also how much his heart 
 was ravished with her. 
 
 4thly. This assertion of Christ's respecting the 
 church's beauty, is repeated, " behold, thou art 
 (air ;" which repetition is, 1. To show the exceed- 
 ing greatness of it : she was " fair, fair," that is, ex- 
 ceeding fair ; no such [.beauty to be found in any 
 as in Christ, he is " fairer than the children of 
 men ;" and next to him is the chm'ch ; she is " the 
 fairest among women -." it is a superlative, sur- 
 passio g, an d excelling beauty that she is possessedo f. 
 2. It being repeated, shows the reality of it ; this 
 is inward and real, and not merely outward, nor 
 painted : outward favour is deceitful, and natural 
 beauty is vain : but such is not the church's, which 
 is supernatural, spiritual, glorious, and perfect. 
 8. It manifests the great value and esteem which 
 Christ has for her, aud her beauty, and how much 
 he desired it ; none so beautiful in his sight as she 
 is, nor any beauty so desirable to him as hers ; his 
 thoughts are fixed upon, his eyes are sweetly de- 
 lighted, and his heart surprisingly and divinely 
 ravished with it ; therefore he repeats it here and 
 elsewhere, again and again in this Song. 4. It 
 is repeated to show that she was both inwardly 
 aud outwardly fair ; she was fair, both with res- 
 pect to justification and sanctification. 
 
 II. He gives a particular instance of her beauty, 
 " thou hast dove's eyes," or eyes like doves :' her 
 eyes are taken notice of, because much beauty lies 
 in the eyes, either in the size or colour of them ;" 
 aud the eyes of doves are observed, because of 
 some distinguished properties in them : the dove 
 is a creature which famish out much matter for 
 poets, which they apply to lovers.' By her eyes 
 may be meant, either, 
 
 1st. The miuisters of the Gospel ; who are that 
 to Christ's body, the church, as eyes are to a 
 human body ; and what Job says of himself, may, 
 with as muchjustness,be applied to them: " I was," 
 says he. Job. xxix. 15, " eyes to the blind, and feet 
 was I to the lame ;" and the apostle seems to inti- 
 mate this in 1 Cor. xii. 16 — 21. Now these 
 may be called the church's eyes. 1. Because 
 as the eyes are placed in the eminent part of 
 the body, so are ministers set in the highest post 
 and place in the church ; and therefore are said, 
 1 Thes. v. 13; to be over others in the Lord; 
 and it is as necessary and proper that they should 
 be so, as it is, that the eyes should be in the head. 
 2. As the eyes are set there to watch and observe 
 lest any hurt comes to the body, so miuisters 
 of the Gospel are placed in the church for much 
 the same purpose ; for this reason they are fre- 
 quently called watchmen, and their business repre- 
 sented to be a watching for or over the souls of 
 men committed to their care, and to give them 
 
 in Homer, Iliad. 1. ver. 9'J, 206, 551. " Vid. 
 
 Barthii auimadv, in Claudian. iu uupt. Ilonor, od. 
 4. V. 21. 
 
58 
 
 AN EXPOSITIO:^ OF THE 
 
 [chat. I. 
 
 warning and notice of any daagcr that might be- 
 fal tliein ; of which we have instances both in the 
 Okl and New Testament ; see Isa. lii. 8, and Ixii. 
 6, Ezek xxxiii. 7—9, TIeb. xii. 17, 2 Tim. iv. 5. 
 3. They may be called the church's eyes, because 
 they pry, search into, and make a discovery of 
 GospL'l-truths to others ; for which reason they are 
 called the " light of the world," and more especi- 
 ally are the lights of the church -. they are the 
 stars which Christ holds in his right hand, and 
 makes use of to hold forth the " light of the word 
 of life," and light to others ; they shine not in 
 their own, but in a borrowed light : they receive 
 all from Christ ; they would not be capable of 
 looking into and discovering the precious truths 
 of the Gospel, nor be able to show to others the 
 way of salvation, did not the Spirit of truth, 
 657j\7jcr€», go before, lead the way, and gKide into 
 all truth. 4. As the eyes observe, order, and direct 
 the members of the body in their several actions ; 
 so the ministers of the Gospel, being appointed in- 
 spectors and overseers, observe the life and conver- 
 sations of the members of (he church ; and if any 
 thing disorderly appears, in a proper way correct, 
 admonish, and reprove them for it; they make 
 it their business to teach the whole church all 
 things which Christ has commanded ; to guide, di- 
 rect, and instruct them how to behave themselves 
 in their whole walk and conversation, both in the 
 church and towards them that are without. 
 
 Now these eyes of the church may be very fitly 
 compared to doves. 1. For clearness and per- 
 spicuity ; the eyes of doves'' are clear and sharp- 
 sighted, so are ministers to search and penetrate 
 into Gospel-truths : it is with much more clearness 
 they behold, and plainness they deliver Gospel- 
 truths now, than they could under the legal dis- 
 pensation ; and there is a time coming, when they 
 shall do it with much greater evidence and per- 
 spicuity, when " the watchmen shall see eye to 
 eye ;" though in this imperfect state we know but 
 in part, and prophecy but in part, and see through 
 a glass darkly, in com])arison of that light and 
 evidence, in which those glorious truths shall ap- 
 pear to all believers in another world. 2. For 
 their sincerity and simplicity ; when Christ sent 
 forth his disciples to preach the Gospek he bid 
 them be " wise as serpents, and harmless as 
 doves :" those who are his faithful ministers, act 
 with all simplicity atid godly sincerity, and dare 
 not, " as many, corrupt the word of God ; but as 
 of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, 
 speak they in Christ :" they use no artful methods 
 to conceal their principles, and bring off per- 
 sons from the plain truths of the Gospel to a re- 
 ception of erroneous doctrines ; but they are such 
 who have " renounced the hidden things of dis- 
 honesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling 
 the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation 
 ^^^_theJruU)^jx) mmending the mselves to every 
 ^ Frantz. hist, animal, sacra, par. 2. c. 15 
 ' i'aikut in loc. < i'lin. 1. lo. c. 34. yEliaii. 
 
 man's conscience in the sight of God :" they are ex- 
 ceeding careful and jealous lest souls, who are un- 
 der their care, and are made their charge, should 
 by any means be " corrupted from the simplicity 
 that is in Christ." 3. For bringing in the olive- 
 leaf of the Gos])el ; Noah's dove brought an olive- 
 leaf in its mouth, \\hich was an indication that the 
 waters of the flood w^re abated : the ministers of 
 the Gospel bring the good tiding of good things ; 
 they publish salvation by Christ, and bring the 
 news of peace and pardon by his blood, justifica- 
 tion by his righteousness, life through his death, 
 and acceptance in his person. 4. For those dove- 
 like giits of the Spirit, with vhich they are en- 
 dowed, and by which they are qualified for that 
 work which they are called unto ; there are diver- 
 sities of them, of which one and the same Spirit is 
 the Author, and these being given unto them, make 
 them able ministers of the New Testament; so 
 that they become both useful and beautiful. 
 The Jews^ interpret those eyes of the Sanlicdrim. 
 Or else, 
 
 2ndly. By the church's eye may be meant, the 
 eyes of " her understanding being enlightened" 
 by the Spirit of God ; and more especially the 
 eye of faith, by which a soul takes a view of 
 Clirisl's glory, fulness, and suitableness, and looks 
 unto him alone for life and salvation ; which 
 may be compared to dove's eyes : 1. For the 
 clearness and perspicuity of it ; the dove, as has 
 been already observed, is a quick and sharp- 
 sighted creature ; the eye of faith penetrates in- 
 to those things " within the vail," brings distant 
 things near, and makes unseen things manifest 
 unto the soul; for it is " the substance of things 
 hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen ;" 
 the things which the eye of nature and carnal 
 reason could never take cognisance of, are ob- 
 served by faith ; whose object is an unseen 
 Christ, and the unvisible things of another world 
 which " eye hath not seen, nor ear heard." 2. 
 For its singleness and simplicity in looking only 
 to Christ : the dove' is an exceeding chaste and 
 loving creature to its mate ; the eyes of doves 
 look only to their mates, to whom they keep an 
 inviolable chastity; faith looks only to Christ 
 and nothing else ; it looks only lo his person for 
 acceptance with God, and not either to its duties 
 or its graces ; it looks only to Christ's righte- 
 ousness for justification, and not tojits own works, 
 whether they be moral or evangelical, works 
 done before or after conversion ; it looks only 
 to his blood for pardon and cleansing, and not 
 to its tears of humiliation and 'repentance ; it 
 looks not to its frames, nor grace received, for 
 its supply and support, but to an all-suflicient 
 and inexhaustible fulness of grace in Christ : 
 now this is the pure, single, and chaste look of 
 faith, which is so pleasant and delightful to 
 Christ Jesus. 3. For finding out, and feeding 
 
 Mist, animal. 1. 3. o. 5. 44. 
 
vsn. 16.] 
 
 SONG OF SOJfGS. 
 
 9 
 
 upon the pure and wholesome doctrines of the 
 Gospel : the dove^ singles out and feeds upon 
 only pure seed and grain, and rejects all other, 
 as not being agreeable and pioper food; so a 
 believiii!? soul cannot feed and live upon any 
 thing ; he cannot live upon the husks which 
 swine eat, bat upon the " wholesome words of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ ;" any food will not do, none 
 but the " bread of life and the hidden mauna ;" 
 it is the earnest desire of such a soul, that the 
 " life which be lives in the flesh, might be by the 
 faith of the Son of God ;" he would always live 
 ou Christ and with Christ, and cannot be satisfied 
 with any thing short of him ; for having once 
 tasted " that the Lord is gracious," he evermore 
 desires this bread. 4. For the exceeding beau- 
 tifulness of it in Christ's eye ; as the eyes of 
 doves are beautiful and delightful, so is this eye 
 of faith to Christ, his heart is even ravished 
 with it ; " thou hast ravished my heart," says 
 he, in chap. iv. 9, " with one of thine eyes :" 
 Christ's eyes, for the beauty and glory of them, 
 are said to be, in chap. v. 12, " as the eyes of 
 doves, by the rivers of water, washed with milk 
 and filly set ;" and so are the church's here ; 
 nothing more beautiful than the eye of faith. 5. 
 For the meekness and humility of it : dove's 
 eyes are meek and humble, not fiery, fierce, and 
 furious, as some creatures, nor proud and lofty 
 as others. Faith is a low and humble grace, it 
 takes nothing to itself, but ascribes allihe glory 
 to Christ ; it renders the disposition of a soul 
 possessed of it mild and meek, not fierce and 
 cruel, for " faith works by love :" a fiery tem- 
 per, and a furious disposition do not become a 
 believer ; nor is it either excited or encouraged 
 by faith : which promotes a meek, humble, and 
 lowly spirit, of winch Christ, the object of faith, 
 is the best example, who says, " learn of me, for I 
 aai meek and lowly in heart :" who cheeks the 
 furious, and resists the proud, but takes delight 
 and pleasure in the humble soul, whose eyes are 
 up uuto him alone. 
 
 Verse IG. Behold, tJioit art fair, my beloved, yea, 
 pleasant ; also our bed is green. 
 
 The cliurch having heard her own praises in the 
 foriner verse, and being conscious to herself of 
 her sius and infirmities, and that what beauty was 
 in her came from her beloved ; she, as it were, 
 breaks in upon his diseonrse, and ascribes it all 
 to him ; and it is as if she should say. Dost thou 
 say tliat I am fair? thou only art eminently, es- 
 sentially, aud originally so: for -bU the beauly 
 which I am possessed of, as it is by way of emi- 
 nency in thee, so it is derived from thee ; there- 
 fore the praise of it is not due to me, but to thy- 
 self, to whom be all the glory. In these words. 
 I. The same thing is asserted by the church 
 couccrning Christ, wiiich he had asserted con- 
 
 cerning her in the former verse ; " behold, thou 
 art fair, my beloved." 
 
 II. An addition to it, " yea, pleasant." 
 
 III. That their bed, which belonged in com- 
 mon to them both, " was green." 
 
 The same thing is here asserted by the church 
 concerning Christ, which he had asserted con- 
 cerning her, aud that much in the same manner. 
 For, 
 
 1st. The title which he gave her is, " niy 
 love," and that which she here gives him is, 
 " ray beloved." They seein, not only in these 
 two verses, but indeed throughout the whole 
 Song, to be, as it were, striving to outdo each 
 other in their mutual expressions of love ; but 
 this title has been already exiilaiued ou ver. 
 13. 
 
 2ndly. She asserts of this beloved of her's in 
 the very same words, that he is fair ; she returns 
 it to him, to whom she judged it more properly 
 belonged ; whose beauty is natural and essential, 
 hers not so ; his original and uuderived, but hers 
 derived from him : his infinite, inconceivable, in- 
 expressible, aud transcending all others, but hers 
 of an inferior nature. Now her returning the 
 same commendation back to Clirist, shows that 
 she not only looked on her beauty as far inferior 
 to Christ's, and not to be mentioned with it ; as 
 also that it was derived from him ; and that if 
 she was in any sense comely, it was through that 
 comeliuess which he had put upon her ; but like- 
 wise it shows her modesty and humility, as well 
 as the nature of true faith, which gives all the 
 glory of what the soul is, or has, to Christ and 
 his grace ; its usual and common language is, 
 " not I, but the grace of God which was with me, 
 and it is by the grace of God I am what I am." 
 Now Christ may be said to be fair. 
 
 1st. As he is man ; aud so he is, both in 
 body and soul; that body which was prepared him 
 by the Father, and which was in an unspeakable 
 and surprising manner conceived in the Virgin's 
 womb by the power of the Holy Ghost, as it was 
 free from sin, so was no doubt free from all the 
 blemishes aud defects of nature; and in this sense, 
 as well as in some other, may he be said to be 
 " fairer than the children of Adam ;" and more 
 especially he was so at his transfiguration, when 
 " his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment 
 was white as the light :" though what with sor- 
 rows and safi'erings, with tears, dust, sweat, aud 
 blood, " his visage was marred more than any 
 man, and his form more than the sons of men ;" 
 yet now being raised from the dead, and exalted 
 at his Father's right hand, is beautiful and glorious: 
 for that same human nature, which here below 
 was the ridicule of men, is now the wonder of 
 angels ; that head which was crowned with thorns, 
 is now " crowned with glory and honour ;" and 
 that face whieli was spit upon, will be the delight- 
 ful object of the saints ' everlasting vision, after 
 
 « Frantz. Hi.st. animal, sacr. par. 2. c. 1-'^. 
 
60 
 
 AN EXI'OSITION 01*' TII^ 
 
 [CH.YI". I. 
 
 the resurrection morn -. when with their bodily 
 eyes they shall gaze on the glory of Christ's hu- 
 man nature, whom they " shall see for themselves, 
 aad not another :" in short, Christ's glorious hu- 
 man body will then be the pattern and exemplar, 
 to which our bodies shall then be fashioned aad 
 made like. Moreover, as he is fair in his hu- 
 man body, so likewise in his soul ; the powers and 
 faculties of which act in an agreeable order, no- 
 thiug being misplaced, nor any disorder iu the 
 whole frame or contexture of it, being free from 
 all sin, and full of every grace : holiness here ap- 
 pears iu its beauty, and knowledge and wisdom 
 in their perfection ; all which were manifest and 
 evident throughout the whole of his life. In short, 
 the whole human nature had an immeasurable 
 unction of the Holy Spirit, on the account of 
 which he is said to be fairer than others ; he was 
 '■' anointed with the oil of gladness above his fel- 
 lows ; grace was poured plentifully into his lips, 
 from whence it freely dropped like " sweet smell- 
 ing myrrh." 
 
 2udly. He may be said to be fair, as God-man 
 and Mediator, which I suppose is chiefly designed 
 here ; for as such, this branch of the Lord is 
 exceeding beautiful and glorious iu the eyes of be- 
 lievers. For, 1. The glory of all the divine 
 perfections is resplendent in him : as such, he is 
 " the brightness of his Father's glory, and the 
 express image of his person :" all God's creatures, 
 works, and actions, show forth the glory of his 
 perfections in some measui'e ; but they are no 
 where so clearly discerned, nor so gloriously dis- 
 played, as they are in the. person and office of 
 Christ as Mediator ; for " the light of the know- 
 ledge of the glory of God" is given us in the face, 
 or person of Jesus Christ -. and a glorious, delight- 
 ful, and ravishing sight it is to a believer. 2. 
 There is a mediatorial glory which he is possessed 
 of, which makes him look exceeding fair and 
 beautiful ; this is what was given him before the 
 world began, when he first entered into covenant 
 with his Father, became our Surety, and was set 
 up as the Mediator of God's elect : which, when 
 he had finished his work, he desired might be 
 given to him, that is, might be more clearly man- 
 ifested, and a greater display of it given to the 
 world, and it is what shall feed the eyes of his 
 saints with wonder and pleasure to all eternity. 
 This is what Christ desires that they may be with 
 him for, namely, " to behold his glory," for 
 then indeed shall they " see him as he is :" now, 
 in the glass of the Gospel, saints behold a great 
 deal of the glory of Christ Jesus, which gives them 
 much pleasure and delight ; but this is but little 
 in comparison of what they shall be everlastingly 
 indulged with. 3. Christ appears with much 
 fairness and beauty to believers, as he is pos- 
 sessed of all grace ; this was the glorious and 
 soul ravisliiug sight, which the evangelist John, 
 together with others, had of him, which ho takes 
 notice of, sayiug, John i. 14, " we beheld his 
 
 glory, the glory as of the ouly-bcgolten of tiie 
 Father, full of grace and truth ;" and what 
 makes it still more delightful is, that all this 
 grace is treasured up in him for them, that they 
 from " his fulness may receive, and grace for 
 grace :" there is every thing in him that souls 
 want, and every thing tliey want they may have 
 from him, for " he is of God made unto us 
 wisdom, righteousuess, sanctification, and redemp- 
 tion," which consideration must needs render 
 him fair, beautiful, and delightful in the be- 
 liever's eye. 4. Christ is fair in believer's eyes, 
 in all he is unto them, or has done and suffered 
 for them; their souls are delighted iu the views 
 of him, as their propliet, to teach and instruct 
 them, whose " lips are like lilies, dropping sweet 
 smelling myrrh" of Gospel doctrines, counsels, 
 and promises; as their priest, who, by his active 
 and passive obedience, has made full satisfaction 
 to the righteous law, au atonement for their sins 
 by his blood, and is now iuterceJiug for them 
 in heaven, and therefore, his " hands are as 
 gold rings set with ttie beryl, and his legs as 
 pillars of marble set upon sockets of fine gold ;" 
 and as their king, to rule, govern, protect, and 
 defend them, whose head " is as the most fine 
 gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven." 
 Moreover, he is exceeding fair and beautiful in 
 their eyes, considered in all the relations he bears 
 to them ; as he is their indulgent Father, their 
 tender Husband, loving Brother, and faithful Friend : 
 and so he is to them, in all that he has done and 
 suffered for them ; it is au exceeding delightful 
 sight to view him undertaking their cause, espous- 
 ing their persons, assuming their name, bleeding 
 and dying in their room and stead, arising again 
 as a victorious conqueror, sitting at God's right 
 hand, where he ever lives to make intercessiou for 
 transgressors. 
 
 3rdly. The same word behold, is prefixed by the 
 church to this commendation, as was to the other 
 by Christ, as woudering at that beauty she saw 
 in him, and that one so fair should take any 
 notice of her; and being affected with his glory 
 herself, she stirs up others to a eoutemplatiou 
 of it; for all have reason, upon a view thereof, 
 to say, " how great is his goodness, and how 
 great is his beauty," Zech. ix. 17. 
 
 11. She not ouly asserts the same of him 
 as he had done of her, but also makes an addi- 
 tion to bis character, sayiug, " behold, thou art 
 fair, yea, pleasant." This shows the exceeding 
 great value and esteem that she had for him, aud 
 that siie found it difficult to find words fully 
 expressive of his excellency ; and indeed all words 
 fall short of expressing his worth. She was 
 not contented with the former commendation of 
 him, and therefore adds another word, striving 
 as it were, to exceed him in her commendations. 
 They were not mere words of compliment she 
 used, for her heart and affections went along with 
 them; nay, she labouied under a difficulty of 
 
VEE 
 
 1.5.] 
 
 SONG 0? SONGS. 
 
 Gl 
 
 fiading out words, apt, strong, and full enough 
 to express the real and just sentiments of her 
 mind concerning him, and therefore, as she thought 
 one word was not enough, she adds another, 
 " yea, pleasant." 1. The person of Christ is so 
 to a believer ; He looks pleasantly upon believers 
 with an eye of love and grace, " his eyes are as 
 the eyes of doves by the rivers of water, washed 
 with milk, and fitly set" upon them. He does 
 not look upon them in a frowning, furious, and 
 angry manner, but as having the greatest respect 
 for, and taking the greatest delight in them ; 
 and whilst they are enabled by faith to view him 
 with love in his heart and smiles in his coun- 
 tenance, their souls are filled with an universal 
 pleasure ; for if it is " a pleasant thing for the 
 eyes to behold the sun" in the firmament, it is 
 much more pleasant to behold the " Sun of 
 righteousness arising with healing in his wings ;" 
 to see our acceptance in his person, pardon 
 through his blood, justification by his righteous- 
 ness, reconciliation with God through his aton- 
 ing sacrifice, and every needful supply of grace 
 from his iufiuite fulness : O how pleasant must 
 Christ be to a believer under all those sweet 
 considerations 1 2. Christ's covenant and pro- 
 mises are exceeding pleasant to them. "What 
 can be a more delightful sight, than to view 
 Christ as the Mediator, Surety, and Messenger 
 of the covenant of grace ; to see all the blessings, 
 and the " exceeding great and precious promises" 
 of it, all secured in his hands ; as also their 
 interest in it, and in him as their coveuant-head? 
 so that they can say, as David did, 2 Sam. xxiii. 
 5, " although my house be not so with God ; 
 yet he hath made with me an everlasting cove- 
 nant, ordered in all things and sure : for this is 
 all my salvation and all my desire, although he 
 make it not to grow ;" it is this will give satis- 
 faction and content, under all the troubles and 
 exercises of life, and fortify against the fears 
 of death. 3. The doctrines of Christ are pleasant 
 to believers. " Pleasant wards are as an honey- 
 comb, sweet to the soul, and Iiealth to the bones;" 
 such are the wholesome words of onr Lord Jesus, 
 the doctrines of the everlasting gospel ; these 
 are sweeter to a believer's taste than " the honey, 
 or the honey-comb ;" they are salutary and nou- 
 rishing, and therefore valued by him more than 
 his necessary food ; he often, with Jeremiah, 
 finds these words, and eats them, and they are 
 to him " the joy and rejoicing of his heart." 4. 
 The ordinances of Christ are pleasant to them. 
 The commands of Christ are far from being 
 grievous, his " yoke is easy and his burden 
 light ;" all his tiibernacles are amiable aud lovely, 
 his " ways are ways of pleasantness, and his 
 paths are paths of peace," especially when they 
 enjoy his presence, have communion with him; 
 and are assisted by his Spirit in an attendance 
 on them. 5. Christ's company and conversation 
 
 are exceeding pleasant and delectable : no fellow- 
 ship like " fellowship with the Father, and with 
 his Son Jesus Christ." This is' the believer's 
 peculiar privilege, his sole delight, and the matter 
 of his glorying : no presence like the presence 
 of Christ, "in whose presence is fulness of joy; and 
 pt whose right hand are pleasures for evermore." 
 Communion with angels, and fellowship with saints, 
 must needs be very pleasant and delightful; to be- 
 lievers ; but not to be compared with the enjoy- 
 ment of his presence, who is the Head of angels, 
 and the king of saints ; this is the saints' comfort 
 here, and will be their eternal happiness hereafter. 
 III. Having thus given this great and glo- 
 rious commendation of her beloved, she asserts 
 that their bed, which was common to them, and 
 v\hich made for the glory of them both, green ; 
 also our bed is green ; where we are to consider, 
 1st. "What this bed is. 2ndly. Whose it is. 
 And, 3rdly. What is said of it. 
 
 1st. It will be proper to inquire what is 
 meant by this bed. R. Solomon Jarchi observes; 
 that the tabernacle and temple were called so ; 
 and for this purpose cites Cant. iii. 7, 2 Kings 
 xi. 2, 3, and so it is explained in Yalkut. Theo- 
 doret'' thinks that the scriptm-es are here intended, 
 which are oftentimes the instrumental means of 
 begetting souls to Christ ; see James i. 18, 1 
 Peter i. 23. But it seems better to understand 
 it of the church itself, and the seat of it; where 
 Christ and believers comfortably rest together, 
 enjoy sweet fellowship and communion with 
 each other, and where many souls are begotten 
 and born again ; for " of Zion it shall be said, 
 this and that mau was born in her." 
 
 2ndly. Whose bed is this -. she calls it our 
 bed, which denotes a mutual property and in- 
 terest that Christ and believers have in the 
 church; it is what tlie Father has given him, 
 which he has purchased with his blood, and is 
 the Author and Maker of; " beliolJ his bed, which 
 is Solomon's :" this he has chosen for his rest, 
 solace, and refreshment, saying, " this is my rest 
 for ever, here will I dwell." Jloreovcr, it is the 
 bed which believers have a right to, aud therefore 
 are admitted to all the privileges of it ; here they 
 enjoy the presence and company of Christ their 
 beloved, they have an interest in him ; therefore 
 the apostle says, " if Christ be yours, all things 
 are yours." 
 
 3rdly. It is said of this bed, that it is green, 
 that is, flourishing and fruitful ; so the word is 
 used in Dan. iv. 4, Psalm Iii. 8, and xxxvii. 
 35, and intends either, 1. The fruitfulness of 
 the saints in grace and holiness, who being 
 " planted in the house of tlie Lord, flourish in the 
 courts of our God," as trees of righteousness, 
 which are filled aud laden with the fruits thereof 
 which is owing to the refreshing dews and in- 
 fluences of divine grace. Or else, 2. The num- 
 erous iDcrea.se of converts in the church; and so 
 
 "■ In loc. 
 
G2 
 
 AN EKPOSITION OF Tni 
 
 [chap. I. 
 
 the Targum and R.Sol. Jarchi exi)l;iin it: aud 
 it may be an allusion to a custom used in the 
 eastern nations, in strewing the nuptial bed with 
 green Iraves and Cowers; and with the Latins, 
 torus, a bed, is so called from tortis herbis} from 
 herbs writhed and twisted together, aud put under 
 the shoulders of those that lay on them ; and il 
 was usual to strew (hem with green herbs, grass, 
 aud leaves of trees.'' A numerous increase of 
 converts, which makes the bed, the church, look 
 so green and flourishing, was frequently promised 
 and jjrophcsied of in the Old-Testament ; and had 
 a glorious fultilment in the first dawn of the 
 gospel, when three thousand souls were converted 
 under one sern)on ; and will be gloriously and 
 completely fulfilled in the latter day, when the 
 church shall say, " the place is too strait for me, 
 give place to me that I may dwell." 
 
 Verse 17- The beams of our house are cedar, 
 and our rafters of tir. 
 
 These are either the words of Christ, inviting the 
 chHrch iuto their house, which was so firmly and 
 delightfully built; or else the words of the 
 church, continuing the praise of Christ, aud all 
 that were about him, or belonging unto him ; 
 or rather, they arc the words of the bride and 
 bridegroom, and the virgins her companions, all 
 joiuing together in a chorus, to set forth the glory 
 and excellency of the church : in which may be 
 considered, 
 
 I. ^Vhat is meant by this house, which they 
 seem to have a common interest in, and therefore 
 call it " our house." 
 
 II. What those beams are which are said to 
 be cedar. 
 
 III. ^Yhat those rafters are which are said to 
 be of fir. 
 
 I. I shall consider what is meant by the 
 " house, whose beams are cedar," and whose 
 rafters are of fir. R. Sol. Jarchi understauds it 
 of the tabernacle, the glory and praise of which, 
 he thinks, is here set forth ; and so the Targum 
 refers it to the temple built by Solomon, but 
 yet acknowledges that that which shall be built 
 in the days of the king Messiah, sliall be much 
 more glorious and beautiful. But it is much 
 better to understand it, either, 
 
 1st, Of"" our house, which is from heaven,'"' 
 which saints know that after their dissolution 
 they shall enter into. The word in the Hebrew 
 is in the plural number " our houses,"™ and 
 so may intend those many mansions whicli 
 are in Christ's Father's house, preparing by 
 him for all his people for their everlasting enter- 
 tainment ; and the beams and rafters of these 
 houses being of cedar and fir, which are trees of 
 a sweet smell aud durable nature, may represent 
 
 that fulness of joy, and those delightful pleasures 
 which are in " Christ's presence, and at his 
 right hand for evermore ;" it shows that this 
 " house is not made with hands, but eternal in 
 the heavens ;" that these habitations which 
 Christ has prepared for them, and will bring 
 them into, are everlasting ; and that that inheri- 
 tance which they are born heirs unto, and shall 
 certainly enjoy, is " incorruptible, undefilcd, 
 and fadeth not away." 
 
 Now if we suppose these to be the words of 
 Christ, his design then seems to be, by eom- 
 niendiug the endless joys aud never-ceasing plea- 
 sures of the saints above, to raise the atl'cctions 
 and quicken the desires of his church after the 
 enjoyment of the same, that they with him may 
 eiiter the nuptial chamber, and spend an eter- 
 nity in everlasting communion with each other ; 
 but if they arc the words of the church, then 
 they seem to intimate the comfortable views she 
 had of the heavenly joys, aud her interest iu 
 them ; she knew that when this " earthly house 
 was dissolved, she had an house not made with 
 hands," firmly built and delightfully furnished, 
 which she should have admittance into, and 
 which is " eternal in the heavens ;" as also, the 
 earnest desires of her soul to be there ; she 
 saw this house afar off, what a goodly structure 
 it was, what soul-ravishing delights it was filled 
 with, therefore longed to be within the walls of 
 it, and " groaned earnestly, being burdened with 
 a body of sin and death, desiring to be clothed 
 upon with her house, which is from heaven ;" 
 likewise she seems to speak of this house with 
 the utmost thankfulness to her Lord and spouse, 
 and adoration of his grace, that had provided so 
 convenient and delightful an habitatiou for her. 
 Or else, 
 
 2ndly. By this house may be meant the 
 church of God here below, which seems most 
 agreeable; for so it is called in 1 Tim. iii. 15, 
 where the ajjoslle promises Timothy to instruct 
 him how he should " behave himself in the 
 house of God, which, says he, is the church of 
 iheliving God, the pillar and ground ofthelrnth ;"' 
 .«o believers are said to be Christ's house, in 
 Heb. iii. 6 ; " but Christ, as a son over his own 
 house whose house are we, if we liold fast the 
 confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope firm 
 unto the end." Now the church may be said to 
 be Christ's house, 1. Because it is of his building: 
 the ministers of the Gospel are instruments in 
 building up his church ; but he is the great 
 Master-builder: the materials of this building 
 are" lively stones," which are the saints ; but 
 he himself is both the " foundation and the 
 corner-stone ; it is upon this rock he builds his 
 church, aud the gates of hell sliaU not be able to 
 
 ' Isidor. Origiiium,!. 20. c. 1. •■ Vid. Alstorph. 
 
 deMectis vetcrum, c. I. p. 2,8—10. Graminei tori, 
 V'al. I'lac. 1. 8. V. 25S Viritlaute toro confederat 
 lierbEB, Virgil, ^lineid. 5. v. 3S8. In medio torus est 
 
 de mollibus ulvis impositus lecto, Ovid. Metamorpli. 
 8. V. C[i.'>. ' So Cocceius in loc. 
 
 "< 13\"12 donioruni nostrarum, V. L. Paguinus, 
 Montauus, &c. xdiuni nostrarum, Marckius. 
 
VER. 
 
 17.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 6c 
 
 prcrail against it." 2. Ilaviug built it, he 
 dwells in it, and makes it the place of his resi- 
 dence : the church is the habitation of all the 
 Three Persons, and particularly of Jesus Christ ; 
 saints are built up " for an habitation of God 
 tlirough the Spirit ;" they are the temples of the 
 Holy Gliost, and in tlicir hearts Christ dwells by 
 faith : the church is the liabitation of his holiness, 
 and the place where his honour dwelieth ; here 
 he delights to be, and condescends to show him- 
 self ; liere souls may expect to find him, and enjoy 
 his presence ; for he has promised to be here until 
 tlie end of time. 3. Here he eats, feeds, and feasts 
 with his people; it is not an empty house he 
 keeps, but having built it, he furnishes it with 
 suitable provisions, which are called " the good- 
 ness and fatness of his house : here he makes a 
 feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of 
 fat things full of marrow, of wines ou the lees well 
 refined : this is his banqueting house," into which 
 he brings his people, and sups with them, and 
 they with him. 4. Here he takes his rest with 
 the church, his bride : " this, says he, is my rest 
 for ever : here will I dwell, for I have desired it ;" 
 here he solaces himself, and takes the utmost 
 delight and pleasure : as houses are not only to 
 feed in, but to rest iu, so this use does Christ 
 make of his church. 5. Here he lays up his 
 treasure, and what he esteems his portion, and the 
 chief part of his riches ; for " the Lord's portion 
 is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance;" 
 the saints are his jewels and peculiar treasure, and 
 these he brings into and preserves safe in his house 
 below, imtil he removes them into his house above. 
 6. As his house, he tills, repairs, and beautifies it 
 at pleasure ; he fills it with members, and these 
 he fills with gifts and grace suitable to their places 
 in this house, for he is "ascended to fill all things;" 
 when any breaches are made, he makes them up ; 
 whea it is fallen to decay, he repairs it, by bring- 
 ing in a large number of converts, and beautifies 
 this house of his glory with his own presence. 7- 
 He is the Master of it, and manages all the affairs 
 of it ; the key of it is in his hands, and the 
 government of it upon his shoulders ; he is sole 
 King and Ruler here ; he enacts laws, demands 
 obedience to them, and places officers here to 
 see Ihem put in execution ; he is " the high 
 Priest over this house of God," and transacts all 
 affairs between God and his people: he is the great 
 Prophet that teaches and instructs them ; the care- 
 ful Husband and indulgent Father that provides all 
 for them ; in short, " of him the whole family in 
 heaven and earth is named ;" so that the church 
 may be very well calleJ Christ's house. 
 
 But then this house is said to be the church's 
 also; " the beams of our house," &c. Saints are 
 the materials of this house ; Christ is the builder, 
 the foundation, and the Corner-stone : but they are 
 the lively stones which are laid on this foundation, 
 and so " are built up a spiritual house, an holy 
 " Foliot. in loc. " So liidore, Alcuiu, aud 
 
 priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, ac- 
 ceptable to God by Jesus Christ ; they have a 
 right to, and are in the enjoyment of all the pri- 
 vileges of this house; they are " fellow -citizens 
 with the saints, and of the household of God ;' ' 
 here they are bora and brought up, have their food 
 and education ; " thy daughters shall be nursed at 
 thy side," Isa. Ix. 4 : here they dwell, rest, feed, 
 feast, and enjoy sweet communion with Christ 
 Jesus ; and therefore they may say, as David did. 
 Psalm Ixxxiv. 4 ; " blessed are they that dwell iu 
 the house, they will be still praising thee ;" as they 
 have a great deal of reason so to do. 
 
 Also the word being in the plural nuruber, and 
 rendered, our houses, may intend the particular 
 churches of Christ, which aie all his houses, where 
 he dwells ; his golden candlesticks, among whom 
 he walks, which hold forth the word of light and 
 life to others ; and his gardens where he delights 
 to be, eating those pleasant fruits, and feeding 
 among those lilies, which grow there ; for there is 
 but one " general assembly and church of the 
 first-born, which are written in heaven," yet there 
 are many particular churches and congregations of 
 saints here on earth. 
 
 II. The beams of this house are said to be of 
 cedar. By cedar beams we are not to under- 
 stand angels, who encamp about, protect and bear 
 up tlie saints, and are ministering spirits to them, 
 which is the opinion of some ;° but rather, the 
 ministers of the Gospel," who may be called pil- 
 lars iu Christ's house, as James, Cephas, and John 
 were ; who by their exemplary lives, savoury doc- 
 trines, and undaunted courage, add much strength 
 and glory to the church of Christ ; as by raf- 
 ters afterwards may be meant weaker believers, 
 who have all their proper places, work, and use- 
 fulness iu the house of God : or else, by cedar 
 beams may be meant in general, the saints and 
 people of God, which ar-e all beams and pillars in 
 this house, and serve to support it ; for being " fitly 
 framed together, they grow up unto an holy temple 
 in the Lord;" and being joined and cemented to 
 each other in faith and love, they worship the Lard 
 " with one shoulder, or with oue consent ;" and 
 these are compared to cedars in scripture ; see 
 Psal. xeii. 12, Numb. xxiv. 5, 6; and may be very 
 well compared unto them, I. For the height 
 and talluess of them; the cedar-tree is a very 
 tall tree, as may be learnt from 2 Kings six. 23, 
 Amos. ii. 9. The saints, though they are mean, 
 abject, poor, aud low by nature, even beggars on 
 the dunghill, yet by divine grace they are raised 
 on liigh, set among princes, and made to 
 inherit the throne of glory ; they are higher 
 than others in their gifts and graces, faith, 
 knowledge, and experience, as well as ia 
 their privileges and attainments ; they are grow- 
 ing up higher still in their head Christ Jesus, and 
 are I'caching forwards aud upwards in their affec- 
 tions and desires, in hope of enjoying " the prize 
 others in loc. 
 
64 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." 2. 
 For their straightness and uprightness ; for which 
 reason perhaps the righteous are said to grow 
 not only like the palm-tree, but also the cedar in 
 Lebanon : the saints are upright, both in heart 
 and conversation ; they both speak and walk up- 
 rightly. 3. For its durableness ; PlinyP ascribes 
 even eternity unto it ; it is used for immortality ;<) 
 it will not rot, nor admit any worm into it; 
 the saints will endure for ever ; for though they 
 have much corruption in them, yet they them- 
 selves shall never corrupt ; they have that grace in 
 them which will keep them from putrefaction, 
 and which will never decay itself: for it is in- 
 corruptible, immortal, and never-dying seed. 4. 
 For the sweet odour which it sends forth ;' it is 
 of an excellent smell ; so are the persons of the 
 saints to God the Father, being clothed with 
 'the garments of salvation, and robe of Christ's 
 righteousness, which " smell of myrrh, aloes, 
 and cassia ;" so are the graces which are wrought 
 in them by the Spirit to Christ himself; see 
 chap. iv. 10 ; and so are all their sacrifices of a 
 sweet- smelling savour, being ofifered up in Christ's 
 name, and perfumed with the sweet incense of his 
 mediation. 5. The cedar-tree is well rooted, 
 always green, and the older the more fruitful : be- 
 lievers are rooted in Christ Jesus, so as all the 
 winds and storms of sin and temptation cannot 
 tear them up : they are always green, and their 
 leaf doth not wither, because they are " planted by 
 rivers of water ;" where, being refreshed with con- 
 tinued supplies of divine grace, they bring forth 
 fruit .in old age, because the Lord, he is upright, 
 he is their rock, and there is no unrighteousness 
 in him. 
 
 IIL The rafters of this house are said to be of 
 fir. By rafters may be aicaut the ordinances of 
 the Gospel, which are administered in the church, 
 and are for the comfort and edification of it. 
 The Hebrew word here, translated rafters, is in 
 Gen. XXX. 38 — 41, and Exod. ii. 16, rendered 
 gutters and troughs of water, where sheep used to 
 be watered; and some of the Jewish writei's' would 
 have it understood in this sense here. R. Aben 
 Ezra observes, that if it is taken in this sense, 
 then the word rendered fir, should signify marble 
 stone, and be read thus, " our canals are of mar- 
 ble stone."" Now these canals or gutters of 
 water are called O'lom, rahatim,'^ from the Chaldee 
 word T2ni rehat, which signifies to run, because 
 waters run in them. The grace of the Spirit 
 is frequently, both in the Old and New Tes- 
 tament, represented by water ; which, for its 
 
 p Lib. 13. c. 5, 13. and I. 16. c. 40. i. Et cedro 
 
 digna locutus, Pers. satyr. 1. v. 42. 
 
 ' Plin. I. 13. c. 5. Odoratam stabulis accendcre 
 cedrum, Virgil. Georgic. 1. 3. v. 414. • Plin. 1. 
 
 16. c. 21. • R. Aben Ezra in loc. E. Jonah in 
 
 K. David Kimchi, lib. shorash. rad. tsni Vid. David 
 de Pomis Lex. Ueb. rad. lOm and so the Tigurine 
 version renders it. • 'i:'lDmi canales nostri, Ti- 
 
 gurine version, so some in Vatablus; impluvium 
 
 purity and purifying nature, is called clean water ; 
 for its quickening virtue and efficacy, water of 
 life aud living water : and for its plenty and 
 abundance, " rivers of water :" this grace is 
 commonly conveyed aud communicated to us in 
 the use of ordinances; these are the canals or 
 conduit-pipes in which this water runs, aud is 
 brought unto us ; the first conveyance is usually 
 this way : faith, conversion, and every grace that 
 attends it, come by hearing, and hearing by the 
 word of God; and as this, so other ordinances are the 
 means of increasing faith, joy, aud comfort, and of 
 conveying fresh supplies of grace and strengtii. 
 Christ's fulness is the fountain from whence all grace 
 springs; and his ordinances are the golden jiipes, 
 through which the golden oil and grace of divine 
 love run and empty themselves into our- souls. 
 Also the same word is translated galleries, in ch. 
 vii. 5, " the king is held in the galleries." 11. 
 David Kimchi says,'' that they were buildings in 
 high houses, ia which they walked from houce to 
 house, or from one part of the house to the other ; 
 they were such as our balconies ; and they may be 
 called by this name, because they run along the 
 sides of houses ; agreeable to this, Junius and Tre- 
 mellius translate it, ambuluchra nostra, our tcalk- 
 ing places. Now the ordinances are the galleries, 
 or walking-places, where Chiist and believers walk 
 and converse together ; here he grants them fellow- 
 ship with himself, tells them all his mind, aud 
 discloses the secrets of his heart unto them ; in 
 these galleries they behold "the king inhis beauty;" 
 here he showsthem his covenant-love and grace, and 
 from hence they take a prospect of the good " land 
 that is very far off." But the word may be very 
 well translated rafters, which arc joined together, 
 and run in each other ; and so the Targum ren- 
 ders it ; and in this sense is the word used both 
 in the Misnah^ and in the IMidrash.* Now as raf- 
 ters are for the strength and support of buildings 
 so are the ordinances to the church of Christ ; by 
 them oftentimes saints are supported and refresh- 
 ed ; and whilst they are waiting on Christ in 
 them, they renew i\w\r strength, tlicy mount 
 up with wings as eagles, they run and are not 
 weary, they walk and faint not, as it is promised 
 to them in Isa. xl. 31. 
 
 Now these rafters are said to be of fir. The 
 word is only used in this place, and is so rendered 
 by Arias Montanus, Pagniue, and others, and is 
 so understood by many of the Jewish writers ;» 
 the word being by the change of a single letter 
 to wit, ID into n, which is used in the Chaldee 
 and Syriac languages, the same with that which 
 
 nostrum, Ililler. de Keri and Kcthib. p. 48, 
 " Vid. Elias Levit, Methurgeman, rad. 'om. 
 ^ In lib shorash rad. 'cm. y As quoted by 
 
 R. Sol. Jarchi inloe. ' In R. David Kimchi, 
 
 lib. shorash. rad. tDHI. « Vid. K. Aben Ezram 
 
 in loc. K. David Kinichium in lib. shorash. rad. 
 ma and Elias Levit. Methurgeman. 
 
1-] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 65 
 
 is commonly used for the fir ; and this, Pliny says,'' 
 is the best and strongest wood for roofing and 
 raftering : now these rafters, the ordinances of the 
 Gospel, may be said to be of this, because, 1. 
 The fir-tree is, hilaris aspectu,'^ of a pleasant, 
 cheerful, and delightful look; the ordinances of 
 the Gospel are exceeding delightful to believers, 
 when they have the presence of Christ with them, 
 and the communications of his love unto them ; 
 tbeu are those tabernacles amiable and lovely ; 
 wisdom's ways are then ways of pleasantness ; 
 their souls are filled with joy and pleasure ; no- 
 thing so desirable to them as these, neither does 
 any thing give them such satisfaction and content- 
 ment ; and therefore with the disciples they think 
 it is good for them to be here, and would always 
 abide under such a roof as this, whose rafters are 
 of fir. 2. It is a very shady tree, folio pinalo 
 dansa, ut umhres non transmittat ,'' it is so thick 
 with leaves, that it will not let through showers 
 of rain ; the ordinances of Christ are a delightful 
 shade, under which saints oftentimes sit with 
 pleasm'e, have much spiritual consolation and re- 
 freshment ; in which being protected from the 
 enemies of their souls, they serve the Lord with 
 liberty and enlargement of heart. 8. It is always 
 green," and never casts its leaf, and therefore is 
 called the " green fir-tree," in Hos. xiv. 8. Ordin- 
 ances are those green pastures, into which the 
 great Shepherd leads his sheep, and in which he 
 causes them to lie down ; which being blessed 
 and o\vned by the Spirit of grace unto believers, 
 make them fat and flourishing, fruitful in every 
 good work, even in old age ; so that their leaf 
 does not wither ia the winter season. 
 
 Others think that the cypress-tree is here in- 
 tended, and so read the words, and our rafters or 
 galleries of cypress ; so the Septuagint, Vulgate 
 Latin, and Tigurine versions, David de Pomis, 
 and others. Now these rafters may be said to 
 be of this wood, because the cypress-vvood'is very 
 lasting and durable ; it admits of no worms, it 
 will not rot, nor is it sensible of old age ; which 
 may be expressive of the durableness and continu- 
 ance of Gospel-ordinances, until the second 
 coming of Christ ; for as long as Christ has an 
 house on earth, these cypress-rafters will last ; 
 it will never need new roofing ; as long as there 
 is a church, there will be those ordinances, which 
 are now in force, and will continue so to the end 
 of lime, without any change or alteration in them. 
 This wood is also of a very pleasant smell ;B which 
 may signify the delight and pleasure which be- 
 lievers take in ordinances, and how grateful they 
 are to them. 
 
 Others think that the brutins-tree is meant ; 
 so Ainsworlh, Brightman, Junius, Cocceis, and 
 Michaelis ; and it may be that which Pliny'' 
 calls hruta, which some take to be the tree of 
 
 >> Lib. 16. c. 42. • Plin. 1. 16. c. 10. « Ibid. 
 ' riin. 1. 16. c. 21. f Ibid. c. 40, 42. Ilenec 
 
 monuments to perpetuate the memory of things were 
 
 Paradise ; and its name is near in sound to the 
 Hebrew word hrolim here used, the singular of 
 which is brot ; which, Pliny says, is much like 
 the cypress, and of a smell like ce'dar ; and being 
 applied to the ordinances of the Gospel, may sig- 
 nify, as before, the durableness and delighlfulaess 
 of them ; and now who but would desire to dwell 
 in such a house, and under such a root as this ? 
 What enconragemeut is here, and what an induce- 
 ment should this be, to souls to come into the 
 house of the Lord, and wait upon him there, 
 the beams of whose house are cedar, and the 
 rafters of fir ? 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Here begins a new colloquy between Christ and his 
 church ; in which they alternately set forth the 
 excellencies of each other, and express their mu- 
 tual affection for, and the delight and pleasure 
 they take in each other's corap.iny. Christ seems 
 to begin, in an account of himself and his own 
 excellencies, and of the church in her present 
 state, ver. 1, 2. Then she in her turn praises him, 
 and commends him above all others ; relates some 
 clear proofs she had of his love to her, and com- 
 munion with him in his house and ordinances, to 
 such a degree as t9 overcome her, ver. 3 — 6; and 
 then either he or she gives a charge to the daugh- 
 ters of Jerusalem, not to disturb either the one or 
 the other in their sweet repose, ver. 7. Next tbe 
 church relates how she heard the voice of Christ, 
 and had a sight of him on the hills and moaiitains 
 at some distance ; then more nearly behind her 
 wall, and through the lattices; ver. 8, 9 ; and ex- 
 presses the very words in which he spake to her, 
 and gave her a call to come away with him ; making 
 use of arguments from the season of the year, 
 the signs of which are beautifully described, ver. 
 10—13; and requests that she would come out of 
 her solitude, that he might enjoy her company, 
 whose countenance and voice were so delightful to 
 him ; and gives a charge to her and her friends, 
 to seize on such as were hurtful and prejudicial to 
 their mutual property, ver. 14, 15; and she closes 
 the chapter with expressing her faith of interest 
 in Christ ; and with a petition for his speedy ap- 
 proach to her, and continued presence with her, 
 ver. 16, 17. 
 
 Verse 1. I am i/ie rose of Sharon, and the lily 
 of the vallies. 
 Here begins a new colloquy between Christ and 
 his church, in which they alternately set forth 
 the praises and excellencies of each other, dis- 
 cover the strength of their mutual affection, and 
 express the delight and pleasure they take in 
 each other's company: but who begius this col- 
 loquy is not so easily determined. What is here 
 said, may be applied either to Christ or to the 
 church ; and therefore I shall consider the words 
 iu both senses. 
 
 First. The words may be considered, as the 
 words of the church expressing the excellency of 
 her grace, loveliness, and beauty, which she had 
 received from Christ ; and at the same time in- 
 
 made of it, riato de leg. 1. 5. p. 848. « Plin. 1. 
 
 16. c. 33. Et'McSei Kwn-apio-crw, Theocrit. epigram, 4. V. 
 7. ^ Lib. 12. c. 17. 
 
Gs", 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [cifAP II. 
 
 tiraatiug lier being exposed in the open field and 
 low vallies to mnny dangers and enemies; and 
 therefore tacitly desires his protection over her, 
 which he seems to promise in ver. 2. That 
 these are the words of the chnrch, seems to be 
 the general opinion of the Jewish doctors," and 
 is also embraced by some Christian interpreters.'' 
 And 
 
 1st, The church may be compared to " the 
 rose," 1. For beauty ; it is called the beautiful 
 flower y"^ its colour is beautiful and delightful : 
 the figure is exceeding just; nothiug is more 
 common in poems of this kind, than to set forth 
 the beauty of women by the rose ; such as Hero,'' 
 Aspasia,' and others; some have had the name 
 of Rhoda from hence ; and Helena for her beauty 
 was called Vodoxpos.' The church may be fitly 
 compared to it; no "rose of Sharon" can be 
 move beautiful in colour, and delightful to the eye, 
 than the church is in the eyes of Christ; as she 
 is clothed with his pure and spotless righteousness, 
 adorned with the graces of his Spirit, and stand- 
 ing at his right-hand in cloth of gold, bespangled 
 with the sparkling gems of divine grace ; Jier 
 beauty is desirable to him, she being in his eye 
 " the fairest among women." 
 
 2. Por its sweet odour ;8^ the church and all 
 believers are as the fragi-ant and sweet-smelling 
 rose ; their persons are so as considered in 
 Christ, and all their graces, especially when in 
 exercise ; and all their duties and services, when 
 performed in faith, and perfumed with Christ's 
 mediation ; see chap. iv. 10, Phil. iv. 18, Rev. v. 
 8, and viii. 3, 4. 3. For its delight in sunny 
 places ;'' it thrives and flourishes the best there, 
 and has the most fragrant smell : Christ is " the 
 Sun of righteousness," under whose warming, 
 comforting, and refreshing beams, believers de- 
 light to be, and under which their souls grow, 
 thrive, blossom exceedingly, and bring forth 
 much fruit. 4. For its blossoming and flourish- 
 ing, " the desert shall rejoice and blossom as 
 the rose ; ' the church may be said to do so, 
 when there is a large increase of members, and 
 these much in the exercise of grace, and " fruit- 
 ful in every good work :" then may the church 
 be said to be as the blossoming rose. 
 
 2ndly. She may be compared to the " lily of 
 the vallies :" some women have their name from 
 the lily, as Susanna; and so Sysigambis is the 
 rame of the mother of Darius,' which sigruQes 
 
 " Targum, R. Aben Ezra, and Yalkut in loo. so it 
 is interpretiHl of inalcutli. or tlie bride, by the Caba- 
 listic Doctors, in Lexic. Cab. p. 333. and in Zohar. 
 in Ticv, fol. 4f). 2. '' Tres Patrcs, Lyra, Ains- 
 
 vvorth, Brightman, Yatablus, Cocceius, Slichaelis. 
 
 ' To poSoi' KaXov cfTi, Theocrit. Iflyll. 2-1. Po3,k t? 
 KaXov aiyot, Antiloflms apud Athen. Deipnosophist. 
 1. 2. c. 12. Yid. 1. \b. c. .■I. p. G70. * Museus de 
 
 lIcro.T. .'J9. Vid. Barth. Animadv. ad CIaudian.de 
 nupt. Honor, v. 217. ' ylilian. Var. Hist. I. 12. 
 
 c. I. ' TlKocrit. I.lyll. 18. e The rose by 
 
 tlie Arcadians was railed cpo/i^aXov, that is, sweet- 
 smelling, Timacli, ides apud AlhenaM Deipnosophist, 
 
 the whife lily ;^ to which for beauty women are 
 sometimes compared -. and v^'ith propriety enough 
 may the church be called a lily.' She is comj)ared 
 to the " lily among thorns " in the next verse, 
 and saints are frequently compared to lilies in 
 this Song. And, 1. She may be likened to a 
 lily for the glory, beauty, and sweet odour of it. 
 Christ says. Mat. vi. 29, of the lilies of the field, 
 that " Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed 
 like one of these;" and for the same reasons that 
 she is compared to the beautiful and sweet-smell- 
 ing rose, is she likewise to the lily ; which Pliny"" 
 says, rosce nobii'date pro.vimum est, " is next iu 
 nobleness and excellency to the rose." 2. For 
 its whiteness ; there are various sorts of lilies, 
 and they are of different colours ; some are of 
 red and purple colours, others are white ; and it 
 seems to be the white lily which is intended here, 
 for this seems best to express her beauty ; for the 
 red rose and the white lily make her look some- 
 what like her beloved, " white and ruddy," a per- 
 fect beauty ; and of the white lily, Pliny"'' says, 
 candor ejus eximius, that its whiteness is singu- 
 larly excellent ; the church, and all believers in 
 Christ, are very aptly resembled by tlie white 
 lily, who are clothed with " fine linen, clean and 
 white, which is the righteousness of the saints " 
 wronght out by Christ, imputed by God the Fa- 
 her, and laid hold on by faith ; this is so exceed- 
 ing white, that being arrayed with it, they are all 
 fair, and there is no spot in them." 3. For 
 its fruitfulness ; Pliny" says, nihil est fmcundius , 
 una radice qaitiqiiagenos scrpe emittente biilbos : 
 " nothing is more fruitful, for oftentimes one 
 root sends forth fifty bulbs :" and as fruitful are 
 believers when the Sun of righteousness shines 
 upon them, and Christ is as the dew unto them; 
 for then " they grow as the lily, and cast forth 
 their roots as Lebanon ; their branches spread, 
 and their beauty is as the olive tree." The 
 church brings forth many souls to Christ ; and 
 these bring forth much fruit, to the glory both of 
 him and his Father. 4. For its height, for 
 which it is comraended : the lily grows very 
 high ; PlinyP says, nee ulli florum excehitas 
 major, interditi cubitorum trium ; " no flower ex- 
 ceeds it in height ; for in the day-time," (that is, 
 when it erects itself,) " it is three cubits h'gh." 
 Believers are trees of righteousness, and plants 
 of Christ's Father's planting, which do not run 
 along the ground, and cleave to earthly things, 
 
 1. !.■> c. 8. p. 682. •■ Rosa locis apricis gaudet, 
 
 estqiie odoratior. Junius in loc. ' Curtius, Elist. 
 
 1. 3. c 3. Hitler. Onomastic. p. 632. ^ Dilia non 
 
 douiina suit magis alba niea, Propcrtius, 1. 2. so 
 Venus is compared to a lily by Anecreon. 
 
 ' So the lily i^ interpreted of Mulonth. the bride, 
 the church, by the Cabalists, Lexic. Cab. p. 708, 709. 
 
 ■» Lib. xxi. c. a " Lib. xxi. c. a. Toto can- 
 
 didior puella cycno, argento nive, lilio, ligustro, 
 Martial. I. i. Lllia tu vincis. 1. 8. c 28. o Lib. 
 
 21. c. 5. P Ibid. Lilia summa r.ietit, Ovid. Fasti, 
 
 1. 2. prope finera. 
 
VER. 1.] 
 
 SOXG OF SONGS. 
 
 07 
 
 but lift up their heads heaven- wards, aud grow 
 np on high in their desires and aCfections, having 
 their hearts above, where their treasure is : be • 
 lievers are like the flowers of the lily, open to- 
 wards heaven, but shut towards the earth. 5. 
 For the weakness of its body, and largeness of 
 its head : Pliavn says of the lily, languido sem- 
 per coiio et noil sufficienle capitis oneri ; that 
 it has " a weak neck, or body, which is not suffi- 
 cient to bear the weight of the head." Christ 
 is the Head of the body, the church, and far 
 greater than that ; he is not supported by it, but 
 he supports it : the church's strength lies in her 
 head, as Samson's did in his locks ; she is weak 
 in herself, but strong in Christ her Head, and 
 therefore says, " surely in the Lord have I righte- 
 ousness and strength." 6. The church may be 
 compared, not only to a lily, but to " a lily of 
 the vallies :" there is a lily which is called liliiim 
 convaHiicm, "the lily of tlie vallies:" but this 
 seems not so much to intend tiie distinguishing 
 name of some particular lily, as it does the place 
 where it grows. And, 1. Vallies are low places ; 
 and, when the church is called "the lily of the 
 vallies," it may be expressive of the low estate 
 aud coudition which he is sojietimes iu : be- 
 lievers are Christ's myrtle-trees, and these aje 
 sometimes in the bottom, in a low condition ; 
 but he grants his presence with them, and the 
 discoveries of his love to them ; they are his 
 doves, and they are often " like doves of the 
 vallies, mourning every one for their iniquity, 
 being humbled and pressed down in their souls 
 under a sense of sin and unworthiness; they are 
 not only humble in themselves, aud low in their 
 own eyes, but are often in the deeps of affliction, 
 sorrow, and distress, and out of these depths cry 
 unto the Lord ; see Psal. csxx. 1. 2. Lilies that 
 grow in the vallies are exposed to danger; they 
 are liable to be plucked np by every one ihat 
 ])asses by, to be trodden upon, and eaten by the 
 beasts that feed there, aud also to be washed 
 away, and destroyed by hasty showers of rain, 
 that run from the hills and niouutaius down into 
 the vallies with force aud violence ; so the church 
 of Christ here on earth, in her low estate, is ex 
 posed to the rage of her adversaries, to be trodden 
 under the feet, aud torn iu pieces by the teeth of 
 those bulls of Baslian, that beset her around, and 
 to be carried away by the flood of persecution, 
 which " Satan the old serpent casts out of his 
 month after her." Now it is a glorious instance 
 of God's mighty grace and power in protecting 
 and defeuding his church, that this lily grows 
 aud abides in the Vallies, notwithstanding all this 
 danger. 3. Lilies of the vallies have more 
 moisture, verdure, and greenness in them, than 
 fhose upon the hills and mountains ; becr.use the 
 snn has not that power over them, as R. Sol. 
 Jarchi observes, to scorch and dry them up, and 
 
 1 Ut supra. ' Roscis convallibus ^Etna?, Clau- 
 dian. de rapt. Proserp. 1. 3 v. 85. ' Durliam in loo. 
 
 therefore are much more beautiful and excellent ; 
 so believers, being planted by " rivers of water," 
 are green, flourishing, and fruitful ; whilst others 
 look like " the heath in the desert," dried and 
 parched up. Christ is to the saints as " rivers of 
 water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great 
 rock in a weary land -," by the oue he refreshes 
 them, and makes them fruitful ; and by being the 
 other he shades from that which would scorch 
 them, aud make them barren aud unfruitful : and 
 thus is the church the "lily of the vallies," as well 
 as " the rose of Sharon." And the Targum here 
 renders it, " the rose iu the plain of the garden of 
 Eden:" and some interpreters think the rose is 
 meant ; and we sometimes read of roses in vallies,'' 
 and certain it is there were roses iu the vale of 
 Sharon. But, 
 
 Secondly, the more commonly received opinion 
 is, that these words are the words of Christ, own- 
 ing all the glory and praises the church had 
 given him in the former chapter, and setting 
 forth more largely the beauties aud excellencies 
 of his person the more to effect, enamour, and 
 ravish her soul, and make her seek and long fur 
 him : and indeed it seems best to understand 
 them of Christ, for self-conimendation does not 
 so well agree with the church as with him. 
 What Solomon says, Prov. xxvii. 2, is worth 
 regarding, " let another praise thee, and not 
 thine own month : a stranger, and not thine own 
 lips :" though it is lawful fur the saints to speak 
 of their glory, beauty, and excelleucy, as con- 
 sidered in Christ, in order to magnify the riches 
 of his grace, for the instruction and encouragement 
 ofotliers, and in viudication of themselves against 
 the calumnies of the world, aud to obviate their 
 mistakes concerning them, as iu chap. i. 5, she 
 says, " I am black but comely ;" but her chief 
 province and design in tliis Song appears to be, 
 to set forth his praises, and not her own ; and 
 indeed the majesty and a;^reeahleness of the style 
 with Christ's language in the New Testament, 
 such as, " I am the door, I am the good shep- 
 herd, I am the vine, T am the way, the trutii, 
 and the life," &c., as well as the connection of 
 the words with tiie following verse, as one well 
 observes,' manifestly bespeak them to be the 
 words of Christ, who may very well be called, 
 
 1st, " The rose of Sharon." Christ fitly com- 
 pares himself to a ruse, which, as Bishop P.strick 
 observes, is still one of the goodliest things to 
 which a great prince can be likened in fhose 
 Eastern countries ; and gives an instance of it 
 in the great Mogul complimenting one of our 
 kings, as being like a rose in a garden ; in the 
 Misnah' mention is made of the king's lily, or the 
 king's rose, being the king of flowers, and fit for 
 a king, and an emblem of one ; so the men of the. 
 great congregation of Ezra are compared to roses 
 in the Tar^ura of Cant. vii. 2 ; and the ances- 
 
 Misn. Kilaim.c. 5. s. 8. and Muimon. in ib. 
 
 F 2 
 
68 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. II. 
 
 tors of Melissus the Theban, after many calami - 
 ties, are compared to the flourishing rose, for 
 the heijjht of lionour and power they arrived 
 unto." Nor is this simile unfitly used by the 
 bridegroom of himself, since it is sometimes given 
 to men by their lovers ;"'^ and is very properly 
 used in a Song of love, as this is, seeing the rose, 
 as Philostratus calls it, is epwros <pvTov, the 'plant 
 of love ; and Auacreon calls it to poZovTwv epurraiv, 
 the rose of loves ; it was sacred to love ; the 
 graces are represented, one of them as having a 
 rose, anotlieramyrlle-hranch;^ and a crown of roses, 
 was consecrated to the muses i^ all this because of 
 the beauty and loveliness of the plant. And to it 
 Christ may be com])ai"ed, 1. Because of its red 
 colour; which may be expressive of the truth 
 of liis humanity, and signify that he is really and 
 truly man, having taken part of the same flesh 
 and blood, that his people are partakers of; as 
 also of his bloody sufferings in the same nature, 
 on the account of which he is said to be " red in 
 his apparel :" likewise both these together, the 
 red rose and the white lily, make up that cha- 
 racter which is given him, chap. v. 10 : that 
 he is " white and ruddy," a complete beauty, 
 like the charming lily and blushing rose, " fairer 
 than the children of men." 2. lie may be com- 
 l)ared to the rose for its sweet smell, as for the 
 same reason he is in the former chapter to spike- 
 nard, myrrh, and camphire : his person, sacrifice, 
 grace, and righteousness, have a delightful odour 
 in them ; no rose smells so sweet, as Christ 
 docs to believers: this Sharon-rose refreshes them, 
 quickens their spiritual senses, and ravishes and 
 delights their souls. 3. The rose is of a cool- 
 ing nature,' and therefore useful in burning 
 fevers, inflammations, &c., Christ, by the effusion 
 of his blood, by the oblation of himself, and by 
 his dying in the room and stead of sinners, 
 has appeased and removed his Father's fierce and 
 burning wrath from them ; and it is only an 
 application of this Sharon rose, the person, blood, 
 and righteousness of Christ, which can cool and 
 comfort the consci.mce of a sinner set on fire, and 
 terrified by the law of God ; the discoveries of his 
 love and grace can only remove those dreadful 
 tenors, and fire of divine wrath, which is kindled 
 by a " fiery law," and cure those inflammations 
 raised tbereliy. 4. He is called " the Rose of 
 Sharon," for the excellency of it ; the roses which 
 grew there perhaps were the best of any/ Sharon 
 is the name of a fruitful plain or country, where 
 herds and flocks were kept, as appears from 1 
 Cliion. xsvii. 29, Isa. xxxv. 2, and Ixv. 10; this 
 plain or country lay between Cassarea and 
 
 " Pindar Isthra. ode 4. " Jtea rcsa, I'lauti 
 
 Asinari, act. 3. se. 3. v. 74. Bad. ides, sc. I. v. 50. 
 Tu rosa, Circulio, act. 1 . sc. 2. v. 6. 
 
 ' Tausan. Eliac. 2. sive 1. P.p. 3!)1. 
 
 '■ Sappho apud riutarch. synipos. 1. 3. p. fill 
 Tlifocrit. epigr. I. v, 1, 2. • Kernel, method, 
 
 mrd. I .'i.e 3. ai'dl fi. c. 2. ■ T. Hieros She- 
 
 viitb, (bl 38. 4. •• Apud De Dicu iu^Act. ix 3i. 
 
 Joppa, beginning at Lydda ; hence they are 
 joined together. Acts ix. 35, and reaching to 
 the j\rediterranean sea • hence the Jews in their 
 writings say," from Lydda to the sea in the 
 vale ; and this was so very fruitful, that the Tar- 
 gnmist on this place rcndera it, " by the garden 
 of Eden :" and Sharon is described in the Jewish 
 map,*" as fat and fertile, having in it very de- 
 sirable fields, fruitful vines, and abounding with 
 flowers and roses. Tiiere are various sorts of roses 
 in different places, some better than others ; those 
 of tlie first class with the Greeks,"^ were those 
 of Oleuum, and next those of Megara Nisea, 
 and then those of Phaselis, and then of others ; 
 with the Romans, the best were those of PrEcneste 
 and Campania, and then others :"' but of the roses 
 in Judea, the rose of Sharon seems to have been tlie 
 best, and therefore to that the comparison is made ; 
 there was a garden of roses in Jerusalem, 'but not to 
 them, but to those in Sharon, is the allusion. The 
 word for a rose is only used in this place aud iu Isa. 
 XXXV. 1, and is so called, either from the collection 
 and compression of leaves in it, or from the sha- 
 dow of it ; for the word seems to be compounded 
 of one, that signifies to hide and cover, and another 
 that signiSes a shadow ; so Gussetins;' and so 
 may be rendered, " the covering shadow :" but 
 why a rose shoiild be so called is not easy to 
 say ; unless it can be thought to have the figure 
 of an umbrella, or that the rose of Sharon was 
 so large as to be remarkable for its shadow, 
 like that MontfauconS saw in a garden at Ra- 
 venna, under the shadow of the branches of which 
 more than forty men could stand. Christ is some- 
 times compared to trees for their shadow, which 
 is pleasant and reviving, as in ver. 3, Hosea 
 xiv. 7 ; but he here seems to be compared to 
 the rose of Sharon on another account, even the 
 excellency and fragrancy of it; for, Pliny says,"^ 
 that the rose does not delight in fat soils, rich 
 clays, or well-watered grounds, but thrives the 
 best in poor lean ground ; and that those are 
 of the sweetest smell which grow in dry places, 
 for ruderatum agrum amai, " it loves rubbish 
 earth." Now such dry and rubbish earth was 
 that which was about the city of Sharon ; for 
 we read of such a place as inhabited. Acts ix. 
 35, as the Talmudic doctors assert ; who also 
 tell us,' that those who built a brick house in 
 Sharon, had no benefit of the law, mentioned 
 in Deut. xx. 5, because the earth thereabout 
 was not fit to make bricks of, nor would houses 
 made of them continue long. Hence they also 
 say,"" that the high priest, on the day of atone- 
 ment, prayed particularly for the Sharonites, that 
 
 • Nicander apud Athen. Deipnosoph. 1. 15. c. 9. p. 
 083. ^ riin. nat. hist. 1. 2i. c. 4. ' Misn. 
 
 Masserot, c. 2. a. 5. ' Comment. Ebr. p. 239. 
 
 i Diar. Ital. c. 7. p. 100. ' Lib. 21. c. 4. 
 
 ' In Misna Sotah, c. 8. §. 3. and R. 8ol. Jarchi, 
 IMainion, and Bartenora in idem. '' T. Hiero. 
 
 Soth, fol. 23. 1. 
 
VER. 1.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 09 
 
 their houses might uot become their graves. 
 Now these beiug the best and sweetest roses 
 which grew ia this soil, and Christ beiug com- 
 pared to one of them, deuotes the cxcellcacy 
 and preferableuess of Christ to all others. 
 
 Some' think that some other plant or flower 
 is here intended ; as the Targum readers it, " the 
 narcissus :" of which some are white, having white 
 leaves surrounding a yellow flower,™ and some of 
 a purple colour ;° and which Pliny" calls purple 
 lilies : be says,"" there are two sorts of them, one 
 that has a purple flower, and the other is of the 
 grass kind ; some, he says.i have a white flower 
 and a purple cup. The Heathens used to call the 
 narcissus the ancient crown of their superior 
 deities ;' and it was reckoned a beautiful flower, 
 and of a sweet smell;' and for beauty Christ may 
 be compared unto it : its white colour may denote 
 the purity of Christ; and the purple, his royalty, 
 or rather his purple blood and sufi'erings of death. 
 The Septuagint translates the words thus, " I am 
 the flower of the field;" as do also the Vulgate 
 Latin and Paguine. "Now Christ may be called so, 
 
 1. Kar' f^oxv^y way of emiuency, as being the 
 chiefest and most excellent flower in the field ; 
 there is no such flower in the heavenly paradise as 
 he is ; among all the holy angels and glorified 
 saints, there are none to be compared with him ; 
 and ia his garden here below, no such flower grows 
 as this : he is " the flower," the choicest, the best, 
 and the most excellent in the whole field or garden. 
 
 2. The flower of the field is liable to be plucked 
 up or trodden under feet by heasts; Christ was 
 exposed to the rage and fury of his enemies, 
 those " strong bulls of Bashan " of which he 
 eomplaius, Psal. xxii. 13, 14. The sweet flower 
 was laid hold on by " wicked hands," and cropped ; 
 and still his precious person, blood, and righteous- 
 ness, are slighted, contemned, and " trodden under 
 foot " by Christless and unconverted sinners. 3. 
 This may be expressive of the meanness of Christ 
 in the esteem of the world ; a field-flower is little 
 regarded ; Christ is as " a root out of a dry 
 ground," and therefore they say, " he hath no 
 form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him, 
 there is no beauty tliat we should desire him : 
 hence he is despised and rejected of men," they 
 not knowing the real worth and value of this pre- 
 cious flower; see Isa. liii. 2, 3. 4. The flower 
 of the field is not of man's planting, nor is it raised 
 by his care and industry : Christ was conceived 
 in the womb of a virgin, and born of her with- 
 out the help of man : as the flower of the field, 
 he had no father but his Father in heaven, and no 
 mother but the virgin on earth ; and so was 
 Melchisedeck's antitype, " without father as man, 
 and without mother as God." 5. The flower of 
 the field is open to all ; whoever will may come 
 
 ' \ide K. Aben Ezram in loc. 
 
 "* Croceum florem-foliis medium cingentibus albis 
 Ovid. IVtetamorph. 1. 3. fab. 6. " Pro purpureo 
 
 narcisso, Virgil. liucolic. eel. 5. v. 2d. Ant suave ru- 
 bens narcissus, ibid. Cyria. • Nat. hist. 1. 21. c. 
 
 to Christ for life and salvation ; there is liberty 
 of access to all sorts of sinners, to come to him 
 and partake of his sweetness and benefits ; he is 
 not a flower in an inclosed garden, that cannot be 
 come at, but stands in the open field ; every sin- 
 ner that labours under a sense of sin, and is heavy 
 laden with the weight and burden of it, may 
 come to him, and not fear a rejection from 
 him ; he is not " a fountain sealed, but opened 
 to the house of David, aud inhabitants of Jeru- 
 salem, for sin and for uncleanness." 
 
 2ndly. Christ may be very well compared to 
 " the lily of the vallies," 1. For its whiteness ; the 
 lily, as has been already observed, is exceeding white, 
 which may intend the purity and holiuessof Christ, 
 who both in nature and life is " holy, harmless, 
 uudefiled, and separate from sinners ; he is the 
 Lamb without blemish and without spot," with- 
 out the blemish of original or spot of actual sin: 
 for he never knew it in his nature, nor did he ever 
 commit it in his life, either in thought, word, or 
 deed: or else the whiteness of the lily may signify his 
 eternity, for so his head and liis hairs are described 
 by John, Rev. i. 14, to be " white like wool, 
 as white as snow ;" which represents liirn as the 
 Ancient of Days, and as existing from everlast- 
 ing to everlasting. 2. For its tallness ; the lily 
 grows up very high, as has been taken notice 
 of. Christ, as Mediator, is " the rock that is 
 higher than we are;" from whence the waters of 
 divine grace flow, to the refreshment of our souls 
 when overwhelmed; " he is higher than the kings 
 of the earth ; nay, he is higher than the heavens," 
 aud all the angels there ; for he is " set far above 
 all principality, and power, and might, and domin- 
 ion, and every name that is named, not only iu 
 this world, but also in that that is to come," Eph. i. 
 21. 2. For its fruitfulness ; the lily is very fruitful, 
 as has been before observed. Ciirist is " filled 
 with all the fruits of righteousness," and is possess- 
 ed of all the blessings of grace ; he is like a tree 
 richly laden with fruit, aud therefore is compared 
 to an apple tree, in ver. 3 ; all the church's fruit 
 and fruitfulness come from him ; he is the green 
 fir-tree, from whom all her fruit is found." 4. 
 He may be compared to the lily for its excellency 
 and glory ; it being the next flower to the rose, 
 aud which is preferred by Christ to the glory of 
 Solomon. Christ is the brightness of his Father's 
 glory ; is now, in our nature, " crowned with glory 
 aud honour ;" and will shortly appear in his own 
 glory and in the glory of his Father, and of the 
 holy augeU. 5. He may be said to be the lily of 
 the vallies, because of his wonderful humility and 
 condescension, iu assuming our nature, suQ'eriug 
 iu our stead, aud in humbling himself unto the 
 death of the cross for us ; his whole life was one 
 continued series of humility, as was his death an 
 
 p Ibid. c. 19 
 
 1 Ibid. c. *. 
 
 p xDia. c. ly. 1 loiu. c. «, 
 
 ' Sophocles apud Plutarch, sympos. 1. 3. p. 041. 
 
 • KaAa vapKiaaot, Theocrit. Idyll. !. tapKtaffOv 
 . T.4..n in 
 
 trffioei', Idyll. 19. 
 
70 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. it. 
 
 undeniable instance of it : Ciiiist here on earth did 
 not appear as tlie lofty cedar, but as the lowly lily, 
 and [hat not of the Uiomitains, but of the vallies ; 
 it is with humble souls he delights to dwell ; for 
 though he is the high and lofty Oue, iu his divine 
 nature, yet he coudescciids to dwell with such 
 who are of an humble and contrite spirit. 
 
 ^^trse 2. As the Uhj amoyig thorns, so is my 
 luve among the daughters. 
 
 Though it may not be so evident whose are the for- 
 mer words, whether Christ's or the chnrch's, yet 
 these manifestly a|)pear to be hisj and if we take 
 the preceding verse as tlie words of the church, 
 then we may consider this as the words of Christ, 
 cither owning and coufirniing what she had said of 
 herself in it ; as that she was indeed the most 
 beautiful of all the roses and lilies which grew iu 
 fields and vallies, and that all others were but 
 like thorns and briars wbeu compared to her; 
 and also, at the same time that he owns and com- 
 mends her beauty, puts her in mind of her present 
 state and condition in this life, as being attended 
 with afflictions, sorrows, nnd suil'erings : or else 
 the w^ords may be regarded as the answer' of 
 Christ to her complaint in the former verse, where 
 she says, that she was indeed the blushing rose 
 and charming lily, but then she was the rose and 
 lily in the open fields and vallies, liable to be 
 plucked up by every one that passed by, and to be 
 devoured or trodden under feet by the beasts of 
 the field ; to this Christ replies here, by owning 
 it all to be true, and promising that he will keep 
 and preserve her safe in the midst of her enemies, 
 " as the lily among thorns ;" nay, that her very 
 enemies should be her protection, these thorns 
 should be as an hedge about her. But if we take 
 the former verse to be the words of Christ, which 
 seems most agreeable, then we are to consider 
 these as his also ; who, having in tlie former 
 ■verse set forth his own beauties and excellencies, 
 v>hich was proper to be done in the first place, 
 does in this set forth his church's, iu which may 
 be observed, 
 
 I. ^Vil;lt he compares her lo; "a lily among 
 1 horns." 
 
 II. The title which he gives her, " my love;" 
 which discovers his regard unto her, and afifectioa 
 for her. 
 
 III. Her e.Tcelleney and prclerableness to all 
 others in his esteem. 
 
 I. The church is here compared by Christ to 
 " a lily among thorns." The Targum renders 
 it, Uie rose; and so it is iu Zohar ;" and that 
 this is intended, some strenuously contend, for 
 ■which, and not the lily, they say, grows among 
 thorns : Ainsworth would have what we call the 
 woodbind or honeysuckle here meant, which 
 grows in hedges; and indeed this is sometimes 
 
 ■ Vide K. Aben Kzram and Brightman in Joe. 
 " Iu Gen. fol. 82 2, 3. and in Exod. fol. 74.3. but 
 ill Lev. fol. l»'>. 2. it ise.viilii.neJ of tlie pome cidoii- 
 
 called liliuni iiiter sphias, " the lily among 
 thorns,"' to which the chnrch may be compared, 
 because of its sweet smell ; the flower of it gives 
 an exceeding sweet smell ; and makes those fields 
 where it grows in abundance very delightful : 
 believers in their persons, grace, and conversa- 
 tion, are like the " smell of a field which the 
 Lord hath blessed ;" being clothed with the 
 s'weet-smelling garments of Christ's righteous- 
 ness, and anointed with the savoury ointments of 
 the Sjiirit's grace. Also the woodbind or honey- 
 suckle cannot bear up itself, but has its depen- 
 dence on others; it does not grow up erect, but 
 for its support wraps itself about the body, 
 branches, and twigs of other trees, convolvens se 
 admimculis qiiibtiscunque, as Pliny" observes; 
 therefore we call it woodbind, from its binding 
 about other trees ; and for the same reason it is 
 in Gve.ek c&Weii periclymenon, which is also used 
 by Latin writers: believers are weak, and cannot 
 support themselves, and therefore by faith lean 
 on Christ, who is their beloved ; and are upheld 
 1 y him with the right-hand of his righteousness ; 
 they cleave close unto him, and depend upon him 
 for all grace here, and for glory hereafter. But 
 the word will very w^ell bear to be translated a 
 lily, being the same that is so in the former verse; 
 where it has been shown in what sense the church 
 may be compared to one; and therefore I shall 
 only obsei-ve, 1. That Christ and the church bear 
 the same names. Is he a lily ? so is she ; the 
 church being married to Christ, and they tw^o 
 becoming one flesh, have one and the same name, 
 hence the church is called Christ, 1 Cor. xix. 12; 
 so the same name Jehovah our righteousness, 
 which Christ is called by, Jer. xxiii. 6, is given 
 to her in chap, xxxiii. 16. Again, Christ is 
 called Israel, Isa. xlix. 3, which is the name of 
 his church and people: for being espoused to- 
 gether, and having partaken of each others 
 natures, they also bear each others names. 2. 
 That there is a very great likeness and near re- 
 semblance between Christ and his church ; for 
 when he says, she is " as the lily," he means, 
 she is as himself, who is, " the lily of the val- 
 lies," ver. 1 ; and therefore, as one well observes,y 
 be does not say she is the lily, but as or like the 
 lily ; for as he is, so are we, that is, believers, 
 iu this world. Christ and the church are both 
 lilies in God's eye, and are loved by him with 
 the same love : believers bear the image of Christ, 
 wear his righteousness, have the same spirit, 
 though in measure, and are exposed to the same 
 hatred, malice, and persecution of the world, 
 being wounded vvith those thorns even as he was: 
 and they shall be much more like him in another 
 world ; for they shall then be like him, and see 
 him as he is : they shall then have everlasting 
 and transforming views of him, which will change 
 
 tree. " Vide SFurcev. 
 1 Durham in loc. 
 
 Lib. 27. c. 12. 
 
VER. 2.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 71 
 
 them iuto the same image, from glory to glory; 
 for as tbey will then have more communion with 
 him, so they will then have a greater conformity 
 to him, who is " the first-born among brethren." 
 3. That all the church's beauty and loveliness 
 come from Christ: it is because he is the lily, 
 that she looks like one; her beauty is not natural 
 to her, but is derived from him, who is her Head 
 and Husband; she is indeed a perfect beauty, but 
 then it arises from that comeliness which he has 
 put upon her. 
 
 Jloreover she is not only said to be as the lily, 
 but " as the lily among thorns." By thorns 
 may be meant, 1. Wicked and ungodly men, 
 sons of Belial which are " as thorns thrust away, 
 because they cannot be taken with hands," 2 
 Sara, xxiii. 6 ; these, like thorns and briars, are 
 the curse of the earth, are worthless and unfruit- 
 ful in themselves, and hurtful and grieving to the 
 saints: David, Isaiah, and others have complained 
 of them ; righteous Lot was pricked w ith these 
 thorns ; his soul was vexed, and grieved from day 
 to day with their unlawful deeds: also like thorns, 
 their end is to be burned, and that by the fierce- 
 ness and fury of God's wralh, who says, Isa. 
 XXV ii. 4 : " Wiio would set the briars and thorns 
 against me in battle ? I would go through them, 
 I would burn them together ;" which he will do 
 at the last day, when he will bind up those thorns 
 in bundles, and cast them into *' the lake which 
 hurneth with fire and brimstone;" where " the 
 people shall be as the burnings of lime ; as thorns 
 eut up, shall (hey be burnt in the fire," the 
 terror of which sometimes surprises the siu- 
 Bers in Zion, who therefore say, " who among 
 us shall dwell with the devouring fire ? who 
 among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings ?" 
 Isa. xxxiii. 12 — 14. 2. By thorns may be meant 
 the reproaches, reviliiigs, and persecutions of 
 wicked men, w^hereby they afflict and disturb the 
 saiuts ; the Targum explains these thorns, of the 
 wicked edicts and decrees of princes, by which 
 the cougregation of Israel was oppressed in cap- 
 tivity : the prophet Ezekiel is encouraged by the 
 Lord faithfully to deliver his message to the peo- 
 ple of Israel, though briars and thorns were with 
 him, aud though he had his dwelling among 
 scorpions, that is, though he was reproached, re- 
 viled, and persecuted by them for it. Christ's 
 lily in all ages has more or less been attended with, 
 and has grown up, among such tliorns as these ; 
 for every one that will live godly in Christ Jesus, 
 shall suffer persecution of one kind or another ; 
 aud yet they abide like " the lily among thorns," 
 in their faith, purity, and holiness; so that 
 neither the frowns nor flatteries of the world can 
 prevail upon them to desert the Redeemer's 
 interest, forsake the Gospel, nor turn aside from 
 the true worship of God ; to which agrees R. Sol. 
 Jarchi's gloss on the text, which is this: "As 
 the lily among thorns, which prick it, yet stands 
 
 continually in its beauty and redness; so is my 
 love among the daughters, who entice her to 
 follovv after them, and go a whoring after other 
 gods, but yet continues in her religion." 8. By 
 thorns may be meant heretics aud lierctical doc- 
 trines, which pierce, prick, aud grieve the children 
 of God : novv these false teachers, these wolves in 
 sheep's clothing, may be known by their fruits, 
 wiiich are none at all, that are good for any 
 thing ; for, " do men gather grapes off thorns, 
 or figs off thistles !" tliere is no fiuit of faith, 
 sound doctrine, or a gospel-conversation to be 
 found upon them ; but are like unfruitful thorns, 
 whom God snfTers to grow up in his cliurches, 
 that those which are filled with the fruits of 
 righteousness might he made manifest ; and in all 
 ages, more or less, Christ's lily, the church, has 
 grown up among, and been pricked by, and pes- 
 tered with such thorns as these. 4. The cor- 
 ruptions of our nature may be called so: these 
 Canaanites remaining in the land, dwelling in 
 our hearts, are pricks in our eyes, and thorns in 
 our sides ; these grieve and disturb us, and they 
 make us groan with the anguish our souls are 
 filled with by them. Perhaps the breaking forth 
 of some corruption is intended by the thorn in 
 the flesh, and messenger of Satan, that the apostle 
 speaks of, 2 Cor. xii. 7; though the temptations 
 of Satan n^ay also be called by these names, 
 which often give the saints a great deal of uneasi- 
 ness, and throw them into much heaviness; and 
 it may be that both the corruption of nature, and 
 the temptations of Satan, whicli the apostle 
 might labour under, are intended; and the thorn 
 in the flesh may be expressive of the breaking 
 out of some corruption ; and the messenger of 
 Satan may intend his temptations, by which it 
 was stirred up and encouraged : though I rather 
 think that both phrases are only expressive of the 
 corruption of nature, which was wont to be 
 called by the Jews, tlip, messenger of hell ; a 
 phrase much like this used by the apostle. So in 
 Midrash Hanneelam,* we read that R. Hona, in 
 his sermons, used to advise persons thus, " O ye 
 children of men, take care of the messenger of 
 hell: but who is this? The evil imagination, 
 (by which the Jew^s always intend the vitiosity of 
 nature) is the messenger of hell. Now this being 
 a phrase that was well known, the apostle adds 
 it by way of opposition to the thorn in the flesh, 
 as explanative of it. Moreover, worldly cares 
 are compared to thorns which choke the word ; 
 they are pernicious to saints, and make them 
 barren and unfruitful, as well as grieve and (fis- 
 turbthem. Matt. xiii. 22; but though Christ's lilies 
 here on earth grow up among, and are annoyed by 
 those thorns of sin and corruption ; yet when they 
 are transplanted into Christ's garden above, 
 "there shall be no more a pricking briar, nor a 
 grieving thorn," to give them the least disturbance. 
 II. Whilst Christ is comparing his church to 
 
 In Zohar in Gen. fol. 67. 4. 
 
72 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CIIAP. ir. 
 
 a " lily among thorns," he gives her a loving and 
 affectionate title, my love, which has been already 
 explained in chap. i. 9 ; and his mentioning it 
 here shows, that even in hei' present state and 
 condition she was a beauty in his eye ; and that 
 her being among thorns, was so far from detracting 
 from it, that it rather served as a foil to set it 
 off the more ; as also, that she was still the 
 object of his love, though in the midst o( wicked 
 and ungodly men, men of unclean lips and lives, 
 haters of peace, religion, and godliness ; though 
 she was reviled, reproached, and persecuted by 
 them, yet she was loved, valued, and esteemed by 
 him; nay, though she was attended with many 
 infirmities, sins, andcorruplions, that were grieving 
 to her, and dishonouring to him, yet neither these, 
 nor any thing else, should ever separate her from 
 his love : she was Christ's love and lily still, 
 though among thorns. The lily is often made 
 use of in this love-song, to set forth the beauty of 
 the church and of the saints in the eye of Christ : 
 and his great love to them, and deliglit in them, 
 and very justly." 
 
 III. He sets forth her excellency and prefer- 
 ableness to all the daughters. By whom we are 
 to understand the nations and men of the world ; 
 for it is usual in the Hebrew tongue to call the 
 inhabitants of countries the daughters thereof; 
 thns we read of the daughters of Tyre, Edom, 
 Babylon, &c., none of Avhich are to be compared 
 with the church ; these are like thorns to Christ's 
 lily : or else carnal, hypocritical, and formal pro- 
 fessors may be intended, whom she calls in chap, 
 i. 6, mother's children ; who made an external 
 profession of religion, but wanted that real and 
 internal beauty which she was possessed of, and 
 differed only in name from the rest of the sons 
 and daughters of fallen Adam; but she, being 
 distinguished by divine grace from them all, was 
 preferable to them, 1. In beauty ; these looked 
 like thorns, she like a lily ; they were black and 
 uncomely, she the perfection of beauty, and the 
 fairest among women. 2. In harmlessness ; 
 though there are thorns about, yet none upou the 
 lily ; ungodly persons are not only uncomely in 
 themselves, but like thorns, pricking -and hurtful 
 to others ; but as for the saints, they are 
 " blameless and harmless, in the midst of a 
 crooked and perverse generation," like lilies 
 among thorns. 3. la fruitfulness : no fruit 
 grows on thorns, but on Christ's lilies grow all 
 sorts of precious fruit ; they are laden with them. 
 4. In their last end Christ's lilies will be ga- 
 thered by himself aud his angels, and be put in 
 his garden above ; but the wicked, which are Sa- 
 tan's tares and thorns, shall be bundled together, 
 and cast into everlasting burnings ; the one 
 being highly valued and prized by Christ, the 
 other hated and rejected by him ; for as much 
 ' The lily is called ambrosia ; aud is said to be 
 the delight of Venus, because of its pleasing colour, 
 Nicander apud Athena;uni, 1. l.'i. c. 8. p. 083. and of 
 Juno, Clement Alex. pa;dagog. 1. 2. p. ISl. 
 
 as the lily exceeds the thorns which grow about 
 it, so much does the church of' Christ excel the 
 men of the world among whom it is here on 
 earth ; and as there is a difference now between 
 them, though growing up together, so there will 
 be one, and that far greater and more visible, 
 when separated; the one, will be everlastingly 
 glorified, the other everlastingly punished. 
 
 Verse 3. As the apple-tree among the trees of 
 the loood, so is my beloved among the sons : 
 I sat doton under his shadow loith great de- 
 light, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. 
 
 Christ having commended the church in the 
 former verse, and declared that she was as pre- 
 ferable to all others, as the lily was to the thorns ; 
 she in this verse returns the commendation to 
 him, and asserts that he as much excelled all 
 the sons, as the fruitful apple-tree did the wild 
 and barren trees of the wood ;'' and at the same 
 time gives an account of that sweet experience 
 she had of his excellency, preciousaess, and use- 
 fulness to her. Now iu the words may be ob- 
 served, 
 
 I. A comparison which she makes of him to 
 an apple-tree ; in which she sets forth his 
 excellency and preferableness to all others. 
 
 II. She instances in two particular things ; 
 in which, by good experience, she found him to 
 be so to her own soul. First, The shadow of 
 this apple-tree was delightful to her ; " I sat 
 down under his shadow with great delight." 
 Secondly, The fruit thereof was exceeding sweet 
 to her ; " his fruit was sweet to my taste." 
 
 I. She compares him to au apple-tree, and 
 that no doubt of the best sort. The Targum 
 renders it, a pome-citron, or citron-apple-tree : 
 which, 1. Is a very large tree ;" and somay be 
 fitly used to express the greatness and excellency 
 of Christ, who is posssesed of all divine perfections, 
 aud is "over all, God blessed for ever." He is 
 a Saviour, and a great One; who has, as an in- 
 stance of his great love, coudescension, and power, 
 wrought out a great salvation for great sinners. 
 He is a High Priest, and he is a great one, both 
 in the glory of his person, and in the virtue and 
 efficacy of his sacrifice and intercession. He is 
 the King of saints, and as such is higher than the 
 kings of the earth : He is equal with God, there- 
 fore greater than angels, and more excellent than 
 all the sous of men. 2. It is a very fruitful 
 tree ; it is sometimes so full of fruit, that it is even 
 pressed down with the weight thereof,*^ and is, as 
 Pliny says,* omnibus huris pomifera, " always 
 bearing fruit:" it has at one and the same time 
 flowers, ripe and uuripe fruit ; whilst some are 
 putting forth, others are dropping off; so Christ 
 abounds with the fruits of divine grace ; he is not 
 the barren fig-tree, but the green fir-tree, from 
 
 * Quantum leuta sclent inter viburua cupressi, 
 Virgil. Bucolic, eclog. I. v. 26. Lenta salix, &c. 
 eclog. 5. v. IG. ' Solin. Polyhist. c. 59. 
 
 ^ Ibid. ' Lib. 12. c. a. 
 
VER. 3.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 73 
 
 whom our fruit is found, and that at all tiines ; for 
 he is that "tree of life which hare twelve manner 
 of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month ; and 
 the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the 
 nations," Rev. xxii. 2. Here may believers come 
 at all times, aud pluck and eat ; for here is not 
 any deficiency of fruit, it is always growing, 
 always pluclciug, and yet never lessened. 3. The 
 fruit of this tree ' is of a hitter taste, but of an 
 exceeding sweet smell, as are the leaves ; which 
 being put among garments, not only give them a 
 delightful odour, but also drive away noxious 
 creatures from them ; for the same reason is 
 Cln-ist compared to myrrh in chap. i. 13 ; for 
 though his sacrifice, death, aud sufferings, are 
 sweet and savoury, both to his Father and to his 
 people, yet they were bitter unto him, who not 
 only tasted of, but drank up the whole cap of his 
 Father's wrath : and though the blessings which 
 spring from hence are of a sweet smell, exceeding 
 grateful and delightful to believers, yet are they 
 eujoyed in this life with a variety of crosses, 
 afflictions, and tribulations ; this passovcr-lamb 
 is eaten with bitter herbs. 4. It is an excellent 
 remedy against poison. « Sin is that poison of 
 asps which has infected all humau uature, and 
 spread itself over all the powers and faculties of 
 the souls of men, as well as over all the members 
 of their bodies : now the Christ is the sovereign 
 antidote against it ; this fruit of the citron-apple- 
 tree is the most proper remedy for it ; his righte- 
 ousness justifies, his blood cleanses, and his 
 grace will eternally clear his people from their 
 sins. 5. It is very good for shortness of breath, 
 and to remove a stinking one ;'' hence the Par- 
 thian nobles used to boil the kernels of it in their 
 food for that purpose ; it is the presence of 
 Christ, and communion with him, that only can 
 cure our panting souls when we are wearied, and 
 almost out of breath in seeking him ; and it is the 
 sweet incense of his mediation that perfumes our 
 prayers, which are the breath of our souls, and 
 which otherwise would be so far from being 
 grateful to God, that it would be strange unto 
 him. And thus may Christ be compared to a 
 citron-apple-tree ; though perhaps the common 
 apple-tree is here intended, which the Talmud' 
 interprets of the Israelites, but R. Abeu Ezra 
 understands it of the Shecinah, as do the Targum 
 aud R. Sol. Jarchi, of the holy and blessed God, 
 aud Lord of the world ; as also does R. Chaya, 
 in the book Zohar,'' who says, that the cougre- 
 gation of Israel set forth the praises of the holy 
 and blessed God by an apple, because of its colours, 
 smell, and taste ; so the Cabalistic doctors interpret 
 of tiphereih, or the bridegroom, because of the 
 same.' Christ is this Sheciuah, the holy aud 
 blessed God, aud Lord of the world, who may be 
 compared to an apple-tree, (1.) Because it is a 
 
 ' Solin and Tlin. iu locis citatis. 
 
 6 Solin. and Flin. i. ibid, and Fernel. method, 
 med. 1. 5. c. 21. ^ Plin. 1. ll.fc. 53, and 1 12. c. 
 
 3. Athen. Deipuosophist, 1. 3. c. 7. p. 83. 
 
 very fruitful tree. There are various sorts of 
 fruit which it bears ; Christ is full of fruit ; he is 
 Joseph's Antitype, who is called " a fruitful bough, 
 even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches 
 run over the wall :" all the fruits of righteousness 
 grow on him, every grace is in him ; he is that 
 " tree of life which bears twelve manner of fruits ;" 
 there are justifying and pardoniug grace, sanctify- 
 ing and adopting grace in him ; all that a believer 
 can waut here, and all that can make him happy 
 hereafter : aud as fruitful boughs beud downwards, 
 being laden with fruit, and may be easily reached, 
 so Christ, being full of grace and truth, gives to 
 sinners the utmost liberty of access to him for 
 grace from him ; for though as God, he is " the 
 high and lofty One," yet as man aud ^Mediator, 
 he is meek and lowly, and condescends to take 
 notice o.f and admits into familiarity, poor, mean, 
 and abject creatures ; he gives them a gracious 
 allowance to approach near unto him ; that apple- 
 tree, whose fruitful boughs of divine grace hang 
 so low, that the hand of faith may easily reach 
 them, where the poor sinner is heartily welcome 
 to pluck and eat at pleasure. (2.) It is of a 
 very beautiful aspect when laden with fruit, and 
 especially as growing among the trees of the 
 forest. Some have thought that the fruit of this 
 tree is what was forbidden our first parents ; which 
 being so " pleasant to the eyes," was a temptation 
 to the woman to eat thereof; therefore is iu Latin 
 called malum, evil, because sin entered into the 
 world hereby : though others think it was another 
 sort of fruit. The Jewish writers differ much 
 about it ; some say it was the fig-tree, so R. Sol. 
 Jarchi, aud some others in R. Aben Ezra on Gen. 
 iii. 6 ; which they gather from Adam and Eve's 
 immediate sewing of tig -leaves together, as soon as 
 they had siuued, to cover themselves with : others, 
 that it was the pome-citron, or citron-apple tree, 
 so Baal Hatturim in Gen. i. 29, but the same 
 author on Numb. v. 3, seems to intimate as if it 
 was the grape, the fruit of the vine ; which is also 
 the opinion of the Jews in Zohar,"" who think 
 that it is particularly the black grape ; though 
 others have thought it to be the apple, as the 
 author of the old Nizzachon ;" which was either 
 his own and the opinion of some other Jews, or 
 else he took it from the common notion of Christ- 
 ians. But whether it was the apple -ti'ee or no, 
 which was so pleasant aud desirable to the eyes 
 of the woman, yet it is certain that this is very 
 pleasant and delightful to the sight, when laden 
 with fruit. Christ as Mediator is a beautiful 
 sight to believers, as he stands in all his endearing 
 characters and relations ; as he may be viewed 
 undertaking their cause, assuming their nature, 
 suff"cring, bleeding, and dying in their stead, rising 
 again for their justification, ascending into hea- 
 ven, and entering there with their names and 
 i T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. ssTT >■ In Lev. fol. 30. 
 
 4. ' Lexic. Cabal, p. 738. ■» In Exod. fol. 
 
 59. v. and iu Numb. fol. 53. 3. 
 ■■ P. 147. apud egcnseil. Tela Ignoa. 
 
74 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. II. 
 
 for " to which of the angels said lie at any time. 
 Sit thou at my right-hand ?" Or else by them may 
 be meant the saiuts, who are the sons of God by 
 adopting grace : Christ, the eterual Son of God 
 lias the pre-eminence in, and over these ; he is their 
 Ci-eator and Redeemer, their Lord and King, their 
 Head and Husband, their everlasting Father and 
 glorious Mediator, to whom they are infinitely 
 obliged for all the needful supplies of grace here, 
 and lor all the glory they expect hereafter. Or 
 else by them may be meaut the men of the world, 
 the sons of Adam ; and these Christ infinitely 
 excels, as much as the apple-tree does the trees 
 of the wood ; for he is " fairer than the children 
 of men ;" there is noue like him in all the armies 
 of heaven, nor any to be compared with him 
 among all the iuhabitauts of the earth ; if both 
 vvoilds were to be searched with the utmost 
 scrutiny, not one single individual person could 
 be found comparable to him : and perhaps par- 
 ticularly by these may be meaut the great princes 
 aud monarchs of the world, who are sometimes 
 in scripture compared to large aud lofty trees ; 
 see Ezek. xxxi. 3, 5, 0, 8, Dan. iv. 20—22. 
 But Christ is far preferable to these in beauty, 
 glory, aud majesty ; he is " higher than the kings 
 of the earth, they receive their crowns aud king- 
 doms from him ;" they are at his command, aud 
 under his dominion ; he sets them up, and puts 
 them down at pleasure ; these must all submit to 
 his awful judgment, even as the poorest peasant ; 
 and will be equally as fearful of " the great day 
 of his wrath," which when come, they will call 
 to the rocks and mountains to fall on them, and 
 hide them from the face of this omnipotent Judge. 
 Moreover, with respect to the saints, the fruits of 
 Christ's grace are to them far preferable to the 
 kingdoms, crowns, aud sceptres of the greatest 
 monarchs, nay, reproach, for Christ's sake, is 
 more highly esteemed of by them, aud accounted 
 greater riches than all the treasures of this 
 world. Though it seems as well as to be under- 
 stood in general of all wicked, Christless, and 
 unconverted sinners, who are like to the trees of tlie 
 wood, wild, barren, and unfruitful ; and what 
 fruit they do bring forth, is sour, wild, and un- 
 profitable ; aud though like the trees of the wood, 
 lliey may run up a great height, yet they shall 
 be cut down and thrown into everlasting burn- 
 ings : for, " the ax is laid to the root of the 
 trees ; therefore every tree which bringeth not 
 forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the 
 fire," Matt. iii. 10. Thus the church, by this 
 comparison, sets forth the excellency and prefer- 
 ableness of Christ to all others. But. 
 
 II. She instances iu two excellent properties 
 of this apple-tree, of which she had had some 
 comfortable experience. 
 
 First. The shade of it was delightful to her, 
 " I sat down under his shadow with great dc- 
 
 ° The apple was sacred to love, Scholiast. In Aristoph. Nubes p. 1«0. the statue of Venus had aa 
 apple m one liaiid, and a poppy in the otlier. Pausau. Corinth, sive 1. 2. p. 103. 
 
 persons upon his heart, and there ever living to 
 make intercession for them : Christ, as possessed 
 of all the blessings of the everlasting covenant, 
 being the Surety, Mediator, and Messenger of it, 
 is exceeding delightful to the eye of faith ; " his 
 glory is as the glory of the only begotten of the 
 Father, when he appears to souls full of grace 
 and truth. (3.) The fruit which grov.s upon the 
 apple-tree, as it is of various sorts and of a beau- 
 tiful aspect to the eye, so it is of a cooling aud 
 comforting nature. Christ has cooled, turned 
 awaj, and appeased the fierceness of his Father's 
 fiery wrath, by his death aud blood ; and does by 
 his mighty grace sweetly cool and refresh the 
 heart of a poor sinner, inflamed by a fiery law, and 
 commands serenity aud peace in its conscience 
 filled with wrath and terror ; and when his people 
 are ready to faint aud sink, he comforts them 
 with his apples, the sweet discoveries of his love 
 and grace, of which the church having had some 
 experience, aud desiring some renewed instances 
 thereof, says, in ver. 5, " comfort me with apples ;" 
 where I shall more largely take notice of this, as 
 well as ol their pleasant and delightful smell. 
 (4.) The apple-tree has been accounted an hie- 
 roglyphic of love ," under it lovers used to meet, 
 with the fruit thereof they entertained each other, 
 under its delightful shade they sat; to which 
 perhaps an allusion is not only made in this 
 verse, but also in chap. viii. 5. "I raised thee 
 up under the apple-tree." Christ aud his church 
 are throughout tliis song introduced as lovers, and 
 the subject of their whole conversation is love : 
 He, who if the apple-tree is tlie church's beloved, 
 whom she loves and prefers before all others ; it 
 is his love her soul is ravished with ; his fruit 
 siie feeds upon ; his shade that she with so much 
 content and pleasure sits under, where she is de- 
 lighted with his love and grace, and sensibly feels 
 her soul all enamoured with him. Some other 
 things might have been taken notice of, particu- 
 larly the fruit and shadow of this tree, which are 
 both mentioned in the text ; but these will be con- 
 sidered under another head. 
 
 Now Christ, whom the church here compares to 
 an apple-tree, is by her preferred to all others ; 
 and she signifies, that as much as the apple-tree 
 excels the wild and unfruitfLil trees of the wood, 
 so much does Christ excel all the sons : by whom 
 may be meant either the angels, so the Targum, 
 who are by creation the sons of God ; but not in 
 so high and eminent a sense as Christ is : he 
 has a more excelleut name aud nature than they ; 
 as God, he is their I-ord and Creator, and the 
 object of their highest worship and adoration ; 
 and as Mediator, they are obliged unto him, being 
 upheld aud secured by his grace in that state 
 wherein they are : aud though iu his human nature 
 he was, made a little lower than they, yet now in 
 the vei'y same nature he is exalted above them; 
 
TER. 3.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 75 
 
 light." Secondly. The fruit of it was sweet 
 unto her ; " his fruit was sweet to my taste." 
 
 First. The shade of this apple tree was very 
 delightful to her: " I sat down under his shadow 
 with great delight :" in which may be inquired, 
 1st. What is meant by the shadow nnder 
 which she sat. 2ndly. What her sitting there in- 
 tends or supposes. Srdly. What she desired to 
 sit there for. 4thly. From whence that pleasure 
 and delight arose, which she was filled with. 
 
 1st. It will be proper to inquire what is 
 meant by the shadow of Christ, under which she 
 sat. Some'' have thought that the ceremonial 
 law, with its festivals, is here intended, which was 
 a shadow of good things to come, of which Christ 
 was the sum and substance ; under this shadow 
 the Old Testament saiuts sat during the legal dis- 
 pensation, where tlieir souls were much delighted 
 and sweetly refreshed by viewing Christ represent- 
 ed in the types and sacrifices of that law. The 
 Targum understands it of the shadow of God's 
 Shecliinah, or Divine JMajesty, under which the 
 congregation of Israel desired to sit, when God 
 gave the law on mount Sinai : but that dispensa- 
 tion was not so desirable ; the law which was then 
 given, was a fiery one ; and the words which were 
 then spoke were such, that they that heard them, 
 intreated that they should not be spoken to them 
 any more : therefore it may be better understood 
 of the Gospel and the ordinances of it, than either 
 of the moral or ceremonial law ; under this re- 
 freshing shadow saints delight to sit ; here they 
 enjoy sweet communion and fellowship with Christ; 
 the sound of the Gospel is joyful to them ; the 
 truths and doctrines of it are nourishing ; the 
 ordinances of it are comfortable and delightful ; 
 these tabernacles are amiable and lovely ; and all 
 wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness ; and 
 therefore it is no wouder that souls desire to sit 
 nnder this shadow, aud when they do, it is with 
 delight. 
 
 Moreover, some' think that an allusion is here 
 made to the nuptial ceremony of spreading the 
 skirt, used by the Jews at the time of marriage ; 
 of which see Ruth iii. 9 ; and to which an allusion 
 is made in Ezek. xvi. 8 ; or to that veil, which 
 being borne up with four rods or staves, was car- 
 ried over the heads of the new-married couple, at 
 the time that the bridegroom brought home 
 the bride into his own house, where the whole 
 solemnity was finished ; this nuptial ceremony 
 perhaps may give the best light to Luke i. 35, 
 " the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the 
 power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee :" so 
 that this phrase of sitting under Christ's shadow, 
 may be expressive of the church's being married 
 to Christ, and of that delightful communion which 
 she enjoys with him as her husband, when brought 
 home to his own house; of which we have an ac- 
 count in the next verse, where she is entertain- 
 
 p Ambrose in Psal cxviii. octon. 5. col. 908. 
 
 1 Sanct. iu loc. and so R. Simeon Ben Joachi 
 
 ed after a noble manner : and has as much of 
 his love manifested to her, as she is capable of 
 bearing, nay so much, that she is overcome with 
 it. But I rather think that the metaphor is con- 
 tinued from the former part of the verse ; and that 
 tlie allusion is made to the shadow of an apple- 
 tree, such an one as Christ was ; whose shadow 
 arises from his person, blood, and righteousness ; 
 which shadow is, 1. A protecting one from heat ; 
 such as Jonah's gourd was to him, or as the 
 pillar of cloud was to the Israelites in the wilder- 
 ness, or as a great rock to a weary traveller in a 
 hot country. Christ and his righteousness are a 
 shadow, which protfect souls from the heat of his 
 Fatlier's wrath; he, by making atonement for 
 sin, and satisfaction to divine justice, hath de- 
 livered his own people from the wrath to come, 
 and will eternally screen them from it ; for though 
 showers of divine wrath will fall on Christless 
 sinners, yet those that are under this shadow of 
 Christ's righteousuess, shall not have one drop of 
 it fall on them ; for being justified by his blood, 
 they shall be saved from wrath through him ; also 
 it is this, laid hold on by faith, which screens 
 from the curses of a fiery law, aud from the heat 
 of that wrath which it sometimes works in the 
 conscience ; which is only rightly removed by the 
 sprinklings of that blood which speaks peace and 
 pardon, and by the application of that righteous- 
 ness which justifies from all sin, aud produces a 
 peace which passeth all understanding : likewise 
 Christ is the shadow which protects and shelters 
 from the fiery darts of Satan ; he is as a shadow 
 from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones, 
 those fiends of hell, is as a storm against the wall ; 
 his blood and righteousness keep ofi" Satan's fiery 
 darts, preserve from his suggestions, and protect 
 from the violence of his temptations ; and ths soul 
 is still more secured by the prevalent mediation 
 and intercession of Christ in heaven, which is 
 founded upon his blood and righteousness ; so that 
 what faith makes use of on earth to oppose to 
 Satan's temptations, Christ does in heaven to se- 
 cure his people from his false charges aud accusa- 
 tions : to this might also be added, that he is the 
 shadow which protects from the heat of persecu- 
 tion, under which he causes his flock to rest at 
 noon ; when this sun smites them with the great- 
 est violence, he is then their shade on their right 
 hand, so that the sun shall not smite them by day ; 
 and this is their comfort and support under all 
 their fiery trials, that they have such a shadow to 
 have recourse to. 2. It is also a refreshing one ; 
 for if it is a shadow from the heat of God's wrath, 
 the terrors of the law, the temptations of Satan, 
 and the persecutions of the world, it must needs 
 be so ; what can be more refreshing to a weary 
 traveller, that is almost scorched, and ready to 
 faint v\ith heat, than a cooling and delightful 
 shade ? so refreshing is Christ to poor sinners, 
 
 seems to understand it in Kxod. vol. 43. 1. 
 
70 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. II. 
 
 who is as " the shadow of a great rock ia a weary 
 laud ;" nay, is a large spreading apple-tree, that 
 at once furnishes them with an agreeable shelter 
 and suitable provisions. 3. It is a fructifying 
 one : the shadow3 of some trees, as Pliny' informs 
 us, are very hurtful aud noxious to some plants 
 that grow under them, and others are very nou- 
 rishing and fructifying : Christ's shadow is such 
 an one ; for " they that dwell under this shadow 
 shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and 
 grow as the vine; the scent thsr^of \shall be as 
 the wine of Lebanon," Hos. xiv. 7 ; and indeed 
 all the fruitfulness of those who are the Lord's 
 planting comes from Christ* for, unless they 
 abide in and under him, they can bring forth no 
 fruit. The shadows of some trees are injurious 
 to men that lie under them;' not so Christ's 
 shadow ; but there are others' very delightful and 
 wholesome, to which he may be compared. 
 
 2ndly. Tt may also be inquired what her sitting 
 under this shadow is expressive of, or does sup- 
 pose. And, 1. It shows the sense she had 
 of herself, and present condition, and the need 
 she stood in of Christ as a shadow ; she was not 
 only scorched with the sun of persecution, with 
 afflictions, temptations, &c., but she was likewise 
 sensible thereof, and therefore, betook herself to 
 a proper shade. 2. It manifestly appears from 
 her sitting under this shadow, that she looked 
 upon Christ to be a suitable one for her in such 
 cases ; and that as the idolaters in Hos. iv. 13, 
 sacrificed on mountains, aud burnt incense under 
 oaks, poplars, and elms, " because the shadow 
 thereof was good ;" so the church here sat under 
 this shadow of Christ's, because she looked upon 
 it to be a good one, and preferable to all others. 
 3. It is expressive of her faith and confidence in 
 Christ ; the vain confidence of the Israelites in 
 an arm of flesh, is called their " trust in the shadow 
 of Egypt," Isa. xxx. 2, 3 ; and the holy confi- 
 dence and faith of God's children in him, is fre- 
 quently called a " trusting in the shadow of his 
 wings;" see Psalm xxxvi. 7, and Ivii. 1 ; which 
 seems to be the same with sitting under it here : 
 the church did not sit idle uuder Christ, but her 
 faith was in exercise upon him ; and she was re- 
 joiciug alone in him, having " no confidence in 
 the flesh." 4. It seems to intimate that security, 
 peace, quietness, and satisfaction of soul, she 
 enjoyed ; here she sat as under her own vine and 
 fig-tree, and none to make her afraid ; where 
 being safe and secure from all her enemies, she 
 solaced herself under this delightful shade, en- 
 joying much peace of conscience, and satisfaction 
 of mind: for she did not sit here with any man- 
 ner of uneasiness, but with the utmost delight 
 aud pleasure. 5. It denotes her continuance 
 here ; faith takes up its dwelling in Christ ; it 
 
 will not move from hence, and is desirous of 
 always enjoying sensible communion with him ; 
 " he that dwellelh in the secret of the Most High, 
 shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty," 
 Psal. ici. 1. But 
 
 3rdly. What was it she desired to sit here for ? 
 For thus may the words be rendered, " I de- 
 sired, and I sat down ;"" that is, I desired to 
 sit down, and I did sit down, I had what I 
 wished for; and what was that? no doubt, 
 protection from heat, rest, and refreshment for 
 her weary and fainting soul ; that she might 
 be comforted with those apples w'hich grew on 
 this tree, and be revived by tasting of and feed- 
 ing upon the sweet fruit thereof, as well as be 
 comforted with its delightful shade. 
 
 4thly. She sat here with delight ; and indeed 
 it could not be otherwise when its shade was so 
 agreeable, and the fruit so sweet : this pleasure 
 and delight of hers arose from the enjoyment 
 of Christ's presence, " in whose presence is 
 fulness of joy, and at whose right-hand arc 
 pleasures for evermore ;" from the discoveries of 
 his love to her soul, which is better than life, 
 and all '.he comforts of it; and were had in th^ 
 exercise of faith upon him, in the actings of 
 which grace the soul is filled with " joy unspeak- 
 able and full of glory." 
 
 Secondly. The fruit of this apple-tree was sweet 
 unto her taste : by this fruit are either meant the 
 fruit of his doings, what his hands have wrought 
 out, and his blood has procured for sinners, even 
 all the blessings of grace, such as peace and 
 reconciliation, justification, sanctification, pardon 
 of sin, adoption, nearness of access to God, &c. 
 or else, the fruit of his lips ; such as his word and 
 Gospel, preached by himself, which is sweet to a 
 believer's taste, and is preferred to his necessary 
 food ; his promises, which are exceeding great 
 and precious, and are highly valued by believers, 
 for his mouth is most sweet, from whence they 
 proceed ; and his ordinances and commands, in 
 which they enjoy sweet communion with him, 
 and have the discoveries of his love to their 
 souls ; and therefore " are more to be desired 
 than gold, yea, than much fine gold ; sweeter 
 also than the honey or the honey comb." 
 
 These are called his fruits ; they are his in a 
 covenant-way ; all the blessings of grace, which 
 make up the everlasting covenant, are in Christ's 
 hands, and at his dispose, being placed there for 
 that purpose by God the Father ; and they are 
 also his, being procured by him ; for though 
 they are all the gifts of free grace, yet are they 
 all obtained by Christ, and come to us through 
 his blood : likewise they may be said to be his, 
 because in his possession ; every grace in its ful- 
 ness is in him, he is full of grace and truth, and 
 
 ' Lib. 17. c. 12. Juniper! gravis umbra, nocent et 
 frugibus umbrK. Virgil. Bucol. eclog. 10. in line. 
 
 " Arboril)u.5certis gravis umbra tributa est, Lucret. 
 
 1. (i. v. 7s3. ' TTbi mollis axnaracus ilium 
 
 Jloribus et dulci aspiraus complcctitur umbre, Virg. 
 
 jEneid. 1. 1. prope finem. Oportuna sua blanditur 
 populus umbra, Ovid. IMetam. I. 10- 
 
 u Tinci Trran coucupivi et sedi, Pagninus, Mou- 
 tauus, Mercerus, Marckius. 
 
VER. 4.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 77 
 
 is communicated to us from him, for from him 
 all our fruit is found ; remission of sin, justifying 
 righteousness, adopting grace, &c., come to us 
 through and by him ; and we are indulged with 
 the gospel-promises and ordinances, as instances 
 of his grace to us. 
 
 Now these are all sweet to the taste of a be- 
 liever, though not to a natural man, who hath 
 a vitiated taste, and calls evil good and good 
 evil: puts bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter ; 
 he savours the things of the flesh ; sin is his food, 
 from whence he receives an imaginary pleasure; 
 aud therefore disrelishes all spiritual things, looks 
 upon them as poor aud insipid, and finds no 
 more taste in them than in the white of an egg ; 
 which arises from the predominancy of sin, that 
 hinders from tasting any sweetness in divine 
 things, and will do so whilst their taste remains 
 in them, and their scent is not changed ; but 
 as for a spiritual man, he savours the things of 
 the Spirit, and disrelislies others ; sin is ren- 
 dered odious, hitter, and unpleasant to him ; it 
 is in some measure expelled, so that he can taste 
 that the Lord is gracious : and therefore every 
 thing he says or does is sweet unto him ; for 
 as his state can discern perverse things, so it 
 can relish spiritual ones : such as the fruit be- 
 fore-mentioned is, which grows upon and drops 
 from tlie apple tree, Christ Jesus: this delight- 
 ful shade and eicellent fruit, which believers find 
 in Christ, render hira very acceptable to them, 
 and preferable to all others. Now when souls 
 at any time have some experience of Christ's 
 love aud grace, in such a way and manner, it 
 is very proper to speak of it, for the glory of 
 Christ, and the encouragement of other souls, as 
 the church does here ; which she also continues 
 to do in the following verse, where she meets 
 with a larger display of it. 
 
 A'erse 4. He brought me to the lanqueting -house, 
 and his banner over me was love. 
 
 The church here goes on to give an account of 
 some larger experiences of Christ's love, which 
 she had met with from him ; for she is not only 
 indulged with his shadow, and refreshed with his 
 fruit, as in the former verse, but is also brought 
 into his bauqueting-house, where she is enter- 
 tained by him, of which she gives an account iu 
 this: where may be observed, 
 
 I. "What is meant by the banqueting-house. 
 
 II. What by being brought into it. 
 
 III. The manner in which she was brought ; 
 " his banner over me was love." 
 
 I. I shall inquire wliat is meant by the ban- 
 queting-house, into which the church was brought: 
 it is in the Hebrew text, a house of wine :" by 
 which may be meant, either the wine-cellar," the 
 place where wine is kept under ground ; or else 
 the places' where wine is poured out, and where 
 
 it is drank, according to R. Aben Ezra ; and so 
 may very well he rendered a banqucting-house. 
 Thus we read of a banquet of wiue which Esther 
 invited kiug Ahasuerus and Haman to ; and wine, 
 being much used at feasts, may be put syncch- 
 dochically, for all the other accommodations 
 thereof; by which we may understand either, 
 1st. The covenant of grace ; this is built for 
 a bauqueting-house for souls ; it is a superstruc- 
 ture of grace and mercy, whose foundation is 
 the person of Christ ; it is well stored with all 
 needful provisions for a nobler entertainment ; 
 it is ordered in all things, and sure ;" it is full 
 of Christ, his love and grace ; it is well stored 
 with spiritual blessings, aud precious promises, 
 which will serve as an everlasting banquet for 
 those who are interested iu it. Or else, 
 
 2ndly. The Sacred Scripture, which is a 
 true banqueting-house: here is a variety of 
 food, and plenty of it; here is milk fjr babes; 
 and meat for strong men ; which is exceeding 
 pleasant and delicious, sweeter to the taste than 
 the honey or honey-comb ; revives and refreshes 
 those who participate thereof, and is also ex- 
 ceeding wholesome to the souls of men : though 
 there are vast numbers daily feasted here, yet 
 there is no want ; it abounds with the bread of 
 Gospel-truths, with the wine of Gospel-pro- 
 mises, and is full of Christ, the hidden Manna, 
 who is also the Bread of Life ; he is the Alpha and 
 Omega of the scriptures, the sum and substance 
 of them, on whom faith lives, and by whom, 
 from time to time, it is sweetly refreshed. Or 
 else, 
 
 3rdly. The church is this banqueting-house. Tlie 
 Targum refers it to the house of the school, 
 where the Israelites learnt the law at mount 
 Sinai from the mouth of Moses ; R. Alshech un- 
 derstands by it Sinai itself, aud so it is interpret- 
 ed in Yalkut ; R. Sul. Jarchi tbiuks^the tabernacle 
 of the congregation is intended, where the sense 
 and explanations of the law were given ; but it 
 may much better be understood of the church of 
 Christ, which is a house built by widsom, and 
 furnished with all the necessary provisions of grace ; 
 here is " a feast of fat things prepared, of wines on 
 the lees well refined. Christ is the Master and 
 Provider of the feast, and he himself is the chief 
 entertainment ; his flesh is meat indeed, and his 
 blood is drink indeed ; to all which he gives his 
 people an hearty welcome ; meets them himself 
 at his well-furnished table, aud feasts with them ; 
 gives them spiritual appetites, and blesses all the 
 provisions of his grace to them ; hence those are the 
 blessed persons who have admittance into, and a 
 dwelliug-place in this house, for these shall be 
 continually " satisfied with the goodness and 
 fatness thereof;" hence it is that souls are so 
 desirous of being here, and are so well-pleased 
 with their habitation, because it is a ban^uetiug- 
 
 VM n'a doniura vini, Pa-iuinus, Arontanus, &c. 
 CcUam vinariam, V. L. Tigurlne version ; eis tov 
 
 oii'Mia, Symmachus. 
 and Tvemellius. 
 
 y Locum con vivii, Junius 
 
78 
 
 AN EXrOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CIIA1». II. 
 
 house unto them ; and no wonder then is it, that 
 those who are " Planted in the house of the Lord, 
 flourish in the courts of our God." 
 
 II. What it is to he " brought into' this ban- 
 queting -house ;" which may be considered accord- 
 ing to the several senses before given. And 
 
 1st. Seeing by the banquetiug-house may be 
 meant the covenant of grace, it may be proper to 
 inquire, What it is to be brought into that, and 
 by what means? And now here observe, that 
 water-baptism, and a submission to it under the 
 New-Testament, give a person no right unto, nor 
 interest him in the covenant of grace, even as cir- 
 cumcision did not, nor could uuder the Old ; in- 
 stances of both might be given of persons, where 
 there is no reason to believe they have any shai'c 
 or lot in this matter ; neither does charch-fellow- 
 ship bring a person into it, nor a mere submission 
 to any or all the ordinances of the Gospel, for 
 " they are not all Israel which are of Israel :" nor 
 are they all instances of covenant-grace, who are 
 church-members ; for there are tares as well as 
 wheat grow in Christ's field below ; and goats as 
 well as sheep are folded in his fold on earth, the 
 church ; there are foolish as well as wise virgins, 
 snd there are " sinners in Zion," as well as the 
 " living in Jerusalem ;" neither are faith and re- 
 pentance terms and conditions of a man's entering 
 into this covenant ; for they are some of the bles- 
 sings of grace contained iu it ; they do not bring 
 a person into it, but are evidences of his being 
 there before ; but what brings a person into it, is 
 an act of sovereign and unchangeable grace before 
 all time ; all, interested iu the everlasting cove- 
 nant, before the world began, did by electing grace 
 *' pass under the rod of him that telleth them ;" 
 for when God made a covenant of grace with his 
 Son on the account of these chosen ones, he 
 brought them all into the bond of it, and put all 
 grace and blessings into the hands of his Sou for 
 them. Now the Spirit of God in time does in 
 conversion take and apply this covenant grace to 
 those persons, for the quickening, pardoning, justi- 
 fying, and sanctifying them ; he shows them the 
 covenant, and their interest in it, and enables them 
 to lay hold upon it ; and every time he does do so, 
 he may be said to bring a soul into the covenant, 
 as an effect and fruit of that original, ancient act, 
 made before the world began ; which is what the 
 church might experience here, to wit, a fresh mani- 
 festation of her covenant-interest ; for " the secret 
 of the Lord is with them that fear hira, and he \\ ill 
 show them his covenant -." Christ led her into his 
 banqueting-house, and there feasted her with his 
 royal dainties ; for to bring, is to lead one to an 
 entertainment.* 
 
 2ndly. If we understand the scripture by the 
 banqueting-house; then to be brought into it is 
 to have the understanding opened, so as to behold 
 wondrous things out of it ; the heart affected with 
 
 ' ''N in, Pagninus, Junius and Tremellius, Pisca- 
 tor, Marckius, Michaelis. 
 
 the glorious truths thereof, so as to taste the 
 spreetness of the " sincere milk of the word ;" and 
 distinguish the doctrines of the Gospel from those 
 which are not so, and be capable of appropriating 
 the promises of it to the comfort and satisfaction 
 of our souls ; and when we are enabled thus to do, 
 we shall find the scripture to be a delightful ban- 
 queting-house indeed ! Now all this Christ docs 
 by his Spirit; who is the Spirit of truth, wlio 
 guides and leads his people into all truth. But 
 
 Srdly. If by the bauquetiug-house we understand 
 the church of Christ : then to be brought into it, 
 is to be made a partaker of all the privileges of it, 
 as those who are no more strangers and foreigners, 
 but fellow- citizens of the saints aud of the house- 
 hold of God. Christ first calls men by his grace, 
 then by his ministers invites them to come in, 
 that this house may be filled ; and by his Spirit 
 powerfully works upon their souls, sweetly in- 
 clining them not only to give up themselves to 
 him, but likewise to one another by the will of 
 God ; he, as an instance of his distinguishing grace, 
 takes one of a city, and two of a family, and brings 
 them to Zion, where he invests them with all the 
 privileges and immunities thereof; here he grants 
 them his gracious presence, sheds abroad his love 
 in their hearts, and often entertains tbem with a 
 delightful banquet. Now Christ's thus bringing 
 his church into his banqueting-house, shows, 1. 
 Inability on her part ; we cannot bring ourselves 
 into the covenant of grace, nor can we take views 
 of our interest in it at pleasure ; but he who of 
 his own grace placed us there, must show it us ; 
 nor can we of ourselves know the depths and mys- 
 teries of the sacred writings ; they will remain a 
 sealed book to us, unless the Spirit of Christ open 
 the book, and our understandings to look into it : 
 nor will his church, with all the ordinances of it, 
 be a banqueting-house unto us, unless he himself 
 be present with us. 2. Wonderful grace and con- 
 descension on his side; that he, who is the King 
 of kings, and Lord of lords, should take one thus 
 mean into his own apartments, and there en- 
 tertain her with the best his house could afford. 
 But this will still appear more manifestly, if we 
 consider, 
 
 III. The manner in which she was brought ; 
 " his banner over me was love." It was in a 
 very stately and majestic manner, as well as a 
 loving one, that she was brought ; and for 
 the illustration of this, it will be proper to con- 
 sider the use of banners, and how they may be ap- 
 plied here. And 
 
 1st. The use of banners, standards, or ensigns, 
 is to gather and keep persons together : thus Christ 
 himself was lifted up on the cross, and is now lifted 
 up iu the Gospel, as an ensign to gather snuls 
 unto him : and so his love, being displayed in the 
 preaching of the Gospel, has a power and efficacy 
 in it to draw souls after him ; for as a fruit aud 
 
 ■ Ad prandium me adduxit, Plautus. 
 
VER. 5.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 79 
 
 effect of everlasting love, " with loving kindness " 
 he draws them : and in the same way and manner 
 Clirist here drew the church unto himself, and 
 held her fast ; and constrained her to keep close 
 to him, and follow hard after him; see 2 Cor. 
 V. 14. 
 
 2ndly. A banner displayed, or a standard set 
 up, is an indication of war ; it is to prepare for 
 it, and to animate to it,'' see Jer. li. 12, 27. This 
 may serve to inform us, tliat the church of Christ 
 here on earth is militant, and therefore in chap, 
 vi. 4, is represented as formidable and terrible as 
 an army with banners : she has many enemies to 
 enpiage with, as sin, Satan, and the world, and yet 
 has the greatest encouragement to fight, for she is 
 bannered under the Lord of hosts ; Christ is Com- 
 mander-in-chief ; he is given to be a Leader and 
 Commander of the people, and is every way fit for 
 it ; he has courage enough to appear at the head 
 of his armies, and conduct enough to lead them on, 
 and bring them off at pleasure ; those that are 
 under him are well provided for ; their bread is 
 given them'in due season, and their water is sure : 
 they are furaished with the Travo-srAia, or whole 
 armour of God ; they may be assured of a crown 
 and kingdom as soon as the battle is over, and 
 even of victory beforehand, for they are more 
 than conquerors through him that hath loved 
 them ; likewise tne motto, which is written upon 
 the banner, under w-hich they are, is love : and 
 if all this will not encourage them to fight, what 
 will? 
 
 Srdly. A banner displayed is also a sign of 
 victory ; sometimes when a town, city, or castle 
 is taken, the flag is hung out as an indication of 
 it ; see Jer. 1. 2. Christ has gotten the victory over 
 all his and our enemies ; he has conquered sin, 
 Satan, and the world ; and given his ciiurch and 
 people a share in all his conquests ; and as an 
 evidence of it, has set up his banner over them. 
 Or this may principally intend the conquest, which 
 he, by love, had gotten over her heart ; she surren- 
 dered herself into the victor's hands ; and now, as an 
 instance of his mighty grace, he introduces her 
 into his own house, under the banner of love, by 
 wliich she was conquered. 
 
 4thly. A banner is for protection and de- 
 fence ; hence Moses built an altar, and called it 
 Jehovah «/wi, that is, the Lord is my banner; 
 because the Lord had been on the side of him and 
 the people of Israel, and defended them from the 
 Amalekites. The church was now enjoying sweet 
 communion with Christ in his banqueting-house : 
 and that she might be safe and secure fi-ora her 
 enemies, and abide there during his pleasure, with- 
 out any molestation or disturbance, he sets up his 
 banner over her : thus " when the enemy comes in 
 like a flood," to disturb our peace, joy, and comfort, 
 " the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard against 
 him," Isa. li.x. 19. 
 
 ^ Vexillum proponendum , quod eratinsigne quum 
 ad arma coueurri oporteret, Caesar, de Bello Gallic. 
 
 5thly. It is to direct soldiers where to stand, 
 when to march, and whom to follow ; see Numb, 
 i. 52, and ii. 2, which may teach us, who are en- 
 listed in Christ's service, not to fly from our 
 colours, but adhere closely to Clirist and his 
 Gospel, his cause and interest, his church and 
 people, and to follow him, the Standard-bearer, 
 wherever he goes ; and nothing can more strongly 
 engage us to do so than love, which is the motto 
 of his banner; this first drew us to him, this an- 
 imates us in his service, and keeps us close to his 
 person and interest. 
 
 Ctlily. It is to distinguish one band from an- 
 other ; see Numb. ii. 2. As one band has one 
 motto upon its banner or ensign, by which it is 
 distinguished from anotiier; sothe motto on Christ's 
 banner is love, by which his band or company is 
 distinguished from all others : it is this wliich has 
 made them to differ from others ; has distinguish- 
 ed them in electing, redeeming, and calling grace ; 
 and will keep them a distinct and peculiar people 
 to all eternity ; it is not any works which they 
 have done, but Christ's boundless love and grace 
 alone, that make the difference between them and 
 others. The allusion may be to the names of 
 generals being inscribed on the banners of their 
 armies ; so Vespasian's name was inscribed on the 
 banners throughout his armies.^ 
 
 Verse 5. Stay me with ilagons, comfort me with 
 
 apples, for I am sick of love. 
 The church being brought into Christ's banquet- 
 ing-house or house of wine, and having there su^h 
 large discoveries of his love, she falls into a de- 
 liquium or fainting fit, not being able to hear up 
 under the present enjoyment ; and therefore calls 
 to her friends and acquaintance that were about 
 her, to give her their assistance in her present 
 circumstances. In these words may be considered, 
 
 I. The church's case and condition in which 
 she was ; " sick of love." 
 
 II. "What relief she asks for. 1st. To be 
 " stayed with flagons." 2pdly. To be " com- 
 forted with apples." 
 
 III. Who the persons are to whom she makes 
 application. 
 
 I. We have in these words the present case and 
 condition in which the church was ; she was sick 
 of love ; this was a sickness of the soul, and not 
 of the body ; though the one has oftentimes an 
 influence upon the other ; for as there are various 
 bodily sicknesses and diseases, so there are various 
 spiritual ones. 1. There is the sickness of sin, 
 which, if mighty grace prevent not, is a sickness 
 unto death ; it is in its own nature mortal, and 
 can only be cured by Christ, the great Physician, 
 who heals diseases by forgiving iniquity : this is 
 what is natural and hereditary to us ; we bring it 
 into the world with us ; for we are all " shapen 
 in iniquity, and in sin did our mothers conceive 
 
 1. 2. c. 20. 
 
 Sucton. Vita Vespasian, c. 6. 
 
80 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [cnAP. II. 
 
 U8:" it is an epidemical distemper, which has in- 
 fected all human nature ; all are diseased with it, 
 though all arc not sensible of it ; and it has over- 
 spread all the powers and faculties of the souls of 
 men, as well as all the members of the body ; so 
 that there is no part nor place exempted from it; 
 for the whole head is sick, and the whole heart 
 faint: but this is not the sickness intended here. 
 2. There is a sickness which souls are incident 
 to, that arises from a sense of sin, want of the 
 fresh manifestations of pardoning i^race, absence 
 of Christ Jesus, and a longing after the enjoy- 
 ment of his person, and the discoveries of his love; 
 which thougli it is not a sickness unto death, yet 
 it is very painful and afflicting, and can only be 
 cured by the enjoyment of the object loved ; this 
 discovers itself by a violent panting after Clirist ; 
 a carefulness and activity in the use of means, to 
 enjoy his presence and company ; a resolution to 
 go through all difficulties for the sake of him, and 
 an uneasiness until it receives some instances of 
 favour from him : with such souls, Christ is the 
 subject of all their discourse ; they love to hear 
 his name mentioned, especially with commenda- 
 tion, their thoughts are continually upon him, and 
 their minds are not easy till they enjoy him ; this 
 is the sickness which the church was attended 
 with in chap. v. 8 ; where see more of it. 3. 
 There is a sickness which springs from views of 
 Christ's person, discoveries of his love, and mani- 
 festations of his graee ; which sometimes over- 
 power the soul, and throw it into the utmost 
 amazement, at the consideration of the greatness 
 of Christ's person and grace, and its unworthi- 
 ness to be interested in it ; so that it becomes 
 like the queen of Sheba -. who, when she saw the 
 riches, glorj', and wisdom of Solomon, it is said 
 of her, that " there was no more spirit in her." 
 And this I take to be the case of the church here ; 
 it did not arise from the want of Christ's presence, 
 or discoveries of his love, but from the enjoyment 
 of them both ; he had introduced her in a most 
 stately manner into his banqueting-house, and 
 gave her a noble entertainment ; yea, he had 
 plentifully shed abroad his love in her heart, which 
 occasioned her to speak after this manner ; his 
 person appeared so glorious and lovely, the en- 
 tertainment was so large and sumptuous, the 
 motto of love upon the banner so bright and 
 glittering, and what she felt in her own soul so 
 powerful and inconceivable, that she was quite 
 overcome therewith; she was "sick through love:" 
 or, as the Septuagint^ renders it, she was " wounded 
 wilh love :" not that this arises from the nature 
 of love itself, which is not painful and grievous, 
 but is owing to our weakness and imperfection, 
 who cannot bear large views, nor support up nudur 
 
 "' TerpM/ii'/i/i) ..lyiinnt, Sept. amore langueo, V. L. so 
 Michaelis ; jegrotus is used in this sense in Terent. 
 Heautont. 1. I. Tlie Tigurine version renders the 
 words thus. Quia infirma sum clilectione, because 
 I am weak in love; and understands it in the same 
 sense a» when persons are saiito be weak iu faitli, 
 
 the mighty power of boundless love ; we are but 
 poor narrow earthen vessels, that can receive and 
 retain bat little of it: this was that pressure under 
 which she now laboured, and for which she seeks 
 relief; which brings me, 
 
 I[. To consider what it is she calls for to re- 
 lieve her at this time. 1st. [She desires to be 
 " stayed with flagons." 2nd. To be " comforted 
 with apples." 
 
 1st. Her request is, that some person or other 
 would stay herewith flagons. The word translated 
 flagons is differently rendered by interpreters ; 
 some render it flowers, as Jerom and the Vulgate 
 Latin ; and so she may be considered as having 
 reference to sweet flowers bound up in nosegays, 
 the odour of which is very refreshing and reviving; 
 or, " make me to lie down in flowers," so Sym- 
 machus ; according to Plato," love delights to be 
 in odoriferous places ; where there are sweet- 
 smelling flowers, there is its habitation, and there 
 it abides. Now the church being in love, says, 
 stay me, revive, or support me with flowers ; per- 
 haps chiefly regarding Christ, who is the only 
 strength and support of believers, who only can 
 keep them both from falling and fainting ; for 
 having heard him speak of himself under the 
 names of those delightful flowers, the rose and 
 lily, iu ver. 1, she is desirous that she might be 
 stayed by, and supported with them : the Septua- 
 gint renders'the words thus, " strengthen me with 
 ointments,"' by which may be meant the graces of 
 Christ, which are called so in chap. i. 3, ointments 
 were used at feasts, andareof a cheering, reviving, 
 and strengthening nature ; and may very well ex- 
 press the grace of Christ, by which souls are 
 cheered, revived, established, strengthened, and 
 settled ; our translators have rendered it flagons, 
 and that very well ; for according to the best 
 Jewish writers,e^ it signifies vessels in which either 
 wine or fine flower are put ; and perhaps may be 
 comprehensive of all the entertainments of a ban. 
 quet, which are proper to satisfy, delight, and ex- 
 hilarate ; and wine being a principal one, may 
 chiefly intend flagons of that ; see 1 Chron. xvi. 
 3, Ilos. iii. 1 ; flagons are, by a metonymy, pnt 
 for wine contained in them, as the cup is, Luke 
 sxii. 20 ; for the church was desirous of those 
 that were full and not empty ; such as were full 
 of the wine of Christ's love, which is as reviving, 
 cheering, and refreshing as the best wine : and 
 which greatly strengthens and supports the ani- 
 mal spirits. "^ In what sense Christ's love may be 
 compared to wine, and is preferable to it, has 
 been shown on chap. i. 2 : and by flagons of it 
 may be meant the doctrines of grace, in which 
 Christ's love is displayed ; or the ordinances of 
 the Gospel, by which it is communicated to the 
 
 and therefore need support. 
 
 ' Symposium, 1189. ' SrepiVaTe /^e ti/ /irpoir, 
 
 Sept. B R. Sol. Jarchi, and R. Aben Ezra in 
 
 loc. R. David Kimclii in lib. shorash. rad. 'CXN. 
 
 '' Vino fulcire veuas cadcntes, Seneca, ep. 95. 
 
VKB. G.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 81 
 
 saints ; and may also intimate, that tliough the 
 love and grace of Christ are given forth in mea- 
 sure to them, yet that they are large measures, 
 which believers arc desirous of receiving ; those 
 who have most grace, would have still more ; and 
 those who have the greatest sense of Christ's 
 love, would have a larger experience of it, and are 
 not content witliout it ; they are like " the two 
 daughters of the horse-leech, crj-ing, give, give :" 
 and it may be also, that the church may have in 
 view the glories and joys of another world ; where 
 she should have her (ill of love, drink freely and 
 plentifully of this wine new with Christ in his 
 Father's kingdom, and coutiuue in the uninter- 
 rupted enjoyment of liis presence. Now it ought 
 to be observed, that she is desirous of more of tliat 
 which had brought her into this condition : Chrisi's 
 love had wounded her, and that ouly could heal 
 her ; what had brought her into this sick and 
 fainting condition, could only bring her out of 
 it : this wounds and heals, kills and makes alive : 
 and is the only reviving cordial. 
 
 2udly. She desires that she might be " com- 
 forted with apples;" as in the former request, she 
 had a regard to the bacqueting-house, where she 
 now was ; so in this to the apple-tree, whose deli- 
 cious fruit she had lately tasted. Apples are of a 
 cooling and comforting nature,' and are good 
 against a syncope and palpitation of the heart, and 
 the smell of them is very I'eviving : Solinus'' tells 
 us of a certain people who eat no food, but odore 
 vivnnt poinorum sylvestrium, live by the smell of 
 apples that grow in woods ; and that when they 
 go long journeys, carry them with them, ut ol- 
 ■faclu alantur, that by the smell of them they 
 may be uourished and sustained. The words may 
 be rendered, " strew me with apples";' strew them 
 about me, and strew them under me: the apple 
 was an emblem of love, as before observed ; to seud 
 or throw an apple to another, was a sign of love ;"' 
 and must be still more so, to strew them about iu 
 quantities. By these apples may be meant, either 
 the blessings of grace procured by the blood of 
 Christ, which remove the fierceness of divine 
 wrath, aud being powerfully applied by the Spirit 
 of God, do abundantly comfort and refresh the 
 soul: or else the doctrines of the gospel, when filly 
 spoken, and fitly applied, are like "apples of gold 
 in pictures of silver;" how comfortable and re- 
 viving are the doctrines of justification, pardon, 
 perseverance, &c.; the church had found them so 
 by good experien ce, aud therefore desires them . 
 Tiie Targum, by flagons, understands the words of 
 the law; and by apples, the interpretations of 
 them ; which, it says, are sweet to the taste as the 
 apples of the garden of Eden : but it is much 
 better to understand them, as we have done, of 
 the doctrines of the gospel, which have often been 
 
 ' Femel. method, medend. 1. .5. c. 6, 21. 
 
 k Polyhist. c. 65. ' ':nDT sternite ante me, so 
 
 some in Vatablus ; substernite mihi, Tigurine ver- 
 fiion, Piacator. " Melo Galatea petit. Virgil 
 
 experienced to have relieved persons in a fainting 
 condition, such as the church was now in ; and 
 who knowing the virtue and efficacy thereof, calls 
 for them. And, 
 
 III. The persons she makes application to, the 
 word being in the plural uumber, are either the 
 cliorus of virgins, or daughters of Jerusalem, her 
 dear friends aud acquaintance, to whom she often 
 told her case, especially when iu distress, and de- 
 sired their assistance, who seem to be near to her, 
 by that solemn adjuration given unto them in ver. 
 7 ; or else, any other Christian friends that might 
 be standing by her ; for they that fear the Lord, 
 speak often one to another, converse together, and 
 comfort each other : or rather the ministers of 
 the Gospel, who, by preaching the glorious doc- 
 trines of it, are instrumental in the hand of the 
 Spirit for comforting the distressed, and reviving 
 the fainting souls of God's children ; though 
 perhaps she principally intended Christ, who we 
 find immediately came to her relief, as appears from 
 the following verse. 
 
 Verse 6. His left hand is under my head, and 
 his right hand doth embrace me. 
 
 These are still the words of the church, declar- 
 ing what experience she had of Christ's grace 
 and presence; who immediately upon the notice 
 she gave of her distress, came to her assistance, 
 and with both hands supported her iu her faint- 
 ing fit, and brought her out of it. And it may 
 be observed, that she called to others for relief iu 
 the former verse, hut it was Christ only that could 
 help her : the flagons aud apples of a gospel-mi- 
 nistry and gospel-ordinances will not be effectual 
 to comfort and sustain the saints in such circum- 
 stances, unless Christ himself appears iu them, 
 and gives a blessing to them ; which is what the 
 church comfortably experienced here, and there- 
 fore speaks of it. And, 
 
 I. I shall consider what these words are ex- 
 pressive of. 
 
 II. In what manner they are delivered by her. 
 
 III. To whom they are directed, and for what 
 reasons. 
 
 I. It may be proper to consider what Christ's 
 left hand being under her head, and his right 
 hand beiug said to embrace her, are expressive of. 
 And. 
 
 1st. They are expressive of Christ's tender love 
 unto, care of, and regard for his church and 
 people ; he acts the part of a loving husband, who, 
 seeing his bride and spouse ready to sink and faint, 
 hastens to her relief, embraces her iu his arms, 
 lays her in his bosom, and discovers the strongest 
 and most endeared affoction to her : Christ had a 
 love for his church from all eternity; his heart 
 was then ravished with her, and he took the 
 
 Bucol. eclog. 3. ver. 64. Vid. Theocrit. Idyll. 3. v. 
 10, 40, 41. aud Idyll. 6. v. 6, 7. aud Suidam in voce. 
 
82 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. it. 
 
 utmost delight iu bcr, viewing her in all the glory 
 his Father meant to bring her to ; and therefore 
 requested of his Father that she might be his 
 spouse and bride, whinh was accordingly granted 
 to hira ; who has ever since remained a faithful 
 and loving husband, and has given her the fullest 
 and most incontestible proofs of it ; he has assumed 
 her nature, died iu her room and stead, paid all 
 her debts, procured every needful blessing for her, 
 has given her right unto, and will put her into the 
 possession of all that he has ; he has raised her 
 from the dunghill, the depths of sin and misery, 
 tfiken otr her filthy garments, clothed her in rich 
 attire and royal apparel, and set her at his own 
 right hand, in gold of Ophir. 
 
 This love of his remains the same as ever it 
 was, and will do so for ever, notwithstanding all 
 her failings and infirmities, her revoltings from 
 him, and unkiudncss to him ; for he is " Jesus, 
 the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever :" though 
 it is true, he does not alway manifest his love to 
 his people, but sometimes hides his face from them, 
 and kindly chides them for their good, and his 
 own glory; yet he cannot always withhold his 
 love iu the manifestations of it to their souls ; for 
 though he seems to treat them severely for a while, 
 yet his heart is full of love, pity, and concern ; 
 his bowels yearn, and, Joseph-like, cannot refrain 
 himself, but must make himself known unto his 
 brethren. Christ now has various ways of show- 
 ing his love to his people, which he does the most 
 suitably and seasonably ; when tempted, he suc- 
 cours them ; when disconsolate, he comforts them ; 
 and when afflicted, he sympathizes with them ; 
 wheu hungry, he feeds them ; when naked, he 
 clothes them ; when sick, he, as the great Physi- 
 cian, heals them ; when weak, he supports and 
 upholds them with the right hand of his righteous- 
 ness ; and when fainting, he cheers and revives 
 them ; " he giveth power to the faint, and to them 
 who have no might, he increases strength ;" and 
 this he does by putting his left hand under their 
 head, and by embracing them with his right hand ; 
 the doing of which is an amazing and surprising 
 instance of his grace. 
 
 2ndly . These phrases are expressive of that near 
 fellowship and communion the church has with 
 Christ ; which is variously expressed in scripture, 
 as by supping, and walking with him, and leaning 
 on his bosom, and here by lying in his arms; 
 which is an indication of very near and intimate 
 communion indeed : to be admitted into Christ's 
 banqueting-house, and there sit with him at his 
 table, or into his privy chambers, and there have 
 converse and communion with him, argue great 
 nearness to hira, and intimacy with him ; but to 
 lie iu his arms, and have a place iu his bosom, 
 what can be nearer ? This is the effect of that 
 near and iudissolute union souls have with Christ ; 
 and what by divine grace, they are called to the 
 
 1. S'^ Tovippf, i„ ]„p , Tigurine version, some 
 
 Ainsworth, Uarckius. 
 
 enjoyment of ; are frequently indulged with in 
 their attendance on ordinances; and is that one 
 thing they are desirous of, and uneasy without ; 
 bat which, when obtained, gives them the greatest 
 pleasure and highest satisfaciion. 
 
 3rdly. They are expressive of the enjoyment of 
 blessings from Christ, in whose right hand is 
 length of days, and in whose left hand are riches 
 and honour. Temporal mercies are Christ's left- 
 hand blessings ;" and such a measure of them 
 Christ hands forth to his people in a covenant way, 
 as will be needful for them to support them whilst 
 in, and comfortably carry them through tliis wilder- 
 ness ; but Christ's right-hand blessings are of a 
 spiritual nature, such as a justifying righteousness, 
 pardon of sin, peace, and reconciliation by bis blood, 
 and adoption; all which being, by Christ's hand, 
 applied unto his saints, cheer, revive, and com.fort, 
 when ready to faint ; and which sustain, uphold, 
 and strengthen them, when ready to sink and 
 die away. 
 
 4thly. They are expressive of the safety and 
 security of the church : they must needs be safe 
 from all enemies, and secure from falling, who are 
 encircled in the anns of Almighty grace, sustained 
 by Christ's left hand, and embraced by his right 
 hand, for out of his hands none can pluck Ihera : 
 such are, and will be preserved in Christ Jesus, 
 until tiiey are safely brought to glory. The Tar- 
 gum and R. Sol. Jarchi expound these words of 
 the divine care and protection which the Israelites 
 enjoyed in the wilderness ; whereby they were not 
 only provided with every thing that was useful and 
 uecessary, but also defended from every thing that 
 was noxious and hurtful. 
 
 II. We may now consider the manner in which 
 these words were delivered ; and that they may 
 be considered, either, 1. As a" prayer, and be 
 read thus, " that his left hand was under my 
 head, and that his right hand would embrace me!" 
 and suppose her still in the same case in which 
 she was in the former verse ; and seem to intimate, 
 that she had a sense of her present statu and con- 
 dition, and a desire to be out of it ; also, that she 
 was without Christ's presence and communion with 
 him, though she had a value for it, and an earnest 
 desire after it, and did firmly believe that the 
 enjoyment of it would relieve her. Or, 2. They 
 may be considered as spoken in the strength of 
 faith, that it would be so ; and then the words 
 may be read thus, " his left hand will be under 
 my head, and his right hand will embrace me ;"p 
 and the sense of them is, as if she should say. It 
 is true I am now in a very weak, feeble, and 
 fainting condition ; yet I know I shall not totally 
 sink, fall and perish ; for he will hold me up and 
 support me, so that I shall not be moved : the 
 words seem then to be spoken much in the same 
 manner, and to argue the same strength of faith, 
 as those spoken by the church in Mic. vii. 7, 8. 
 
 p V. L. Pagninus, Arontanus. 
 
VER. 
 
 7.] 
 
 SOXG OF SONGS. 
 
 S3 
 
 Or else, 3. As expressing her present experience 
 that it was so ; and then the words may he read 
 as they are rendered by our translators, " his left 
 hand is under my head," &c., which experience 
 of hers she mentions with thankfulness, as she 
 ought to do, to the glory of his love and grace, 
 who had so kindly and graciously appeared for 
 her in a time of distress ; and this she does also 
 in an exulting manner, and with a kind of boast- 
 iflg ; for though we are not allowed to glory in 
 ourselves, nor have any reason to boast of any 
 thing which we have done, yet we may glory in 
 Christ, and boast of what he is unto us, and has 
 done for us. 
 
 III. The person to whom she speaks, are either 
 the ministers of the Gospel, whose assistance slie 
 had desired ; and having enjoyed the comforting 
 and supporting presence of Christ, in the ordi- 
 nances, and under the ministry of the word, she 
 lets them know of it, to encourage them in their 
 work, and that they, with her, might bless the 
 Lord for it : or else, the daughters of Jerusalem, 
 whom she adjures in the following verse ; who 
 are persons newly converted, to whom she directs 
 her discourse, and gives them this account of her 
 experience, that slie might allure them to the or- 
 dinances, and encourage them to walk in the ways 
 of Christ, as well as engage them to join with 
 her in giving thanks to him for the reception of 
 so great a mercy ; which is very agreeable to 
 David's practice, in Psal. iiiiv. 2, 3, " My soul 
 shall make her boast in the Lord : the humble 
 shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the 
 Lord with me, and let us exalt his name to- 
 gether." 
 
 Verse 7. / charge you, ye daughters of Jeru- 
 salem, by the roes and by the hinds of the 
 field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, 
 till he please. 
 
 There is some difficulty in these words concern- 
 ing the person speaking, who it is, whether Christ 
 or the church : interpreters are divided about it ; 
 and there are reasons, not to be despised, given on 
 both sides. 
 
 Some think that they are the words of the 
 church, charging the daughters of Jerusalem to 
 give no disturbance to Christ, her love, and cause 
 him to depart from her, with whom she now was, 
 enjoying sweet communion with him ; which 
 seems to be the sense of our translators : and 
 this sense of the words bids fair, if we consider, 
 1. The person to whom these words are spoken, 
 " the daughters of Jerusalem ;" who were the 
 friends of the church, " the virgins, her compa- 
 nions ;" who attended and waited upon her : 
 Christ is represented in this Song as having his 
 friends with him ; and the church, as having hers 
 with her, and that in allusion to a nuptial enter- 
 tainment ; and therefore it seems most reasonable 
 that she should speak to her friends, and not his. 
 
 2. In all other places, where these words arc 
 used, they seem to be the words of the churcli, 
 and not of Christ ; see chap. iii. 5, and viii. 4. 
 
 3. The manner of speech shows it, wliich is not 
 by way of command, which is proper to Christ ; 
 but by way of adjuration, or giving a charge with 
 an oath, which_ is usual with the church of these 
 persons ; for which, besides the places before- 
 mentioned, see chap. v. 8. 4. If we also consider 
 the matter, it suits well with the church's lan- 
 guage ; the character, " my love," is very ap- 
 plicable to Christ, he being the Person whom 
 her soul loved ; the charge that this love should 
 not be stirred up, but at pleasure, agrees with 
 Christ, who is endued with sovereignty, and 
 ought to be at his own liberty to stay with, or 
 remove from his people when he pleases. 5. It 
 suits with the contest and scope of the place : 
 the church was now in Christ's arms, where she 
 lay with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction ; 
 and being willing to have communion with Christ 
 continued, and not interrupted by these persons, 
 she solemnly adjures them after this manner ; 
 which carefulness and solicitude of her's seems 
 also to be the scope and design of those other 
 places, chap. iii. 5, and viii. 4. 
 
 But there are others who think that they are 
 the words of Christ, and not without some 
 reason ; for, 1. It was the church, who having 
 solace and ease in Christ's arras, was fallen asleep 
 there, and not he in hers ; and therefore, that 
 she might have no disturbance, he charges the 
 daughters of Jerusalem by no means to awake her, 
 till she herself thought meet. 2. The church in 
 this Song, when she gives Christ a character, 
 which is expressive of her love, does not use this 
 word nariN, ahahah, love, which is of the feminine 
 gender ; but another, nn dodi, my beloved, or 
 well-beloved, which is of the masculine; but 
 Christ makes use of this same word in giving 
 a loving title to his church, as in chap. vii. 6 ; and 
 therefore they seem to be the words of Christ 
 speaking concerning and in behalf of his church. 
 3. Both the word nnn«, ahabih, love, and ^Dnn, 
 techphafz, which is in construction with, and is 
 rendered he please, are both of the feminine 
 gender, and so best agree with her,i and may be 
 rendered, "that ye stir not up nor awake my 
 love till she please." 4. The following words 
 seem to confirm this sense, " the voice of my 
 beloved !" What voice was this she heard ? 
 ^Tiy, the charge he gave to the daughters of 
 Jerusalem not to disturb her ; which discovered 
 so much love and goodness in him, and her heart 
 was so much affected with it, that she breaks out 
 into this pathetic exclamation, " the voice of my 
 beloved !" 
 
 And now though the former sense is not to be 
 despised, yet I must confess I chiefly incline to 
 the latter, and having thus considered whose 
 words they are, I shall now consider the words 
 
 t So the Cabalistic doctors interpret the word of malcuth. or th9 bride Lexic. Cabal, p. 43, 44. 
 
 o 2 
 
i 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF TUE 
 
 [cii'AP. II. 
 
 up nor 
 
 themselves; in wliich may be observed, 
 
 I. The char-re given ; not to " stir 
 awake t//e love till he or she j)lease." 
 
 II. The persons to whom this charge is given ; 
 " the daughters of Jerusalem." 
 
 JII. The manner in which it is delivered; " I 
 charge you by (he roes and by the hinds of the 
 field." 
 
 I. Here is a solemn charge given not to " stir 
 up nor awake the love," or " this love," the well- 
 kuovvn love,' " till he, or she please ;" which I 
 have observed may be understood, either as the 
 church's charge to these persons not to disturb 
 Christ, ia whose company she now was ; or else, 
 as Christ's charge to them not to awake the 
 charch, who was now sleeping in his arms ; and 
 both these senses being pressed with such reasons 
 as have been bufore observed, I shall consider the 
 words both ways : and then if we consider them 
 as the church's charge, not to disturb Christ her 
 love, they will lead us to observe, 1. That Christ 
 is the object of the church's love, and of all true 
 believers ; there is none in heaven or on earth, 
 that has so great a share in their love as he has ; 
 they love him with all their hearts and souls, 
 and above all things else whatever ; and that so 
 sincerely and unfeigncdly, that they can appeal, 
 with Peter, to the Searcher of hearts, and say, 
 " Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest 
 that I love thee;" which arises from the dis- 
 coveries of Christ's love to them, and the views 
 which they have of his loveliness; and is still 
 more and more increased, by having nearer com- 
 munion, and more intimacy and acquaintance 
 with him. 2. That Christ sleeps and takes his 
 rest among his church and people ; this is man- 
 ifest from her carefulness not to have him stirred 
 up and awaked ; the Lord is sometimes said to 
 sleep, and not to awake, when he does not arise 
 to deliver his people from danger, or out of the 
 hands of their enemies ; see Psal. xxiv. 22, 23, 
 and xliv. 23, 33, and sometimes when he grants 
 his presence to them and communion with them, 
 as here : the church is Christ's resting-ploce, 
 where he " rests in his love," towards his people, 
 grants his presence to them, converses with them, 
 and " lies all night betwixt their beasts." 8. That 
 Christ may be disturbed, and raised up from 
 hence by the sins of his people ; their vexatious 
 contentions one with another, their unfriendly 
 and ungrateful carriage to him, often provoke 
 him to remove from them ; they grieve his Spirit, 
 and cause him to hide his face, which is no ways 
 for their honour or comfort. 
 
 4. Tliat believers should be very careful that 
 they do not provoke Christ to depart from them ; 
 and therefore should watch against the very first 
 m^otions of sin, and " abstain from all appearance 
 for sinful thoughts, as well as sinful ac- 
 
 ofit; 
 
 tions, are an abomination to him, and lead on to 
 (he commission of them ;, and it is the desire of 
 believers under the influences and by the assist- 
 ance of tlie Spirit of grace, so to do ; which 
 shows that communion with Christ is highly valued 
 by them, and what they would not have by any 
 means iuterrupted. 5. That communion which 
 souls have with Christ, is entirely at his pleasure; 
 they cannot have it, when and as long as they 
 please, but when and as long as he pleases ; for 
 " when he giveth quietness, who then can make 
 trouble ? so when he hideth his face, wiio then 
 can behold him ?" as Elihu says. Job xxxiv. 29. 
 The discoveries of Christ's love and grace to his 
 people ; the grants of his presence to Ihetn, and 
 communion with them, as much depend upon his 
 sovereign will and pleasure, as the first actings 
 of his grace towards and upon sinners do : he 
 may withdraw from his people without any pro- 
 vocation, as he sometimes does; for he is a God 
 that " hideth his face from the house of Jacob ;" 
 and is not obliged to give any reason for it, but 
 his owu sovereign well ; though he always designs 
 their good, and his own glury by it ; yet he is 
 oftener caused to arise, and remove from them, 
 through their carnality, lukewarmness, ingratitude, 
 and unbelief. 
 
 But if we consider the words as the charge of 
 Christ to the daughters of Jerusalem, not to dis- 
 turb the church, then we may observe, 1. That 
 the church is Christ's love ; she is frequently 
 called so by him in this Song, as in chap. i. 9, 
 15, and ii. 10, and in other places: she has the 
 greatest share in his affections, as he has in hers, 
 and has given the fullest proofs of his love of her ; 
 which put it beyond all dispute, that she is the 
 object of it, and will always continue so, notwith- 
 standing all her failings and infirmities. 2. That 
 the church sleeps and takes her rest in Christ's 
 arms ; there is a sleejjiness or drowsiness which 
 attends God's children, that is a sinful one ; 
 when they fold their own arms together, and do 
 not lie in Christ's; in this frame was the church, 
 chap. iii. 1, and v. 2 ; but this here is a rest 
 which Christ gives, a sleep which he brings his 
 into, when he puts under his everlasting arms, 
 and embraces them in his bosom ; for " so he 
 givelh his beloved sleep," Psal. cxxvii. 2, 3. 
 That Christ values the company and conversation 
 of his children : these are " the excellent in the 
 earth, in whom is all his delight ;" he loves to 
 see their persons, and hear their voice; the act- 
 ings of their grace upon him are exceeding de- 
 lightful to him, and therefore would not have 
 them be disturbed, hence it can never be a work 
 well-plcasiug to Christ, for any to sadden the 
 hearts, lessen the joys, and weaken the faith of 
 God's children. 4. That Christ would not have 
 his church's jjeace disturbed ; though it olten- 
 
 ' So lovers are frequently caller! amor and amores, love and loves; vid. Theocrit. Idyll. 2. and Ovid. 
 Bnseis Aehilli. v. 12. Plaiiti Curculio, act. 2. sc. 3. v. 78 Miles, a«t. i. sc. 8. v. 07. Jlostel. Arg. v. 1. Persa, 
 Arg. V. 4. Foeaulus, .let..;, fc. 3. v. 42. 
 
7.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 85 
 
 tiines is by " quarrelsome and contenlious per- 
 sons," who are always uneasy themselves, and 
 euJeavQur to make others so ; by " carnal pro- 
 fessors, whose lives and conversations are wound- 
 ing and grieving to pious souls ;" by " errors and 
 heresies," which, " springing up" iu churches, 
 trouble some, and defile otliers ; and often by 
 " inward corruptions," those domestic enemies, 
 which are of all the worst and most alSicting ; 
 as well as by Satan, that unwearied enemy, who, 
 though he cannot devour, yet will disturb ; but 
 whether this be done one way or other, it is no 
 ways pleasing and grateful to Christ. 5. Though 
 believers, when under the gracious influences of 
 the blessed Spirit, are desirous of communion 
 with Christ ; and if they might have it as long 
 as they please, they would have it always, and 
 say, as the disciples did, " Lord, it is good for us 
 to be here ;" yet when they begin to be sleepy 
 and drowsy, they grow careless and iudiflcreut 
 about it; which justly provokes Christ to deprive 
 them of it. So much for the charge itself. 
 
 II. The persons to whom this charge is given, 
 arc the " daughters of Jerusalem ;" by whom 
 we are to understand young converts, as has been 
 observed in chap. i. 5. Now these are very apt 
 to disturb Christ by their impatience ; who, 
 like new-born babes, are unwilling to wait till 
 their food is prepared for them ; till'Cbrist's own 
 time is come, when he will more fully reveal him- 
 self unto them, and give them large discoveries 
 of his love: and also by their frowardness, who, 
 when their food is prepared for them, grow sullen 
 and will not eat it; and, like Rachel of old, 
 " refuse to be comforted ;" or else, through " the 
 weakness of their faith, and living upon their 
 frames," which young converts are very apt to 
 do ; for no longer than they have the discoveries 
 of Christ's love, and sensible communion with 
 him, can they believe their interest in him ; and 
 therefore, like froward aud impatient children, 
 or poor weaklings, give him a great deal of dis- 
 turbance : aud so taking them as the words of 
 the church, she seems here to act the part of a 
 mother; and charges these her children to be 
 still and quiet, and give her loving Husband no 
 disturbance, whilst she enjoyed his delightful 
 company. 
 
 Moreover, these daughters of Jerusalem, or 
 young converts, are very apt to give the church 
 disturbance ; and therefore Christ may be repre- 
 sented as charging them not to do it : this they 
 sometimes do through weakness, not being able to 
 bear the doctrines of the Gospel ; such some of 
 the Coi-inthians were, who were " babes in 
 Christ," and therefore the apostle fed them with 
 milk, and not with mrat, for they " were not 
 able to bear it ;" by reason of which, many con- 
 tentions, divisions, and disturbances, were raised 
 in that church: as also, sometimes through 'igno- 
 
 • Cerva silvicultrix. Catullus, v. 04, 72. ' Vir- 
 
 giuibus Tyriis mos eBt gestare pharetram, Virgil. 
 
 ranee of Gospel-order," not being so well versed 
 in, aud acquainted with the rulei, laws, and ordi- 
 nances of Christ's house ; so that oftentimes, for 
 want of knoiv ledge in Gospcl-discipliue, as well 
 as in Gospel-doctrine, they give disturbance to 
 the church of Christ ; all which, Christ knowing 
 full well, gives them this solemn charge. 
 
 III. The manner in which this charge is 
 given, which is very solemn and awful ; it is 
 with an oath, " I adjure you, or I cause you to 
 swear by the roes and by the hiuds of the field, 
 that ye give no disturbance to my love; creatures 
 which ran in field*, forests, and woods, and were 
 their native places.' Tlie meaning is, not as if 
 either Christ or his church swore by those crea- 
 tures ; for swearing by heaven or earth, or by 
 any creature in them, is condemned by Christ, 
 Matt. V. 34—37; au oath ought not to be takea 
 iu trifling cases, nor in any other name than iu 
 the name of God ; which perhaps is the reason 
 why the Targum thus paraphrases the words here: 
 " I adjure you, O ye congregation of Israel, by 
 the Lord of hosts," or Tzebaoth, which same 
 word is used for roes here, " and by the strengths 
 or fortresses of the land of Israel," k.c. And ei- 
 ther, 1. The words may be paraphrased thus, 
 I charge you, who are among the roes and hinds 
 of the fields, you daughters of Jerusalem, who 
 are shepherdesses, and keep your flocks where 
 roes and hinds skip and play ; or who love to 
 hunt them, and delight in such exercises;' I 
 chai"ge you, that you give my love no disturbance. 
 Or else, 2. Thus I charge you, O ye daughters of 
 Jerusalem, that ye remain or abide with the roes 
 and hinds of the field, so Junius; mind your own 
 business, keep your flocks, stand without whilst I 
 and my love enjoy each other's delight fiil convei'sa- 
 tion,without any interruption or molestation from 
 you. Or, 3. Those creatures, the roes and hinds, it 
 may be, are called in as witnesses to this solemn 
 charge, and to be produced against them, if ever 
 they should break it ; as to which sometimes 
 iieaveu and earth, animate aud inauimate crea- 
 tures, are called in scripture; see Deut, xxx. 19, 
 Josh. xxiv. 27. Or, 4. This adjuration or charge 
 is made by all that is dear, the roes «ud hinds 
 being pleasant and lovely creatures, as in Prov. v. 
 19 ; as if he or she sliould say, I charge you, O 
 ye lovely daughters of Jernsalcm, by the hinds 
 and roes, which for beauty and loveliness are like 
 to yon, as R. Aben Ezra observes; if, ye lovely 
 ones, ye have any love for me, I beg, I earnestly 
 intreat of you, that you will cause neither me nor 
 my love any interruption. Or, 5. It may be con- 
 sidered as a severe threatening to those persons, 
 if they should be unmindful of the charge given ; 
 and it is as if he should say, I swear, that if you 
 stir up, or awake my love, that you shall be food 
 as common to all, as the roes and hinds are; to 
 which purpose as R. Sol. Jarchi's gloss: and 
 
 ^neid. 1. I. 
 
8G 
 
 A:< expos iXlON OF THE 
 
 [chap ii. 
 
 these creatures being very swift ones, may note 
 the suddenness and swiftness of those judgments 
 which should come upon them in case of disobe- 
 dience. Or, 6. The sense may be this : that as 
 ye would, ye daughters of Jerusalem, be cau- 
 tious how you start those timorous creatures," the 
 roes and hinds ; so would I have you be as cau- 
 tious how you stii' up and awake my love, which 
 is as easily and as quickly done. Or, 7, and 
 lastly, I charge you, for the sake of these roes 
 and hinds, the Gentiles and nations of the world, 
 that ye do not disturb the peace of my church, by 
 fomenting and increasing divisions in it ; and so 
 cause my name to be dishonoured, my ways to be 
 spoken evil of, and me to depart from you ; but 
 rather keep peace within, and " walk in wisdom 
 towards them that are without ;" and by so doing^ 
 you will gratify me, and allure these Gentiles to 
 your society and fellowship ; who otherwise, like 
 timorous roes and hinds, will be frighted and 
 scared from it. 
 
 Verse 8. The voice of my I dove dl beJioJd ! he 
 Cometh leaping upon tlie mountains, skipping 
 upon the hills. 
 
 Though there was some difficulty in understand- 
 ing the former words, whose they were, whether 
 Christ's or the church's ; yet it is certain that 
 these are spoken by the church, who hearing 
 Christ, her beloved, give such a solemn charge to 
 the daughters of Jerusalem, not to awake her, is so 
 affected with his love to her, and care of her, that 
 she could' not forbear breaking out into this pathe- 
 tic exclamation upon it; and not only takes notice of 
 this, but also of some other instances of his love 
 and regard unto her ; or else it may be supposed, 
 that the sweet and comfortable communion which 
 she had before enjoyed with Christ, mentioned in 
 the preceding verses, had been for some time in- 
 terrupted, he having withdrawn himself, and she 
 being fallen into a spiritual drowsiness ; but he 
 returning again to her, and calling her out of this 
 state, as in vcr. 10, she awakes, and takes notice 
 of the several steps and procedures of his grace, 
 and records several instances of his love unto 
 her ; two of which are mentioned in these 
 words. 
 
 I. He calls unto her, and she hears and knows 
 his voice, and says. It is " the voice of my be- 
 loved." 
 
 II. He not only calls, but comes, and she 
 spies him coming ; the manner of which she 
 describes to be, " leaping upon the mountains, 
 skipping upon the hills." 
 
 I. The first thing she remarks is his voice, 
 with which she seems to be wonderfully affected, 
 " the voice of my beloved ! " Some Jewish wri- 
 ters" interpret this of the voice of the Messiah ; 
 by which may be mea nt, the Gospel of Christ, in 
 
 ° — Pavidos formidine cervos terret, Ovid. Fasti, 
 1. 5. v. 173. Formidantes cervos, Ovid. Metamorph. 
 1. !.■>. fab. 43. Timidi damse, Virgil. Bucol. eclog. 8. 
 V. 28. and Georgic. 1. 3. prope finem. Pavida; damje. 
 
 which he speaks both to saints and sinners ; and 
 which has a virtue and efficacy in it to quicken 
 dead sinners, and comfort living saiuts ; for 
 though it is powerful, yet alluring ; though full 
 of majesty, yet soft and charming, and makes de- 
 lightful music in the ears of believers; concern- 
 ing which may be observed, 
 
 1st. That the voice of Christ is known and 
 distinguished by believers from the voice of 
 others: the church was capable of doing this, 
 and therefore says, " the voice of my beloved ! " 
 she could know it lo be his voice, and distinguish 
 it from another's, even though but just I'aised out 
 of her sleep ; nay, she could do this when she 
 was as it were between sleeping aud waking ; 
 when indulging herself in drowsiness and secu- 
 rity, as in chap. v. 2, and thus Christ says, 
 John X. 4, 5, of all his sheep, that they not 
 only heard his voice, but knew it, and therefore 
 followed him and not strangers; for, says he, 
 " the voice of strangers they know not." Now 
 if any one should ask how Christ's voice can be 
 known and distinguished from others ; I answer, 
 
 1. By the majesty of it; by this we know the 
 scriptures to be the word of God, there appear- 
 ing such a shine of majesty in them, as does not 
 in any other writings ; and hereby we know the 
 Gospel to be the voice of Christ, and can distin- 
 guish it from that which was not so : Christ 
 speaks in the Gospel, " as one having authority, 
 and not as the scribes ; " there is a vast dif- 
 ference between " the words which man's wisdom 
 teacheth," and those " which the Holy Ghost 
 teacheth ; " the one are low, mean, dead, aud 
 lifeless ; the other not only come with evidence, 
 aud " the demonstration of the Spirit and of 
 power " to believers, but even fasten convictions 
 of the original and authority of them upon the 
 minds of wicked men; see 1 Cor. xiv. 24,25. 
 
 2. By the power and efficacy of it ; the Gospel 
 which is Christ's voice, comes " not in word only, 
 but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost ; " 
 and so not only reaches the ear, but also the 
 heart; it opens blind eyes, unstops deaf ears, 
 quickens dead sinners, awakes sleepy, and com- 
 forts distressed saints, and is in fine, " the power 
 of God imto salvation, to every one that believes." 
 
 3. By the spiritual food and divine refreshment 
 it affords to believers ; who find Christ's word 
 and eat it, and it becomes " the joy and re- 
 joicing " of their hearts; that which is not 
 Christ's word and Gospel, is like the chaff to this 
 wheat ; and that which is opposite to those 
 " wholesome words of our Lord Jesus," instead 
 of nourishing and refreshing, as these do, " eat 
 as doth a canker." 4. Believers know this 
 voice of Christ, and can distinguish it from 
 others, by its bringing them to him, and not 
 sending them from him ; that voice which sends 
 Herat. Carmin. 1. 1. ode 2. v. 1 1. hence Kpo3in£\n0oio, 
 corcervi, Homer. Iliad. 1. I. v. 225. " Fesikta 
 in Yalkcutin loc. 
 
VEIi. 8.1 
 
 SONG OF SOXGS. 
 
 87 
 
 ine to my owu rigliteousuess, and not to Clirist's, 
 for acceptance with God, and justificatioa before 
 him ; which sends me to my tears of repentance, 
 and not to Christ's blood, for pardon and clean- 
 sing, can never be the voice of Christ ; that voice 
 wliich bids me keep off from Christ, till I have 
 prepared and qualided myself for him, by my 
 own acts of humiliation and obedience, is con- 
 trary to that voice of Christ which bids me come 
 to him as a poor, vile, filthy, and perishing sin- 
 ner in myself, without him, and venture on him 
 for life and salvation ; and therefore that cannot 
 be the voice of Christ : thus may it be known 
 from the voice of a stranger. 6. Believers have 
 the Spirit of Christ, who is " the Spirit of truth," 
 whose work and office it is to " guide them into 
 all truth," and to enable them to distinguish 
 truth from error ; and this he accordingly does, 
 for he " searches the deep things of God," and 
 reveals them to the saints, and abides in them as 
 a " spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the know- 
 ledge of Christ." G. They know it by the scrip- 
 tures of truth, which they diligently search, and 
 by which they examine every doctrine : and what- 
 soever sound or language is disagreeable there- 
 unto, they reject, as not being the voice of 
 Christ ; " to the law and to the testimony " they 
 appeal ; and whosoever does not " speak accord- 
 ing to this word, " they judge " it is because 
 there is no light in them, " Isa. viii. 20 
 
 2ndly. It may be observed that this voice of 
 Christ, as it may be known and distinguished 
 by believers from the voice of others, so it is 
 exceeding pleasant and delightful to them. - The 
 church seems to speak of it as being so to her; 
 and no wonder it was, for it is, 1. A voice of 
 love, grace, and mercy to poor sinners ; it is 
 not like the law, a voice of terror, wrath, and 
 fury ; no, it speaks peace and pardon to re- 
 bellious creatures, and publishes life and salva- 
 tion to lost sinners. Christ came leaping and 
 skipping like a roe or a young hart ; or, as 
 it is said of Naphtali, like " a hind let hose, 
 who giveth goodly words ;" emd no wonder then 
 that his voice was so delightful. 2. It was also the 
 voice of her beloved one, who dearly loved her, and 
 had given incontestible proofs of it, and whom 
 she loved with all her heart and soul ; and 
 therefore his voice, as well as his countenance 
 and person, was sweet unto her ; it was the 
 voice of the bridegroom, and therefore need not 
 be thought strange that the bride, as well as 
 her friends, should rejoice at it. 
 
 Srdly. We may learn from hence, that Christ's 
 voice may be heard before he is seen-, the church 
 first heard his voice, and then she saw him 
 come leaping and skipping over the mountains 
 and hills ; and this indeed is one way by which 
 souls are brought to a sight of Christ, viz., by 
 the preaching of the gospel ; nay, believers, even 
 when they are without sights of Christ, and 
 sensible communiou with him ; yet, in hearing 
 
 the word, cau distinguish Christ's voice, and 
 can set to their seals that it is his, though 
 perhaps they cannot immediately take in the 
 comfort of it. 
 
 4tlily. Believers would have others know Christ's 
 voice as well as they ; the church knew this 
 to be the voice of Christ ; but she is not con- 
 tent with the knowledge of it herself, and there- 
 fore speaks of it for the information of the 
 daughters of Jerusalem. But, 
 
 II. She not only heard his voice, but also 
 spied him coming to her, though at some dis- 
 tance ; and perhaps as soon as ever she had heard 
 his voice, or the noise of his feet, as R. Abcn 
 Ezra explains it, she lifted up her eyes, or turned 
 herself, and saw him upon the march towards 
 her. Here must be considered, 1st. What is 
 meant by his coming. 2ndly. Tiie manner of it, 
 " leaping upon the mountains, and skipping upon 
 the hills." Srdly. Why she prefixes an ecce, 
 or a behold unto it ; behold he cometh," &c. 
 
 1st. It will bo proper to consider what is here 
 meant by Clirist's coming : which must be 
 understood either of his coming in the flesh, 
 which the church had then a distant sight of, 
 and is since accomplished : this coming of Christ 
 from heaven, and out of his Father's bosom, into 
 this sinful world, was not by a change of place, 
 but by assumption of nature ; who.ee great end 
 in it was to save sinners, which is entirely an- 
 swei'ed: now, as this had been long promised, 
 frequently prophesied of, and nothing was more 
 earnestly expected, and passionately wished and 
 prayed for, so nothing was more delightful to 
 the Old-Testament saints, than the near ap- 
 proach of it, nor more welcome than wlien it 
 was accomplished. Or else by bis coming here, 
 may be meant his spiritual coming ; for though he 
 withdraws and absents himself from his people for 
 a time, yet he will not leave them altogether, 
 and always comfortless, but will come unto 
 them; and the church's spying him as com- 
 ing, supposes that he was at some distance 
 from her, with respect to sensible communion 
 or enjoyment of his presence, though not with 
 respect, either to union or affection ; for in this 
 sense she is always near unto him : and also 
 that he was upon the return to her, whom faith 
 spied, though at a distance, which is agreeable 
 enough to the nature of it ; this filled her soul 
 with joy and pleasure : for even distant sights 
 of Christ are pleasant, though his nearer ap- 
 proaches give a greater satisfaction ; his pre- 
 sence is always welcome to a believer, and there 
 is a great deal of reason for it: for he al- 
 ways brings something along with him, and 
 never comes empty handed ; yea, never visits 
 without leaving something behind him. 
 
 2ndly. The manner of his coming is ex- 
 pressed by " leaping upon tiie mountains, slcip- 
 ping upon the hills : " the allusion is to the 
 leaping of a roe or a young hart, as in the next 
 
88 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF TlIE 
 
 [chap. II. 
 
 verse, remarkable for leapijipr, even oue just | 
 yeaned;" so a young liart is described as leaping ' 
 to its dam ■/ the leap of one of these creatures is | 
 very extraordinary -.^ wliich, if understood of 
 Christ's coming in tlie flesh, shows, 1. That 
 there were many difficulties in the way, and such 
 that were comparable to bills and raonntains : 
 the greatness of his pei'son was no inconsiderable 
 one ; nay, such an one, that it could nevar have 
 been thought that it should have been got over, 
 had not God himself declared it should be ; and 
 wc have undeniable evidence that it has been ; for 
 God to become man, the Creator a creature, and 
 the Word to be made flesh, and dwell among us, 
 is such an amazing stoop of Deity, and surprising 
 instance of divine condescension, that it is even 
 the wonder of men and angels : also the greatness 
 of the work he was to do, when come, was no 
 small difficulty ; here was a broken law to fulfil, 
 angry justice to satisfy, sin to atone for, the wrath 
 of God to bear, many enemies to grapple with, 
 and a cursed death to undergo ; and all this for 
 the vilest of miscreants, the worst of creatures, 
 whose characters are sinners, ungodly persons, and 
 such who were enemies to him in their minds by 
 wicked works. Yet, 2. These difficulties which 
 seem insuperable to us, were easily surmounted 
 by him : he leaped and skipped over those moun- 
 tains and hills, which all became a plain before 
 our great Zerubbabel ; what appear mountains to 
 us, were mole-hills to him ; therefore he readily 
 engaged, and voluntarily undertook before time to 
 assume human nature, which in time he did with 
 the utmost cheerfulness ; and showed his eager 
 desires after it, long before his incarnation, in often 
 appearing in a human form ; and when he was 
 actually become incarnate, how eager was he for 
 the accomplishment of the work he came about ! 
 how easily did he break through all difficulties, 
 discouragements, and impediments, that lay in his 
 way ! and nothing could stop him till he could say 
 the work was finished which he undertook ; and 
 thus, with the utmost swiftness and celerity, he 
 came " leaping upon the mountains, and skipping 
 upon the hills." If we understand it of his spiri- 
 tual coming, it shows, 1. That there are im- 
 pediments in the way of Christ's visiting his peo- 
 ple ; such as their unbelief, carnality, and luke- 
 warmness, their want of faith in him, and affection 
 tohim, their backslidings from him, and ingratitude 
 towards him : yet all these mountains and hills he 
 leaps and skips over, resolving that nothing shall 
 separate him and them. 2. That Christ's coming 
 to his people in a way of grace, is very conspicuous 
 to them ; the eye of faith spies him at a distance, 
 as it were, upon the mountains ; and also, that it 
 is very glorious and beautiful ; for if " beautiful 
 upon the mountains are the feet of him that 
 bringeth glad tidings," much more beautiful must 
 
 « Vid. Dionys. Prieg. p. 843, 844. y Ne/3por 
 
 aXoiTo, &c. Theocrit. Idyll. 8. prope finem. ' The 
 
 hart is said to leap sixty feet at a leap, Bochart. 
 
 the feet of Christ, or Christ himself be, when he" 
 comes and grants his gracious presence to his peo- 
 ple. 3. It denotes the spcediness, swiftness, and 
 ie,uliiiess of Christ, to help his people ; he makes 
 haste and delays not, and therefore is said to leap 
 and skip ; his heart is set upon it ; and nothing 
 shall prevent him, though mountains and hills are 
 between them. 
 
 3rdly. She prefixes an eere, a behold, to this 
 comiug of Christ unto her ; which, if applied to 
 his coming in the flesh, may be considered, either, 
 1. As a note of admiration ; as in Isa. vii. 14, 
 " Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son :" 
 the incarnaliou of Christ, though it was confirmed 
 to the church by promises, types, and prophecies, 
 yet was so strange and stupendous a thing, that 
 nothing but faith eonld receive it, and that with 
 the most profound admiration. 2. As a note of 
 attention or asseveration ; and so is used by her 
 to stir up the daughters of Jerusalem to an obser- 
 vation of his near approach, and to encourage 
 them in their faith and expectation of it, as well 
 as that they might participate of her joy in the 
 views thereof ; see Zech. ix. 9. 
 
 Again, if we understand it of Christ's spiritual 
 coming ; this is, (1). Matter of admiration, and 
 therefore may well have an ecce, a behold, prefixed 
 to it ; we have all, who know any thing of this, 
 reason to say with Judas, not Iscariot, in John 
 xiv. 22, " Lord, how is it that thon wilt manifest 
 thyself to us, and not unto the world ?" (2). It is 
 also worthy of observation : Christ's special grace 
 and favour in this regard ought not to be care- 
 lessly overlooked ; but we should take no I ice of it 
 with thankfulness, and wonder at it ourselves, and 
 remark it to others, that they may join with us 
 in magnifying the Lord on such an occasion, as the 
 Psalmist did, in Psal. xxxiv. 1 — 3 ; who, as the 
 church here, was so affected with the loving-kind- 
 ness of the Lord, in this instance of it, that he tells 
 it to others for this purpose. 
 
 Verse 9. Mi/ beloved is like a roe, or a young 
 hart : behold he standeth behind our wall, he 
 looleth forth at the windows, shelving him- 
 self through the lattice. 
 
 The church continues her discourse concerning 
 Christ, and takes notice of the several steps he 
 took in manifesting himself unto her. 
 
 1. She compares him to " a roe or a young 
 hart." 
 
 2. Declares the several gradual discoveries of 
 himself unto her. 
 
 I. She compares him to " a roe or a young 
 hart ;" which seems to be occasioned by his 
 swift and speedy approach unto her, mentioned 
 in the former verse ; for these are creatures re- 
 markable for their swiftness ;• see 2 Sam. ii. 18. 
 and many have reference to Christ's celerity in 
 
 Hierozoic. par. I. 1. .5. v. 17. col. 8S2, 
 
 » Cervi veloces, Virgil. iEneid. 1. 4. v. 253. Cerva 
 aeripes, swift as the air, Ibid. I. 6. prope finem. 
 
VBR. 
 
 ^^.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 89 
 
 his coming ia the flesh ; who as soon as ever 
 " the fuluess of time " was come, made no dehiy, 
 but immediately clothed himself with human 
 nature, in order to dispatch, with the utmost 
 speed, the work which he had agreed to do ; and 
 with no less speed does he haste to the assist- 
 ance of his people, when under trials, desertions, 
 temptations, and aiBictions, and shows himself to 
 be" a very* present help iu trouble:" likewise 
 
 moans upon the cross, a violent eonsHmption of 
 the radical moisture ; so that his " strength was 
 dried up like a potslierd," and his tongue cleaved 
 to liis jaws," with the violent thirst that was upon 
 him ; such an one he had, as is manifest from 
 those words of his, when suffering upon tlie cross, 
 / Udrst. Moreover, it is reported in Lybia,* 
 where there is a great number of serpents, that 
 when they see a hart lying alone, will, in great 
 
 his second 'coming to raise the dead, judge the numbers at once, attack h.m ; some wrappm 
 
 ^ _ .... . ii 1 ^\ — ,,f U\a foot ntlipra n iniir nis norni 
 
 world, reward his saints, nnd punish his enemies, 
 will be equally as swift and sudden ; for which 
 reason it is compared. Matt, x.xiv. 29, to " the 
 lightning which cometh out of the east," and in 
 a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, shineth 
 even unto the west : but besides the swiftness of 
 these creatures, Christ may be compared to 
 them, or be said to be like to them on some 
 other accounts ; as, 1. For their pleasantness and 
 lovinguess; they are pleasant and loving crea- 
 tures, as appears from Prov. v. 19. Christ is 
 pleasant and desirable in his person to his peo- 
 ple, being " white and ruddy, and the chiefest 
 among ten thousand ;" he is loving in his carriage 
 and deportment to them, and has given the most 
 
 undeniable proofs of the reality. 
 
 themselves about his feet, others about his horns, 
 his ne.k, ard belly, and bite him dreadfully: upon 
 which he gets up and runs about, here and there 
 in great distress, but at length throws himself 
 upon his back; some he rubs to death, and 
 others he devours, and then hastens to the 
 water-brooks to cleanse and refresh himself: 
 thus Christ was beset by all the infernal powers, 
 yet spoiled them all, got an entire victory 
 over them, and now enjoys the glories of it. 
 These were creatures fit for food, and were al- 
 lowed to be so by the Levitical law ; naturalists 
 say,' that by their being hunted, their flesh be- 
 comes softer : Christ is the Bread of Life," and 
 the " hidden manna ;" he is very agreeable food 
 for souls ; his " flesh is meat indeed, " and his 
 
 strength, and immutability of his love, in shed- " blood is drink indeed ; and by reason of the 
 
 ding his blood, and by giving his life for them. I sufferings which he underwent in our nature 
 2. For their choiceness and excelleucv, as R. Sol. become very suitable food for faith. 5. ihese 
 Jarchi observes ; young roes and harts being the creatures are long-lived ones : it is reported. 
 
 most choice and excellent : Christ is so in his 
 nature. Person, office, people, and ordinances ; he 
 is so in the esteem of his Father, and in the 
 esteem of men and angels ; for though he is dis- 
 allowed by some, yet he is highly valued by 
 others. 3. For the antipathy there is between 
 these creatures and serpents : historians'' report 
 of them, that they search out the lurking-places 
 of serpents, and not being able to come at them 
 in their holes, do, by the very breath of their 
 nostrils, draw them out from thence,'^ and then 
 trample upon them, tear them in pieces, and eat 
 them : this may in some measure represent that 
 enmity there is between that old serpent Satan, 
 and Christ Jesus, the seed of the woman, who 
 was manifested in human nature, to break his 
 head, and destroy his works, which he has ac- 
 cordingly done. It is also fai'ther reported of 
 the hart,*^ that after eating serpents, it grows 
 prodigiously th"rsty, which occasions dreadful cries 
 and lamentatious, and violent pantings after the 
 water-brooks ; to which an allusion is made in 
 Psalm xlii. 1 ; and yet knowing, by an instinct 
 in nature, that it is dangerous to drink until it 
 has digested them, forbears a while. Thus Christ, 
 when he destroyed that old serpent the Devil, 
 sustained the weight of his Father's wrath, which 
 occasioned a bloody sweat in the garden, piteous 
 
 Plin. 1. 8. c. 32. .£uaii. de animal, l. 2. c. y. suiu! 
 Polylust. c. 31. So Theodoret. inloc. ' Hence 
 
 the hart has the name of e\aipor, according to I'lu- 
 tarch. de Solert. Animal, ii. <»76. •> Frantz. ; 
 
 Hist, animal, pacr. par. 1. c. 15. • Frantz. ibid. I 
 
 that Alexander the Great, having taken some of 
 them, put golden chains about them, with which 
 they were found, covered with fat, a hundred 
 years afterwards, and scarce any appearance of 
 old age in them. Christ lives and will live for 
 ever ;"he died once for the sins of men, but will 
 never die more ; " I am he, " says he, " that 
 liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive for 
 evermore," Rev. i. 18 ; for such reasons as these, 
 and perhaps some others, Christ may be said to 
 be " like a roe or a young hart." The Septuagint 
 here adds, " upon the mountains of Bethel," 
 which is not in the Hebrew text. 
 
 II. She declares the several gradual discoveries 
 of himself unto her. In the former verse, she 
 tells us, that she first heard his voice, and then 
 saw him come " leaping upon the mountains," and 
 " skipping upon the hilis ;" and here she observes 
 some nearer approaches of him to her. let. She 
 says, that he stood behind their wall. 2ndly. 
 Looked forth at the windoivs. 3rdly. Showed 
 himself through the lattice. 
 
 1st, She says, that he stood behind their wall ; 
 by which is meant, either. 1. The incarnation of 
 Christ, whose glorious Deity was covered and hid 
 under the wall of our humanity ;■■ which ii called 
 our wall, because he was made partaker of the 
 same flesh an d blood wit h us. Or, 2. The wa lls 
 32. Solin. c. 31. Vid. 
 p. 472. Hence cervina 
 251. >■ So 
 
 f Ibid. P Plin. 1. 3. 
 
 Pausan. Arcad. sive 1. 8 
 senectus, Juvenal, satyr. 14. 
 Isidore in loc. 
 
90 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THS 
 
 [chap. II. 
 
 of our hearts, of which we read, Jer. iv- 19, " I 
 am pained at my veiy heart;" in the Hebrew it 
 is, " I am pained at the walls of my heart ;" such 
 are our sins and transgressions,' which are as 
 so many walls of separation between Christ 
 and us, particularly unbelief, lukewarmness, carnal 
 reasonings, &c., behind which Christ stands ; and 
 which, by the mighty power of his grace and Spirit, 
 he batters down and demands an entrance. Or 
 else, 3. The ceremonial law, which the apostle 
 calls, Eph. ii. 14, " the middle wall of partition :" 
 this separated between Jew and Gentile, and was 
 made up of many hard and difficult precepts ; be- 
 hind this wall Christ stood under the Old Testa- 
 ment dispensation, and showed himself to his peo- 
 ple in types and figures, though but darkly and 
 obscurely in comparison of the Gospel revelation. 
 Or else, 4. By it may be meant the church's de- 
 fence and protection : the church is a city, and a 
 walled one ; God himself is a wall of fire round 
 about it ; and has also appointed salvation for walls 
 and bulwarks : his ministering servants, he has 
 not only set upon Zion's walls, but has made 
 them as walls of brass unto them ; he has set 
 tliem both for the defence of the church of the 
 Gospel ; now Christ's standing behind her wall, 
 may show that he is ready to protect his people, 
 redress their grievances, and revenge himself upon 
 their enemies. Or rather, 5, In general it shows, 
 that Christ was nearer unto her than he had been 
 before ; she then saw him, but at some distance, 
 upon the hills and mountains afar off ; but now 
 he was come nearer, even to her very home, and 
 stands behind her wall, being desirous to enter in ; 
 but still there was some distance of comnmnion, 
 a wall between them, and a wall of her own build- 
 ing ; it was owing to her own infidelity, carnality, 
 and sleepiness, that Christ stood at a distance, and 
 drew no nearer than he was ; and yet notwith- 
 standing this, he stands waiting as it were for an 
 invitation to enter in. 
 
 2udly. She takes notice of a farther discovery 
 of himself : he comes from behind her wall and 
 looks in at the windows, to see in what posture 
 his church was, and how things were managed in 
 his house. The allusion is to the quicksighted 
 roe or young heart ; which, as it is remarkable 
 for its swiftness, as in ver. 8 ; so for the sharp- 
 ness of its sight ; Pliny says,^ it is never dim 
 sighted ; it has its name dorcas in Greek, from its 
 sharp sight.' By windows, we arc not to un- 
 stand the windows of the heavens, through which 
 the Lord looks down npon his people, and beholds 
 them under all their afilictions, and in their several 
 cases and circumstances, as some of the Jewish 
 writers" do ; but rather, the ordinances of the 
 Gospel, which are that to the church, as windows 
 are to a house, they let in light to souls ; which 
 
 ' So K. Alshech in loo. ^ Nat. Hist. 1. 28. 
 
 c. II. ' kno T« ofu 3opK€ii/, Origcn in loc. so 
 
 Theodoret in loc. " K. Sol. Jarchi, and K. 
 
 Aben Ezra in loc. and so Lyra. " Efflorescens, 
 
 windows, for the glory and excellency of them, are 
 said, Isa. liv. 12, to be as gates. Ciirist looks 
 forth at these, and shows himself in his glory and 
 beauty to his saints ; even as kings and great men 
 look forth at the windows to be seen in their ma- 
 jesty and splendour by their people ; also in at 
 these windows Christ looks, and takes notice how 
 his children behave themselves under the ordin- 
 ances: with what reverence and attention, faith 
 and affection, they hear the word : and in what 
 becoming manner they carry themselves at the 
 table of the Lord ; and there is not the least 
 motion of the heart that escapes his notice. 
 
 3rdly. She takes notice of his showing him- 
 self through the lattices ; which seems to at- 
 tend a more clear and glorious discovery of him- 
 self in the means and ordinances of the Gospel ; 
 though indeed, our clearest sights of Christ here, 
 are but as through a glass darkly, through win- 
 dows and lattices, and not face to face, as they 
 will be in another world : and it may be observ- 
 ed from hence, that unless Christ shows himself 
 unto us, we can get no sight of him ; for " when 
 he hideth his face, who then can behold him ?" 
 as also, that Christ usually discovers himself in 
 the use of means through the ordinances ; and 
 therefore these are to be observed carefully, and 
 attended on constantly. Moreover, a behold is 
 prefixed to all these gradual manifestations of him- 
 self; which shows us, that Christ's discoveries of 
 himself to his people are exceeding wonderful and 
 ravishing : a glimpse of him behind the wall, is 
 a surprising instance of his grace, much more his 
 looking forth at the windows ; and his showing 
 or flourishing" himself, in aU his beauty and glory, 
 through the lattices, as the word signifies ; this 
 is enough to throw us into the greatest raptures 
 and ecstacies of mind, and fill us with a joy un- 
 speakable and full of glory. 
 
 Verse 10. 31y beloved spake, and said tmlo me. 
 Rise icp, my love, my fair one, and come away. 
 
 Christ having made so near an approach to 
 his church, as to come to her very wall, nay, 
 to look in at the windows, and show himself to 
 her through the lattice, calls aloud to her to 
 arise from her sleep, and come away with him ; 
 wliich she distinctly heard and understood, and 
 therefore relates the very words he said to her 
 which she might be capable of; for if she could 
 say it was the voice of her beloved, when he 
 was a great way of, at a distance from her 
 upon the hills and mountains: she must needs 
 know and understand distinctly what he said now 
 when he was ao near her. These then are the 
 words of the church, giving an account of what 
 her beloved said to her, when he made her this 
 
 Junius; so Ainsworth, Piscator, and Michaelis. 
 \>'SD propria de plantis dicitur, quum id jiroferunt, 
 quod florem praecedit, Mercer, in loc. 
 
10.] 
 
 SONG OF SOXGS. 
 
 91 
 
 kiad and iadulgent visit : iu which mxy be 
 considered, 
 
 I. Tlie preface to the following discourse; 
 " my beloved spake, and said unto me." 
 
 II. The exhortation which he presses a com- 
 pliance to rise up, and come away." 
 
 III. Some affectionate titles which he gives 
 lier : " my love, my fair one." 
 
 I. The preface which she makes to this dis- 
 course of Christ to her, of which she gives an 
 account iu this and the following verses, is, 
 " ray beloved spake, and said unto me :" in 
 which may be considered, 1. The person speak- 
 ing, " my beloved ;" which title has been fre- 
 quently met with and explained, particularly 
 iu chap. i. 13. 2. The mode of expression in 
 this preface, which in the Hebrew text is thus, 
 " my beloved answered, and said unto me ;"" 
 which mode of speaking is frequently made use 
 of by Christ in the New Testament ; and per- 
 haps is an hebraism in all those places where 
 it is there used ; but here it seems to be ex- 
 pressive of an answer to a secret petition of 
 hers. There is undoubtedly such a thing as men- 
 tal, as well as vocal prayer, iu which the desires of 
 the soul are put up to God ; and that under the 
 iufluences of the Spirit, who maketh intercession 
 for the saints, with groaniugs which cannot be 
 uttered : and such mental petitions and desires 
 preheard, regarded, and answered by Christ Jesus, 
 who is privy to the secret motions of our souls 
 God-ward, and understands full well the language 
 of a sigh and groan ; which shows him to be 
 the omniscient God ; gives a manifest proof of 
 his Deity ; as well as evidences his tender regard 
 to his people, and his readiness to help them 
 under all their distresses. 3. The notice which 
 she takes of it. As Christ is not always mute, 
 but opens his mouth, and returns suitable an- 
 swers, gives proper directions and instruction, 
 and speaks peace and consolation to his people ; 
 so they are not always deaf, but have ears to 
 hear, they listen to what he says ; and as they 
 can distinguish his voice from another's, so they 
 regard it above all others : what he speaks unto 
 them, is received with much pleasure and de- 
 light ; his words are not harsh and austere, but 
 full of love, grace, pity, and compassion. Now 
 it may be observed from hence that there is 
 such a thing as souls being satisfied when Christ 
 speaks to them, and that it is not a delusion ; the 
 church knew that it was her beloved that 
 spake, and not another ; and that he spake, to 
 her in particular, " my beloved spake, and 
 said unto me :" and so every believer may, in 
 some measure, know when Christ speaks unto 
 him, and that it is* not a delusion ; as when it 
 make us love Christ more, and quickens us to our 
 duty ; or when it discovers Christ's love to us, and 
 our intei-est in him ; when it excites our faith, our 
 
 » n33? respondit, Montanus, Vatablus, Marckius, 
 Michaclis, 
 
 hope, and joy, has a tendency to promote holiness of 
 heart and life, puts us upon glorifying Chiist, 
 and makes us more active and vigorous in his 
 service ; all which seem to be the effect of Christ's 
 speaking to the church here. But, 
 
 II. What Christ says unto her is by way of 
 exhortation; which consists of two parts. 1st. 
 To rise up. 2ndly. To come away. 
 
 1st. He exhorts her to rise up, and that in 
 the most tender and affectionate manner, as will 
 be observed hereafter; which supposes, either 
 that she was asleep upon a bed of carnal security, 
 indulging herself in ease and sloth ; or else, that 
 she was cast down in her soul under a sense 
 of sin, and for want of his presence, sitting in 
 darkness, without the light of his couutenance, 
 bemoaning her sorrowful and disconsolate con- 
 dition: as also, that walking iu the path of 
 faith, and running in the ways of Christ's com- 
 mandments, better became her, than sitting still 
 and being indolent ; and likewise, that to lift 
 up the head, and to be of a cheerful spirit, 
 better suited with the spouse of Christ, than a 
 sad and dejected countenance ; who had no need 
 to sit in the dust, and clothe herself with sack- 
 cloth and ashes, when she is the king's daughter, 
 nay, the queen herself, whoso clothing is the 
 gold of Ophir : so that neither an indolent and 
 inactive, nor a sorrowful and dejected spirit, 
 become the people of God and spouse of Christ. 
 
 2ndly. He exhorts her also to come away; from 
 whence ? why, from off her sluggish bed, or from 
 out of her prison of darkness and unbelief, or from 
 the company and conversation of wicked and 
 ungodly men ; and, in short, from every thing 
 that might bring a dishonour to him, or be pre- 
 judicial to herself; which shows the great regard 
 that Christ had for her. But whither would he 
 have her come? why, to himself, where she might 
 have peace aud comfort, enjoy sweet communion 
 with him, be out of the reach of enemies, and free 
 from danger by them ; he would have her quit 
 her former companions, her former ease and plea- 
 sures, and go with him, where she should enjoy 
 ease, pleasure, and conversation superior to these ; 
 he would have her be up and about her duty, fol- 
 lowing him, the Lamb, whithersoever he went : in 
 giving which advice, he sought her own good aud 
 comfort, as vvell as his own glory. The Jewish 
 writers? understand it as God's call to the people 
 of Israel to come out of Egypt, 
 
 III. The loving and affectionate titles which he 
 gives her, are, 1. " My love," which has been 
 already explained in chap. i. 9. 2. " My fair one ;" 
 in what sense the church is fair and comely, has 
 been shown in chap. i. 5 ; the church is Christ's 
 fair one ; not upon the account of her works of 
 righteousness, as the Targum explains it ; but 
 upon the account of the imputation of Christ's 
 righteousness, the pardon of her sins through his 
 
 p Targum, 11. Sol. Jarchi, and R. Abeu Ezra in 
 loc. 
 
d2 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. II. 
 
 blood,"and the sanctification of his Spirit. The 
 Septuagiut adds a third character, " my dove ;" 
 but this is not ia the Hebrew text. Now he uses 
 these titles, (1.) To show her his ardent love and 
 tender affections to her; that though she was in 
 a carnal and secure frame, and negligent in her 
 duty, yet she was his love and fair one still. (2.) 
 To remove all discouragements Irom her that might 
 arise from the consideration of her present slate 
 and condition. (3.) To prevail upon her to arise 
 and go with him ; and indeed an exhortation, 
 expressed in such moving language, delivered in 
 such an affectionate manner, one would think, 
 could not fail of succeeding, especially when press- 
 ed with a claim of interest in her, my love, and my 
 fair one ; as also when designed for her own good, 
 for so the words may be read, " rise up for thy- 
 self, and come away for thyself;"'' it will turn to 
 thy advantage, if thou dost do so; if not, it will be 
 detrimental to thee. What other arguments he 
 makes use of to enforce this upon her, will be seen 
 in the following verses. 
 
 Verse 11. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is 
 over and gone. 
 
 Christ here presses upon and encourages his 
 church to rise up from her present state of sleep 
 and sloth, and come away with him, where she 
 might enjoy peace and pleasure ! and this he does 
 by informing her, that it was now spring-tiine ; 
 that the winter was past, and the spring was come, 
 in which every thing looked gay, pleasant, and 
 delightful; the rain was over and gone, which 
 made journeys difficult, and rivers impassable, and 
 in the room of it, fair and sunshine weather ; that 
 that time of the year was over which was bad to 
 travel in, as Christ says, " pray ye that your (light 
 be not in the winter ;" and therefore she might 
 without fear, and with the utmost safety as well 
 as pleasure, venture abroad with him. Winter 
 and rain are very properly put together, since rain 
 is frequent in the winter-season ; and hence it has 
 the name of imhrifer^ from it. Now by this 
 winter, which is said to be past, and the rain that 
 is said to be over and gone, may be meant, either. 
 
 First. The state and coudilion both of the Jews 
 and Gentiles, before the coming of Christ in the 
 flesh, when it was a winter, a rainy and stormy 
 dispensation with both of them. Winter is used 
 by some writers, not for the season of the year, 
 but for A storm and tempest ;• and figuratively, 
 for some calamity, as war,' &c. And, 
 
 1st. It may be expressive of the state of the 
 Jews before Christ's coming." It is true, they 
 were a people peculiarly chosen by God, and were 
 indulged by him with special favours above the 
 Gentiles ; they had tJie knowledge of the true God, 
 
 "f) n"?! -]b 'Sip surge tibi and abi tibi, Montanu», 
 Cocceius, Ainsworth, Vatablus, Marekius. 
 
 ' Hyems imbrifera, Sil. Ital. 1. 31. v. 197. Tlu- 
 viosa liyems, Plin. Nat. Hist. 1. 18. c. 25. 
 
 • Eiuissamque hyemeni seHsit, Neptunus, Virgil 
 -£neid.l, I. v. 129. Miseranda rogabo unam hye- 
 
 and were instructed in his mind and will ; for he 
 gave them his law to direct them, and sent his 
 prophets time after time to inform, teach, rebuke, 
 warn, and admonish them; whilst tlie Gentiles 
 lived witliout the law, and had only the dim liglit 
 of nature to guide them : and yet the dispensation 
 which the Jews were under, before Christ's com- 
 ing, when compared with the gospel-dispensation, 
 may be said to be a winter, a rainy and stormy 
 one; which began when the law was given on 
 mount Sinai, which was attended with blackness, 
 darkness, and tempest. These people were all 
 along treated by God, as if they had been under a 
 covenant of works; for whilst they lived in obe- 
 dience to the divine will, they enjoyed without 
 disturbance their civil and religious privileges ; 
 but when they broke and transgressed the divine 
 laws, the clouds of God's wrath gathered thick and 
 black about them, and stormy judgments descended 
 on them, which begat in them a spirit of bondage ; 
 so that their services which they performed to 
 God, were not attended with that spirit of liberty 
 and ingenuity, with that faith and cheerfulness, 
 as now appeared in the saints in this spring-time 
 of the gospel : it was a time of coldness and 
 barrenness, the Sim of righteousness not having 
 as yet risen in tlieir horizon, with his warming 
 and fructifying iulluences as he has done since : 
 it was a time of much darkness aud obscurity ; 
 for though there were some discovcri«s of Christ 
 aud his grace to believers then, yet these were 
 made tlirougii dark shadows, cloudy and smoaky 
 sacritices : a little before Ciirist's coming in the 
 flesh, and appearing in his public ministry, there 
 was a violent rain, nay, a flood of error, infidelity, 
 and profaueness, came pouring iu among them ; 
 the law of God was corrupted with false glosses, 
 his institutions and ordinances changed and altered, 
 and his temple profaned ; one sort set up the 
 traditions of the elders, against the positive com- 
 mands of God ; another denied the resurrection of 
 the dead, and a future judgment ; and both ob- 
 stinately persisted iu their infidelity concerning 
 the Messiah, when he appeared among them. This 
 was the face of tilings when Christ was manifested 
 in the flesh ; who, by his ministry, checked the 
 infidelity and profaueness of the age ; and, by his 
 death, put a period to the Mosaic dispensation : so 
 that now those cloudy and shadowish ceremonies 
 arc gone ; the night of Jewish darkness is ended, 
 and the old covenant is waxen old, aud vanished 
 away. 
 
 2nd]y. It may also point out the state and con- 
 dition of the Gentiles before Christ's coming. 
 The times before the Gospel came among them, 
 were limes of ignorance ; they were strangers to 
 the knowledge of the true God, to his mind, will, 
 
 mem, Statii Acbill. 1. 1. v. 50, 51. Vid. Val. Flacc. 
 1. 1. v. 197. * Ni^'.tc !roXe^oiOX6'|Uepiov fo^oi/, Pindar. 
 I.stlim. ode \. " Ante adventum Christi hyemg 
 
 erat, venit Christus, fecit a?statem, Anibros. En- 
 arrat. in PBttl. cxviii. octon. 7. p. 921. Vid. Isidor. 
 in loc. 
 
VER. 
 
 11.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 03 
 
 aud worship ; darkness covered them, yea, gross 
 darkness was all around them ; storms of divine 
 wrath hang over their heads ; they were under 
 the manifest tokens of God's disiileasure, being 
 given up to judicial blindness and hardness of 
 heSrt, and were shut up in sin and unbelief; their 
 hearts were frozen up ; and seemed scarce capable 
 of having any impressions made upon them; the 
 Gentile world looked like a heath, a desert, or a 
 wihk-rness, all barren aud unfruitful, like the earth 
 in wintertime; an impetuous' rain and flood of 
 profaneness, error, and seduction, overflowed it : 
 God suflfered them to walk in their own ways, 
 and to follow the imaginations of their own hearts ; 
 they were left to worship birds, four-footed beasts, 
 and creeping things ; to fall down to stocks and 
 stones, and graren images, and pray lo a god that 
 could not save : but when the gospel was sent 
 among them by Christ, the face of the Gentile 
 world was quite altered, and appeared like the 
 earth after a winter season, upon the returning 
 spring; gospel light diffused itself through all the 
 parts thereof, and dispelled the shades of darkness, 
 blindness, ignorance, profaneness, a;^ infidelity ; 
 gospel grace, with its warming influences, thawed 
 their frozen hearts, aud left some deep and last- 
 ing impressions on them ; that which looked like 
 a wilderness, is become a fruitful field ; and that 
 which was as a desert, now appears as the garden 
 of the Lord: such a mighty change has the spring- 
 time of the gospel made in the Gentile world! Or 
 else, 
 
 SeconJIy. Tliis winter and rain, v/hich Christ 
 
 says were past and gone, may be understood of 
 
 the spiritual state of souls ; and that cither before 
 
 or after conversion. The state of believers before 
 
 conversion, may be represented by it, which is a 
 
 time of darkness, deadness, coldness, barrenness, 
 
 and unfruitfulness, and is only removed by the 
 
 powerful and eBicious grace of Christ ; and ofteu 
 
 after conversion, is a winter season with them ; 
 
 they are frequently annoyed with the blustering 
 
 winds aud rains of Satan's temptations, which 
 
 beat upon them like a storm against a wall ; this 
 
 enemy of their souls often comes iu like a flood 
 
 upon them, and would bear them away, were it 
 
 not for the power and grace of the Spirit of God, 
 
 which are opposed unto it ; they are often under 
 
 the fearful apprehensions of storms of impending 
 
 wrath for their sins and transgressions against 
 
 God ; they are seldom free from sharp crosses and 
 
 afflictions, and are often under the nipping blasts 
 
 of persecution ; which may be compared to the 
 
 winter season for its shai-pness ar.d severity, 
 
 though exceeding wholesome. 
 
 Moreover, they are sometimes in a great deal 
 of darkness of soul ; the clouds interpose between 
 Christ and them, so as they cannot behold him, 
 and their interest in him ; their hearts are often 
 hard aud frozen up, so as no impressions are, made 
 either by the preaching of the word, or by the 
 
 providences of God ; a great deal of coldness fre- 
 quently attends them ; there is a chill upon their 
 love to God, to Christ, to his people, ordinances, 
 cause, and interest, which is occasioned by the 
 prevailings of sin and corruption in them : some- 
 times they look like trees in winter, barren and 
 uufruitful, with no appearance of the fruit of 
 grace, nor leaves of profession, but as if they were 
 entirely dead and lifeless; and when this is their 
 case, it may he said to be a" winter-season with 
 them ; but though this is sometimes their case, it 
 is not always : they have their returning seasons of 
 peace, joy aud comfort when it may be said, " the 
 winter is past, and the rain is over and gone ;" then 
 lii'ht breaks in upon their souls, and there hearts are 
 melted with a sense of divine love,; they become lively 
 in their frames, aud in the exercise of theii grace, 
 and fruitful in every good word and work; calm- 
 ness and serenity of mind, peace of couseieuce, 
 and joy in the Holy Ghost, are the delightful 
 blessings which the soul now enjoys ; all these, 
 and much more, docs the Sun of righteousness 
 bring along with him, and produce in us, whea 
 he arises with healing iu his wings, and turns a 
 cold and nipping winter into a pleasant and de- 
 lischtul spring. But when it is a winter-season 
 with believers, they have a little or nocommuuioa 
 with Christ, which was the church's case here ; 
 the rains that fall, aud the floods occasioned there- 
 by, interrupt their fellowship ; and the clouds of 
 darkness, and doubts and fears, which hang over 
 their heads, hinder them from beholdiug Christ, 
 and their interest iu him ; now this must needs be 
 a very melancholy and uncomfortable time unto 
 them ; and therefore to hear that the winter is 
 past, and the spring is come ; that the rain is over 
 and gone, that the clouds are dispersed, and the 
 air is clear, otight, and serene, must needs be good 
 news and glad tidings to them. Moreover, souls, 
 whilst in such a state, are usually indolent and 
 inactive ; they have neither hearts nor hands to 
 work, but both are sealed up ; they are neither 
 diligent in the way of their duty, nor active in the 
 exercise of grace, as the church appears to be here ; 
 also they are ready to thiak that the winter is not 
 over when it is, but fear that there are more storms 
 behind ; not only of crosses, afflictions, persecutions, 
 aud temptations ; but which are worse than all the 
 rest, that there are storms of divine wrath and anger 
 behind, which will fall upon them ; though 
 these have been all borueby Christ, and areea"ectu- 
 ally and eternally removed by him ; and believers 
 may be assured of this, whatever their fears are, 
 that uot a drop of wrath shall fall upon them 
 for Christ has satisfied law and justice, and so 
 hath delivered them from the wrath which is to 
 come ; and he that has done this, says, the winter 
 is past, and the rain is over and gone : this is the 
 voice of the Gospel, aud a joyful sound it is. The 
 Jewish writers"' interpret this of the bondage of 
 the people of Israel in Egypt, and their deliver- 
 
 TarguMi, R, Sol. Jarciiii, and R. Aben Ezra iu loc. and so Lyra. 
 
94 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap, 
 
 aance out of it ; as do some Christian iuterpreters,* 
 of the Babylonish captivity, and the Jewish de- 
 liverance from thence ; it being a Chaldce word^ 
 that is here used to express the season of the year 
 by : but the sense before given, seems to be much 
 preferable to either of them ; though it is true, 
 that the tv^o former deliverances did produce a 
 spring-time of joy and rejoicing, after a cold and 
 nipping winter of trouble and sorrow ; and were 
 indeed wrought in the spring of the year, as was 
 also our redemption by Christ Jesus, they were 
 typical of. 
 
 Verse 12. The floicers appear on the earth, the 
 time of the singing of birds is come, and the 
 voice of the turtle is heard in our land. 
 
 The chui'ch goes on to give an account of the 
 pressing instances that Christ made unto her, to 
 arise and come away ; v^hich he had done in the 
 former verse, by assuring her that the winter was 
 past, and therefore she need not be afraid of nip- 
 ping blasts and blustering storms, nor of heavy 
 rains, which would make travelling difBcult, as 
 well as unpleasant ; and here he encourages her 
 to arise and come with him, from the pleasantness 
 of the spring, of which he gives the following ac- 
 count, in this and the next verse, enough to tempt 
 her to a compliance , and which is very pleasant 
 and inviting to lovers.^ In this verse he says, 
 
 I. That " the flowers appear on the earth." 
 
 IT. That " the time of the singing of birds 
 was come." 
 
 III. That " the voice of the turtle was heard 
 in their land." 
 All which are so man/ evident demonstrations 
 of the spring-time of the year, which of all others 
 is the most pleasant. 
 
 I. The first sign of the spring, and which he 
 mentions to prevail upon her to quit her present 
 place and posture, and go with him, is, that " the 
 flowers appear on the earth ;"° in the winter- 
 season the earth appears barren and unfruitful, 
 being nipped with cold winds, frost, and rain ; but 
 when the sun returns with its warming influences, 
 it quickens those herbs and plants which before lay 
 hid, and causes them to spring forth aud flourish ; 
 so that the fields and meadows, as well as gardens, 
 are covered with a variety of herbs, plants, and 
 beautiful flowers, which are very pleasant to Iheeye, 
 and cause walking in the fields to be very delight- 
 
 "^ Brightman and Cotton in loc. f inD quod 
 
 legitur quasi VnD scriberetur, alibi in scriptura non 
 invenitur, est autem vox Chaldaica ii^T\D pro Ue- 
 brsea Fjin hyems, Mercer in loc. Vid. Vitringam 
 in Jes. 4. 6. 
 
 ' Vere gaudet Yenus, Ovid. " Vere florifero, 
 
 Senecre Oedipus, v. 649. Ver praebet flores, Ovid, de 
 Bemed. Amor. 1. l.v. 188. Omnia turn floreut. Ovid. 
 Metamorph. 1. 15. fab. 3. Vernus scquitur color, om- 
 His in herbaa turget humus, Claudian. de Eapt. Tro- 
 serp. 1. 2. r. 90. So flowers are called rexva eapot ,the 
 children of the spring, in Athenaei Deipnosophist. 1. 
 13. c. 9. p. 608. Whatever was flowery, used to be 
 called spring, because of the nature of it, Orpheus 
 
 ful. Some Jewish writers, as Jarcbi and Alshech, 
 interpret them of the two Messiah's, the Jews 
 dream of, and vainly expect ; it is much better to 
 interpret them of the one and only true INIessiah, 
 who appeared on earth in the spring of the ac- 
 ceptable year of the Lord ; and who is compared 
 to various flowers in this book, particularly to the 
 rose and lily, ver, 1, which are both spriqg-flowers:'' 
 but rather, by these flowers may be meant, either 
 " the graces of the Spirit " iu the saints, which, 
 when it is a winter-season with them, lie dormant, 
 and are as it were dead and lifeless, and are scarcely 
 discernible either to themselves or others ; but 
 upon the return of " the Sun of righteousness," 
 they revive and shov themselves in all their glory, 
 send forth a grateful odour, and give a delightful 
 prospect to all beholders ; such are those flowers 
 of faith, hope, love, humility, self-denial, pa- 
 tience, long-suft'ering, forbearance with and for- 
 giveness of each other : or else, by these flowers 
 may be meant the saints themselves. The Targum 
 interprets them of Moses and Aaron ; but R. 
 Abcn Ezra thinks that all the righteous men of 
 Israel are intended ; and it is best to understand 
 them of all the saints, especially when in a flour- 
 ishing condition, and in the exercise of grace ; 
 who may be compared to the flowers of the field, 
 1. For the production of them ; the covering of 
 the earth with grass, herbs, plants, and beautiful 
 flowers, in the spring-season, is a great instauce 
 of God's mighty power ; it is no other than a 
 kind of re-creation ; this strange, though com- 
 mon change that is made in the earth by the 
 returning spring, is elegantly described, as well 
 as entirely referred to the divine Spirit by the 
 royal Psalmist, thus. Psalm civ. 30, " Thou 
 sendest forth thy Sp'rit, they are created ; and 
 thou renewest the face of the earth ;" saints are 
 flowers, not of man's, but of God's raising ; they 
 are " not born of the will of man, nor of the will 
 of the flesh, but of God;" their grace, and all 
 the flourishings of it, are not owing to their own 
 care, diligence, and industry, but to the power and 
 Spirit of God, who " worketh in them both to will 
 and to do of his good pleasure ;" for this work of 
 grace upon their souls, is a work of Almighty 
 power, and is no less than a new creation ; and 
 whether we consider it in its first beginning, or 
 in its after-growth and increase, it must be referred 
 to a power superior to ours. 2. For their fra- 
 
 apud Clement. Ales. Stromat. 1. 5. p. 571. 
 
 ^ Cum rosam viderit, tunc incipere ver arbitraba- 
 tur, Cicero, in Verrem, orat. 7. Rosa verna, Propert. 
 1 3. eleg. 5. V. 22. So it is represented by Anacreon 
 as a spring flower; and by Pancrates, apud Athen. 
 Deipnos. 1. 15. c. 6 p. G77. So Seneca calls the lily, 
 florem vernum, a spring-flower, epist. 122. Spring- 
 flowers are various ; some grow in fields, meadows, 
 vales, hills, and banks of rivers ; some in gardenSt 
 as the violet, crocus, hyacinth, narcissus, rose and 
 lily, vide.Athen. Deipnosophist. 1. 15. c. 8. p. 68 1, 682 • 
 of wliich the violet, rose and lily, were preferred for 
 their beauty and smell, Theocrit. Idyll. 24. v. 29—31. 
 
VKIl. 12.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS, 
 
 95 
 
 graucy : the persons of believers are of a sweet- 
 smelling savour, being perfiimeil with Christ's 
 mediation, and covered with the sweet smelling 
 garments of Christ's righteousness ; and so are 
 their services, their prayers, and praises, put up 
 and performed in the faith of Jesus. 3. For their 
 beauty and ornament : how beautiful and glorious 
 must those-fields look, where roses are, and lilies 
 grow : which in glory are equal witli, nay, superior 
 to the greatest of princes ; for " Solomon iu all 
 his glory was not arrayed like one of these ;" such 
 as Sharon's Held aud the roses and lilies there, 
 which are here alluded to : saints are exceeding 
 beautiful in Christ, and ornamental to him, being 
 sanctified by his Spirit, aud clothed with his righte- 
 onsness. 4. Saints may be compared to flowers 
 which appear on the earth in the spring-season with 
 an air of gaiety and cheerfulness, on the account 
 of that joy and consolation which their souls are 
 possessed of when their grace is revived and in 
 exercise ; particularly when faith is, and when 
 Christ returns to them, aud they enjoy his pre- 
 sence ; thus the blossoming and flourishing es- 
 tate of the church is joined with joy and rejoicing, 
 in Isa. 3XXV. 1, 2. Now all this fragrancy, beauty, 
 and flourishing condition of the saints, are owing 
 to the arising of the Sun of righteousness upon 
 them, to the dews of divine grace, showers of 
 boundless love, frequent waterings of heaven, and 
 to their being planted aud growing in a fruitful 
 soil, Christ Jesus : and perhaps *,it may not be 
 amiss to interpret this of that large production and 
 conversion of souls to Christ, aud of that ^ppear- 
 anceofmanybeautifnlflowersinthechnrchof Christ 
 in the first ages of Christianity ; when saints ap- 
 peared " in the beauties of holiness," and Christ 
 had " the dew of his youth ;" and which time 
 was a delightful spring-season, after a long winter 
 of Jewish and Gentile darkness. 
 
 II. Another indication of the spring's being 
 come, and which Christ makes use of as an argu- 
 ment to induce the church to arise and come away, 
 is, that " the time of the singingofbirds was come ;" 
 the spring, when birds begin to chirp and sing, to 
 couple and build their nests : hence the spring is 
 called ver nidificum.'^ Some'' understand this of 
 the time of cutting and pruning vines, or lopping 
 trees : and to this purpose the Septuagint reads the 
 words thus, ihe time of cutting is come ;^ which 
 agrees well enough with the first times of the Gos- 
 pel, when Christ's Father acted the part of an 
 husbandman, and lopped of the unfruitful branches, 
 the Jews, engi'afted the Gentiles, caused them to 
 bring forth fruit, and pruned them, that they 
 
 • Senecse Medea, v. 713. * Plerique in Sanct. 
 
 in loc. Vide R. Aben Ezra in loc. • Kaipoc T>i? 
 
 Tojufic i<p9aKe, Sept. Tempus putationis advenit, V. 
 li. Pagninus, so the Syriac, Arabic and Ethiopic 
 versions. ' Plin. 1. 17. e. 22. Hence says the poet, 
 
 eapoi vtov (?Tajulvoto, ri]v tpdafievo^, otva^ 7rcpiTa^i/6/^€f, 
 
 wt yap a/ienov, Hesiod Opera and Dies, 1. 2. 
 
 8 Greg. Nyssen. and Psellus in Sanct. in loc. 
 
 ^ Sanct. in loc. > R. Sol. Jarchi, R. Aben Ezra, 
 and R. Sol. Ben Melech in loc. Zohar. in Gen. fol. 
 
 might bring forth more ; which seems well enough 
 to agree with the season of the year,' the spring, 
 at which time, especially at the beginning of it, 
 vines were usually cut and pruned ; some object 
 to this as unseasonable : by the Targum, it is re- 
 ferred to the " time of cutting, or gathering in 
 the first fruits ;" as it is also by some," to the ga- 
 thering of flowers, making of garlands, &c., as well 
 as applied by others,** to the time of making in- 
 cisures in the Balsam or Cyprus-trees iu the vine- 
 yards of Engedi ; but nothing is more agreeable 
 than our version, and which is the sense that is 
 given of the word by several Jewish writers ;' and 
 exactly suits with the Gospel-dispensation, iu 
 which, " from the uttermost parts of the earth, 
 songs are heard," sung in warbling notes and 
 tuneful lays, by souls called by divine grace ; whose 
 usual themes are, the grace and mercy of God 
 the Father, the redeeming love of God the 
 Son, the spiritual blessings in him; the glory of 
 liis righteousness to justify them, and the fulness 
 of his grace and power to keep and preserve them ; 
 like little birds, they sit and chirp and sing the 
 praises of the Lord, " in psalms, and hymns, aud 
 spiritual songs, making melody in their hearts 
 uuto him ;" and this they do as well as they can 
 in this imperfect life, though their hearts are often 
 out of tune, aud they sing with faint and feeble 
 notes ; but the time is coming, when they shall 
 be clothed in white, have harps in their hands, 
 hallelujahs in their mouths, and be employed in 
 this delightful service for evermore. But however, 
 this present gospel-dispensation may well be called 
 a " time of the singing of birds," a time of joy and 
 rejoicing, in comparison of the legal one, in which 
 was heard, not the chirping and singing of birds, 
 but " the sound of a trumpet," and " the voice 
 of words," which were awful and terrible. This 
 may not be unfitly applied to the singing of the 
 angelic host, those heavenly choristers, at the 
 bii^th of Christ, Luke ii. 13, 14. 
 
 III. As a farther evidence of the spring's being 
 come, and the more to allure her to arise and go 
 with him,'' he says, that " the voice of the turtle 
 was heard in their land ;" which is a kind of dove, 
 that, as naturalists' tell us, lies hid in the winter- 
 time, and appears in the spring ; its voice is never 
 heard in winter, unless on a tine day." By which 
 may be meant, either the church, which is com- 
 pared to a turtle dove. Psalm Ixxiv. 19, whose 
 voice is heard in prayer to Christ ; and who, in 
 the preaching of the Gospel, speaks of him, and in 
 the public profession of his cause and interest, 
 speaks for him ; which voice, in ver. 14, is very 
 
 29. 2. and 65. 2. and 12 J. 3. though the other sense of 
 cutting or pruning seems to be intended, in Zohar in 
 Gen. fol. 3. 4. and in Lev. fol. 2. 1. ^ Thus one 
 
 part of rural pleasure is described by the poet, 
 
 "etiov Kotiudomai iiKavOiiet eVreve Tapvyiav ThCOCrit.Idyll. 
 
 7. ' Plin. 1. 10. c 24. and 18. 28. 
 
 " Myndius apud Athen. Deipnosophist. 1. 9. c. 11. 
 p. 394. So Pliny, Hyeme mutis, vere voealibus. 1. 
 10. c. 35. The turtle appears in summer, in winter 
 it disappears, Aristot. Hist. Animal, 1. 8. c. 3. 
 
m 
 
 AN EXl'OSITION OF THE 
 
 TCHAr. n. 
 
 pleasant lo him : or else, the voice of the Holy 
 Ghost, accordiug to the Targiiin, who once appeared 
 in the form of a dove, and whose voice in the 
 hearts of believers is very comfortable ; for he 
 speaks peace and pardon through Clirist's blood, 
 bears witness to our sonship, and is the pledge 
 of our future inheritance : or the voice of God the 
 Pather, declaring his well-pleasedness iu Christ, 
 which was heard in Judca, both at his baptism 
 and at his transfiguration upon the mount : or the 
 voice of John the Baptist," who was the fore- 
 runner of Christ, and declared him to be at hand ; 
 and so R. Alshech interprets it, of Elijah, that 
 VFas to come before the Messiah, and cites the 
 passage in Mai. iv. 5 ; and others" understand it 
 of the Messiah himself: or else, the voice of 
 Christ himself, preaching the everlasting Gospel ;P 
 R. Simeon Ben Jochai'^ understands it of the voice 
 of the law in the days of the Messiah ; but rather 
 the Gospel itself, that joyful sound of peace, par- 
 don, righteousness, life, and salvation by Christ, 
 is meant; which was heard for a while ouly in 
 Judea, which perhaps is the laud here intended, 
 called, by way of eminency and speciality, " our 
 laud ;" though afterv.ards this voice was heard 
 throughout the Gentile world ; for Christ gave 
 his disciples a commission to go into all the 
 world, and preach the Gospel to every creature : 
 who accordingly did, and their sound went into 
 all the earth, and their words unto the ends of 
 the world ; and a joyful season it was, acd still 
 is to the poor Gentiles, where this voice is heard ; 
 and blessed be God, it is heard in our land. 
 
 Verse 13. The ficj4ree putteth forth her green 
 Hgs, and the vines with the tender grape give a 
 good smell. Arise, my love, my fair mie, and 
 come away. 
 
 To the three former evidences of the spring, here 
 are added two more. 
 
 I. " The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs." 
 
 II. " The vines with the tender grape give a 
 good smell." As also 
 
 II r. The former call is repeated, " Arise my 
 love, my fair one, and come away." 
 
 I. As a fourth evidence of the winter being 
 over, and the spring being come, Christ tells his 
 church, that the fig-tree was putting forth her 
 green figs ; which is a full confirmation of its 
 bein"' come, nay, of its being pretty well advanced ; 
 for Christ, in Matt. xxiv. 32, makes it a sign of 
 the summer's being at hand, v^hen the fig-tree 
 shoots out its tender branches, and puts forth its 
 leaves : Theopompus'' speaks of figs in the middle 
 of the spring ; and Plutarch, of the vernal leaves 
 of the fig-tree.' R. Aben Ezra thinks, that the 
 word translated, " putteth forth," signifies the 
 sweetening of the figs, and so points out the time 
 when thtr green or unripe figs begin to grow sweet 
 and eatable : so that as the flowerv fields would 
 
 " I'sellus and Tree Patres in loc. » Pesikta 
 
 in Yalkut in loc. p So Isidore in loc. 
 
 ■i In Zohar in Gen. fol. 121. 3. ' Apud Athen. 
 
 be delightful to her eye, and the chirping birds 
 affect her ear ; thci'e were also figs ripening apace 
 to please her taste ; as the vines with the tender 
 grape in the following instance, would give a re- 
 freshing odour to her smell ; all which would be 
 very entertaining to her, and one would think 
 enough to invite her to arise and go with him. 
 By the fig-tree, both the Targum and R. Aben 
 Ezra understand the congregation of Israel ; who 
 they say, is Jiere compared unto it ; as indeed 
 Israel is to the first ripe fruit of this tree, Hos. 
 ix. 10; and the godly among the captive Jews are, 
 in Jer. xxiv. 2 — 5 ; and therefore by it may be 
 meant the saints, putting forth their grace in 
 exercise on Clirist ; who may be compared to fig- 
 trees for the following reasons. 
 
 1. The fig-tree is a tree full of large leaves, 
 so large, that our first parents, after their fall, 
 by sewing them together, made themselves aprons 
 to cover their nakedness ; which may be an em- 
 blem of a profession of religion, and of a con- 
 versation agreeable to it ; which, thongh they 
 ought to be found in us, yet are not sufficient 
 to cover us ; for we must also have Christ's 
 righteousness put upon us, and his grace wrought 
 in us, otherwise we shall be like the fig-tree to 
 which Christ came. Matt. xxi. 19, " and found 
 nothing thereon but leaves only." And there 
 fore, as the saints are like fig-trees that have the 
 large ever-green and flourishing leaves of a Chris- 
 tian profession and gospel-conversation upoa 
 them ; so, 2, They may be compared to them 
 for their fruilfulness : the ng-tree is a tree that 
 bears fruit as well as leaves, and that which is 
 very wholesome, pleasant, and delightful; and if 
 the Egyptian fig-tree is meant, tl'.at is said' to 
 bear fruit seven times a year, and as soon as 
 you gather one fig, immediately there is another; 
 it is true, there are barren fig-trees, that have no 
 fruit upon them ; such an one is mentioned in Luke 
 xiii.6, 7 ; as there are also barren professors; but 
 such are not the saints, who are filled and laden 
 with the fruits of righteousness, and graces of 
 tlie Spirit, which they receive from Christ Jesus, 
 from whom all their fruit is found : now as this 
 is to be found from none but him, so neither 
 is it found iu any but in them; for, do men 
 gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ?" it 
 is impossible ; this fruit appears upon no other 
 tree but the fig-tree, and therefore by their fruit 
 ye may know them. 3. It is a tree that puts forth 
 its fruit before its leaves ;" which shows us, that 
 though we ought to have the leaves of profession 
 upon us, yet the fruit of grace ought lo precede 
 it; and therefore when persons take upon them 
 a profession of religion, and submit to the or- 
 dinances of Christ, care should be taken that 
 they, OS John says, Matt. iii. 7, both have and 
 bring forth fruits meet for rejicntance, there 
 must be faith in the heart, as well as a cou- 
 
 nt supra, 1. 3. c. 4. p. 77. • epioit tupno't, de Dc- 
 
 fectu Oracul. p. 410. ' Solin. I'olyhistor. c. 45 
 
 » riin. Nat. Hist. I. IG.c. 26. 
 
VEIt. 13.] 
 
 SONG OF GONGS. 
 
 97 
 
 fession of it in the mouth ; and the one ought 
 to go before the other; and both these make 
 souls to appear boaourable believers and pro- 
 fessors ; and such Christ's fig-tuees are. 4. It 
 may not be amiss to observe, that the Egyp- 
 tian fig-tree, which is no other than the syca- 
 more, into which Zaccheus climbed to see Christ, 
 Luke six. 4, may be here intended, seeing that 
 there was great plenty of them in Jndea, as is 
 manifest from 1 Kings i. 27 ; though it is true 
 another word is used here, than what is there. 
 Now of this tree, PHny says," that when it is 
 cut down and cast into the water, it sinks, being 
 dry ; but when it is thoroughly wet, it will swim ; 
 so saints, when they first enter the waters of 
 aflliction, like Peter, they sink ; but when they 
 have been more used to them, they lift up their 
 heads above the waters of tribulation ; and as 
 good soldiers, with courage and magnanimity of 
 mind, endure hardness : and do not sink in their 
 spirits under the weight of reproaches, persecu- 
 tions, and afflictions, laid upon them, being 
 supported and borne up by Christ and his grace. 
 5. The same author^ says, that this kind of 
 
 serves it and increases it ; for of all fruit, none 
 is more easily shaken ofif by the wind and lost, 
 tlian green and unripe figs are ; see Nahum iii. 
 12; it is no less than a miracle of grace, that 
 these first impressions are not wholly erased 
 by the impetuous force of corruptions within ; 
 or that these precious blossoms are not entirely 
 blown off by the blustering vviuds of Satan's 
 temptations ; or that our naughty hearts do not 
 of themselves, as the fig-tree, cast off this unripe 
 fruit: this is all owing to mighty, powerful, 
 and efiicacious grace. 4. It may also be observed 
 that grace, though imperfect, is taken notice of 
 by Christ ; yea, in the very infancy of it, as 
 soon as ever it begins to appear, even when in 
 its bud and blossom : so far is he from despis- 
 ing the day of small tilings ; where there is but 
 little grace and liltle strength, as in the church 
 of Philadelphia, he observes it, and does not 
 crush it, but increases it ; for " a bruised reed 
 shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall 
 he not qneuch," Isa. xlii. 3. 5. It may be 
 remarked from hence, that grace being in ex- 
 ercise in others, though weak, should be an 
 
 fig-trees will not ripen any other way than by argument and motive to excite and stir up ours; 
 scratching it with iron hooks : men do not and indeed it is disgraceful and dishonourable 
 
 begin to grow in grace, or become fruitful in 
 good works, until their hearli> are pricked with 
 the goads and nails of God's word, or till the 
 fallow ground of their hearts is thrown up by the 
 Spirit of God : nor will they grow afterwards 
 to any purpose, unless Christ's Father, who is 
 the Husbandman, takes his pruning-knife in his 
 liand, and uses it ; and indeed some saints never 
 grow better than when they are attended with 
 tribulations and afflictions, like the people of 
 Israel, in Egypt, or like Christ's lilies among 
 thorns. 
 
 Moreover, the green figs which the fig-tree 
 is said to put forth may intend, 1. The be- 
 ginnings of grace in the soul, which are like 
 the young, greeu, and unripe figs, that the fig- 
 tree first puts foi'th ; such as stirrings of affec- 
 tion to Christ, desires after a saving knowledge 
 of him, and interest in him, pantings and breath- 
 ings after the ordinances of Christ, and love to 
 bis people ; all which appear very soon in the 
 sonl, and discover the work of grace begun, 
 though as yet it is but very imperfect. For, 
 2. These green and unripe figs show the im- 
 perfection of grace in the saints; grace in the 
 best is very imperfect in this state of life, much 
 more must it be when it is first put forth ; 
 the work of grace in us, though it will be performed, 
 vet at present is but a begun one, and not a finished 
 one; saints are not arrived to the perfection they 
 shall ; they are but like green figs, and especially 
 yonng converts. 3. These begirmiug of grace in 
 the soul, being compared to green figs, show, that 
 grace is liable to be lost, and would be so, 
 were it not for the almighty power which per- 
 
 to old professors, for young converts to be more 
 active and lively in the exercise of grace than 
 they. Christ seems to press this argument here 
 upon the church. 
 
 Again, the putting forth these green figs, 
 signifies the exercise of grace on Christ, which 
 saints put forth unto him, not I)y virtue of a power 
 of their own, but by virtue of his grace, which 
 enables them to do it ; for the putting forth of 
 these green figs, is owing to the warming and 
 quickening influences of the Sun of righteousness : 
 the beginning, increase, and perfection of grace, 
 are all from Christ; the implantation of it in the 
 soul, and the exercise of it, depeud upon him. 
 But, 
 
 II. As a fifth and last evidence of the .spring's 
 being come, and which puts it beyond all doulit 
 is, the flourishing of the vines, "the vines, with 
 the tender grape, give a good smell." Fig-trees 
 and vines are frequently mentioned together in 
 scripture, as in Psal. ev. 33, Mic. iv. 4 ; and in 
 many other places ; and one reason is, because 
 they grow together ; for fig-trees were planted in 
 vineyards, as is manifest from Luke xiii. 6 ; nay, 
 it is judged by naturalists,'' to be very proper they 
 should grow together: one sort of figs, the black 
 fig, is called the sister of the vine.« 
 
 By vines may be meant, the several distinct 
 congregated churches of Christ, or else particular 
 believers, see Psal. Ixsx. 14, 15, Isa. v. 7,acdxxvii. 
 3 : who may be called so, 1 . Because of their fruit- 
 fulness : the vine is a fruit-bearing tree, it produ- 
 ces very fine and excellent fruit ; especially tlie 
 vines in the land of Canaan did, of which there is 
 a famous instance in Num. xiii. 23 ; saints being 
 
 Lib. 13. c. 7. Vid. Solin ib. 
 Vid. Plin. 1. 17. c. 23. 
 
 =■ Plhi, Ibid, 
 nipponax apud 
 
 Athen. Deipnosophist. 1. 3 c. 4. p vs. 
 
08 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CIIA1-. 
 
 engrafted iu Ciirist Jesus, the true viue, anJ reeeiv- 
 iug lil'e and nourishment from liiin, do, by abiding 
 in Lini, bring forth much fruit, and such as is 
 iiot to be found in others; not wild and sour grapes, 
 such as Christ's Father takes no delight iu, but 
 such as he is pleased with, and glorified by. 2. 
 Because of their dependence on Christ ; the vine- 
 tree does not grow up erect of itself; for if it is not 
 fixed to a wall witii nails,' or supported by some- 
 thing else which it lays hold ou, it creeps along 
 the ground : saints do not grow up erect of them- 
 selves, but lean upou Christ, are supported by 
 him, and so grow up iu him. 3. For tlieir tall- 
 ness iu Christ: vines being propped, will run up 
 a great height ; saints being engrafted in, and up- 
 lield by Christ, who is himself higher than the 
 heavens, grow up from shrubs to taller trees; 
 from babes in Christ, to " the measure of the 
 slature of the fulness of Christ;" and, by virtue 
 of grace aiid strength, received from him, arise 
 ii'om a low and nicau state and condition unto a 
 muoii higher one, untilatlength they arrive unto the 
 iuil possession of the " prize of tiie higli calling of 
 God in Christ Jesus." 4. For their weakness and 
 iinuspfulness in themselves : the viue is a weak 
 tree, and, as has been observed, cannot bear up itself: 
 saints, they are weak in themselves, though strong 
 in Christ ; they can do nothing of themselves ; 
 uoither perform duties, subdue corruptions, nor 
 withstand temptations; but they "can do all things 
 through Christ strengthening them." The wood 
 of the vine is of very little worth or use, as appears 
 from Ezek. xv. 2, S; and is obvious enough toevery 
 one's observation : saints are but poor, worthless, 
 and unp'rofilable creatures of themselves ; their best 
 works and most excellent performances, are neither 
 profitable to God, nor can they procure salvation 
 to themselves ; but are all as an unclean thing, and 
 as filthy rags ; they are unworthy of the least mercy 
 they enjoy, aud therefore it is a wonder of grace 
 that God should iu any respect be mindful of tiiem. 
 5. For their durableuess ; though the wood of 
 the vine is but weak aud worthless, yet it is said 
 to be very lasting and durable ; Pliny ascribes eter- 
 nity to it, and says of it,'' nee esl liyuo ulli afernior 
 'iiaiura, no woodisof a more eternal or durable na- 
 ture than this is ; saints, however weak aud wortii- 
 less in themselves, yet sliall continue aud abide for 
 ever iu Christ; they are born of an incorruptible 
 seed; th(-y are built upon a rock, aud secured by 
 almiglity power, so as they shall never perish, but 
 shall forever enjoy the incorruptible inhciiuince 
 that is reserved for them. 
 
 Also these vines are said to have the tender grape 
 upon them. The word Irauslated the tender yrape, 
 
 " Vitt-s ciaviculis adminlcula taiiquam nianibus 
 a;)piel;t:nduiit. atqiie it;i se erigunt ut animantes, 
 Cictro do Katura Deoium, 1. 2. c. 47. ^ I'lin. 1. 
 
 14 c. 1. ' Iu l,ia. xviii. 5. ■» Tract. Oriah, 
 
 ch. I. §. 7. e K Abeu Ezra, R. Sol. Jarchi, and 
 
 K. tjol. Beu Jlelech iu loo. U. L)avid Kiniciii iu lib. 
 sliorasii. rad. IIOD David de I'ouiis in Lexie. p. 111. 
 col 3 aud Ez. Chayim iu Tiacst. (^rlali, 1 .7. Misur.h, 
 tiiltm, C. 3. 5. S. 1. Hieros. .Na-iir, I'ol. 55. I. T. liab. 
 
 is only used iu this song, aud that but in two otlier 
 places besides this, viz., ver. 15 of this chapter, 
 and chap. vii. 12, but is used both iu the Tar- 
 gum*^ aud Misuah,"* in the same sense. Most of 
 the Jewish writers^ think, that by it is meant 
 the small and tender grape, which appears as 
 soon as ever the flower is fallen otf, whea the 
 vines begin to knot, aud one grai)e can be known 
 and may be distinguished from another ; which 
 sense our version expresses. But I am rather iu- 
 cliued to think that it means the flower itself; 
 for in the Targum on Is. xviii. 5, this word T|OD, 
 smadar, is used to express the Hebrew word n:?D, 
 uitzah, which signifies a flower; and not only 
 Pliny' aud others, but the scriptures also testify 
 (hat vines do blossom and flower, as iu the afore- 
 mentioned place. Is. xviii. 5, and in Gen. xl. 10 ; 
 and the good smell which these vines are said to 
 give, seems best to be understood of their time of 
 flowering, than of any other time ; (or it is re- 
 ported of some viues,s^ and perhaps may be true 
 of the vines which grew in Judea, seeing that the 
 wine of Lebanon is commended for its agreeable 
 odour, Hos. xiv. ?. 1 say, it is rejjorted of some 
 vines, that ia the time of their fluweriug they 
 send forth so sweet a smell, that not only the 
 vineyards themselves, but the country round 
 about is refreshed with the sweet savour thereof ; 
 so that walking or sitting among them is both 
 wholesome and delightful ; nay, that the smell of 
 them is so great, that serpents and other 
 venomous creatures are driven away by it : so 
 then the w'ords may be rendered thus, " the vines, 
 being in flower, give a good smell."'' Now by 
 these tender grapes, flowers, or blossoms of the 
 vines, may be meant, either the graces of the 
 Sjiirit iu Ihiiir first appearance, as before; or else 
 young converts, to which I rather incline, who 
 are the fruit of Christ's vine, the church; and 
 though very weak aud tcuder, yet are very dear 
 unto, and are much regarded by Christ ; and 
 when there is a large appearance of them, it is a 
 great encouragement to the church, and promises 
 a glorious vintage : so the Targum interprets it 
 of young men and babes praising the Lord at the 
 Ped Sea, for their deliverance out of the hands 
 of the Egyptians : and 11. Sol. Jarchi says, it is 
 explained of repenting sinners, in an ancient 
 book of theirs, called Fesikta ; and so I find it 
 is also iu another book of theirs, called Rai/a 
 Meliimna} 
 
 Moreover, these vines having their tender 
 graj)es upon theui, or being in flower, are said to 
 give a good smell; which must be understood of 
 the fragrance of the persons of believers, being 
 
 Kiddu.shin, fol 54. 2. ' Lib. l(i. c. 25. and K. 22. 
 
 Si bene tloruerit vinea, &c. Ovid. Fasti. 1. 5. so 
 Ilorat. Epod. ode 16. v. 44. s Dauicus iu ilos. 
 
 xiv. 7. Luvin. Leuiuii Herb. Bibl. Exijlic. c. 2. 
 
 i" llOD oicui/^jri, Symmachiis; iu flora constitutae 
 vites, Mercerus, Alichaelis; vitis pars florens, Muri- 
 ster; viueaa florentes, 'J iguriue vcr>-'i6u ; uiliil gratius 
 floreut.s odoe vitis, Aiubvos. Hexaemeron, 1. 3. c. 
 \'i. ' la Zohur iu K.n.ou. fol. .50. 1. 
 
VEB. 14.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 99 
 
 clothed with the sweet-smelling garments of 
 Christ's righteousQCss, and the delin;hlfitl odour 
 ol' their graces being exercised on his person ; as 
 well as of their sweet savour, which their pious 
 and godly conversations send forth to all that 
 know them, or are about them. 
 
 III. Christ having given such full demonstra- 
 tions of the spring being come, reuevvs his call to 
 the church, and says again, "Arise, my love, my 
 fair one, and comeavvay;" which repetition shows 
 1. Our backwardness and sluggishness : we 
 need one call after another, one exhortation upon 
 another, and all wQl not do, unless the power of 
 divine grace is exerted : for after repeated calls, 
 we shall sleep on and take no notice, as the dis- 
 ciples did, being overborne with a body of sin 
 and death. 2. It manil'ests the esceediug great- 
 ness of his love to us, and care of us ; that though 
 we have backslidden from him, yet he calls us 
 back again ; and though backward to his calls, 
 yet he persists in them, and all along uses the 
 most endearing and tender language to work up- 
 on us : he gives no other words but such as these, 
 " my love, and my fair one." 3. It is a plain 
 indication that he is unwilling that we should be 
 without him, or he without us ; and thei'eforc having 
 taken the most winning methods, and used the most 
 prevailing arguments, he repeats the call. 4. It 
 shows his importunity, and that he will have no de- 
 nial;'' and^ndeed one would think there could be 
 none given, when both our pleasure and profit arc 
 80 much concerned in it ; and what he calls us to, 
 tends so much to advance both ; and there will 
 b« none, and can be none, when he exerts the 
 mighty power of his grace. 
 
 Verse 14. my dove ! that art in the clefts of 
 the rock, in the secret places of the stairs : lei 
 me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; 
 for sweet is thjj voice and thy countenance is 
 comely. 
 These are the words of Christ to his church ; 
 and may be considered either as coming imme- 
 diately out of his own mouth ; or else, as record- 
 ed and related by her, as the former were : in 
 which may be considered, 
 
 I. The title or character which Christ gives 
 to his church ; " my dove." 
 
 II. Her then present place of residence ; " in 
 the clefts ot the rock, in the secret places of the 
 stairs." 
 
 III. A request which he makes, which con- 
 sists of two parts. 1st. That he might see her 
 coimtenance. 2ndly, Hear her voice. 
 
 IV. The motives or arguments that he makes 
 use of to prevail with her ; which are also of two 
 sorts, suited to both parts of the request. 1st, 
 
 I" Odit verus amor, nee patitur moras, Senecae 
 Hercul. Fur. v. 587. ' Jlea columba, Plauti 
 
 Casina, act. 1. sc. 1. v. JO. Doves being loving crea- 
 tures, the chariots of Venus were drawn by them, 
 Charter, de Imag. Deorum, p. 218. vid. Apului ileta- 
 
 Because her voice was sweet. 2ndly, Her coun- 
 tenance was comely. 
 
 I. Here we meet with a new title or character 
 given by Christ to his church, " my dove ;" an 
 epithet sometimes used by lovers ;' he had called 
 lier his love and his fair one before, but not hij 
 dove, till now ; though it is true, he had compared 
 her eyes to dove's eyes, in chap. i. 15. Now the 
 church may be compared to the dove, for the fol- 
 lowing reasons : 1. The dove is a very beautiful 
 creature ; so is the church, as she is washed in 
 Christ's blood, justified by his righteousness, and 
 sanctified by his grace ; for though, while in a 
 state of nature, she lay among the pots, and so 
 looked black and uncomely ; yet now being called 
 by, and made a partaker of divine grace, she looks 
 like " the wings of a dove covered with silver, and 
 her feathers witli yellow gold." 2. It is a very 
 cleanly creature ;■" it loves cleanliness; it keeps 
 its own body cleau, and teaches its young to carry 
 their dung out of their nests ; it feeds only upon 
 pure graifl,and delights in clean water : the cliurch, 
 or believers in Christ, arc not only clean through 
 the word which Christ has spoken, but also have 
 their hearts purified by faith in his blood, and de- 
 light in purity of life and conversation. 
 
 3. It is a very innocent and harmless creature ; 
 and therefore Christ says to his disciples. Matt. x. 
 16 ; " Be ye wise as serpents, and harmless as 
 doves :" believers are, or at least should be, 
 " blameless, harmless, the sons of God, without 
 rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse 
 nation ;" they should live not only inoffensive to 
 the world, but also peaceably and quietly among 
 themselves ; not biting and devouring one ano- 
 tlier ; nor acting the part of wolves and tigers ; 
 but behaving themselves as Christ's innocent sheep 
 and harmless doves. 4. It is an exceeding loving 
 and chaste creature to its mate ;" it inviolably 
 keeps its conjugal faith ; adultery is rarely known 
 among these creatures, and, whenever committed, 
 is punished with death; for males will tear a male 
 to pieces, and a female a female that is found 
 guilty of it : it is also reported of the tm-tle-dove," 
 that upon the loss of its mate, it remains incon- 
 solable ; does not couple again, but continues a 
 widow, and lives a mournful and sorrowful life, 
 avoiding every thing that might tend to remove 
 it, and create pleasure ; and that whereas before 
 it delighted in pure and clean water, it now will 
 not drink until it has first bemudded it ; nor will 
 it sit upon green and flouiishiug, but upon dry 
 and withered branches of trees : all which is a 
 lively emblem of the church, who is ])resented as 
 a chaste virgin to Christ, who bears an exceeding 
 great love and affection to him, and whose absence 
 is what she cannot bear. 5. It is a very fruitful 
 
 morph. 1. G. and were sacred to Venus, Plutarch, de 
 Isid. and Osir. p. 370. ^lian. de Animal. 1. 4. c. 2. 
 »• Frantz. Hist. Sacr. Animal, par. 2. c. 13. num. 
 3. " Plin. 1. 10. c. 34. JE'.ian. de Animal. 1- 3. 
 
 c. 48. ° Grapaldus in Sanct. iii loc. 
 
100 
 
 AN rxrosiTiox of thk 
 
 [chap. 
 
 u. 
 
 creature ; Ihongli it has not many young ones at I and especially when 
 a tirne.P yet has them very often ; jElianus says,i | men. 
 that it has yonug ones ten times in a year ; nay, 
 in Egypt, twelve times: the church, who is 
 married to Christ, is not only fruitful in grace 
 and good works, but also brings forth many souls 
 unto him, which has been and will be still more 
 eminently seen in the Gentile church ; see Isa.liv. 
 1. 6. It is a sociable creature ; doves flock toge- 
 ther as birds of a feather usually do : so saints 
 delight to be in each other's company ; they join 
 in fellow sliip one with another, and carry on a 
 social worship together ; and do not forsake the 
 assembling of themselves together, as the manner 
 of some too often is. 7 • It is a weak and impotent 
 creature, and is often oppressed by birds of prey : 
 the church is often distressed and persecuted by 
 the men of the world, and forced to fly into holes 
 and corners, as tiie dove does. 8. It is a very 
 fearful and timorous creature ; hence Ephraim is 
 compared to the trembling dove,'' in Hos. xi. 11 ; 
 
 near the habitations of 
 
 Now Christ's calling the church by this name, 
 " my dove," not only shows his interest in her, 
 but also his affection to her ; and perhaps the 
 principal thing he had in view, was to assure her 
 of it, and to encourage her in her present con- 
 dition ; though she was in the cleft of the rock, in 
 a poor, desolate, and forlorn condition, yet she 
 was his (love still ; which is the next thing to be 
 considered. For, 
 
 II. She is said to be " in the clefts of the rock, 
 in the secret places of the stairs ;" which may be 
 understood, either in allusion to the usual place 
 where the dove makes her nest, which is in the 
 rock,' and " in the sides of the hole's mouth," 
 see Jer. xlviii. 28, and Adrichomius" tells us, that 
 there was a stone tower near Jerusalem, southward 
 of the mount of Olives, called Petra Columbariim, 
 " the rock of the doves," where often five thou- 
 sand doves were kept at one time ; and perhaps 
 
 saints are often in trembling fits, at the word of here may be an allusion to it : or else, it may be 
 God, and in the exercise of their faith on Christ ; understood of the place where doves are forced to 
 under a sense of their own vileness, and in tlie j fly when pursued by the hawk, even into a hollow 
 apprehensiou of tlieir weakiiess and want of power rock, as described by Homer :^ and so may be 
 
 to keep and preserve themselves. 9. It has a 
 
 mournful voice : saints are like doves of the valleys, 
 
 mourning every one for their iniquities; and often 
 
 for the loss of Christ's presence, which they are 
 
 frequently deprived of, through their unbecoming 
 
 carriage to him. 10. It feeds only upon pure 
 
 grain : the church feeds only on Christ, and on 
 
 the wholesome words or comfortable doctrines of 
 
 the everlasting gospel ; she cannot live upon 
 
 linsks that swine eat, nor will she be fed with the 
 
 chaff of man's inventions. 11 . It is also very swift 
 
 in flying ; and therefore David wished for the 
 
 wings of a dove, that he might flee away, and be 
 
 at rest : souls, in their first fleeing to Christ for 
 
 life and salvation, move as swift as the manslayer 
 
 did from the avenger of blood to the city of 
 
 refuge ; and afterwards, under all their trials and 
 
 afflictions, he is the Strong Tower, whither they 
 
 run and are safe : and then more especially, may 
 
 they be said to be as doves, when they are upon 
 
 the wing of faith, and mount np as eagles do, run 
 
 and are not wenry, and walk and faint not. 
 
 Lastly. It is reported of the dove,' that it will al- 
 lure wild doves by its (amiliar converses into the 
 dove-house with it: those who are called by grace, 
 will use all proper ways and methods to allure and 
 gain others to Christ, and to a compliance with his 
 ways and ordinances, as the church does the 
 daughters of Jerusalem in this Song ; she being a 
 great lover of the society of saints, and of the 
 glory of Christ therein ; as the dove is of its own 
 country, particularly of its own dove-house. 
 
 expressive of the state of the church under perse- 
 cution, when saints are forced to flee into holes 
 and corners, and cannot openly and publicly, 
 worship God, as they used to do, according to 
 his mind and will ; but even then God has his 
 hiding-places for them, where he protects and 
 pi-eserves them until the heat of the persecution is 
 over ; for at such a time God will have a church, 
 it shall never be entirely rooted out : neither shall 
 his people be without his presence, and some 
 visible manifestations of himself unto them ; for 
 he has as great a love for them as ever ; the church 
 is his dove then, and her countenance is as comely, 
 and her voice as sweet as ever ; nor would 
 he have her be disconsolate and disheartened 
 in her present condition. Most of the Jewish 
 writers" refer the words to the condition that the 
 people of Israel were in, when they were pursued 
 by Pharaoh at the Red Sea : which seems, in some 
 measure, to agree with the former sense which 
 has been given. Or else, by the clefts of the 
 rock, may be meant, either, 1. The eternal decree 
 of election, in which, as in an immoveable and 
 inaccessible rock, the church dwelt from all 
 eternity, and will do so until all eternity ; which 
 is the sense that Junius gives of these words ; 
 God's eternal decree of election is as immoveable 
 as a rock ; it is a foundation that stands sure, 
 being laid, not upon the conditions of faith and 
 holiness in the creature, but upon the sovereign 
 will and pleasure of that God, who, " will have 
 mercy on whom he will have mercy," and " will 
 
 ? Arist. de Gener Animal. 1. 3. c. I. i Var. 
 
 Hist. 1. 1. c. l.'i. ' Accipiter trepidas agitat col- 
 
 umbas, Ovid. Metamorph. 1. 5. » Frantz. Hist. 
 
 Sacr. animal, par. 2. c. H. ' Quails spclunea 
 
 subito ooramota columba, cui domus and dulces late- 
 
 broso in pumice nidi, Virgil. iEneid. 5. v. 21.3. 
 
 " Theatrum TerraB Sancta;, p. 171. a. " Iliad. 
 
 21. V. 49:i. 494. " Targnm, Yalkut, R. Sol. Jar- 
 
 clii, and K. Aben Ezra in loc. 
 
VEIL IL] 
 
 SONG OF SONCS. 
 
 101 
 
 be gracious to whom lie will be gracious ;" whose 
 purposes cannot be disannulled, nor his counsel 
 made void, nor he ever be frustrated of his end, 
 for the thoughts of his heart shall stand to all 
 generations ; and as the degree of election is im- 
 moveable, irrevocable, and cannot be altered, so 
 the doctrine of it will stand, maugre all opposition, 
 and will prove a burdensome stone to all those 
 that set themselves against it. Now in the clefts 
 of this rock, the people of God dwell as in a hidden 
 and secret place before conversion ; it being 
 neither known to themselves nor others, that they 
 are the objects of it, until called by divine grac« : 
 and here they dwell secure, and arc safely pre- 
 served, notwithstanding the fall of Adam, and 
 their own actual sins and transgressions, until the 
 grace that is laid up for them is actually bestowed 
 upon them ; for every one that dwells here, shall 
 be called and sanctified, and at last eternally glo- 
 rified ; not one shall be lost, nor any one link in 
 the golden chain of salvation ever be broken : of 
 which we have an account in Rom. viii. 30, 
 " whom he did predestinate, them he also called ; 
 and whom he called, them he also justified ; and 
 whom he justified, them he also glorified:" more- 
 over, these persons are and ever were the objects 
 of Christ's love, and so they ever shall be ; his 
 love was set upon them, and his delights were 
 with him before the world began ; these are his 
 doves, and this the place of their habitation. Or 
 else, 2. By this rock may be meant Christ, who 
 frequently bears this character in scripture, and 
 particularly is said, 1 Cor. x. 4, to be that spiri- 
 tual rock, of which the Jews drank in the wilder- 
 ness; and by the clefts thereof, may be meant the 
 wounds of Christ,^ which were opened for the sal- 
 vation of sinners, and in which believers dwell by 
 faith, and perhaps to this the allusion is made in 
 Exod. xxxiii. 22, where it is said, that God put 
 Moses iuto the cleft of the rock, and made his 
 glory to pass before him ; for the glory of all the 
 divine perfections is no where so manifestly seen 
 as in a crucified Christ. Now saints are the in- 
 habitants of this rock ; here Christ's church dwells, 
 and that safely, being built upon a rock, against 
 which the gates of hell cannot prevail ; this is her 
 fortress and strong-hold, where she need not be 
 afraid of any enemy whatever, for her place of 
 defence is the munition of rocks ; and therefore, 
 whenever under any apprehension of danger, she 
 betakes herself to her stronghold, to Christ, the 
 Rock that is higher than she. Moreover, the 
 church being said to dwell here, not only shows 
 the safety of her state, but also her majesty and 
 greatness, and her exaltation above others : see 
 Jer. xlix. 16; for dwelling in a rock, she dwells on 
 high ; she is not now in the miiy clay, but her 
 feet are set upon a rock and her goings are es- 
 tablished ; she is not now upon the dunghill, but 
 
 y So Foliot, A'cuin, and not. Tigur. in loc. 
 ^ In tcgimcuto petraa, i. e. tuta pvaesidio i>assionis 
 mcie and lidei munimcnto, Ambros. de Isaac, c. ) 
 
 upon the throuc ; not in a mean cottage, but in 
 a well-built, strong, and fortified castle. Indeed 
 the other phrase, the secret of the stairs, seems 
 to denote abasement and humiliation ; -though it 
 may be betttcr understood of Christ, as the former 
 expression seems to be ; for Christ is the stairs or 
 ladder which Jacob saw in a vision, which reached 
 from earth to heaven ; he being God and man in 
 one person, has, by his mediation, blood, and sacri- 
 fice, made peace between God and sinful man, re- 
 conciled those two conleuding parties, brought 
 heaven and earth as it were together, and filled up 
 that vast distance that there was between them ; 
 he is the ladder or those stairs also, on which the 
 angels of God ascended and descended ; see Gen. 
 xxviii. 12, compared with John i. 51 : he is like- 
 wise our way of access to God, by whom, as by 
 steps, we ascend to him, have admittance into his 
 presence, and are indulged with communion with 
 him : now in the secret of these stairs or steps, 
 did the church lie, as the dove is said to do in 
 some hidden place during the winter season; which 
 was the case of Christ's dove here, see ver 11, for 
 Christ is the " hiding place from the wind, and a 
 covert from the tempest ;" and if any thing is 
 particularly intended by the secret of the stairs, 
 Christ's justifying righteousness seems not un- 
 likely ; which is secret and hidden to the men of 
 the world, and is only revealed in the Gospel from 
 faith to faith : hither souls betake themselves in 
 times of distress, and, by it they are screened and 
 sheltered fromsin,law, hell, and death; and dwelling 
 here, they are in safety ; for " he that dwelleth in 
 the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under 
 the shadow of the Almighty." The Ethiopic ver- 
 sion renders it, in the shadow of the rock ; to 
 which Christ is compared, Isa. xxxii. 2, and so 
 the Septuagiut version, in the covering of the 
 rock :' which is the shade of it ; which seems to 
 be a better sense than what some Jewish writers" 
 give of the words, who interpret them of the sanc- 
 tuary or temple, and of the holy of holies, which 
 was in it. But, 
 
 III. I shall now consider the request which 
 he makes unto her, which consists of two parts. 
 Ist. That he might " see her countenance." 
 2ndly. " Hear her voice." 
 1st. He desires that she would show him her 
 countenance ; which supposes that she had either 
 covered her face, as mourners do, and was be- 
 moaning her present state and condition, bewail- 
 ing her iuward corruptions, as well as her out- 
 ward afllictions : or else, that she was filled with 
 shame, under a sense of sin, and blushed, as Ezra 
 did, and could not lift up her head and eyes to 
 Christ ; but smiting upon her breast, like the 
 poor publican, discovered the inward confusion of 
 liermind : or else, that she was attended with fear, 
 and that not so much with a fear of her enemies. 
 
 p. 281. in vulucribus quaj pro salute spcynsie sponsus 
 accepit, Isidor. in loe. » In Zohar. in Gen. fol. 
 
 .!). I. 
 
102 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF Till 
 
 [CIIAP. 
 
 as of Ilia displeasure ; being conscious to herself 
 that she had acted an unbecoming part towards 
 him: or rather, that she n as filled with shame- 
 facedness and bashfulness, and could not, with an 
 holy boldness and an allowed freedom, approach 
 his presence-, unless we understand it of the state 
 of the church under the Old Testament, in oppo- 
 sition to this under the New ; when the face of 
 the church was veiled, and she only saw Christ 
 through dark shadows and typical ordinances; 
 whereas we now, " with open face, behold, as in 
 a glass, the glory of the Lord." 'And now, what 
 Christ would have her do in opposition to all this 
 is, to lift up her head with joy, exercise faith upon 
 him, use freedom with him, come with boldness 
 to him, and look him full in the face, and keep 
 always looking to him for every f;'esh supply of 
 grace, and whatever she might stand in need of 
 he would not have her be shy and bashful, fearful 
 and faithless,* but free and familiar with him, with 
 whom he would assure her she might. Unless we 
 would rather understand it of his desire, that she 
 would appear more publicly in his worship, and 
 not lurk in holes and corners, in the clefts of 
 rocks, and under dusty stairs ; but show herself 
 in his house, and in the courts of it, and " pre- 
 sent herself a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto 
 God, which was but her reasonable service ;" and 
 especially seeing there was now no danger, for the 
 storms were over, " the winter was past, and the 
 rain was over and gone." 
 
 2ndly. He desires that he might hear her voice. 
 Believers should not be dumb when Christ would 
 have them speak : there is a dumbness or silence 
 which is laudable, and that is, either when they 
 are under the afflicting hand of God, or are vili- 
 fied and reproached for the sake of Christ aud his 
 Gospel ; but theu there is a dumbness which is 
 not so : for as there is " a time to keep silence," 
 so there is " a time to speak." 1. Believers should 
 speak of Christ , of what he is in himself, of the 
 glory of his person, the excellency of his righte- 
 ousness, the efficacy of Ids blood, aud the suffi- 
 ciency of his grace; they should also speak of 
 what he is unto them, being of God made unto 
 them, " wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and 
 redemption ;" of what characters he bears, and of 
 what relations he stands in to them, as well as of 
 what he has done for them, in redeeming them, 
 and calling them by his grace. 2. They should 
 speak for Christ, as well as of him ; and he is as 
 a person that is much spoken against by the men 
 of the world, therefore believers should speak for 
 hiiH, in vindication of his person, cause, and in- 
 terest ; boldly assert the truths of his Gospel ; 
 bravely bear a testimony against all errors, both 
 in doctrine and worship ; and not be afraid of 
 nun or their revilings. 3. They should speak to 
 Christ ; and this perhaps is the voice which Christ 
 more especially desired to hear ; they should speak 
 to him in prayer, in praises and thanksgivings. 
 
 and ascribe all the glory "of their salvation to him ; 
 which is but just and reasonable in itself, be- 
 coming them, and makes for the advancement of 
 Christ's glory. 
 
 IV. The motives or arguments he makes use 
 of to prevail upon her, to grant him what he de- 
 sired her, 'are these two ;"lst. The sweetness 
 of her voice. 2ndly. The comeliness of her 
 countenance : which he mentions, not only to show 
 what induced him to make the lequest, but also 
 to encourage her to grant it. 
 
 1st. He says, that her " voice was sweet ;" that 
 i«, grateful, acceptable, and exceeding well-pleas- 
 ing, and therefore he desired to hear it ; which 
 she had no reason to be ashamed of. Herodotus'' 
 makes mention of a dove that spoke with a hu- 
 man voice ; such a voice Christ's dove speaks 
 with, and is very grateful to him ; the voice as 
 well as the countenance of lovers, is very pleas- 
 ing ;'^ and such was the voice of the church, 1. 
 In speaking of Christ, of what he is in himself 
 and what he is to her, and has done for her, is 
 sweet unto him ; he loves to hear his people speak 
 of these things ; we are told, Mai. iii. 16, that 
 " they that feared tiie Lord, spake often one to 
 another ;" and what did they speak of ? no doubt 
 of the excellency of Christ, of what he had done 
 for, shown unto, and wrought in them : now what 
 acceptance did this raeet^ with from him? why, 
 " he hearkened and heard it, and a book of re- 
 membrance was written before him," of all they 
 spake of one to another. 2. Her voice in speak- 
 ing for him, confessing his name, and bearing a 
 testimony to his truths, is sweet unto him ; for 
 he says, Matt. x. 32, that " whosoever shall con- 
 fess him before men, him will he confess before 
 his Father which is in heaven ;" but as for those 
 who are " ashamed of him and of his words " 
 here on earth, he highly resents, and will be 
 ashamed of them another day, and in another world. 
 3. Her voice in speaking to Christ is sweet ; 
 whether it be in prayer or in praise ; her voice ia 
 prayer is so ; and thus the Targum paraphrases 
 the words, " let me hear thy voice, for thy 
 voice is sweet in 'prayer ^.in the house *of the 
 little sanctuary." The prayer of a poor believer 
 makes sweet music in Christ's ears ; nothing is 
 so delightful to him ; so little reason have (souls 
 to be discouraged, or fear a kind reception of their 
 petitions with him : aud so her voice in praise 
 and thanksgiving is sweet unto him ; praise is not 
 only pleasant in itself, and comely in us, but is 
 also exceeding delightful ^to him ; this " pleases 
 the Lord better than an ox or bullock that has 
 horns aud hoofs," Psal. Ixix. 30, 31. 
 
 2ndly. He tells her, that her " countenance 
 was comely :" that is, beautiful, and much to be 
 desired ; aud this Christ says, not only in oppo- 
 ssition to what she was in the esteem of the world, 
 who counted her as the offscouring of it, but also 
 to what he was in her esteem, who looked upon 
 
 •> Euterpe, give 1. 2. c. 5h. 
 
 Ci KaWiirpoaaKf, xap'"i/'wi'e, vid. Athen.Deipnosoph. 1. 13. c. 2. p. 564. 
 
15.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 iO. 
 
 herself as black and uncomely, and therefore was 
 asliamed to lift up her head, or to have licr co'.in- 
 teriance seen by him ; therefore, iu order to 
 remove her unbelief, bashfuhiess, and misgivings 
 of heart, he declares what she vvas in his esteem, 
 whose judgment is preferable to her own, and to 
 all others beside ; for in his opinion, she was 
 " the fairest among women," of a beautiful aspect 
 and comely countenance, being made perfectly 
 comely through that comeliness which he had 
 put upon her : he saw no iniquity in her, nor 
 any spot upon her, as clothed with his righteous- 
 ness ; she was in his eye a " perfection of beauty ;" 
 having the most just symmetry and proportion of 
 parts, the most agreeable shape, and the most 
 lovely features in her face ; her cheeks, being 
 " comely with rows of jewels, and her neck with 
 chains of gold," as in chap. i. 10. Faith is most 
 properly the,' believer's face or countenance, by 
 which he looks on Christ, aud views a fuluess and 
 suitableness in him, and expects all needful sup- 
 plies from him ; which look of faith on Christ, 
 for life and salvation, is exceeding pleasant, nay, 
 ravishing to Iiim ; and therefore he would have 
 his church behold him again and again ; for saints 
 never appear more comely in Christ's eye, than 
 wheu they take a fuUjiew of him. 
 
 Verse 15. Take us the foxes, the little foxes 
 that spoil the vines ; for our vines have fender 
 grapes. 
 
 Whether these words are the words of Christ or 
 of the church, is not so manifest. Some think 
 that they arcjthe words of the church, to whom 
 the care of the vineyard was committed : which, 
 though she had^in some measure neglected, as 
 appears from chap. i. 6, yet now is heartily con- 
 cerned for the^'flourishing of it; and therefore 
 calls upon her attendants and companions to assist 
 in destroying those noxious creatures the foxes, 
 which did so much mischief to the vines that 
 grew in it ; thongh they rather seem to be the 
 words of Christ, who is the owner of tlie vine- 
 yard, aud has an authoritative power over the 
 OiScers of the church, aud ministers of the gospel, 
 to stir them up to be sedulous and careful in the 
 disthargc of their work ; for the words seem to be 
 directed, not to? angels, nor to his bride, the 
 church, nor to the civil magistrate, but to minis- 
 ters, who are more particularly employed in the 
 care of Christ's vineyard : and if we take them to 
 be the words of Christ, it not only shows the 
 power and authority of Christ over those he speaks 
 to, and lays his commands on in so strict a man- 
 ner; but also his love to, and care of his vines, 
 the several churches, which his own right-hand 
 has planted : though perhaps they may be words 
 of them both jointly together ; for the church, 
 with Christ, and under him, has a right to stir up 
 her officers to perform their work, and fulfil their 
 ministry, which they have received of the Lord 
 
 * Frant. Hist. Sacr. Animal, par, 1. c. 17. 
 
 • Ibid. ' Ibid. Aristot. Hist. Animal. 1. !). c. 
 
 Jesus ; the doing of which will redound to bis 
 glory, and her good ; they both having an in- 
 terest in the vines here mentioned; also the foxes, 
 which they are ordered to take, were common 
 enemies, both to Christ and his church ; and 
 therefore it is not said, " take for me or thee, but 
 take for us the foxes." In these words may be 
 observed, 
 
 I. A command that is laid upon the niiuisters 
 of the Gospel, " to take the foxes, even the little 
 foxes." 
 
 II. Some arguments or motives proposed to 
 stir them up to an observance of it." 
 
 I. The thing enjoined them, is, to " take the 
 foxes." 
 
 By foxes we are to understand, either, 
 1st. The sins and corruptions of our nature, 
 which may be compared unto them for the follow- 
 ing reasons : 1. xVs foxes have their lurking-holes 
 in the earth, so have these in the hearts of men, 
 where they lie a long time undiscovered ; and tha t 
 not only in the hearts of wicked men, but also in 
 the hearts of God's own people ; and therefore, 
 says David, Psal. xix. 12, "Who cau understand 
 his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults ," 
 now it is only the Spirit of God, who " searcheth 
 the deep things of God," that can search the in- 
 most I'ecesses of onr hearts, discover our vile cor- 
 ruptions, bring them out of their lurking-holes, 
 and slay them by the mighty power of his grace. 
 2. The sins aud corruptions of our nature may be 
 compared to foxes for their deceitfulness, there- 
 fore are they called " deceitful lusts;" aud well 
 they may, for we are often imposed upon by 
 them, and deceived with them, and that under the 
 notion either of pleasure, profit, or honour, which 
 they promise to us, but leave us entirely shoi-f; 
 of: there is a deceitfulness in sin, which makes 
 our hearts so deceitful, and desperately wicked qs 
 they be. 3. For the crooked ways which they 
 take : the fox** does not walk straight forward, 
 but with several windings and turnings; the ways 
 of sin are all crooked ways ; they are so many dis- 
 tortions from tlie ways of God and godliness, 
 which are straight arid even ; aud are so many 
 aberrations from the divine law, wiiich is the rule 
 of our obedience unto God. 4. For making 
 places barren and desert,® wherever they come : 
 sin makes persons barren and unfruitful, both in 
 the knowledge of Christ, aud in the performance 
 of duty; so that they look like " the heath in 
 the desert," and like " parehed places in the 
 wilderness." 5. For their friendsiiip with ser- 
 pents.' tliere is a secret correspondence held 
 between Satan, that old serpent, and the corrup- 
 tions of our nature; by virtue of which be often 
 compasses his end, and gains his purpose, which 
 he could not do on Christ, there being no such 
 matter for him to work upon ; he had notve of his 
 old friends there to let him in, as he has in our 
 hsarts. 
 1. Piut«ruh de SO'lert. Animal, p. 081. 
 
104 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. If. 
 
 Now the ministers of the Gospel may be said 
 to take these foxes, wlieii they lift up their voices 
 like a trumpet, autl exclaim against them, expose 
 the wickedness aud deceitfulness of them, and 
 show souls the danger they are ia by them, when 
 they are made useful to bring persons under a 
 convicliou of them, and, as it were, to ferret 
 them out of their lurking holes: moreover, by 
 the power of the Sj)irit of God attending the 
 ministry, the " strong-holds of sin " are pulled 
 down, and the vain imaginations of men's hearts 
 subdued, and every vile thought bronglit " into 
 captivity, to tlie obedience of Christ," and a re- 
 venge taken upou all disobedience. Not but that 
 private Christians, as well as ministers, should 
 watch and pray against them ; fight in order to 
 take them, and, when taken, should bring them 
 to Christ, as his and their enemies, to be slain by 
 the mighty power of his grace ; aud not ouly 
 gross sins, but even " little foxes," the very first 
 motions of sin-, are to be watched against and 
 struck at ; we should abstain from all appearance 
 of it, knowing that lesser sins will bring us into 
 the comrnission of greater, and insensibly grow 
 upon us ; so R. Alsliech interprets these little 
 foxes of little sins. Or else, 
 
 2ndly. By these foxes may be meant false 
 teachers or heretics ; so the false prophets in 
 Ezekiel's time were called by hisn, Ezek. xiii. 3, 
 4. 'i O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in 
 the deserts ;" aud so may false apostles aud false 
 teacliers now, and that for the following reasons ; 
 1. For their craftiness, and subtlety. The fox is 
 remarkable for its cunning aud craftiness, of which 
 some writers give us many instances : sometimes 
 he feigns himself dead, lies upon his back, with 
 his mouth open, and his tongue out, so that he 
 looks every way as a dead carcase : by which 
 means he invites the fowls of the air to feed upon 
 him, but when come, devours them with open 
 mouth ;if for the same purpose, at other times, 
 he rolls himself iu the red earth, that he might 
 appear as bloody, and then, as before,'hiy3 himself 
 doA'u upon the ground as dead, and thereby lays 
 a bait for the unwary birds : so wheu he is taken 
 in a snare, and finds that there is no escaping, he 
 prostrates himself upon the ground, holds his 
 breath, and in all appearance seems dead, which 
 the snare-setter supposing to be real, looses the 
 snare, without any suspicioQ of his escaping : but 
 finding himself free, gets upon his legs, and away 
 he runs; also when hunted, he will run among 
 a flock of sheep or goats, aud leap upou the back 
 of some one of them, which puts the whole flock 
 into a fright, and causes them to run one after 
 another, and, for fear of damage, the huntsman is 
 obliged to call in his dogs : these, with many 
 other instances of his subtlety, as his artful me- 
 thod of catching crabs and lobsters with his tail, 
 destroying of wasps, clearing himself of fleas. 
 
 tricking the hedge-hog, revenging himself upon 
 the badger, and catching of hares, are recorded 
 by several writers.*" Hence false teachers may be 
 very fitly compared unto them, who act in dis- 
 guise, lie in wait to deceive, walk in craftiness, 
 aud handle the word of God deceitfully, speak lies 
 in hypocrisy, use good words and fair speeches, 
 and thereby deceive the hearts of the simple. 2. 
 For their malignity : foxes are cruel as well as 
 cunning ; they are very noxious and hnrtfnl crea- 
 tures ; and so are false teachers, they arc wolves 
 though in sheep's clothing; their heresies are 
 damnable, their doclriues are pernicious, aud 
 their wor Is eat as doth a canker; they subvert 
 the faith of some, and biiiig ruin aud destruction 
 upou themselves aud others. 3. I'or their hun- 
 ger aud voraciousness : all the cunning aud cru- 
 elty that the fox uses, is to satisfy his greedy 
 appetite ; and so the priucipal end of false teach- 
 ers, is not to serve Christ, but their owu bellies , 
 to devour widows' houses, aud making merchan- 
 dise of others, to enrich themselves, and iodulue 
 their owu pride and varvity. 4. For their feigning 
 themselves to be domestics : it is reported of the 
 fox,' that when it draws uigh to a farmi-house, it 
 will mimic the barking of a dog, which the hens 
 and geese being used to, walk about with les* 
 guard, and with more conlideuce approach to him, 
 and so are eurpriseJ and devoured by him ; so 
 false teachers put on sheep's clothing, trans- 
 form themselves into angels of light, as their 
 master before theai has done; mimic the voice of 
 Christ's ministers; use some phrases and expres- 
 sions which they do, which serve as a blind to 
 the people; and so craftily do they put their 
 words together, that it is not an easy thing to 
 discover them. 5. As foxes are filthy, abomi- 
 nable, aud stinking creatures, so are these, not 
 ouly to God, but to his people ; and therefore are 
 also compared to wolvis aud dogs ; aud are not 
 so much as to be received into the houses of good 
 people, uor to be bid God speed by them. 
 
 Now the miuisters of the Gospel are to take 
 these foxes ; they being overseers of the flock, aud 
 keepers of Christ's vineyard, are to watch against 
 them, and make a discovery of them, they are to 
 ojiposc and refute their erroneous doctrines ; and 
 being detected, aud convicted of heresies, they are 
 with the ch)irch after proper admonitions given, 
 to reject aud cut them off from the church, and 
 communion with it : it is true, they are not to 
 take away their lives, but they are to exclude 
 them from fellowship with them, and not suffer 
 them to continue with them either as members 
 or officers; uay, eveu the little foxes are to be 
 taken. Heresy is compared to leaven : the er- 
 roneous doctrines of the Scribes and jiharisees are 
 called so, and " a little leavcu leaveueth the whole 
 lump." Heresies and heretics are to be nipped 
 iu the bud, otherwise they will increase to more 
 
 e Viil. Isidor. Origin. 1. 12. c. 2. >■ yElian. de 
 
 Animal. 1. 4. c. 39. and 1. 6. c. 24, G4, and 1. 13. c. 11. 
 Olaas Magnus, Hist. Sciitent.l. 18. c. 31. audFrautz. 
 
 Hist. Sacr. Animal. pa,r. 1. c. I7. 
 nuH iu loc. supracit. 
 
 Olaus Mag- 
 
VER. 
 
 IG.] 
 
 SONG OF SOXOS. 
 
 105 
 
 ungodliness ; great things have risen from small j of doing more damage, and not so easy to be 
 begiunings: these things should be tal<eu in time; I taken neither; so that the consideration also of 
 for errors, seemingly small at first, have grown 
 
 there being less diOBculty now, than there would 
 be hereafter, might animate them to set about 
 the work immediately. 3. Christ seems to in- 
 timate as if they had some interest in these vines ; 
 for which reason they ought to be the more 
 heartily and vigorously concerned for the wel- 
 fare of them-; therefore they are called our 
 vines : it is true, Christ has a sole right unto, 
 and property in the vineyard; the vines are all 
 of his planting, and the fruit of them belongs to 
 him ; yet those to whom the vineyard is let out, 
 who are intrusted with the care of the vines, 
 and who must give an account of them to the 
 chief and principal Owner, have also an interest 
 therein ; for though our great Solomon must have 
 a thousand, whose the vineyard is ; yet " those 
 that keep the fruit' thereof must have two hun- 
 dred," Cant. viii. 11, 12; so that if they should 
 be negligent in their work, and suiFer the foxes 
 to overrun the vineyard, and spoil the vines, they 
 would not only incur the displeasure of the owner 
 of them, but sustain a loss themselves, by coming 
 short of the fruit which otherwise would be 
 distributed to them. Now such arguments as these, 
 which have interest and profit contained in them, 
 usually have the greatest influence upon per- 
 sons ; Christ kuew this, and therefore uses such 
 an one here. 
 
 Verse 16. My beloved is mine and 1 am /lis : 
 hefeedeth among the lilies. 
 
 Christ having given such evidences of his love, 
 
 larger, have spread themselves, and have been very 
 fatal to the churches of Christ ; therefore no error 
 or heresy should be connived at, under a notion 
 of its being a small or a harmless one ; for even 
 little foxes are to be taken. Some'' connect the 
 word little with the vines next mentioned ; and 
 so it strengthens the reason, why care should be 
 taken to preserve them from the foxes, since they 
 are small and tender. 
 
 ^dly. Here the motives and arguments proposed 
 to induce a compliance to this command of Christ's. 
 
 1. The mischief vvhicli these foxes do to the vines, 
 
 is made use of as one, which spoil the viues ; it has 
 
 been observed by many,' that these kind of crea- 
 tures do hurt to the viues ; and that by destroying 
 
 the fences, gnawing the branches, biting the bark, 
 
 making bare the roots of the vines, devouring 
 
 the ripe grapes thereof, and infecting all with 
 
 their noxious teeth aud vicious breath : so heretics 
 
 and false teachers break down the church's fence, 
 
 by making schisms and divisions, make bare her 
 
 roots, sap the very foundation of religion, by 
 
 corrupting the word of God, and denying the great 
 
 doctrines of the Gospel ; and hurt her fruit, by 
 
 disturbing the peace of her members, unsettling 
 
 some, and subverting others. 2. Another argu- 
 ment that is made use of to stir them up to 
 
 diligence in taking the foxes, is because the vines 
 
 have tender grapes ; by vines are meant the several 
 
 distinct congregated churches of Christ ; by the 
 
 tender grapes or flowers thereof, we are to under- 
 stand young converts, whom Christ is very tender I and instances of his care and kindness to the 
 of, and has a particular regard unto ; see Isa. xl. church iu the preceding verses ; she, in this, declares 
 
 11, and xlii. 3, and these having but a small 
 degree of faith, knowledge, and experience, 
 like children, are more easily " tossed to and fro, 
 and carried about with every wiud of doctrine, 
 by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness of 
 these foxes, whereby they lie in wait to deceive : 
 now generally they make their onset upon these, 
 as being more easily wrought upon, and by whom 
 they cau with more facility compass their end ; 
 and this being then the case, the ministers of 
 Christ ought to be more sedulous and diligent 
 in the discovering of those foxes, from whom so 
 much mischief may be expected, and more bold, 
 vigorous, and courageous in opposing and reject- 
 ing them ; seeing the churches of Christ are like 
 to sustain so considerable a loss by them, and in 
 danger of having a promising vintage spoiled. 
 It is true, the foxes love the ripe grapes and de- 
 vour them, and not when they are blossoming 
 and knotting ; which shows Christ's care of his 
 vines to be the greater, that he would have little 
 foxes taken while the vines were blowing ; for by 
 such time as the grapes wcfe ripe, these little 
 
 her faith iu him, and signifies the obligation which 
 she lay under to observe his commands. " My be- 
 loved is mine ;" he hath given himself to me, his 
 heart is set upon me, aud is always careful of me, 
 and concerned for me ; of which he has given the 
 fullest proof^l could wish for : " and I am his; " 1 
 give up myself to him, and am at his disposal, 
 and think myself obliged to observe whatever he 
 enjoins me, aud to follow him whithersoever he 
 calls me ; especially seeing it is for my good ; it 
 makes both for my pleasure and profit, as well 
 as for his glory ; for " he feedeth among the liles." 
 I need not fear his leading me into danger, or any 
 desolate places, but where lilies grow, where is all 
 delight and pleasure ; he will lead me into green 
 pastures, where I may have food, and fulness of 
 it. And, 
 
 First. These words are expressive of the mutual 
 interest and property which Christ and the church 
 have in each other ; " my beloved is mine, and I 
 am his ; " he has interest in me, and I have the 
 same in him. 
 
 1st. She says, " ray beloved is 'mine. " She 
 first asserts her interest in Christ, and then his 
 
 foxes would be great ones, and would be capable 
 
 ■■ Vid. Theodoret. iu loc. ' Vid. Theocrit. [ grapes in the countries they come iuto, ^Vristoiih 
 
 Idyll. I. V. 48, J9. aud lydll. .'j. v. 112, 113. Sol Equites, act. 3. 60. 1. p. 3o0. 
 Soldiers are compared to Ioxlo, because they cat the i 
 
10 G 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 n. 
 
 interest in her ; for Christ is first ours, and tlicn 
 we are his because he is ours ; he loves us before 
 we love him ; he iirst gives himself to us, 
 and then we give ourselves to him. But hovv 
 comes Christ to be ours? I answer, 1. By the 
 Father's gift; he gave him for us, and he gave 
 him to us ; therefore Christ is called, John iv. 10, 
 "the gift of God," and that by way of eminence, he 
 being the iirst and best gift, the most compre- 
 hensive one, that includes all others in it, and brings 
 them with it; for he that gives the greater gift, 
 will give the lesser; if he gives his own Son, "he 
 will give all things with him ;" him he has given 
 to be a Husband to his church, and a Head over 
 her; he has given him to be a Priest to offer up 
 sacrifice, and to make intercession for lier ; to be a 
 Prophet to teach, and a King to rule her ; and surely 
 such a gift as this deserves the utmost thanks: so 
 that there is reason to say with the apostle, 2 Cor. 
 ix. 15, " thanks be to God for his unspeakable 
 gift;" and thus Christ becomes ours. 2. By his 
 own gift ; he has given himself to us as well 
 as for us ; he gave himself a sacrifice for us, 
 and that as an instance of his love to us, as well 
 as a fruit of his having given himself in covenant 
 to us before. 3. By marriage : Christ has not 
 onlv espoused our cause, but has also espoused our 
 persons, and betrothed us to himself" in righteous- 
 ness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in 
 mercies, and in faithfulness," and that for ever ; so 
 that, astonishing grace! he that is our Maker is 
 become our Husband. 4. By possession : we have 
 him and all things pertaining to life and salvation 
 with him ; v/e have him in us as the hope of glory, 
 dwelling in our hearts by faith, living there as in 
 his own house and temple, and reigning there by 
 his grace and Spirit, as in his own palace ; and those 
 souls who can e.-^perience this, may say with the 
 church, my beloved is mine ; I have an interest 
 in him, for I am in possession of him. Tims 
 Christ is the church's. But 
 
 2ndly. She says also, that she was his ; I am 
 his ; and that because he is mine. Now how 
 , come souls to be Christ's? I answer, 1. By the 
 Father's gift: he that gives Christ to us, gives us 
 also to Christ ; and this he did iu the everlasting co- 
 venant, to be his bride and wife, to be his portion 
 and inheritance, and to be kept and preserved by 
 him safe to glory. Christ having pitched his love 
 upon us, chose us for his own, and asked us 
 of his Father, who granted his request ; " thine 
 they were," says Christ, John xvii. 6," and thou 
 gavest them me." 2 . By purchase : he has 
 bought us with a price, and that not with corrup- 
 tible things, as silver and gold, but with his own 
 most precious blood ; so that he does, as he justly 
 may, claim an interest in ns upon this accoutt. 
 3. By the conquest of his grace upon our hearts : 
 he pulls down the strong holds of our hearts; 
 enters in with his glorious train and retinue of 
 
 bsing his ; " for if any man have not the Spirit of 
 Christ, he is none of his ;" from whence it may be 
 inferred, that he that has the Spirit of Chiist, is 
 one of his. 4. By a voluntary surrender of 
 ourselves unto him ; which cannot be belter expres- 
 sed than it is in Isa.sliv. 5, " One shall say, I am 
 the Lord's ;" which is the language of the church 
 here : " another shall call himself by the name of 
 Jacob ;" which is the name of Christ's church ; 
 "and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the 
 Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel;" 
 and this in New-Testaraent-language, is. called 
 a giving themselves to the Lord, and to the church 
 by the will of God; so that as Christ is ours by 
 his own consent, we are Clirist's by our consent, 
 being made a willing people in the day of his power. 
 Now from Christ's being ours, it follows, 1. 
 That all he has is ours ; all his perfections are 
 ours ; not that they are communicated to us, fur 
 that would be to deify us ; but they are all en- 
 gaged for our eternal good and welfare ; we have 
 the comfort of them. Is he the Almighty? then 
 he is able to save us from law, sin, hell, and death, 
 and to keep and preserve us safe to his kingdom 
 and glory. Is he omnipresent? heuce saints en- 
 joy his gracious presence, in all places, in all his 
 ordinances ; he can be with them, when and where 
 he pleases. Is he omniscient ? he knows their 
 persons, fheir wants, their enemies, &c., and is 
 both able and willing to help them. Is he immu- 
 table ? Is he Jesus, " the same yesterday, to-day, 
 and for ever?" they need not then fear any varia- 
 tion of his mind, any alteration in his love, nor 
 change iu llieir state ; and thus all other of hi* 
 divine perfections serve to advance their comfort 
 and happiness. 2. That ail he has is theirs ; his 
 Person is theirs, to render them acceptable to God; 
 his blood theirs, to cleanse and pardon them ; his 
 righteousness theirs, to justify and acquit them 
 before God ; his fulness theirs, to supply their 
 wants ; and all covenant-blessings and promises 
 wliich he has in his hands, are theirs. Therefore, 
 3. It follows, that they can want no good thing ; 
 for as he has ability to help them, he has a heart to 
 do it, and will not withhold any thing that may be 
 needful and proper for them, especially seeing they 
 have an indisputable right to and interest in them. 
 Moreover, from our being Christ's it follows, 
 that we are not our own ; our persons, our time, 
 and talents, our gifts and graces, are not our own, 
 but his , and therefore we should give up all unto 
 him, and glorify him with all : nor are we any 
 others ; we are not Satan's, for Christ has delivered 
 us as lawful captives out of his hands : nor sin's, 
 for Christ has redeemed usfrom it; nor the world's, 
 for Christ has both chosen and called us out of it ; 
 and therefore we should serve none but him, who 
 has an iucontestible right to us, and a sovereign 
 power over us. 
 
 Secondly, These words are expressive of a near 
 
 grace, dispossesses Satan, dethrones sin, sets up a union, that there is between Christ and his church ; 
 throne for himself, and places his own S])int in the these two are one in a conjugal relation, as hus- 
 midst of us, which is the graud evideuee of our band and nife are one ; ray beloved is my Husbaud 
 
VER. 
 
 IG.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 lo; 
 
 nnJ I am his wife, and wc are both one flesh. 
 ■\Vhich union is, 1. Personal: it is an nnioa of 
 persons, that is to sav, the whole person of Christ 
 as God-man, is united to a believer ; and the whole 
 person of a believer, body and soul, is united to 
 Christ ; and by virtue of this union, as the souls 
 of the saints shall be received into everlasting habi- 
 tations till the resurrect ion-morn, so the bodies of 
 the saints shall be raised from their dusty beds, 
 and shall then live with Christ for evermore. 2. 
 It is a spiritual union ; " he that is joined to the 
 Lord, is one spirit :" Christ and his church being 
 one, they have one and the same Spirit ; Christ 
 has it without measure, and the church in mea- 
 sure ; and this she has as the fruit of her union 
 to Christ, and also as the evidence of it. 3. It 
 is a vital union ; luch an one as is between the 
 vine and branches : where the Spirit of Christ is 
 given, a princijile of life is implanted ; when souls 
 are ingrafted into Christ, they receive life from 
 Christ ; nay, he lives in them, and maintains this 
 spiritual life by fresh communications of life frpui 
 himself, who is the Fountain of it ; and because he 
 lives, they shall live also ; as long as there is life 
 in the Head, there shall be life in the members ; 
 and because there is life in the root, the branches 
 shall not wither. 4. It is very mysterious : the 
 union of the three Persons in one divine essence, 
 and that of two natures in Christ's person, are 
 very mysterious ; these, without controversy, are 
 the great mysteries of godliness : and next to them 
 is this union of souls to Christ, which the apostle 
 having spoken of, thns says, Eph. v. 33, " This 
 is a great mystery, but I speak of Christ and the 
 church ;" that is, of the union there is between 
 Christ and the church -. that it is an ineffable and 
 inconceivable one, appears from its being compared 
 to the union of the divine Persons in the Godhead, 
 John 5vii. 11 — 23. 5. It is an indissoluble one : 
 Christ and the church can never besepnrated ; the 
 union-bond can never be broken ; and what is that? 
 The generality of divines say, that it is the Spirit 
 on Christ's side, and faith on ours ; but neither 
 the Spirit nor faith are tlie bond of union, but the 
 fruits and effects of it : the reason why the Spirit 
 is given, or faith, or any other graces are wrouglit, 
 is, because the soul is already united to Christ. 
 What then is the bond of union? I answer, Christ's 
 everlasting love ; it is this which is the cement 
 that knits and joints souls unto him. What was 
 it that knit and united the souls of David and Jon- 
 athan together, and made them as if they had been 
 but one soul, but love ? What is it that knits the 
 saints together ? so as thoy appear to be of one 
 heart and one soul, but love ? This is the bond of 
 Union between them ; and so it is between Christ 
 and his church ; and now who or what can sepa- 
 rate from this love ? This betrothment, which was 
 done in loving-kindness and in mercies, can never 
 be made void ; this marriage-knot can never be 
 loosed ; this union-bond can never be broken ; 
 Christ's love is everlasting, unchangeable, and in- 
 separable. 
 
 Now from tliis union flow, 1. An interest in all 
 he has; he being ours, and we his by marrinf;e ; 
 all his goods arc ours, all the aforementioueJ 
 things are ours. 2. A communication of na.ties : 
 the church is called by the name of Christ, 1 Cor. 
 xii. 12, Jer. xxiii. 16, compared with Jer. xxxiii. 
 6 ; and Christ is called by the church's name, Isa. 
 xlix. 3 ; which is somewhat remarkable ; for 
 though it is usual for the wife to take the name 
 of the husband, yet not the husband the name 
 of the wife. 3. Conformity to Clirist : by virtue 
 of this union, the soul receives the same Spirit 
 that Christ has, and has grace daily communicated 
 from, is indulged with transforming views of, and 
 therefore cannot but bear some resemblance to 
 him ; which will more fully appear in the other 
 world, when saints shall be like him, and shall 
 see him as he is. 4. Communion and fellowship 
 with him : communion with Christ follows upon 
 union to him ; because his saints and he are both 
 one, he is not ashamed to call them brethren ; but 
 takes them into his bosom, indulges them with his 
 presence, grants them nearness to and familiarity 
 with him. 
 
 Thirdly. These words are also expressive of the 
 mutual affection, delight, and complacency, which 
 Christ and his church have in each other : it is as 
 if she should say, He is a beloved to me, and I 
 am the same to him ; he loves me and I love him ; 
 yea, there is no love lost between us. He sa^, 
 that the lines are fallen to him in pleasant places, 
 and that he has a goodly heritage: he is well 
 pleased with his portion, and I am well pleased 
 with mine : for, " whom have I in heaven but 
 him ? and there is none upon earth that I desire 
 besides him." He says, that I am in his eye " the 
 fairest among women," the greatest beauty in the 
 world, and so is he in mine; he is white and 
 ruddy, a complete beauty, " the chiefest among 
 ten thousand." 
 
 Fourthly. There is in them a manifest declara- 
 tion of the assurance of that knowledge and faith 
 which she had of her interest in Christ ; it shows 
 us, that such a thing is attainable ; and, sure I 
 am, next to the enjoyment of the heavenly glory, 
 nothing is more desirable ; it is a mercy not only 
 to have an interest in Christ, but also to know it, 
 to be capable of saying with Thomas, " ;My Lord 
 and my God ;" or with Job, " I know that my 
 Redeemer liveth ;" or with the apostle Paul, " I 
 know whom I have believed ;" for this makes 
 much for the comfort of souls. The church seems 
 to speak thisi iu the triumph of faith, rejoicing in 
 the comfortable views of Christ as her own ; and 
 as it were boasting of it, excluding all other 
 beloveds, as not worthy of her notice, and as not 
 to be mentioned with her beloved. 
 
 Lastly. She tells us, that this beloved of hers was 
 feeding among the lilies ; " he feedeth among the 
 lilies :" whicli may be regarded either as an 
 apostrophe to him, and may be read thus, " O thou 
 that feedest among the lilies !" thou, and thou 
 only, art mine, and I am thine : or else, these 
 
108 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 words may be descriptive of his person, and 
 prevent a question that might be asked, viz., who 
 her beloved was, that she thus claimed an interest 
 in ? To which she answers, My beloved is that 
 yonder person you see feeding among the lilies ; 
 and at the same time also points out to us the 
 place where he was, and what he was about ; his 
 employment was feeding, that is, either feeding 
 himself; which Christ does, when he delights and 
 recreates himself in his gardens, the churches, and 
 among his lilies, the saints; observing how their 
 faith grows, and how that all o'her graces are 
 exercised upon himself : or else, feeding his flock, 
 as R. Sol. Jarchi observes ; for as he bears the 
 character of a Shepherd, so he performs the work 
 of one ; " he feeds his flock like a shepherd ;" see 
 chap. i. 7. The place where he is here said to 
 feed, is among the lilies ; by which may be meant, 
 either a good, quiet, and delightful pasture, as R. 
 Sol. Jarchi glosses it. Christ leads and feeds his 
 people in " green pastures, beside the still or quiet 
 waters ;" and what can be more delightful than 
 to lie down among, or to sit and feed where lilies 
 grow ? or else, by these lilies may be meant the 
 scriptures of truth, the precious promises and 
 comfortable doctrines of the gospel, and the ordi- 
 nances thereof, with which Christ feeds his church : 
 or rather, by them may be meant the saints, who 
 are compared thereunto, inverse 2, of this chapter, 
 iifow it is among these that Christ feeds ; and 
 therefore do any want to know where Christ feeds, 
 as the church did, in chap. i. 7 ? he feeds among 
 his saints, where they are congregated in gospel 
 order, where his lilies grow. It may be observed, 
 it is not said, he feedeth on, or feeds his flock with 
 lilies, but among them; for it is remarked,™ that 
 sheep will not eat them : or tlie sense may be, 
 Christ feeds himself, and feeds his people, and 
 feeds among them, as if he was crowned with 
 lilies, and anointed with the oil of them ; as 
 was the custom of the ancients at festivals," 
 thought to be here alluded to by some, who 
 read the words, " that feeds ;" tliat is, feeds, 
 sups in, or with lilies, being crowned with them, 
 and anointed with the oil of them. The lily 
 is a summer flower ;" the winter was now past, 
 verse 11 ; and so agrees with the time when 
 those words were spoken. 
 
 Verse 17. Until the day hreah, and the shadows 
 flee away ; turn, my beloved, and be thou 
 like a roe, or a young hart, upon the moun- 
 tains of Bother. 
 
 TiiE former part of these words, " until the day 
 break, and the shadows flee away," may stand 
 connected with either part of the preceding verse, 
 either with those words, my beloved is mine, and 
 I am his,P which are expressive, as has been ob- 
 served, of that mutual interest, union, communion, 
 satisfaction, and delight, which Christ and his 
 
 ■" Tuecius apud Soto M.ijor in loc. " Fortuuat. 
 Sehac. Elcochrysm. Sacr, 1. I.e. 28. p. l.HT. 
 
 - Theophrast. apud Athcn. Deipnosophist 1. 15. c. 
 
 church have in and with each other ; and then 
 the sense is, as long as day and night continue, 
 and God's covenant with both stands sure, so 
 long will my covenant-interest in, and union to 
 Christ, who is my beloved, abide solid and un- 
 shaken ; I can no more be separated from his 
 person, and from his love, than day and night can 
 cease ; and when they do, I shall be taken up in- 
 to everlasting and uninterrupted communion with 
 him, which is now subject to the same vicissitudes 
 as these returning seasons are : or else, they may 
 stand connected with the latter part of the prece- 
 ding verse, " he feedeth among the lilies, until 
 the day break, "i &c., and so are expressive of the 
 continual presence of Christ in his church, until 
 his second coming, when the everlasting day shall 
 break, and all shadows of darkness flee away ; till 
 then, as in chap. iv. 6, he will be on his moun- 
 tain of myrrh, and hill of frankincense ; where he 
 will delight himself with, and feed among his 
 saints, until all his elect ones are called by grace, 
 and till all his lilies are grown up to their full 
 maturity, when he will gather them to himself; 
 though the words may be also considered as connected 
 with the latter part of this verse, " turn my be- 
 loved," &c., and so they contain a prayer of the 
 church's for Christ's speedy access unto her, and 
 continued presence with her, until the day should 
 break, aud the shadows flee away. In which may 
 be considered, 
 
 I. The favour which she requests of him, which 
 is, 1st, To turn, that is, unto her ; and this 
 she desires that he would do speedily, and 
 tlierefore says, " be thou like a roe or a young 
 hart upon the mountains of Bether." 
 
 II, The time unto which she desires this fa- 
 vour might be continued to her : and that is, un- 
 til the day break, upon which the shadows would 
 flee away. 
 
 I. The favour which she desires of him is, that 
 he would turn unto her ; which seems to intimate 
 as though he was about to leave lier; which, upon 
 some account or other, she had a suspicion of, 
 therefore importunes him to stay with her ; aud 
 seeing him upon the motion, upon the turn, ready 
 to depart, she desires that he would turn again, 
 and continue with her : or else, it supposes that 
 he was entirely gone, and that she was sensible of 
 it: and having a great value for Christ's person 
 and presence, desires that he would turn again to 
 her : such a petition as this, under a sense of de- 
 sertion, is frequently put up by the psalmist, par- 
 ticularly in Psalm Ix. 1, and Ixix. IG, 17, and 
 Ixxsvi. 16 ; though the word may be rendered, 
 turn about or iurronud,^' that is, with thy favour 
 and loving-kindness ; let me always be under thy 
 care and protection ; be thou a vvall of fire rouud 
 about me ; so shall I be safe aud secure from all ene- 
 mies, until tlie glorious and wished-for-day breaks, 
 when I shall be out of fear, as well as out of dan- 
 7. p. G79. P So U. Sol. Jarcbi in'loc. « Vid. 
 
 Sanct. in loc. ' 3D circiii, Montauus, Sanctiu.5; 
 
 uircumito, some in ilicliaclid. 
 
!7.1 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 109 
 
 ger : and this favour she desires might be s])ccdi- 
 ly granted to her, and tlierefore says, " be thou 
 like a roe or young hart ;" which are not only 
 loving and pleasant, but also swift and nimble 
 creatures. She had experienced Christ to be 
 so before, and therefore might the more comfort- 
 ably hope that he would be so to her novv : she 
 adds, " upon the mountains of Bether ;" by 
 vvhicli perhaps may be meant Bithron, of which 
 we read in 1 Sam. ii. 29, and was so called, be- 
 cause it was parted or separated from Judea by 
 the river Jordan ; though some think it should 
 be read Bethel, by a change of a letter : and so 
 the Septnagint reads it in ver. 9 ; which is there 
 an addition to the Hebrew text ; though (hey 
 here render it, oprj KoiXic/j-aTuv, the mountains of 
 cavities, that is, such that were full of clefts 
 and hollow places •, but be they what they will, it 
 is certain that they were such places where roes 
 and fawns used to skip and run. The words may 
 be very well rendered, the mountains of division,^ 
 which, if referred to Christ's first coming in the 
 days of his flesh, may regard the ceremonial law, 
 which made and kept up the division between 
 Jew and Gentile, was the partition wall between 
 them, which was broken down by Christ Jesus : 
 or else, the two people divided by it, to whom 
 Christ came, for whom he made peace, to whom 
 he preached it, and thereby made both one. 
 But if we refer the words to Christ's spiritual 
 coming in a way of special grace to visit his peo- 
 ple ; then these mountains of division, upon 
 which Christ comes, and over which he leaps as 
 a roe or a young hart, may be our sins and cor- 
 ruptions, which often separate between him and 
 our souls ; though, when he is pleased to come, 
 they are no obstacles in his way, but are easily 
 surmounted or removed by him ; but if they be 
 applied to Christ's second coming at the day of 
 judgment ; these mountains of division may in- 
 tend the spacious heavens, in which Christ shall 
 then appear, which at present interpose between 
 him and us, and separate us from the enjoyment 
 of his bodily presence ; one part or branch of 
 whose awful work theu will be, to separate the 
 sheep from the goats. But, 
 
 11. How long does she desire to be indulged 
 with this favour of enjoying his gracious pre- 
 sence, in the discoveries of himself, and of his 
 love unto her, without which she could not live, 
 and therefore desires it might be speedily granted 
 to her ? and that is, " until the day break, and 
 the shadows flee away ;" which may be lander- 
 stood, either, 
 
 1st. Of Christ's coming in tlie flesh, which 
 was the break and dawn of the Gospel day, 
 until the day break ; or, according to the Hebrew 
 text, " uatil the day breathe or blow,"' and 
 naturalists" have observed, that upon the sun's 
 
 rising, an air or wind has been excited : so 
 upon the rising of " the Sun of righteousness 
 with healing in his wings," were raised some 
 fine, cool, gentle, and refreshing breezes of divine 
 grace and consolation. Before Christ's coming 
 in the flesh, it was night, not only in the Gen- 
 tile, but in the Jewish world ; there was a great 
 deal of darkness, blindness, and ignorance, in- 
 fidelity, sleepinessi, and security ; but upon the 
 arising of this Sun, and breaking or breathing 
 of this day, all this was in a great measure 
 dispelled, and light, nay a great light, was in- 
 troduced ; for Christ's coming was " as the light 
 of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a 
 morning without clouds ;" he came as the light 
 of the world, and made that day, that Gospel- 
 day, which, by way of eminency, is so often 
 spoken of in the Old Testament, when the shadows 
 of the old law fled and disappeared : so the law 
 is called " a shadow of good things to come," 
 and that because it was a representation of them ; 
 which were so sooner come, but this was gone, 
 and, like a shadow, appeared fleeting and tran- 
 sitory ; and whilst it continued, was dark and 
 obscure ; though there was some glimmering of 
 light in it, which led the faith of the Old Testa- 
 ment saints to Christ, who was represented by 
 it ; but now these shadows are gone, Christ the 
 body and substance being come; this middle wall 
 of partition is broken down ; this hand-writing 
 of ordinances is taken av^-ay, and the whole Mosaic 
 dispensation and economy is waxen old and vanish- 
 ed ; there being a disannulling of it because of 
 the weakness and unprofitableness thereof; and 
 a glorious dispensation and bright day of Gos- 
 pel grace introduced in the room of it, and all 
 by the appearance of Christ in our nature ; which 
 was the great thing promised, prophesied of, 
 long expected, and earnestly wished for by the 
 Old Testament saints, as it was perhaps by the 
 church here. Or else, 
 
 2udly. This may be understood of Christ's 
 second coming to judgment : which, as the former 
 is called that day in tlie Old Testament by way 
 of eminency, as being that great, glorious, and 
 notable day of the Lord, so is this in the New; 
 for the former, see Isa. si. 10, and xxv. 9, and 
 xxvi. 1, and xxvii. 1, 2, 13, and for this, see 
 Phil. i. 6, 2 Tim. i. 12, 1 Thess. v. 2, 4 ; and 
 this as well suits both with the Hebrew text, 
 and with the natural philosophy of it, as the 
 former : Christ's second coming will be at the 
 evening, both of the world and of the Gospel 
 dispensation, when " the shadows of the evening 
 are stretched out upon us ; at a time when there 
 will be a great deal of darkness and ignorance, 
 much want of faith, and a very great bleepiness 
 and security, which will seize upon professors, 
 as well as upon profane; but upon Christ's 
 
 » in3 nn 'jj? in montibus division is, Vatablus, 
 Piscator; scissionis, Cocccius; dissectionis.Marckius; 
 scctionis vel separationis, Michaelis. 
 
 • mC'VD ly CM? « ^lajrrct'ffi), Sept. donec. vel dum 
 
 spiret, Mercerus, Cocceius : aspiret, Marckius, spira- 
 veril, Michaelis. " Plin. Nat. Hist. 1. 7. c. 47. 
 
 Senecje Nat. Qua;st. 1. .'>. c. 8. 
 
110 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. III. 
 
 appearance, a glorious aud everlasting day will 
 break, the shadows of darkness and ignorance 
 will flee away ; we shall know as we are kuowu, 
 and see him as he is ; not as now, " through 
 a glass darkly, but face to face ;" all infidelity, 
 doubts and fears, will be removed; everlasting joy 
 will be upon our heads ; no interposing clouds will 
 be bctvveea Christ and our souls ; but we shall 
 have the everlastiug enjoyment of him, and un- 
 interrupted commnuion with him : there will 
 then be no need of the sun and moon, of gos- 
 ))el-ordiuaaces; for the glory of God will lighten 
 both our persons and the place of our residence, 
 aud the Lamb himself will be the light thereof; 
 so shall we ever be in his presence, see his 
 face clearly, without any mixture of darkness 
 aud unbelief, aud without any fear of the shadows 
 of the evening returning upon us ; there will 
 be uo more night, bat one pure, bright, aud 
 everlasting day. Moreover, naturalists"' have ob- 
 served, that the wind often blows fresh, and fine 
 breezes of air are raised at the sun-setting, as 
 well as at the sun-rising; so tliat the words, 
 until the day blow or breathe, that is, at the 
 cool of the day, when the s\'ind blows fresher, 
 aud there are gentle breezes of air, which often 
 are in the evening ; at which time it may be 
 very well supposed that God appeared to Adam 
 in the garden after his fall; I say, these words 
 may be very well applied to the evening of the 
 world, or second coming of Christ ; which, though 
 it will be with flames of fire, to take vengeance 
 on the wicked, yet to the saints it wDl be " a 
 time of refreshing from the presence of the 
 Lord ;" which time is earnestly wished for by 
 them; their desire is, that Christ would be as 
 a roe or young hart to hasten it ; for, as he 
 says, " I surely come quickly," they return aud 
 say, " ^Amen, even so, come Lord Jesus." So 
 some Jewish* writers interpret these words of 
 the day of judgment, and compare them with 
 Mai. iv. 1. 
 
 C II APT Ell II L 
 
 In this chapter an account is given of an adventure of 
 the church in quest of her beloved ; of the time 
 when, and jjlacts where, aud the persons ol whom 
 she sought him : aud of tier success upon the 
 wliole; with a charge she giive to the daughters of 
 Jerusalem, verse 1—5, by whom she is commended.. 
 ver.se ; and then Christ her beloved is described 
 by her; by his bed. and the guard about it, verse 
 7,8; by the chariot lie rode in, verse 9, 10; and 
 by the crown he wore on his coronation-day ; to 
 which sight the daughters of Ziou are invited, 
 verse 1 1. 
 
 Verse 1. By night on my bed I sought him 
 
 whom my soul loveih ; I sought him, but I 
 
 foimd him not. 
 
 FiiOM hence it appears, that tlie day was not as 
 
 yet broken, which the church had mentioned in 
 
 " Plin. 1. 2. c. 47. Aristot. Troblems. 25. c. 4. Ads- 
 pirant aurxiu noctera. Virg. iEneid. 7. v. 8. 
 
 the last verse of the preceding chapter ; but that 
 the night was still upon her, even the night of 
 Jewish darkness, when the shadows of the cere- 
 monial law were stretched out upon her ; yet 
 having some small knowledge of Christ by 
 types and prophecies, which had raised in 
 her a desire of knowing more of him, as well as 
 filled her with love to him, she sought after him ; 
 which at present was not attended with success, 
 it not being his will as yet to appear to her in 
 that manner she was desirous of : though indued 
 the words may be taken in a more large and 
 comprehensive sense ; and may represent the 
 state and condition of the church of Christ, and 
 all true believers, in all ages of the world, at one 
 time or another; and in them may be observed, 
 
 I. The church's case, which was the absence 
 of her beloved. * 
 
 II. How she behaved herself under it, or what 
 she did in order to remove it ; " siie sought 
 him." And, 1st. The person whom she sought 
 is described ; " him whom my soul loveih." 
 
 2udly. Tiie place where she sought him is 
 mentioned ; " on my bed." 3rdly. The time 
 when; " by night." 4thly. The success she 
 had in seeking ; " but I found him not." 
 
 I. Tiie church's case here appears to be, ab- 
 sence of her beloved ; which is not only manifest 
 from her seeking of him, though that clearly 
 shows that he was absent from her, but also 
 from the time in which she sought him, which 
 was by night ; for as Christ's presence makes the 
 believer's day, so his absence mak^s it night with 
 them ;- as well as from the place where she sought 
 him, and that is, upon her bed ; which shows 
 that she was in a sleepy, slothful, and secure 
 frame of spirit, which is never attended with a 
 lively sense and feeling of Christ's gracious pre- 
 sence. Now from this being the church's case, 
 we may observe, 1. That the change of a be- 
 liever's frame is often very sudden ; not only 
 their frames are changeable, but they are often 
 changed : it was not long since that the church 
 was in the banqueting-house with Christ, and 
 there had her fill of love, and was sweetly re- 
 freshed with his gracious presence : and though 
 she fell into a relapse of dulness and sleepiness, 
 yet he in love visits her again, and recovers her 
 out of it ; insomuch that she became so lively in 
 the exercise of her faith, that she could claim 
 her interest in him, and relation to him, aad say, 
 " My beloved is mine, and I am his ;" and yet 
 now she is at a loss for him, and knows not 
 where he is ; she is grown dull and sleepy, carual 
 and secure, and he withdraws himself from her ; 
 so that a believer can sometimes say, as the Psal- 
 mist did. Psalm xxx. 7, " I-ord, by thy favour 
 thou hast made my mountain to stand strcng ;' 
 and perhaps immediately, nay, almost at the very 
 same time complain, " thou didst hide thy face. 
 
 Tanchuma in Yalkut in loc. 
 
VER. 
 
 1-] 
 
 SONQ or SONGS. 
 
 Ill 
 
 and I was troubled." 2. That Christ absents 
 himself from his own ehurch and people; he 
 " hides his face from the house of Jacob," from 
 his own flesh and blood, from his love, his bride, 
 and spouse ; which he does both for her good, 
 aud for the advancement of his glory : though 
 Christ's absence is very uncomfortable and dis- 
 quieting to his people, they cannot tell how to. 
 bear it, especially when they are sensible of it ; 
 for sometimes they are not, but are attended 
 with sleepiness, carelessness, and security ; he is 
 gone from them, and they are not aware of it, 
 aud therefore are uncoucerucd about it, until 
 such time as they are awakened by him , and 
 then they are made sensible that lie is withdrawn 
 from them : not but that Christ is always present 
 with his church in some sense, though they have 
 not always the comfortable sense of it upon their 
 souls. 3. That Christ's absence does not dissolve 
 that covenant-interest and union whivh his people 
 have in him with him ; though there may be a dis- 
 tance as to communion, yet there is a nearness as to 
 union ; she was his, aud he was her.«, now as 
 much as ever, though absent from her ; neither 
 did it destroy that love and atfection which she 
 liad in her heart towards him ; for still it is 
 " him whom her soul loveth," though she could 
 not see him nor hear of him. 
 
 II. What the church did in this case, comes 
 next to be considered : she sought him ; which 
 shows that she was sensible that he was gone from 
 her. Believers are sometimes like Samson, they 
 wist or know " not that the Lord is departed from" 
 
 seeking of Christ here ; where may be obser- 
 ved, 
 
 1st. The descriptiou of the person whom she 
 sought ; " him w^hom her soul loved :" which 
 shows not only the reality and sincerity of her 
 love to Christ, whom she loved " with all her 
 heart and soul, as appears from her retaining an 
 affection for him, even when iu the worst of frames, 
 and when he was departed from her ; for nothing 
 could separate her from the love of Christ ; all the 
 waters of afflictions, temptations, desertions, &c., 
 could not extinguish that flame of love that was 
 kindled in her soul : I say, it not only shows the 
 heartiness aud reality of her love to Christ, but 
 also that she sought him from a principle of love, 
 and not with sinister euds aud views ; she sought 
 him because she loved him, and she loved him 
 " because he lii-st loved her ;" and this is an indi- 
 cation that she was not wholly forsaken by him ; 
 seeing this grace of love was in her soul, aud main- 
 tained there by a secret aud invisible hand, nay, 
 brought iato act aud exercise in some mea- 
 sure. 
 
 2udly, The place where she sought him is also 
 mentioned, and that is, on her bed : by which we 
 are not to understand the temple, nor the church 
 of Christ, and the public ordinances thereof; for 
 had she sought there, she had sought aright; be- 
 sides, these seem to be intended iu the following 
 verse, by " the streets aud broad places" of the 
 city ; this bed is distinguished both from that 
 mentioned in chap. i. 16, and also from that in 
 chap. iii. 7 ; in the former of which places it is 
 
 of it : perhaps she had slept quietly for some time, 
 imagining that her beloved was with her, but find- 
 ing herself mistaken, seeks for him : and fiom 
 hence it also appears, that she saw her need of 
 Christ's presence, had a value for it, and was in 
 hopes of enjoying it again, othcruise she would 
 never have sought for him. Now Christ's pre- 
 sence, when lost, should be sought after. 1. Timely, 
 or " while he may be Itiund," as Isaiah says, chap. 
 Iv. 6 ; for otherwise, by missing an opportunity, 
 as Thomas did, he may be gone, as he was in chap. 
 V. 6, when the church opened to him. 2. With 
 our whole hearts ; not feignedly or hypocritically, 
 as some did, of whom complaint is made iu Isa. 
 Iviii. 2 ; nor with worldly ends and views ; not 
 for loaves, as some of Christ's followers did. 3. 
 Fervently, aud not in a careless and negligent man- 
 ner ; as it may be the church did here, aud there- 
 fore did not immediately succeed. 4. With care, 
 diligence, aud constancy, until he is found, as the 
 church did afterwards, in ver. 2, 3, 4. 5. In pro- 
 per places, as well as at proper times ; as in the 
 church of Christ, and iu the public ordinances of 
 the gospel, as well as privately iu the closet, by 
 prayer, meditation, and reading ; and such seekers 
 as these are most likely to meet with success. Bat 
 it will be proper to consider moie particularly the 
 
 them ; but it seems that the church was apprised called " our bed," Christ having a joint property 
 
 in it ; aud in the latter it is said to be his bed. 
 Christ being the only maker and principal owner 
 of it : but this bed is said to be hers, " bv night 
 on my bed ;" which was purely her own, aud 
 where she was without the presence of Christ, who 
 was justly displeased with her for being there: 
 moreover a different word is here used than what 
 is in either of those places. Some* by it un- 
 derstand the bed of contemplation ; the bed being 
 a proper jilace, as the night is a proper time, to 
 have the thoughts composed iu meditation ; see 
 Psalm iv. 4 ; but it seems rather to intend a bed 
 of affliction, sorrow, and tribulation, which she 
 was cast into, in which she sought the Lord, as it 
 is usual with persons in such a condition ; see Rev. 
 ii. 22, Hos. v. 15. Though I should choose to 
 understand it of a bed of carnal ease and security, 
 upon which she was fallen ; and seems to be ex- 
 pressive of the manner in whicli she sought him, 
 which was in a cold, lazy, lukewarm, and formal 
 way, rather than of the place where. 
 
 3rdly. The time when she sought him, and that 
 is, " by night ;" w hich shows, that it was either 
 a time of great affliction with her ; or else, of 
 darkness and desertion ; this is manifest enough ; 
 as also, that she was very uneasy aud restless iu 
 her present condition, being brought in somemea- 
 
 Greg. Nyssen. in Cant. Homil. 6. 
 
112 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CITAP. Ill, 
 
 sure to a sense of it ; and that she had an exceed- 
 ing great love for Christ, seeing, that at a time 
 when others were taking their rest, she was seek- 
 ing for him. In the Hebrew text the word is in 
 the plural number, and may be rendered, hy nights-^ 
 that it is one night after another successively, " 1 
 sought him ;" but to no purpose ; and so it may 
 be expressive of her diligence and constancy in 
 seeking, as well as of her condition when she 
 sought. 
 
 4thly. The success she met with is here related, 
 " 1 found him not;" either, because she did not 
 seek him ariglit, as James says, chap. iv. 3, " Ye 
 ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss;" so 
 she sought and found not, because she sought amiss, 
 in a cold and lifeless way and manner ; Christ 
 would not be found in such a way of seeking : or 
 else it was the will of Christ to be absent for a 
 time, and not manifest himself upon first seeking ; 
 not for want of love to her, nor because he was 
 regardless of her, but to exercise her grace, try her 
 faith and patience, and to make her more earnest 
 and diligent in her search: as also that she might 
 prize him the more when she had him, as well as 
 be more careful to retain him ; which had the 
 desired effect upon her, as appears from ver. 4. 
 
 Verse 2. I will rise now, and go about the city, 
 in the streets, and in the hroad ways ; I will 
 seek him whom my soul loveth : I sought him, 
 hut 1 found him not. 
 
 The church, finding that the former methods she 
 had taken were not attended with success, consults 
 others, being sensible that she was wrong before, 
 which she resolves to pursue without any more 
 delay. In these words we have, 
 
 I. The church's resolution, which consists of 
 tlirec parts: 1st. To "rise now," immediately. 
 2ndly. To " go al-out the city." Brdly. To " seek 
 Christ in the streets and broad ways " thereof." 
 
 II. Her performance of this resolution ; " I 
 sought him." 
 
 III. Her success in it, which was as before ; 
 " but I found him not." 
 
 I. Here is the resolution of the church, to 
 take other methods than what she had done before, 
 in order to find her absent beloved ; which shows, 
 not only that she was sensible that she had taken 
 some wrong ones before ; and that no good was 
 to be obtained that way, for Christ would not be 
 found in such a way of seeking him, as upon the 
 bed ; but also, that her former disappointment had 
 not discouraged her from pursuing her search of 
 him ; nay, it had made her more lively and ac- 
 tive, zealous and vigorous in it, as appears from 
 tliis new resolution of hers, and her putting it 
 into practice; which consists of the three follow- 
 ing things. 
 
 1st. She resolves now to rise, that is, from 
 lier bed of sloth and carnal ease, and to appear more 
 
 vigorous ; and that now, without any more delay ; 
 for resolutions are not to be breathed upon : no 
 time should be allowed them but the present ; we 
 should immediately proceed to the performance of 
 them, otherwise fiesh and blood, which are too 
 often consulted in such cases, will find many ways 
 to elude them ; but these, as they are not to be 
 made in our own strength, so neither are we to 
 expect the performance of them by it ; but, how- 
 ever, the church resolving to quit her bed, and 
 forego her own carnal ease and pleasure in search 
 of Christ, and that she might enjoy his presence 
 and company, not only shows the exceeding 
 greatness of her love to him, and the reality and 
 sincerity of it, but also the uneasiness of her soul, 
 and the distress of mind she was in ; she could 
 not be easy and contented without him, aud there- 
 fore resolves to seek until she found him. 
 
 2ndly. She not only resolves to rise, and that 
 directly, but also to " go about the city." Her 
 design in rising, was not to seek him in a super- 
 ficial manner, but search the city, the streets 
 thereof, and thus seek him whom her soul loved. 
 By city is here meant the church of God, which is 
 requently called so in scripture ; see Psalm 
 Ixxxvii. 3, Heb. xii. 22, 23; and no doubt but 
 here is a regard had to the city of Jerusalem, by 
 which name the church often goes, and to which 
 it is frequently compared in scripture ; but why it 
 is so, will be shown on chap. vi. 4, and therefore I 
 shall only at present show in what sense and for 
 what reasons the church may be said to be a city, 
 which are as follows: 1. Cities beinglarge and popu- 
 lous, and having in them great and spacious build- 
 ings, are generally built where there is good foun- 
 dation : the church of God is a city that is well 
 founded ; for " the Lord himself hath founded 
 Zion," and the foundation which he has laid there 
 is a sure one ; and that is Christ himself, who is 
 able to support the whole building, and will never 
 fail ; for he is that Rock upou which his church 
 being built, " the gates of hell cannot prevail 
 against it." 2. Cities are commonly delightfully 
 situated, upon an eminence, in a good air, and by 
 a pleasant river : the church of God is " beauti- 
 ful for situation ;" it stands upon rising ground ; 
 this " mountain of the Lord's house is established 
 upou the top of the mountains •," it is in a good 
 air, and is comfortably fanned with the gentle and 
 refreshing breezes of the blessed Spirit ; it is situ- 
 ated by a pleasant river, even the river of God's 
 bouudless love and grace, " the streams wheiTof 
 make glad this city of our God." 3. In cities are 
 usually fine, large, and magnificent buildings : the 
 church is God's architecture ; it is not of this build- 
 ing, and therefore must needs be well built ; every 
 believer is a temple, and that a temple of the Holy 
 Ghost's ; there is a great deal of glory, beauty, 
 and excellency in these buildings, asvvell as strength 
 and firmness; see Isa. liv. 11, 12, Rev. xxi. 10, 
 
 >> ni/'ba ei/ mfiLV, Sept. pernoctes, V. L. .Tunius and Tremellius, Kscator; in noctibus, Pagninus, Mon- 
 tanus, Tigurine version, Marckius, Michaelis. 
 
VEE. 2.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 113 
 
 11, 12, 18, 21. 4. Cities are very populous and 
 numerous; there are a great many inhabitants in 
 them ; so is the church of God : it is true, it is 
 called but a liitle flock, when compared with the 
 world, but yet considered by itself, it is very large 
 and numerous ; John saw at once, after he had be- 
 held the forty and four thousand, "a great multi- 
 tude, which no man could number," and that of 
 such who belonged to Christ, and were saved by 
 him ; and so will the church, even on earth, appear 
 very numerous ; when those prophecies are fulfil- 
 led, which you may read in Isa. xlix. 10, 20, and 
 Ix. 4 — 8. 5. In cities, as there are large num- 
 bers of inhabitants, so there is a diversity of them, 
 as rich and poor, good and bad ; in Christ's church 
 here on earth, there is a very great difference of 
 its members ; some have greater gifts, and more 
 grace than others have; some are more public-spirited 
 than others, aud so of greater usefulness ; some are 
 real and hearty believers, others are only painted 
 hypocrites ; for there has been always tares among 
 Christ's wheat, wolves and goats among his sheep, 
 and some who have had a name and place in this 
 city, whose names were never " written among the 
 living in Jerusalem." 6. lu well regulated cities 
 there is a good order and decorum kept ; there are 
 good laws made, and proper officers appointed to 
 put them in execution ; as well as a good watch 
 and gnard provided for the security of the inhabi- 
 tants : in the church of God, there are good aud 
 wholesome laws enacted by the great Legislator, 
 which concern the admission of persons into this 
 city, their behaviour whilst in it, and their remo- 
 val from it if disagreeble ; and these are preferable 
 to all others, not only because God is the author 
 of them, but also, because they are written upon 
 the hearts of all those who are true citizens, ac- 
 cording to that promise, Jer. xxxi. 33, " I will 
 put my law in their inward parts, aud write it in 
 their hearts;" moreover, here are proper officers 
 appointedjsuch as ministers of the gospel, who are 
 to see that these laws are carefully observed aud 
 exactly complied with ; who also bear the charac- 
 ter of watchmen in the next verse, being set as well 
 for the defence of the church, as to give direction 
 and instruction to her. 7. In cities there are 
 peculiar privileges which belong to the citizens 
 thereof; and so there are in the church of God: 
 all, who are Christ's freemen, and are " fellow 
 citizens of the saints," have a right to all the ordi- 
 nances of the gospel, to all the privileges and im- 
 munities of Christ's house : they shall never be 
 arrested by justice, nor be brought into a state of 
 condemnation ; nor is it possible for them ever to 
 lose their freedom. 
 
 Now her " going about the city, " is, 1. Ex- 
 pressive of her diligence and industry in seek- 
 ing Christ ; she lost no opportunity ; she souglit in 
 all other places, aswellasi n the open streets, wherever 
 she thoughthe might be fonnd,or there was any pro- 
 
 ' Audaccm faciebat amor, Ovid. Metamori)h. 1. 4. 
 fab. 4. * Vid. Sanct. iu loc. and Ambros. in ibid. 
 
 babilityofhearing of him. (2.) It shows thepainsshe 
 took, as well as the diligence she used in seeking ; 
 for it must be very painful and laborious to go 
 round about or all over a city, especially a large 
 one, such an one as Jerusalem was, to which the 
 allusion is here made; her search was as sorrow- 
 ful and as fatiguing, as that of Joseph and Mary, 
 who, after three days search, in their company, 
 among their kindred, and about the city, at length 
 found Christ in the temple : but all this toil and 
 labour she regarded not, so she could but find 
 him whom her soul loved. (3.) This being done 
 in the night, which was an unseasonable time to 
 walk about the city in, especially for women, is 
 a farther indication of the strength of her aflec- 
 tion to him, in that she did not value the re- 
 proach that might attend her. (4.) She not only 
 ran the risk of reproach and scandal, but also of 
 danger and mischief, which the night-season ex- 
 posed her to, and which she experienced in chap, 
 v. 7 ; but being fired with love and fearless of 
 danger,*^ she puts all to the hazard, regarding no 
 inconveniences that might ensue ; for her heart 
 was so set upon finding Christ, that she was re- 
 solved to try all ways, whatever she suffered in 
 the experiment. 
 
 3rdly. She resolves to seek " him in the streets 
 and broad ways;" where we have, 1. 'Ihe per- 
 son whom she was resolved to seek described, 
 him " whom my soul loveth ;" which is the cha- 
 racter she gives of him in the former verse ; and 
 shows that her love to him was still the same, 
 was not abated, though she had been disappointed 
 of finding him ; nay, that it was rather increased, 
 and therefore she repeats this over aud over, as 
 uot knowing how to speak of him any other way. 
 2. The particular places in the city, wliere she 
 resolved to seek him, " in the streets and in the 
 broad ways ;" by which we are not to understand 
 places'* where worldly business is transacted, and 
 to which crowds of peo; le flock for the same pur- 
 pose, as the court, the market-place, or the ex- 
 change ; for Christ is not found there ; worldly 
 employments, especially when immoderately pur- 
 sued, rather draw souls from him thau bring them 
 near to him : nor are the books, writings, ^ud 
 tenets^ of the Gentile philosophers here iuiended ; 
 for she could not expect to find him there, wiiere 
 he was never known or heard of: but by them 
 we are to understand, either the Jewisli syna- 
 gogues, where prayer was wont to be made, and 
 the word of God preached, there being a probability 
 of finding him there ; or rather, the public ordi- 
 nances of the gospel, which are the " streets and 
 broad ways of this city," the church, in which Christ 
 walks, and often shows himself to his people ; and 
 in seeking him here, she souglit aright ; though, 
 for reasons hereafter to be mentioned, she did 
 not meet with immediate success. But these 
 phrases may in general intend the diligence and 
 
 ' Alcuin in loc. 
 
114 
 
 AN EXPOSITIOX OF THE 
 
 [chap. hi. 
 
 exqiiisiteneas of her search, as in Jer. v. 1. So 
 some cities are described as having broad ways in 
 them, as Troy*^ and Athens.^ 
 
 II. She gives an account of her performance 
 of this resolution ; I sought him, says she •. she 
 not only resolved npon it ; but also did it ; 
 nay, she no sooner said it but likewise did it. Re- 
 solutions, without putting them in practice, avail 
 little ; and unless they are made iu the strength of 
 Christ, and are performed by the same, arc never 
 performed, neither ariglit, nor to any good pur- 
 pose ; but this of hers was quickly performed ; 
 she was soon enabled to set about it, being assist- 
 ed by divine grace, and not left to cumsuU with 
 " flesh and blood." 
 
 III. Her success is also mentioned by her; 
 " but I found him not :" which she seems to take 
 notice of with much sorrow andcoucern; that 
 though she had such an earnest desire after, so 
 strong an affection for, and had been so diligent in 
 her search of him, had spared no pains, aud had 
 run all risks of losing her good name, and of being 
 exposed to danger, and yet he would not show him- 
 self to her ; she could not get sight of, nor hear any 
 tidings concerning him ; and this still shows that 
 strong was her love ; for had she not dearly loved 
 him, she would not have been so much concerned 
 at her disappointment in not finding him. And 
 now this was, 1. To chastise her for her former 
 negligence in duty, and for her indulging herself 
 in carnal ease and security ; for he seems resolved, 
 that as she liad lost him through her ease, she 
 should not find him vvitliout trouble ; for we are 
 not to suppose that he resented her present way 
 of seeking, nor her present behaviour to him, which 
 seems very agreeable; but this he does to show 
 Low much he was affronted with her former car- 
 riage. 2. To exercise her faith, and try her patience : 
 thus when the apostle Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9, was 
 sorely buffeted by Satan, he " besought the Lord 
 thrice that he might depart from him ;" but all 
 the answer he could for the present obtain, was, 
 " my grace is sufficient for thee." 3. To show 
 that even means themselves, though they are to 
 bo used, are not to be depended on; these cannot help 
 souls to a sight of Christ, unless he is pleased in 
 them to reveal himself; for " when he hideth his 
 face, who then can behold him ?" yet nevertheless, 
 they are to be carefully observed and diligently 
 used by us. 
 
 Verse 3. The watulimen that go about the cldj 
 found me : to whom I said. Saw ye him whom 
 my soul loveth ? 
 
 The church continues to give an account of her 
 adventure, and what befel her when in the streets 
 and broad ways of the city ; as how she was found 
 by the watchmen, whose business is to take up 
 and examine persons that they meet with in the 
 
 f noXit ci/prayuia, Homer. Iliad 2. V. 29, 60, 14!, 
 .?29. and 14. v. 8<3. Odyss. 22. v. 230. « Ibid.' 
 
 Odyss. 7. V. 80. h Foliot anfl Sanct. in loc. 
 
 uight ; of whom she inquires after her lost spouse, 
 but for the present can have no tidings of him. 
 In these words we shall, 
 
 I. Inquire who are meant by " the watchmen." 
 
 II. What by their " finding" of her. 
 
 III. Consider the question proposed by her to 
 them; " Saw ye him whom my soul loveth ?" 
 
 IV. Show why no answer is mentioned, as 
 returned to this question. 
 
 I. It will be proper to inquire who are meant 
 by the watchmen here ; and by them we are 
 not to understand angels, as some;'' though these 
 are thought to be called watchers, in Dan. iv. 
 13, 17 ; and are the saints' life-guards, attend 
 upon their persons, watch over them, and en- 
 camp about them : nor the princes and great men 
 of the world, who have the care and government 
 o[ kingdoms, provinces, and cities ; but are ignorant 
 of Christ, and know not the " Lord of glory," as 
 others :' nor false teachers,'' who are called, Isa. 
 Ivi. 10, " blind watchmen, lumb dogs that cannot 
 bark :" but rather, the true ministers of the 
 Gospel ; the prophets under the Old Testament, 
 and the apostles aud faithful teachers under the 
 New, who frequently bear the title of watchmen 
 in scripture ; see Tsa. lii. 8, and Ixii. 6, Ezek. 
 sxxiii. 7. The Jewish writers' interpret these 
 words of Moses and Aaron with the Levites, who 
 kept the watch of the tabernacle. The ministers 
 of the Gospel are called watchmen, cither in 
 allusion to shepherds, who watch over their flock 
 by night, Luke ii. 8 ; or else, to watchmen in 
 cities, as here ; and their work may be considered, 
 I. With regard to themselves ; they are to watch 
 over themselves as well as others ; they are to 
 watch over their conversations, that they be as 
 become the Gospel they preach, aud so that they 
 may give no ill examples to others, nor cause the 
 ways and doctrines oi Christ to be evil spoken of, 
 and render their ministry useless ; they are to 
 watch over their doctrines, and take heed that 
 they be agreeable to the oracles of God ; and 
 they delivered nothing but the "wholesome words 
 of Christ Jesns," and such as may be for the 
 edifying of their hearers, and suitable to the cases 
 of souls ; they are to watch all opportunities to 
 preach this gospel, as the apostle says, 2 Tim. iv, 
 2, to "be instant in season and out of season;" 
 and then they are to watch and observe the success 
 of it, and how it is blessed and made useful to 
 souls : moreover they ought to have a very great 
 guard upon themselves; for if the enemy can but 
 surprise, decoy, or corrupt them, it turns much to 
 his advantage. Now ministtrs of the Gospel 
 should take heed to themselves, lest they fall 
 asleep, or grow careless and indifferent in the 
 work of the Lord ; or are diverted from it through 
 the frowns or flatteries of the world; or be corrupted 
 with errois and false doctrines ; for these things 
 
 ' Diodat. in loc. "^ Mercer, in ver. 4. 
 
 ' Targum, B. Sol. Jarahi, and R. Aben Ezra in loc. 
 So Lyra. 
 
VER. 
 
 3.] 
 
 SOXG OF SONGS. 
 
 115 
 
 tend much to the ruin of Christ's kiugJom and 
 interest. 
 
 2. With regard to others, their work is, 1. To 
 give the time of uight, as in Isa. xxi. 11, 12; the 
 question is put, " Watchman, what of the night ? 
 "Watchman, what of the night ?" the answer is, 
 " the morning cometh, and also the night." Some- 
 times it is night with the chnrch ; she is fallen 
 asleep upon a bed of secnrity : the wise virgins 
 sleep as well as the foolish; it is then the work 
 of ministers to give the time of the night, to ap- 
 prize the church what a condition she is in, and 
 to enddavour to awake her out of it -. though some- 
 times the ministers, the watchmen, are asleep, as 
 well as the churches, and know not what time of 
 the night it is, which is a dreadful case ; and then 
 are the churches of Christ in a poor plight and 
 condition indeed. 3. Their work is to give notice 
 of approaching danger ; they are to give notice of 
 the danger that sinners are in, who are walking 
 in the broad road to destruction ; and also the 
 danger that churches may be in through errors 
 and heresies springing up among them, as well as 
 by iodulging themselves in any vicious practices, 
 which they are severely to check and reprehend. 
 Now this work requires vigilance, prudence, cou- 
 rage, and faithfulness ; and also shows the necessity 
 and usefulness of the public ministry, which can 
 no moi'e be dispensed with than watchmen in a 
 city : and likewise what care the Lord has of his 
 churches, in placing such officers in them, as well 
 as the awfulness of the work they are concerned 
 in ; for if the watchman does not discharge his 
 duty, the blood of those he has to do with will be 
 required of him. These watchmen are farther 
 described by their " going about the city :" by the 
 city, we are to understand the church of God, 
 as in the former verse : and their "going about" 
 it, is mentioned to distinguish them from those 
 that were upon the walls, who kept their 
 stands, and did not stir from their places ; and 
 also to show their proper work and business, 
 which, as it appears from hence, they are diligent 
 in ; and so it proves tliein to be true watchmen 
 and faithful ministers of the Gospel, who, in 
 imitation of Christ their Lord and Master, go 
 about doing good to the souls of men. 
 
 II. Being thus in the discharge of their duty 
 and using diligence therein, they found lire 
 church; which is the nest thing to be inquired 
 into : they found me ; that is, they fell upon the 
 subject of my case and condition in their sermons, 
 and exactly took notice of and spoke to my case, 
 as if somebody had told them of it beforehand, 
 and as if they had particularly designed me above 
 all the rest of their audience ; which shows the 
 power of the word, and its piercing and pene- 
 trating nature; it often finds out particular sin- 
 ners in a congregation, and points out their par- 
 ticular sins unto them ; it searches into the 
 inward recesses of their hearts, brings secret sins 
 to light, sets them in order before them, and 
 brings them to an open and ingenuous confes- 
 
 sion of them ; likewise it finds and points out 
 the particular cases of believers, oftentimes un- 
 known to the minister, and unlooked for by the 
 believer, which seems to be the church's case 
 here. It is amazing how this is sometimes ef- 
 fected ; insoiuuch that some have thought that 
 some friend or other, to whom they have com- 
 municated their cases, have told the minister, 
 and he has purposely treated on such a subject to 
 meet with them ; tliough when they have more 
 narrowly inquired into it, have found it otherwise, 
 to their great surprise ; nay, sometimes a minis- 
 ter, by stepping out of the way, going off from 
 his subject, and making a digression, has met 
 with souls, and hit their case, as Austin did with 
 the Manichee. God has given many instances of 
 the secret energy of the word, and the mighty 
 power and grace of the Spirit, in applying it to 
 the different cases of persons. But, 
 
 III. Having met with something under the 
 ministry of the word suitable to her case, she is 
 encouraged to take her opportunity, after public 
 worship was over, to speak privately to the 
 ministers, and propose this question to them : 
 " Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?" in which 
 may be observed, 1. The person concerning whom 
 she enquires, and that is, him whom her soul lov- 
 eth. Christ is still the subject of her discourse and 
 enquiry ; whether she talks with ministers or private 
 Christians, she is uporrthe search after him ; and 
 though she cannot as yet find him, she is not dis- 
 couraged from seeking ; nor is her love aud 
 affection towards him abated, though she cannot 
 see him. 2. The manner in \vhich she proposes 
 this question, and that is very abrupt ; for with- 
 out giving them an opportunity to speak to her 
 first, or using any preface to excuse her freedom 
 with them, she immediately puts the question, as 
 soon as she came up to them, " Saw ye him,' &c., 
 where it may be also observed, as has been 
 already on chap. i. 2, that she uses the relative 
 him without an antecedent, and does not express 
 the person's name whom she inquires about ; 
 which shows the singular excellency of Christ, 
 that he was to her the only him in the world ; 
 and likewise the singular esteem slie had for him, 
 the strength of her affection to him, how much 
 her thoughts were upon him, and her desires 
 after him ; insomuch that she thought every body 
 must know whom she meant, and whom she 
 loved, without mentioning his name ; aud more 
 especially it supposes, that she concluded that 
 these ministers knew whom she meant. 3. Her 
 putting this question to them, shows, (1.) That 
 she had a value for them, had entertained a good 
 opinion of them, aud judged them proper persons 
 to apply to ; which might arise from what she 
 had met with under their public miuistry. (2.) 
 That she was unwilling to let any opportunity 
 slip, in which there was any likelihood of finding 
 Christ : therefore si;e will not only hear the mi- 
 nisters publicly, but converse with them privately; 
 and surh a practice is highly commendable in, and 
 
116 
 
 AX Exror^Tiox or- the 
 
 [chap. III. 
 
 to be imiiated by all tlie saints; oftentimes raiicb 
 is lost by missing an opporluuiiy. What did 
 Thomas lose by not being with the rest of the 
 diseiples when Christ appeared to them ? "Why, 
 a sight of Christ ; and not only so, but also fell 
 into a fit of unbelief. (3.) Tliat when persons ap- 
 ply to ministers, they should keep close to their 
 own soul's cases, as the church docs here, and not 
 trouble them with long and tedious discourses, 
 filled up with invectives against their fellow 
 Christians, and animadversions upon their weak- 
 nesses and imperfections ; but their chief concern 
 should be, the case of their own souls ; and the 
 subject of their discourse, Christ, and his grace. 
 (4.) That ministers had need to be well acquainted 
 with the various cases of souls, that they may 
 know how to speak aptly to them, and commu- 
 nicate a word in season to their refreshment ; 
 which, when filly spoken, is like apples of gold 
 in pictures of silver. But, 
 
 IV. Here is no answer returned to this ques- 
 tion, that is here recorded; the reason of which 
 is, not because they could not give one ; nor were 
 those blind watchmen, which were without the 
 light of faith and experience themselves ; those 
 dumb dogs which cannot bark, and know not how 
 to speak to the cases of souls, being unacquainted 
 with them, of which we read in Isa. Ivi. 10 ; nor 
 it may be, was it because they did not return 
 an answer, though she has not recorded it ; and 
 if they did not, it might be owing to her over- 
 haste in not waiting for one ; or if they did, yet 
 she not being able to apply it wilh comfort to 
 her own soul, takes no notice of it ; and this 
 might be, to let her see the need of a divine bless- 
 ing upon means, and the power and grace of the 
 blessed Spirit to attend them : but yet though 
 she did not find immediate comfort and relief, she 
 might get something from them, wliich was after- 
 wards useful to her, as seems to appear from the 
 following verse; for oftentimes tlie Spirit of God 
 brings to our remembrance, and sets home, with 
 power upon our souls, things whicli have been 
 dropped in the ministry of tlie word, or in private 
 conversation, which were of no use in the hearing 
 of them. 
 
 Verse 4. It was but a little that I jiassed 
 from them, but I found him whom my soul 
 lovelh ; I held him, and would not let him 
 go, until I had brought him unto my mother's 
 house, and into the chamber of her that con- 
 ceived me. 
 
 The church having sought about (he city, in the 
 streets and broad ways of it, for iier beloved, and 
 made inquiry of the watchmen concerning him, 
 though attended with little success; yet is not 
 discouraged, but keeps on seeking, till at length 
 she finds him; which not only filled her wilh a 
 transport of joy, but also puts her upon using all 
 the means she could to continue him with her, 
 and secure his presence and company for the fu- 
 ture. Ju these words are 
 
 I. An account of the church's finding Christ ; 
 " 1 found him whom my soul loveth." 
 
 II. Tha place or time, where or when she 
 found him ; " It was but a little that I passed, 
 from them, but I found," &c. 
 
 III. Her behaviour towai'ds him ; " I hehl 
 him," &c. 
 
 I. Tlie church gives an account of her find- 
 ing Christ ; " I found him," &c. She had 
 sought, but not in vain ; that promise was made 
 good to her, " seek, and ye shall find :" which 
 was also when all means failed: she had sought 
 him privately, by prayer and meditation; and 
 publicly, by an .attendance upon the ordinances of 
 the gospel : she had heard the ministers of Christ 
 preach, and had conferred with them alone, and 
 yet could not find her beloved; which may in- 
 form us, 1. That means, though they are to be 
 used, yet not to be depended on : they will not 
 avail without a divine blessing ; Bethesda's pool 
 must be moved by an angel, or no cure can be 
 performed; the Spirit of God must move upon 
 the waters, the ordinances, or they will not con- 
 vey light aud life to souls ; Paul may plant, and 
 A-pollos may water, but it is God only that giveth 
 ihe increase ; the most comfortable doctrines and 
 precious promises of the Gospel, opened and deli- 
 vered in the most powerful manner, will not be 
 useful without the special energy of the Spirit. 2. 
 That we should not be discouraged when all means 
 fail; because he is found sometimes when they do so, 
 as he was by the church here ; therefore when, with 
 Job, chap. xxiii, 8 — 10; wehavegone backward and 
 forward, on the right hand and on the left, and yet 
 cannot behold him ; we should with him rest con- 
 tented, aud say, he knoweth the way that I take, 
 though I do not know which way he has taken ; 
 and when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as 
 gold. 3. This shows us, that unless Christ show 
 himself, there is no finding him ; lor, " when 
 he hideth his face, who can behold him?" 4. 
 Finding Christ, when all means fail, gives the 
 greatest discovery of Christ's love and grace, the 
 freeness and sovereignty ot it; and makes it ap- 
 pear, that it does not depend upon our will or 
 works, but upon his sovereign good will and plea- 
 sure. 5. Finding Christ after so many disap- 
 pointments, must needs be joyful and welcome ; 
 she seems to speak it with an air of pleasure, and 
 in an exulting manner, as those disciples did, who 
 said, John i. 41, " we have found the Messiah, 
 which is, being interpreted, the Christ ;" for his 
 long absence from her, and the fatigue she had 
 endured in seeking of him, did but serve the more 
 to endear and sweeten his presence to her. 
 
 2. She declares where or when she found him ; 
 " it was but a little that 1 had passed from 
 them ;" that is, either it was but a little space of 
 time, as R. Aben Ezra observes ; or, I had gotten 
 but a very little way ere 1 found him. She is 
 said to pass from the ministers, not out of disre- 
 spect unto them, for she had an entire value for 
 them ; nor because she had received no benefit 
 
vtu. -i.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 117 
 
 from theufl, for they had hit her case, though she 
 had not present euj oymeul of Clirist ; nor was it 
 because she was above niiuistcrs and ordiuaaces, 
 for these will continue in the chuieh, and are to 
 be used by bLlievers until the second coming of 
 Christ: but this passing from them shows, that 
 she did not rest here ; that though she applied 
 herself to ministers, and made use of ordinances, 
 yet she did not forget Christ, but looked beyond 
 all these to him ; and went a little farther than 
 she had done before, in the lively exercise of her 
 faith upon him : also her meeting with Christ, 
 when she had a little passed them, shows, that 
 Christ is not far from his ministers and ordi- 
 nances : for he has promised to be with them un- 
 to the end of the world : and therefore there is a 
 very great encouragement for souls to attend unto 
 from the church's experience, here recorded by 
 them, not only from that promise, but also 
 her. 
 
 III. Her behaviour to him is nest mentioned. 
 1st. She " held him fast, and would not let him 
 go." 2ndly. "Brought him into her mother's 
 bouse, and into the chamber of her that conceived 
 herr 
 
 1st. As soon as she saw him, she laid hold on 
 him, and cleaved so close to him, that he could 
 not stir a step from her; which, on her part, is 
 expressive, 1. Of her faith in him : it is the 
 nature of faith to lay hold on Christ ; the actings 
 of it are frequently expressed by it ; see Prov. iii. 
 18, Heb. vi. 18 ; the believer lays hold on Clirist 
 as his Saviour ; on his righteousness, and pleads 
 it as his justifying righteousness before God ; on 
 Christ, as God's strength, to do all for him, 
 and in him ; and on the covenant which is in 
 Christ's hands, with all the blessings and pro- 
 mises of it, and appropriates them to himself, Isa. 
 sxvii. 5, and Ivi. 4. 2. Of her love and affection 
 to him ; and therefore she grasps him in her arms, 
 will not let go her hold on him, nor sutfer him to 
 stir from her; hut, could she have her will, would 
 have him always in her sight ; and, as Ruth said, 
 chap. i. 16, to Naomi, where he goes, she is re- 
 solved to go ; where he lodges, she will lodge ; his 
 people shall be her people, and his God her God ; 
 so pleased was she with him, so dearly did she 
 love him. 3. Of her fears and jealousies lest he 
 should remove from her: she knew the bitterness 
 of Christ's absence, as well as had had experience 
 of the sweetness of his presence, and therefore 
 dreaded parting again ; was afraid of every thing 
 that had a tendency to it, and therefore gives that 
 solemn charge she does in the following verse. 
 4. Of her steadiness and resolution to hold him, 
 whatever was the consequence; though she might 
 be reproached and persecuted for it, suffer the 
 loss of her good name, and everything else that 
 was valuable in this world ; vet Christ to her was 
 
 Moreover, on his part, these words are expres- 
 sive, (1.) Of a seeming offer or desire to depart; 
 such an one as the angel who wrestled with .Jacob 
 made, when he said, " let me go, for the day 
 breakcth," Geu.xxxii. 26, wliicli, as it made him, 
 so it made her cleave the closer to him, wrestle 
 the more with him, and keep faster hold of him. 
 (2.) Of a gracious allowance wliicli he hail grant- 
 ed her to lay hold on him : it is a surprising in- 
 stance of his grace, that such vile, sinful creatures 
 as we, should be sutfered to come so near his per- 
 son. O astonishing grace! that such should be 
 invited to come, and should be welcome to lay 
 hold on Christ and his righteousness, and not 
 incur the crime of rudeuess nor presumption. 
 (3.) Of his wonderful condescension, to be held 
 by a creature, and that a sinful one : it was 
 not because she was stronger than Christ, that 
 she held him : and would not let liim go, but 
 because he condescended to let it be so ; for she 
 received the strength from him, by which she 
 held him : it shows indeed the great power 
 and strength of faith, thus to hold Christ ; but 
 then she had it all from him, who is the Obj.ect 
 of it. (4.) Of that delight and pleasure he 
 took in the exercise of her faith upon him : as 
 it does not argue weakness in him to be held by 
 her, so neither does it unwillingness ; he was no 
 more held against his will, than he was by a 
 superior force ; he was held by her because it was 
 both his will, and well-pleasing to him ; " without 
 faith it is impossible to please God," or Christ ; 
 in the exercise of it they are much delighted, and 
 are well pleased to he held as it were by it. 
 2ndly. The other part of her behaviour towards 
 him, is, that she brought him into her mother's 
 house, and into the most private and retired part 
 of it, even into the chamber of her that conceived 
 her ; and this is indeed what she principally had 
 in view in holding of him. The allusion is to 
 the tents and apartments womeu had in former 
 times, distinct from their husbands. Gen. xxiv. 
 67, and xxxi. 33. By her mother's house and 
 chamber, the Targum understands the school that 
 was kept in the chambers of Moses and Joshua, 
 where the cliilJren of Israel studied the law ; E. 
 Sol. Jarchi interprets them of the tabernacle in 
 Shiloh : as does R. Aben Ezra of the ark of the 
 testimony. Some ■" think that by her mother's 
 house, is meant the temple; and by the chamber 
 the holy of holies, which was accessible to none 
 but the high-priest : though Briglitman thinks 
 that both tlicse phrases are expressive of Christ's 
 incarnation, which the churcti was importunately 
 desirous of, which may be expressed by her mo- 
 ther's house, and the chamber of her that con- 
 ceived her ; because in becoming iucarnate, he 
 was a partaker of the same flesh and blood with 
 her; and she may be said to bring him into it. 
 
 worth more than ten thousand worlds; nothing because it was for her sake that he assumed humau 
 could tempt her to part with him. I nature. But I think it should rallier be under- 
 
 Bishop Fatnck in loc. 
 
118 
 
 j\N KXl'OSTTION OF THE 
 
 [chap. Ill 
 
 stood either of the visible church, which is the 
 mother of all believers ; see Gal. iv. 26 ; in which 
 many souls are born &gain through the ministry 
 of the word, and are nursed and nourished up with 
 the words of faith and good doctrine, with the 
 sincere milk of gospel truths, and the refreshing 
 breasts of gospel ordinances ; and Christ may be 
 said to be brought in here, when his name is pub- 
 licly professed in the congregation of his saints, 
 his gospel asserted and vindicated, and his ordi- 
 nances submitted to ; when the mighty instances 
 of his grace to his people are made known, and 
 united praises upon that account are offered up 
 unto him : and this no doubt the church had in 
 view in introducing him here, that she, and others 
 with her, might magiiify the Lord together, for 
 all the special instances of his kindness to her, 
 and that they might in having fellowship one 
 with another, in the house of God, have intimate 
 fellowship with the father and with the Sou : or 
 else, by her mother's house, may be meant her 
 heart, where the incorruptible seed of divine giace 
 was cast, and where the new creature was con- 
 ceived, born, and brought up ; and where it grows 
 until it becomes a perfect man, and arrives to the 
 measure ot the stature of the fulness of Christ : 
 and by the chamber of her that conceived her, 
 the inmost recesses thereof; there she desired to 
 brin g him, that he might dwell there by faith; 
 that he might live in her, ana she in him, and so 
 have intimate and uninterrupted communion with 
 him; which is the purport and, design of the 
 solemn charge which is given to the daughters of 
 Jerusalem in the following verse. 
 
 Verse 5. / cliarije you, ye daughters of 
 Jerusalem, by the roes and by the hinds of the 
 field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, 
 till he please. 
 These are either the words of Christ," adjuring 
 the daughters of Jerusalem, young converts, who 
 were the virgins, the companions of his bride, 
 to give his church no disturbance, nor awake her, 
 who was his love, before she pleased ; for the 
 church was now taking sweet repose, being 
 weary and fatigued with running after and search- 
 ing for him till she found hira ; it is therefore 
 the will of Christ, that now she be not dis- 
 turbed : or else, they are the words of the church, 
 which is the more commonly received sense; who 
 kuew how to prize Christ's presence, having experi- 
 enced a long absence, and had been in a great 
 deal of pains and trouble to find him, and nov/ 
 having obtained her much wished for and long 
 desired end, she is not willing to part with him; 
 but as she had had much trouble to find him, is 
 willing to use some care and diligence to keep 
 him : and being fearful lest these young con- 
 verts should by any uubjcoming word or action 
 
 " Alcuin andDiodat, Inloe. " TarguraaudR. 
 
 Sol Jarcbi in loc, and Zohar. in Gen. fol. 100. 4. and 
 101. 1. p Cotton iu loc. 'I Isidore and 
 
 provoke him to depart, she gives this solemn 
 charge, which is tlie same with that in chap. ii. 
 7, where it is more largely explained. The Tar- 
 gum understands it as the charge of Moses to 
 the people of Israel, not to go up into the land 
 of Canaan, until the term of forty years was ex- 
 pired. 
 
 Verse" 6. Who is this that comeih out of the 
 vjilderness, like pillars of smoke, perfumed 
 vjith myrrh and frankincense, with all pow- 
 ders of the merchant ? 
 
 Some of the Jewish writers" think, that these are 
 the words of the nations of the earth, wondering 
 at the coming of the Israelites out of the wilder- 
 ness, before whom the Lord weut in a pillar of 
 cloud by day, and in a pillar of tire by night, 
 which appearance was very surprising to them. 
 Though they are rather, as some? think, the words 
 of the Jews, wondering at John the Baptist and 
 his ministry, of whom all men mused in their 
 hearts whether he was the Christ or not ; and 
 therefore the Jews dispatched messengers to him, 
 to know the truth of it : liis first appearance was 
 in the wilderness of Judea, which fulfilled an 
 ancient prophecy concerning him, " the voice of 
 him that crieth in the wilderness ;" hither great 
 numbers, like pillars of smoke, flocked to him, 
 to attend upon his ministry and baptism : he 
 was a buruiug and shining light in his day ; there 
 was a great deal of zeal, warmth, and fervency 
 in his preaching ; for which work he was extraor- 
 dinarily fitted, being richly perfumed with those 
 gifts and graces of the Spirit, which are compar- 
 able to myrrh, frankincense, and all powders of 
 the merchant. Others^ take them to be the 
 words of the Jewish church, wondering at the 
 large number of converts appearing in the beauties 
 of holiness, in the Gentile world, which before 
 was like to a dry heath or a barren wilderness ; 
 see Isa. xlix. 31, and k. 8, though others' think 
 Christ himself is here introduced, admiring the 
 beauty of his church, and the graces of his own 
 Spirit in her. But I am>athei of opinion, that 
 they are the words of the daughters of Jerusalem, 
 who, upon this happy meeting of Christ and his 
 church, saw a greater glory and a more excellent 
 beauty iu her, than ever they had done before : 
 and especially, it must not be supposed, that the 
 angels' are here speaking and admiring the 
 church's beauty, seeing these bear no part in 
 this song ; much less the church herself,' for this 
 no way suits with that modesty and humility 
 which always appear in her: but it very well 
 agrees with the daughters of Jerusalem, to whom 
 so solemn a charge is given in the former verse, 
 which excited and stirred them up to take a fuller 
 view of her ; and the more they looked upon her. 
 
 Alcuin in loc. ' Mercer in loc. 
 
 loc. ' Jun. in loc. 
 
 Diodat in 
 
VER. 0.] 
 
 SO.VG OF SONGS. 
 
 110 
 
 the more they woudereJ at her ; and in express- 
 ing it, thus highly comnieud her, which they do. 
 
 I. By describing her as " coming out of the 
 wilderness." 
 
 II. By compariug her ascent from thence to 
 " pillars of smoke." 
 
 III. By saying tliat she was " perfumed with 
 myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the 
 merchant." 
 
 I. They commend her, by describing her as 
 coming out of the wilderness. By the wilderness, 
 out of which she is said to come, may be meant, 
 either, 
 
 1st. A slate of natuie, which all the elect 
 of God are in before conversion ; out of which, 
 by mighty and efficacious grace, they are brought. 
 Now this may be called a wilderness. ] . Because 
 of the barrenness and unfruitfuhiess of persons iu 
 such an estate : a wilderness is a dry aud barren 
 place; see Psal. cvii. 35, Zeph. ii. 13 ; and so 
 are the hearts even of God's own people before 
 conversion ; and therefore are called "dry, parched, 
 and thirsty ground," Isa. xxxv. 7, and xliv. 3, 
 which is only moistened, watered, and made fruit- 
 ful by the effusion of God'i Spirit, and the flows 
 of his love and grace ; whilst in a state of nature, 
 they are like the barren heath or fallow ground, 
 until thoy become God's husbandry, being broken 
 up, maimred, and made good ground, so as to 
 bring forth fruit to his glory. 2. Because a 
 wilderness is full of perplexed ways ; a man that 
 is in it is often at a loss, and knows not which 
 way to take: and as bewildered is a man in a 
 state of nature ; he is a stranger to the way of 
 peace, life, and salvation, by Jesus Christ ; there 
 are many by-ways present themselves to him, 
 which he is ready to imagine are the right ; as 
 his civility, morality, legal righteousness, and ex- 
 ternal profession of religion ; which tracks he 
 follows, if religiously inclined ; if not, he j)ursucs 
 the paths of open sin and profaneness ; and so he 
 goes on, not knowing whither he goeth, because 
 that darkness hath blinded his eyes ; he is in a 
 wilderness, and so he continues, until the Spirit 
 of God guides his feet into the way of peace. 
 3. Because of the want of provisions therein ; 
 see Psal. Ixxviii. 19; a man that is iu a state 
 of nature, has no spiritual provisions, no heaven- 
 ly food, no divine refreshments ; there is no 
 bread of life here, only husks, which swine do 
 eat ; therefore souls that are in such an estate, 
 are in a starving and famishing condition ; hence 
 it is called a " pit, wherein is no water," Zech. 
 ix. 11. 4. Because of the danger thereof; in a 
 wilderness, there is not only danger of losing one's 
 way ; and falling into holes aud pits, hut also of 
 being devoured by wild beasts ; a state of 
 nature is certainly a dangerous one ; the wrath of 
 God abides upon such that are in it ; destruction 
 aud misery are written upon all the wa3's of sin ; 
 these have a tendency to bring souls thereunto, 
 which they inevitably will, if grace prevents not. 
 Now, in this state aud condition God finds his 
 
 people, when he calls them by his grace, as he 
 did Israel of old ; of whom it is said. Dent, xxsii. 
 10, " he found him iu a desert land, aud in the 
 waste howling wilderness;" but he does not leave 
 his people here, he brings them out of it 
 which is an instance of his distinguishing and 
 surprising grace, of which the church here was 
 made a partaker ; and therefore the daughters, in 
 a way of admiration m it, say, " Who is this that 
 Cometh out of the wilderness !" which is express- 
 ed iu the present tense, because of the incomplete- 
 ness and imperfection of the work of grace iu 
 this life ; which, though it is at present unfinished, 
 yet is continued aud carried on, and will be 
 performed unto the day of Jesus Christ. Or 
 else, 
 
 2udly. By the wilderness, out of which tiic 
 church is said to come, may be meant this world ; 
 so the nations of the world may be, and particu- 
 larly the land of Babylon, into which the Jews 
 were carried captive, is called the wilderness of 
 the people, in Ezek. xx. 35. And now this world 
 may very well be so called ; and especially the 
 l)assage of God's children through it, may be 
 compared to the passage of the Israelites through 
 the wilderness of Egypt. ]. Because of the rough- 
 ness of the way ; the children of God, in their 
 passage through it, astlie Israelites did, meet with 
 many difficulties, trials, and afflictions; in this 
 world they must have tribulation, and through a 
 variety of it " must enter into the kingdom 
 of God ;" for the way to heaven is, 65os ndXtp-i^rifn, 
 an afflicted way, or a way strewed with afflictions. 
 2. Because of the many pits, traps, aud snares, 
 that are in it ; this world is fuU of them, every 
 thing in it is of an ensnaring nature to God's 
 children ; therefore " let him that thinks he 
 stands, take heed lest be fall." 3. Because 
 of the many venomous creatui'es and beasts of 
 prey which are in it ; and therefore the wilderness, 
 through which the Israelites travelled, is colled. 
 Dent. viii. 15, " the great and terrible wilderness, 
 wherein were fiery serpents aud scorpions; to 
 which' the ungodly men of this world may be com- 
 pared, for their poisonous and infectious practices, 
 tlieir serpentine cunning, spite, venom, and cruel 
 malice, among whom tlie saints are obliged to be 
 whilst in this wilderness. 4. Because of the fre- 
 quent want of provision, and the method of sup- 
 plies in it : the Israelites, whilst iu the wilderness, 
 w ere often in want of food, and sometimes reduced 
 to such extremity, that they thought it almost im- 
 possible to have relief, aud therefore said. Psalm 
 Ixxviii. 19, " Can God furnish a table iu the 
 wilderness ?" but yet, notwithstanding these seem- 
 ing impossibilities, aud their frequent murmur- 
 ings and complaints against him, he was pleased to 
 give them meat to the full ; so in this .vilderness of 
 the world, which yields of itself no suitable pro- 
 vision to God's children, they are supplied with 
 food, and that in such a way, as the world knows 
 nothing of ; God feeds them with the Bread of Life, 
 aud gives them to eat of the hidden mauna, the food 
 
120 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 III. 
 
 of the wilderness ; he refreshes their souls with his 
 grace and presence, affords them spiritual nourish- 
 ment from Gospel doctrines, promises, and ordin- 
 ances, and withholds no good thing that isproper for 
 them. 5. As the Israelites, throngh a great many 
 windings and turnings came safe to Canaan's land, 
 and were led by a right way, though not a direct 
 one, but often backwards and forwards, to the city 
 of their habitation ; so the people of God, through 
 various turns of providence, and many trials and 
 afflictions^ are led through the wilderness of this 
 world, but yet always in a right way; in a way 
 that makes most for God's glory, and their own 
 good ; and shall all be brought safe to the city 
 of habitation and place of rest, which God has pre- 
 pared for them. Now the church is said to be 
 coming out of this wilderness. Saints though 
 they are In the world, yet they are not of it, being 
 chosen and called out of it ; and then may they 
 be said to be coming out of it, when they not only 
 profess not to belong to it, but do openly with- 
 draw from, and quit the company and conversation 
 of the men of it ; when their affections are so 
 weanedfrom it, asthat they can readily forsake, and 
 cheerfully suffer the loss of all things in it, for 
 the sake of Christ. Moreover, when neither the 
 frowns nor flatteries of the world can draw them 
 aside from Christ and his Gospel ; but regardless 
 of either, are breathing and longing after another 
 and better world than this : and when this is the 
 case of souls, as perhaps it was of the church 
 here, they have made a good progress towards com- 
 ing out of this wilderness. Or else 
 
 3rdly. By it may be meant a state of sorrow 
 and distress, which the people of God were ofteu 
 iu, in this life, bat are sooner or later brought 
 out of it. God sometimes brings them into the 
 wilderness, into a distressed and disconsolate con- 
 dition, being without his presence, and the dis- 
 coveries of li is love and grace; where having no 
 views of Christ, and their interest in him, they 
 aie bewildered in their souls, and scarce know 
 where they are, nor whither they are going ; but 
 he will not leave them so long, but will bring 
 them out of it, and speak comfortably to them. 
 Now in such a bewildered state and condition the 
 church bad been, not knowing where her beloved 
 was, which caused her to run up and down, here 
 and there, like a person in a wood, seeking for 
 him, and calling after him ; but now she is repre- 
 sented as coming out of this state, having gotten 
 some glimpse of him, and enjoying some com- 
 niHuion with him. But, 
 
 II. She is not only described by her coming 
 out of the wilderness, but also this asceut of hers 
 from thence is said to be like pillars of smoke ; 
 which seems to be expressive of the motions of her 
 desires and affections towards Christ ; and shows, 
 1. That her affections towards Christ were afresh 
 kindled; either by the fire of the Spirit, which 
 
 " miOTi elatlones, columnse, ad formam palmte 
 assurgentes, Buxtorf. "t palmae, Mercerus, C'occeius ; 
 sintar palmurum, Tijjuriue version, Micliaclis. Viil. 
 
 was applied unto her ; see Matt. iii. II; or of the 
 divine word, which is compared thereunto, Jer. 
 xxiii. 29 ; which powerfully wrought upon her ; 
 or else, by the presence of Christ, which some- 
 times causes the hearts of his people to burn with- 
 in them : this she now enjoyed, which stirred up 
 her affections the more unto him .- now these be- 
 ing said to be " like pillars of smoke," intend the 
 fir.st appearances of them ; for as soon as ever the 
 fire takes, there will be smoke, and often in great 
 abundance; for which reason the first appearance 
 of grace in young converts is compared to " smok- 
 ing flax," Isa. xlii. 3. 2. That her afl'ections 
 were heavenly, and rising upwards, " like pillars 
 of smoke ;" they were not set upon things on earth, 
 but upon things in heaven, and especially upon 
 Christ, who is there ; and particularly upon her 
 person, blood, and righteousness ; all which take 
 much with the believer's affections, and are exceed- 
 ing precious to him. 3. Her affections towards 
 Christ, being compared to pillars of smoke, shows 
 the uprightness of them ; that they went up to 
 Ilim like pillars in a strait line, and did not bene? 
 either this way or that : and it may be observed, 
 that the word translated^i7/«ri,signifies|j«/?/i-^rtf(?,f," 
 or pillars arising up in the form of palm-trees ; 
 which grow very upright, even though very great, 
 pressures and weights be laid upon them ; and 
 therefore the righteous are compared unto, and 
 said to grow up like them, iu Psal. xcii. 12. 4. 
 The steadiness and constancy of her affections to 
 Christ may be represented hereby ; which can by 
 no means be diverted from him ; neither by the 
 winds of temptation, nor by the tempests of 
 alllictious, nor by the blasts of persecutions ; 
 though it is true, pillars of smoke are by every 
 wind easily turned this way or that : but perhaps 
 the allusion is here made unto the smoke, which 
 ascended daily from the altar of burnt-offering ; 
 and, if we will believe the Jews, this smoke could 
 never be dispersed, nor bent by any vviud ; for, 
 among the ten wonders which were seen in the 
 temple, these are mentioned," viz., that the rain 
 never extinguished the fire of the wood, which was 
 laid in order upon the altar; nor did the wind 
 ever conquer the pillar of smoke, so aslo disperse 
 it, nor bend it in this way or that. 5. This may 
 also represent the offering up of herself as a whole 
 burnt -offering to the Lord, as a living sacrifice, 
 holy and acceptable unto God, which was but her 
 reasonable service; see Rom. xii. I, Or, 6. 
 It may set forth tiie obscure state and condition 
 of the church in this world, by reason of outward 
 crosses and afflictions ; which are such as hide her 
 inward glory and beauty from the men of the 
 world ; for though she is separated from the world, 
 and is coming out of it, yet she looks like pillars 
 of smoke, dark, and cloudy, but little brightness 
 or glory appearing in her to them. 
 
 III. She is also said to be " perfumed with 
 
 R. Aben Ezrara and Sol. Jarchium in loc. and K. 
 David Kimcliiuiii in lib. shorash. rad. "CD. 
 " In rirkc Abo^, c. 5. s. 5. 
 
VER. 7.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 121 
 
 myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the 
 nierchant." 
 
 1st. She is said to be " perfumed with myrrh ;" 
 which may be understood, either of Christ him- 
 self, who is as " a bundle of myrrh" unto his 
 people, exceeding grateful to them ; and which 
 renders them acceptable to God, being held in the 
 hand, or carried in the bosom of faith : or else, 
 of his death, which though like myrrh, exceeding 
 bitter to himself, yet is of a sweet-smelling 
 savour to his Father, and a delightful perfume to 
 believers : or else, of his righteousness, which is 
 that garment of Christ's, which, whether consi- 
 dered Ls in himself, or as put upon his people, 
 " smells of myrrh, aloes, and cassia ;" and with 
 which they being clothed, their "smell is as the 
 smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed." 
 
 2ndly. She is said to be also " perfumed with 
 frankincense ;" by which may be meant the me- 
 diation and intercession of Christ, which is that 
 much incense, with which Chi'ist offers up 
 the prayers of all saints to his Father; and 
 with which their persons and their prayers being 
 perfumed, they meet with acceptance with God, 
 which otherwise would be a stink in his nos- 
 trils ; see Rev. viii. 3, 4, Psalm csli. 2. 
 
 3rdly. She is said to be " perfumed, or to be 
 possessed with all powders of the merchant." 
 Christ is this merchant-man ; the graces of the 
 Spirit arc those powders which Christ, as Media- 
 tor, is full of ; all which ai'e sweet and savoury, 
 rich and costly ; " the merchandise of them is 
 better than the merchandise of silver, and the 
 gain thereof than tine gold." Some read this last 
 part of the words thus,'' " which is above or more 
 excellent than all powders of the merchant, drug- 
 gist, or apothecary / for no spice in the mer- 
 chant's warehouse, no precious drug or aromatic 
 powder in the apothecary's shop, is to be com- 
 pared with those graces of the Spirit, which Christ 
 bestows upon his own people. 
 
 Verse 7. Behold his bed, which is Solomon's .- 
 threescore valiant men are about it, of the 
 valiant of Israel. 
 
 These are eitlier the words of the daughters of 
 Jerusalem continued, as somc^ thiuk ; who having 
 begun, go on to commend the church from that 
 communion and fellowship she enjoys with Christ, 
 and from that safely and security which she has 
 iu him : or rather, according to others," they are 
 the words of the church ; who perceiving that 
 the daughters of Jerusalem were much taken with 
 her beauty ; and fearing, lest they should ascribe 
 too much to her, to the prejudice of her beloved ; 
 she breaks in upon them, and proposes a far more 
 glorious object to them to gaze upon and wonder 
 at, even Christ, from whom she received all her 
 beauty and glory ; him she describis by his bed, 
 
 =^ So Junius and Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt. 
 
 J 7311 negotiator, mercator, aromatarius, Buxtorf 
 /ii/pevts, Sept. pigmentarii, V. L. Hlontaaus ; phar- 
 macopolffi, Tigurinc version; in.stitoris, stu scplasiarii, 
 3Iercerus, Cocceius ; aromatarii, Junius and Tremel- 
 
 and the guard about it, in this and the following 
 verse ; by the chariot he rides in, in ver. 9, 
 10 ; and by the royal crown he wore on his 
 coronation-day, in ver. 11. In these words we 
 have, 
 
 I. To consider who is meant by Solomon. 
 
 II. What by his bed. 
 
 III. The guard that is about it, which is 
 here described. 
 
 IV. Why a behold is prefixed to all this. 
 I. It will be proper to consider who is meant 
 
 by Solomon; and I apprehend we are not to un- 
 derstand this literally of Solomon, the son ot 
 David, and king of Israel; but mystically, of 
 Christ, who was typified by him ; it may be said 
 of this place, what our Lord said in another case, 
 that a " greater than Solomon is here." Solomon 
 was undoubtedly an eminent type of Christ ; the 
 whole seventy-second psalm, which is entitled, 
 " a Psalm for Solomon," is generally expounded, 
 not only by Christian, but also by Jewish inter- 
 preters,'' of the Messiah, whom Solomon prefi- 
 gured ; and there is an agreement and likeness 
 between them in the following things : 1. They 
 were both the sons of David -. Christ, as well as 
 Solomon, was so according to the flesh ; God pro- 
 mised that he would raise up the Messiah from 
 his seed, which promise he accordingly made 
 good : the Jews lived in the expectation of him, 
 as being to spring fi-om him ; and therefore when 
 Christ put that question to them, "What think 
 ye of Christ ? whose Son is he ?" they readily 
 answer. The sou of David :" hence he is called both 
 " the root and offspring of David ;" as he is God, 
 he is the root of David ; and as he is man, he is his 
 offspring. 2- They were both the sons of God; 
 see 2 Sam. vii. 14, compared with Heb i. 5, only 
 with this difference ; Solomon was the Son of God 
 by adopting grace, Christ by nature and eternal 
 generation. 3. They were both Jedidiah's, be-v 
 loved of God : that Solomon was so, is manifest 
 from 2 Sam. xii. 24, 25, and therefore had that 
 name given unto him ; that Christ is the dear 
 Son of God's love, was testified by a voice from 
 heaven more than once, particularly at his bap-, 
 tism, and at his transfiguration upon the mount ; 
 see IMatt. iii. 17, and xvii. 5. 4. They were 
 both kings and preachers in Jerusalem ; for Solo- 
 mon, see Eccl. i. 1, 12, and of Christ it is mani- 
 fest that here he exercised great part of his pub- 
 lic ministry ; and here also did he sit upon the 
 throne of his father David, though in a spiritual 
 way. 5. He was a type of Christ in his wisdom. 
 It is said of him, 1 Kings iv. 30, 31, that his 
 " wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children 
 of the east-country, and all the wisdom of Egypt; 
 for he was wiser than all men :" and of Christ it 
 is said. Col. ii. 3, that " in him are hid all the 
 treasures of wisdom and knowledge ," he as much, 
 
 lius, ]\rarckius. ' Foliot, Sanctius, and Soto 
 
 JI.TJor in loc. » Junius, Durham, &c. 
 
 ^ Targum, R. Aben Ezra, R. David Kimchi. U. 
 Sol. Jarchi, Sliclol Yophi.and R. Aboudana iu not. 
 in Miclol Yolphi in loc. 
 
122 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CIJAP. 
 
 III. 
 
 iiav, infinitely more, exceeded Solomon in wisdom, 
 than he did all other men ; for never man spake 
 such words of wisdom, his enemies themselves 
 being witnesses, as he did. 6. He was also a 
 type of Christ in the largeness of his kingdom : 
 as God gave him " largeness of heart, even as the 
 sand that is on the sea-shore ;" so he likewise 
 gave him a kingdom suitable to it, and made hira 
 to reign " over nil kingdoms, from the river unto 
 the land of the Philistines." Christ's kingdom, 
 however small it may appear now, shall iu the 
 latter day he very large ; for " he shall have do- 
 minion from sea to sea, and from the river unto 
 the ends of the earth ; for when he takes to him- 
 self his great power, and reigns, " the kingdoms 
 of this world shall become the kingdoms of our 
 Lord and of his Christ ;" see Psal. Ixxii. 8, Rev. 
 xi. 15, 17. 7. He prefigured him in the peace- 
 ableness, as well as in the largeness of his king- 
 dom : " Solomon's kingdom was a peaceable one, as 
 well as a large one ; " he had peace on all sides 
 round about him ;" and his subjects " dwelt safely, 
 every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, 
 all his days :" which was all typical of Christ and 
 his kingdom ; one of whose titles is, " the Prince 
 of peace ;" whose sceptre is " the gospel of peace ;" 
 whose kingdom is not " meat and drink, but 
 righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy 
 Ghost ;" and whose subjects are " the sons of 
 peace ;" on whom he bestows peace of conscience 
 now, and will introduce them into an everlasting 
 peace hereafter. 8. He was also a type of him 
 in the riches of his kingdom : there was such 
 plenty of gold in the days of Solomon, " that 
 silver was nothing accounted of," but was as com- 
 mon "iu Jerusalem as stones;" Clirist's "riches, 
 are unsearchable ;" he has riches of grace, and 
 riches of glory, which he bestows upon his sub- 
 jects, so that they are all as kings and princes : it 
 may be much more truly said of all Christ's sub- 
 jects, what the king of Assyria in a boasting 
 manner said of his princes, " Are not my princes 
 altogether kings ?" all the subjects of Christ's king- 
 dom are princes, and all these princes kings; and 
 therefore it must needs be a very rich and opulent 
 one. 9. Solomon was a type of Christ likewise 
 in his marriage of Pharaoh's daughter, an Egypt- 
 ian woman ; one that was an " alien from the 
 commonwealth of Israel, and a stranger from the 
 covenant of promise ;" which is not more sur- 
 prising, nor indeed so much, as that " the Holy 
 One of Israel, the God of the whole earth," should 
 espouse to himself sucli poor, mean, vile, and sin- 
 ful creatures, as we by nature arc ; so that he 
 who is our Maker, is also our Husband; astonish- 
 ing 1 stupendous grace I 10. He was a type of 
 him iu his building the temple, which prefigured 
 the church of Christ, which is built on Christ, 
 " the Rock, the Poundation, and Corner-stone ; in 
 
 ° Cotton and Brightnian in loc. '^ di'^-'S- Nys- 
 
 sen. in Cant, lloniil. 0. and Aiusworth iu loc. 
 
 • Ambros. do Isaac, c. S. ' Api.'onius in Sancl. 
 
 iu loc. f lleda in Sane, in loc and Foliot. in 
 
 whom all the building, filly framed together, 
 groweth unto an lioly temple in the Lord :" nay, 
 it is not only built upon him, but it is also built 
 by him, therefore to him all the glory should 
 be ascribed ; for " he shall build the tem- 
 ple of the Lord, and he shall bear the glory," 
 Zech. vi. 13. And now seeing that Solomon was 
 a type of Christ in so many instances, it need not 
 be wondered at, that he should bear his name in 
 this, and in some other parts of this Song. Eut, 
 
 II. The next thing to be enquired into, is, what 
 is meant by his bed : and there is a varieiy of 
 opinions concerning it. 
 
 The Targum understands by it, the temple ; 
 R. Sol. Jarchi, the tabernacle of the congregation ; 
 iu both which the priests and Levites watched and 
 kept guard ; R. Alshech, the congregation of Is- 
 rael. Some'= think that the temple of Christ's 
 body is here intended, in which " the fulness of 
 the Godhead dwells ;" and which was guarded and 
 protected from the fury and malice of Herod and 
 others, by angels, who were continually ascending 
 and descending on him : others,^ the hearts of be- 
 lievers, in which Christ condescends to dwell ; 
 which are kept by his power, and guarded by that 
 " peace of his which passeth all understanding." 
 Some*^ have been of opinion, that Christ himself 
 is this bed : others,' that it is his cross : and 
 others,^ that the happiness of the saints in glory 
 is here meant ; who, dying in the Lord, " enter 
 into peace, and rest in their beds ;" which are 
 those mansions that are prepared and reserved for 
 them in heaven. Though others'" think that the 
 scriptures are this bed ; iu hearing and reading of 
 which, souls are often begotten again ; tiiey are 
 written for the comfort of God's children, beiug 
 opened, are made very useful to them, where they 
 frequently meet with Christ, and have communion 
 with him ; these, notwithstanding the cunning 
 and malice of wicked men, have been safely kept 
 and strangely preserved by the providence of God ; 
 as the doctrines of them have been strcnuou.-ly 
 maintained and defended against heretics by the 
 ministers of the Gospel. But I am rather in- 
 clined to think, that by this bed, we are to under- 
 stand the church of Christ ;' it is here Christ 
 dwells ; this is his resting-place : here souls are 
 begotten and born again ; and here he grants to 
 his people nearness of access unto him, sweet 
 familiarity, and delightful fellowship with him. 
 Now this may be said to ba his bed, because the 
 Father has given it to him, and he has purchased 
 it with his own blood ; as also, because it is of 
 bis own making. But, 
 
 III. We now proceed to consider the guard 
 about this bed ; which are either the angels of 
 God,"* who are ministering spirits to the church, 
 and " encamp round about them that fear the 
 Lord ;" who, as they are always ready, so they 
 loc. ■> Thoodoret in loc. ' So the Cabalistic 
 doctors interpret it of malcuth, the congregation of 
 Ic-racl, tlio bride, the church, Lexic. (Sub. i>. b'll. 
 
 ^ So K. AloUech iu loc. 
 
8.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 123 
 
 are able and mighty to do the pleasure of Christ, 
 and to defend bis church ; who are as valiant and 
 courageous in doing tlicir Master's work and will, 
 as they are faithful and trusty: or rather, by this 
 guard about the church, we are to understand the 
 ministers of the Gospel;' who, " by night stand 
 iu the house of the Lord," and act the part of 
 watchmen there; defend tlic truths of the Gospel, 
 and vindicate the cause of Christ against all op- 
 posers. These are described, 
 
 1st. By their number, threescore; which 
 perhaps was just the number of guards which 
 Solomon had every night about his bed ; and 
 that not only for the safety and security of his 
 royal person, but as an indication of his majesty 
 and greatness: and it may be observed, that these 
 are just double the number of David's worthies, 
 Solomon excelling his father in glory and majes- 
 ty ; though perhaps here is a certain number 
 nieuLioned for an uncertain, which may be par- 
 ticularly mentioned, because it is a competent and 
 sufficient one. 
 
 2udly. By their qualifications, " valiant or 
 mighty men:" they are such who are strong in 
 Christ, in his grace, and in the power of his 
 might ; and so indeed they had need to be, to 
 discharge the work they arc called unto : they 
 are capable of digesting the word of God them- 
 selves, and of dividing it to others; they have 
 courage enough to defend the gospel against all 
 its enemies, and are " valiant for the truth upon 
 earth;" they quit themselves like men, being 
 strong; and '" siand fast in one spirit, striving 
 together for the faith of the gosjjel." 
 
 3rdly. By their original, or descent ; they are 
 " the valiant of Israel :" the Israelites were noted 
 for valiant men, and were a terror to their ene- 
 mies ; and these were the choicest, the very 
 flower of them ; these were Israelites indeed, who 
 had something of the spirit of old Israel in them ; 
 who, as a prince, had power both v>'ith God and 
 men, and prevailed, 
 
 '4thly. By their posture ; they stood round 
 about the bed, on all sides : which shows not 
 only their diligence iu their work, and how care- 
 ful they were that nothing might prejudice the 
 church, nor disturb its rest and repose ; but also 
 the safety and security of it : not that this is all 
 the security the church has ; for besides the an- 
 gels, and these ministers of the gospel, who 
 attend it, the Lord himself is round about ; " for 
 as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so 
 is the Lord round about his people:" but yet it 
 is a great mercy and blessing that the Lord is 
 pleased to set such a guard as this about his bed, 
 or set such watchmen as tliese upon the walls of 
 his Jerusalem. 
 
 IV. To all this a behold is prefixed ; which 
 may be considered, either as a note of attention, 
 to stir up the miuds of the dauahters of Jeru- 
 
 salem to consider this great person, whose bed 
 this is which is guarded after such a manner as is 
 here represented ; from whence they might con- 
 clude, that if his bed was so stately, his person 
 must be much more so : or else, as a note of 
 admiration, which she takes np, not only to show 
 how much she was affected with the glory and 
 greatness of Christ's person, and with those privi- 
 leges which sheenjoyed through, andby him; as that 
 she should be in his bed, where he condescended 
 to grant her communion with himself, about 
 which so strong a guard is set as is here described: 
 but likewise, she does it to stir up the afFectious 
 of these daughters towards Christ, that they might 
 be filled with desires after him, and not be at 
 rest until they also had some enjoyment of him, 
 in whose presence s!ie had found so much sweet- 
 ness. 
 
 Verse 8. They all hold swords, being expert in 
 tear : every man haih his sivord upon his thiyh, 
 because of fear in the night. 
 
 In these words is a farther description of the 
 guard about Christ's bed : and that 
 
 I. By (heir armour; they "all hold swords." 
 
 II. By their skilfulness in using them ; being 
 " expert in war." 
 
 III. By their readiness to engage upon any 
 occasion ; " every man bath his sword upon his 
 thigh." 
 
 IV. The reason of tliis guard, and their being 
 thus armed, and standing in this posture, is also 
 assigned ; because of fear iu the night." 
 
 I. Here is a farther description of the guard 
 about Christ's bed, by the armour which they 
 appeared with; they " all hold swords:" they 
 are not only mighty and valiant men, men of 
 courage " but also armed men ;" and therefore 
 are more capable to act both defensively and 
 offensively. Now by the sword, which they hold 
 in their hands, or have girt upon their thighs, is 
 meant the word of God, which in scripture is 
 called, 1 . " The sword of the Spirit," Ephes. vi. 17 ; 
 and that because it is a spiritual one ; for as none 
 of " the weapons of our warfare are carnal," but 
 spiritual ; so likew ise is this, which is no small 
 part of our Christian armour; and which none 
 but " the spiritual man" docs, or can use to any 
 good purpose against " spiritual wickednesses in 
 high places ;" as also because it is made by the 
 Spirit of God ; he is the Author of it ; it is he 
 that furnishes us with it, and makes it powerful 
 and efiicaeious to answer the ends for which it is 
 both made and used. 2. It is called a shar]) one, 
 nay, said to be, Heb. iv. 12, " sharper than any 
 two edged sword ;" which sinners have found to 
 be true, by those sharp threatenings and severe 
 reproofs it has given for sin ; and those cutting 
 convictions, which, in the Spirit's hand, it has 
 laid them under for it ; for then it pricks the very 
 
 ' Isidore in loc. 
 
124 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap III. 
 
 heart and conscience, and pierces, " even to the 
 dividing asunder of soul and spirit ;" it cuts and 
 hews persons down, that arc either going on in 
 a course of profaneness, or are vainly boasting of 
 their own righteousness ; nay it not only cuts, 
 but kills, according to Ilosea vi. 5, compared 
 with ver. 4, " therefore have T hewed them by 
 the prophets, I have slain them by the words 
 of my mouth." Satan has often felt the keen- 
 ness of this sword, especially as it was in the 
 hand of Christ, and managed by him against 
 him in the wilderness ; who repelled every 
 temptation of his, with a " for it is written :" 
 neither is there any weapon more powerful and 
 successful in the hand of faith, when strengthened 
 by the Spirit of God, to resist that enemy of our 
 souls, than this is; nor is there any that is more 
 formidable to him, nor more dreaded by him. 
 Moreover it has appeared, and has been sufficient- 
 ly tried, to be a sharp sword in the refutation of 
 errors and heresies ; it has at once cut the nerves 
 and sinews of sophistic arguments, and laid open 
 naked truth to public view ; and will still appear 
 more evidently so in the destruction of Antichrist, 
 that man of sin, " whom the Lord will consume 
 with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with 
 the brightness of his coming." 3. It is also 
 called a two-edged one ; Christ is represented. 
 Rev. i. 16, as having such an one proceeding 
 out of his mouth ; and the saints, in Psalm cxlis. 
 6, as having the like in their hands; in both 
 which places I am inclined to think, that the 
 word of God is intended, whose two edges are the 
 law and gospel. The law is one of those sharp 
 edges of the word of God, which in the hands of 
 the Spirit, makes piercing and cutting work in 
 the heart of a poor sinner ; it lays open not only 
 the gross enormities of life, but also the vile cor- 
 ruptions of nature, and discovers the wrath of 
 God, which is the due desert thereof; it not only 
 accuses and convicts, but also curses and con- 
 demns ; nay, becomes a kiUinq letter, so that the 
 poor sinner, under the powerful workings of it, 
 is in his own apprehension a dead man: this 
 sharp and cutting work of the law, the apostle 
 Paul went under; this keen and sharp edge of 
 the word of God he sufficiently felt, as is mani- 
 fest from llom. vii. 9 — 11. Moreover, the gospel 
 is the other edge of this sword ; and a sharp one it 
 i.S in the Sjnrit's hand, to cut down both the 
 best and worst in man ; it cuts down the best 
 in man, his goodness and goodlincss, his 
 strength and wisdom, his righteousness and best 
 performances, and lays them all aside in the 
 business of his justification before God, and 
 acceptance with him : it also cuts down the 
 worst of man ; it gives the greatest blow at. his 
 sins and corruptions of any thing else, and 
 teaches him the most powerfully to deny nn- I 
 
 godliness and worldly lusts; it puts him upon 
 an abasing of himself, and a magnifying of the 
 grace of God. Now this sword, the guard about 
 Clirist's bed had in their hands, and ujion their 
 thighs, to defend it from all the dangers it was 
 liable to : and though in our bibles it is rendered 
 swords, in the plural number ; yet in the Hebrew 
 text it is in the singular number, the sioovd f^ for 
 it is but one sword, which is the word of God, 
 that these persons were acquaiuted with, and 
 firmly held for the safety and protection of the 
 church. 
 
 And now, by their holding this sword, is 
 meant, not only their acquaintance with the word 
 of God, and their apprehension of it, but also 
 their retention of, and firm adherence to it : they 
 not only held it forth to others, but also held it 
 fast themselves ; which is a necessary qualification 
 in the ministers of the gospel, or in those who 
 are about Christ's bed : for having this sword 
 always in their hands, thej' are in a readiness to 
 " war a good warfare ;" which they are not 
 strangers to, as appears from the following cha- 
 racter of them. For, 
 
 II. They are farther described by their skil- 
 fulness in military affairs, " being expert in 
 war :" these had been in God's yv,u.vdcriov, or 
 school of exercise, where they had been in some 
 good measure taught, and versed in the art of 
 war, and had their spiritual " senses exercised to 
 discern between good and evil." The ministers 
 of the Gospel are, in common with other Chris- 
 tians, engaged in a war with sin, Satan, and the 
 world ; but being endowed with greater light and 
 knovvledge, faith, and experience, as they must be 
 supposed to have a greater degree of courage to 
 oppose ; so they must be allowed to have a 
 greater expertness in managing a war with those 
 spiritual enemies, than usually private believers 
 have ; having a large knowledge of, and ac- 
 quaintance with the many windings and turnings 
 of a deceitful and treacherous heart, as well as tiie 
 depths of Satan, and the cunning and crafty wiles 
 and methods he takes to deceive souls; as also 
 the various, charming, and alluring baits of an 
 ensnaring world : and besides all this, being set in 
 a higher post and place in the church, it is higiily 
 necessary that they should be more expert in figlit- 
 " ing the good fight of faith,'' against all opposers 
 of the doctrines of the Gospel ; for it is not only 
 proper that they should be mighty men, men of 
 courage, who are concerned in such a work ; but 
 also men of skilfulness, who know how to use 
 those spiritual weapons which they are accoutered 
 with : so as both the truth of the gospel shall be 
 defended and establislied, and error and heresy be 
 refuted and overthrown. 
 
 III. They are also described by the posture of 
 readiness which they are to engage upon any occa- 
 
 "> mn '']n« KaTc'xorer poM'^ami', Sept. tcnentesglarlium.Cocceius; stringcntcsgladium, Junius and Tremcl- 
 lius ; prehcusi gladio, Mercerus ; apprehousi gladio Moutanus ; capti sunt glaUio, Tigurine version. 
 
vi;r. 9.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 125 
 
 sion ; "every man hath his sword upon his 
 thigh :" to have the sword upon the thigh, is a 
 preparation for war, and an Indication of readi- 
 ness to engage in it ; see Psalm slv. 3 ; for being 
 there, it is near unto them ; they can come at it 
 on all proper occasions, and arc hereby in a pos- 
 ture of defence. All this may be expressive of 
 that familiar acquaintance which ministers of the 
 gospel have with the word of God, and how near 
 it is unto them? it is in their moiilhs and in 
 their hearts ; it dwells richly in their hearts, with 
 which they meditate upon it ; aud it is in their 
 mouths in the preaching of it ; they can quickly 
 and easily come at it, and furnish themselves with 
 sufficient proofs of gospel-truths, and with proper 
 arguments for the refutation of erroneous doc- 
 trines ; so that as they are " set for the defence 
 of the gospel," they are always in a posture of 
 readiness to act for it. 
 
 IV. The reason of this guard about Christ's 
 bed, and of their being thus armed and standing 
 in this posture, is here assigned ; which is, " be- 
 cause of fear in the night :" which some under- 
 stand of that dread and terror which is injected 
 into the minds of men by evil spirits ; and so the 
 Targum explains this, as it does also the terror 
 by night, in Psal. xei. 5, of apparitions and evil 
 spirits which walk in the night ; which those who 
 have the seal of circumcision in the flesh, which 
 the paraphrast supposes is meant by the " sword 
 upon the thigh," have no reason to be afraid of: 
 but it is much better in the Talmud," understood 
 of the fear of hell, which is comparable to the 
 night ; though that fear, which believers are apt 
 to be possessed of in their times of darkness, 
 seems rather to be intended : and from hence 
 may be observed, I. That believers have their 
 nights of affliction, temptation, desertion, dark- 
 ness, sleepiness, and caraal security. 2. That 
 they are often possessed with fears in such sea- 
 sons ; as "without are fightings," so "within 
 are fears ;" as that Christ is not theirs ; that they 
 shall never gel to heaven, nor hold out to the 
 end ; and are frequently terrified with the formi- 
 dable posse their enemies bring against them, 
 to which they find their own power aud strength 
 unequal; aud tiierefore are ready to faint, and be 
 discouraged ; and their peace, rest, and quietness 
 in Christ, are much disturbed. 3. That Christ 
 has provided a guard for his church, to remove 
 tliose fears, support them under those discourage- 
 ments, and defend them from those who would 
 make inroads upon their fuith and comfort ; and 
 these are the ministers of the Gospel, whom he 
 has set upon the walls of Zion, and placed about 
 his bed, the church ; that so the out -works aud 
 fortifications of Gospel doctrines may be kept 
 firm against all opposition without, and the pre- 
 
 ^ Gemara, Bab. Sanhed. cap.,1. fol 7. 2. Yebamot, 
 fol. 100. 2. and Yalkut in loc. ° In lib. shorash. 
 
 rad. n-iD. p Massech, Sotah. c. 9. s. 14. 
 
 1 Cocceius and Heunischius in loc. Vid. Cohen 
 
 cious promises of the Gospel may be open and 
 dispensed within ; that so her peace and comfort 
 may not be broken in upon ; wliieh, as it shows 
 the safety and security of the church, so it does 
 likewise the tender care and concern of Christ for 
 her. 
 
 Verse 9. Kintj Solomon made himself a chariot 
 of the xoood of Lehanon. 
 
 The church having described Christ's bed, pro- 
 ceeds to give some account of his chariot, which 
 he had made for himself and spouse. The word 
 here translated chariot, is to be found in uo other 
 part of the scripture, and is differently rendered. 
 Some translate it a throne, which Solomon had 
 prepared for himself; so Junius and Tremellius : 
 others, a stately palace or bride cliamber, which 
 he had built on purpose for the more honour- 
 able reception of his bride ; so David de Pomis, 
 R. Sol. Jarchi, and Arias Montanus : others, a 
 bed ; which is so called from the fruitfulness 
 thereof, which in chap. i. 16, is said to be green ; 
 but then it must mean such a bed, in which 
 the bride used to be carried, as R. David Kim- 
 chi° observes. So that it seems to signify the 
 nuptial bed, or an open chariot, or some such 
 like thing, in which the bride was carried in pomp 
 to the bridegroom's house: and in this sense is 
 the word used in the Misuah ;p where mention is 
 made of a decree " that the bride should not go 
 out into the city, ]inEwl, beappirion, the word 
 here used, " in the nuptial bed, or open chariot ;" 
 in which as R. Sol. Jarchi says, in his gloss upon 
 the words, " they carried her from the house of 
 her father to the house of her husband." And 
 so the Septuagint here renders the word by (popeToy, 
 which signifies something in which persons or 
 things are carried, and is very much like in 
 sound to the Hebrew word ; and somei have 
 thought that it is this very Greek word which 
 is here made use of, which might not be unknown 
 to the Hebrews; and pnsx mn"? is a usual phrase 
 with the Rabbins, to express the celebration of 
 marriage.r It seems to be the nuptial chariot : 
 in which, according to Pausanias,^ three only were 
 carried; the bride, who sat in the middle, the 
 bridegroom on one hand, and the friend of the 
 bridegroom on the other : something of this kind 
 is the Palki or Palanquin of the Indians ; ia 
 which the bridegroom are carried on the day of 
 marriage on four men's shoulders.' By this 
 chariot, R. Sol. Jarchi and Alshech would have 
 the tabernacle of the congregation understood; 
 though the Targum and R. Aben Ezra understand 
 it of the temple, which was made of the cedars 
 of Lebanon : but by it rather is meant, either. 
 First. The human nature of Christ, in which, 
 as in a chariot, Christ made himself visible and 
 
 De Lara, Ir. David, p. 19. ' Tid. Buxtorf. 
 
 Epist. Heb. 1. 2. ep. 7. p. 235, 237. ' Yid. Suidam 
 in voce Zei'yor. ' Agreement of Customs between 
 the Kast-Indians and Jews, art. 17. p. G8. 
 
126 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CIUP. III. 
 
 consi)icuou3 to men, and gave a glorious display 
 of his greatness and majesty ; " for in him dwelleth 
 all the fulness of the Godhead bodily ;" it was in 
 this he descended from and ascended up to heaven ; 
 and bv which saints have access to God, and a 
 comraunication of grace from him; for our way 
 of access to God, and of acceptance with him, as 
 well as of conveyance of all covenant-grace and 
 blessings from him, is " consecrated for us through 
 the vail, that is to say, Christ's fits!;." Concern- 
 ing which chariot of Christ's human n?tnrc, we 
 may observe, 1. The author, king Solomon, Christ 
 himself : and this serves to set forth the magnifi- 
 cence of it ; for if it is the work of so great a person, 
 it must needs be curiously wrought ; and at the 
 same time it shows his wonderful humility and 
 condescension, in that one who was possessed of 
 royal dignity, should be employed in such a work; 
 and in nothing did he give a greater instance of it, 
 than in the assumption of human nature, in his 
 being found in fashion as a man ; which work 
 purely ascribed to himself; it was sine virili opere, 
 without the help of man that Christ became man ; 
 his human nature is the " stone cut out of the 
 mountain without hands," and the tabernacle 
 which God pitched, and not man ; and because 
 of this, it is wondrous and surprising : when it was 
 first prophesied of, it is ushered in with a " behold, 
 a virgin shall conceive," &c., and when the news 
 was brought to the virgin herself, it was startling 
 and astonishing to her, and made her say, " How 
 shall this be, seeing I know not a man ? " but this 
 being a work of God, with whom nothing is impos- 
 sible, was effected by him : but though Christ 
 assumed our nature, and became man without the 
 help of man ; yet not exclusive of the help and 
 assistance of his Father, who prepared a body for 
 him; nor of the Holy Ghost, who formed and 
 sanctified it in the virgin's womb. 3. The matter 
 of it, and that is of the wood of Lebanon: Christ 
 was conceived and born of the virgin Mary, who 
 dwelt at Nazareth, a ci(y of Galilee, at the foot of 
 mount Lebanon ; and the wood of that mountain, 
 which was cedar, being of an incorruptible nature, 
 may very well express the incorruption of Christ's 
 human nature ; for though he died and was buried, 
 j'et he never saw corruption : moreover this being 
 very excellent and valuable wood, may denote the 
 excellency .and glory of Christ's human nature ; 
 whose countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as 
 the cedars; for tliough, by his sorrows and suffer- 
 ings, his visage was more marred than any man, 
 and his form than the sons of men ; yet he was 
 fairer than any of the sons of Adam. 3. The cud 
 for which this chariot was made; it was for 
 himself: for thougli all the three persons had a 
 hand in making it, yet none but the second person 
 appeared in it ; it was the Son only, and not the 
 Father, nor the Spirit, who was made flesh, and 
 dwelt among us; which was done forthe showing 
 
 forth of his own glory, as well as for the sake of 
 his body, the church. Or else. 
 
 Secondly. By this chariot, may be meant the 
 church of Christ ;" where he shows himself openly 
 to his people in his ordinances, and they behold 
 his power and his glory, in the sanctuary ; here 
 he rides in triumph over his enemies; from hence 
 he sends forth the rod of his strength, and makes 
 mighty conquests by his grace over the hearts of 
 men ; here his Gospel is preached, his ordinances 
 administered, his name borne up, his cause and 
 interest carried on, and his person alone exalted. 
 Concerning which.chariot we may also observe, ] . 
 The author of it, Christ himself; it is he that 
 builds this temple, and bears the glory ; he is the 
 Rock, the Foundation, and Corner-stone on which, 
 and the chief architect by whom, it is built ; there 
 are indeed many workmen and under-buildcrs 
 whona he employs herein, but he himself is the 
 principal ; his own hands have laid the foundation, 
 and reared up the super-structure ; it is he that 
 has knit all together ; and bears, supports, and 
 maintains the whole fabric ; and will bring in the 
 head-stone, with the joyful acclamations of grace, 
 grace unto it. 2. The matter ; of the wood of Leba- 
 non ; the temple which was built by Solomon, was an 
 eminent figure of the church of Christ; now this 
 was built of cedars fetched from Lebanon, which, 
 though it was upon the borders of the land of 
 Israel, yet was not in it ; for Solomon sent to 
 Hiram king of Tyre for them, whose servants cut 
 them down, hewed them, and made them fit for 
 the building: Christ's true church is made up 
 only of believers, such who are comparable to the 
 cedars in Lebanon ; who, thouoh whilst in their 
 state of nature are aliens from the commonwealth 
 of Israel, and therefore arc invited to come with 
 Christ from Lebanon, iu chap. iv. 8, yet are cut 
 down from off their old stock, and being hewn 
 and fitly framed for the building by the grace and 
 Spirit of God, are laid iu it, and so grow up uuto 
 an holy temple in the Lord : and this wood of 
 Lebanon being lasting and durable, may denote 
 the final perseverance of the saints, and the con- 
 tinuance of the church of Christ; which being 
 built upon him, the Rock, the gates of hell cannot 
 prevail against it ; it is as immoveable as mount 
 Zion, and as incorruptible as the cedars. 3. The 
 end for which it is made, and that is, for himself: 
 Christ has made all things for himself; and more 
 especially his church he has made for his own use; 
 it is his house to dwell in, his garden to walk in, 
 his bed to rest iu, and his chariot to ride in ; he 
 has also made it for his own glory, and indeed 
 much arises from it ; his manifestative glory is 
 much increased by it ; this people he has formed 
 for himself, and they shall show forth his praise. 
 Or else, 
 
 3rdly. By this chariot, may be meant the Gos- 
 pel, and the preaching of it ; which may be also 
 
 " The Cabali.stic doctors interpret it of malcuth, or the bride, the congregat^ion of Israel, Lexic. Cabal. 
 p. 144. 
 
VER. 10.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 127 
 
 represented by the white horse, in Rev. vi. 2, on 
 which Christ rides and goes foith, conquering and 
 to conquer ; the ministers also of which may be 
 compared to chariots, as Elijah, in 2 Kin^sii. 12, 
 is called " the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen 
 thereof;" so Theodoret interprets it of the holy 
 apostles. lu this chariot Christ shows himself in 
 all the glory of his love and grace ; here, as in a 
 glass, saints behold the glory of the Lord, and are 
 changed into it ; in this he is carried up and down 
 the world, and by it is conveyed to the souls of 
 men ; this is that vehicle in which he is brought 
 home unto them, aud in which he triumphs over 
 all his enemies, and makes his ministers to do so 
 likewise : so that this is a triumphal chariot which 
 he has made,' and in which he shows himself to 
 the world. And, 1. He is the alone author, as 
 well as the subject, sum, and substance of it ; and 
 therefore it is called " the Gospel of Christ." It 
 is not the contrivance of human wisdom, the device 
 of man's brain, nor the produce of carnal reason ; 
 it was neither projected, formed, nor delivered by 
 man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ ; it is 
 he that has given it to men, and given men a 
 commission to preach it, and furnished them with 
 all necessary qualifications for it. 2. The matter 
 of it is said to be " the wood of Lebanon ;" which 
 being iucorruptible and durable, as has been before 
 observed, as well as of a sweet-smelling savour, 
 may very well be applied to the Gospel of Christ, 
 which is preached by his faithful ministers ; who 
 are not as some, who coirupt the word of God ; 
 but in doctrine, and also in life, show incorrupt- 
 ness, gravity, and sincerity, and deliver sound 
 speech which cannot be condemned ; which will 
 abide and continue, notwithstanding all the efforts 
 of men and devils ; and is of an exceeding grate- 
 ful smell to believers, to whom it is the savour 
 of life unto life. 3. This he has made also for 
 himself : that is, for his own glory ; which end is 
 answered, whea the riches of his grace and love 
 are displayed, his person and offices magnified and 
 exalted, and he declared to be the only way of 
 salvation to lost sinners ; as also when sinners are 
 converted, and saints are edified under the minis- 
 try of the word, and the success of all ministerial 
 labours is ascribed unto him. Or else, 
 
 4thly. By this chariot, may be meant the cove- 
 nant of grace ; in which, as in a chariot, Christ 
 shows his royal person, and the glorious sove- 
 reignty and freeness of his love ; by this, as in a 
 chariot, many poor souls are borne up and sup- 
 ported under, and are comfortably carried through 
 a great many trials aud exercises in this life, aud 
 in which they are brought triumphantly to glory ; 
 the same blood of the everlasting covenant, which 
 fetched Christ out of his grave, brings souls out 
 of the pit wherein is no water, and introduces 
 them into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. And, 
 1. Of this chariot, Christ, who is here meant by 
 king Solomon, is the author : man is not ia a ca- 
 
 MeiciAfif /Ss7T|f uyreXo?. Sept. in Ilea., is. 6. 
 
 pacity to make a covenant with God ; he has 
 nothing of his own, but what God, before all • 
 articles, agreements, conditions, grants, and pro- 
 mises, has a prior right unto ; but Christ, as the 
 Representative of the elect, has made a covenant 
 with his Father on their account ; his wisdom drew 
 the plan and model of it, he then acting as the 
 Counsellor, or as the Angel of the great council ;"' 
 his power effected it, being the mighty God, and 
 his grace fdled it, as the Mediator of it ; he had 
 so great a hand and concern in it, as that he is 
 called the Surety, Mediator, and Messenger of it, 
 nay, the covenant itself. 2. The matter of it, or 
 of what it was made, is the wood of Lebauou ; 
 which may intend the durableness and inviolable- 
 ness of the covenant of grace : for God will not 
 break it, nor alter the thing that is gone out of 
 his lips ; it is as lasting as the wood, and as im- 
 moveable as the mountain of Lebanon itself ; its 
 promises are yea and amen, and its blessings are 
 irreversible ; it is of au everlasting nature in itself, 
 and can never be disannulled by men or devils ; 
 and contains things in it both for time and eternity. 
 3. His end in making this is his own glory, as 
 well as the good of his people ; he had both iu 
 view : the former is mentioned hei'c, he made it 
 for himself; the latter in the next verse, where it 
 is also said to be for the daughters of Jerusalem. 
 Christ's glory and his church's good are insepa- 
 rable ; his glory is great in their salvation ; which 
 shows with what wisdom, and in what a beautiful 
 and excellent order, the covenaut of grace is made. 
 It is interpreted of the everlasting covenant by 
 some Jewish writei's.* 
 
 Verse 10. He made the pillars thereof of silver, 
 the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it 
 of purple ; the midst thereof being paved 
 with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem. 
 
 The- church goes on to give some further account 
 of this chariot, which Christ, the true Solomon, 
 had made for himself; and says, 
 
 I. That " the pillars of it were of silver." 
 
 II. The " bottom of gold." 
 
 III. The " covering of pm-plc." And 
 
 IV. That " the midst of it waspaved with love ; 
 aud that either by or for the daughters of Jeru- 
 salem." Now the explanation of these several parts 
 must be according to the several senses which have 
 been given of the chariot in the former verse. 
 Aud 
 
 I. If by the chariot we understaud the human 
 nature of Christ, then 
 
 1st. By the pillars of it, are meant the several 
 graces of the Spirit, which both adorned and sup- 
 ported it ; for besides the habitual holiness of liis 
 nature, and the iunoceuce of his life, there appear- 
 ed in him a strong faith in God ; and that not 
 only throughout the whole of his life, but in the 
 midst of his dolorous sufferings, nay, when desert- 
 ed by his Father ; as also great courage and mag- 
 
 » Vid. Talkut iu Ice. 
 
128 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. III. 
 
 nanimity of miad, as well as much patieace and 
 humility in doing and suffering all he did ; and 
 these may be called pillars, both for the mighty 
 strength that was in them ; for grace was not 
 weak ia Christ, as it is in us ; and also for the 
 support they were of unto him ; in the exercise of 
 which the chariot of the human nature was kept^ 
 as it were, upon its wheels ; and these arc said to 
 be of silver, to denote the cscellency, brightness, 
 and solidity of those graces ; and which appeared 
 to be so, even when as silver they were tried ia the 
 furnace of affliction. And 
 
 2ndly. By the " bottom of gold," may be 
 meant his Deity ; and so denotes, that the sub- 
 sistence of the human nature is in the Divine Per- 
 son ; the human nature never did, nor never will 
 subsist without it ; as soon as ever it was conceived 
 ia the virgiu's womb, it was united to the divine 
 person of Christ, and has ever been since supported 
 by it, both ia its state of humiliation and exalta- 
 tion ; it is this which lies at the bottom of, and 
 puts an efficacy into all Christ's mediatorial ac- 
 tions, and makes them powerful to answer the 
 ends for which they are performed ; the effusion 
 of his blood, the oblation of his sacrifice, and the 
 bringing in of a righteousness, would not have 
 been sufficient to have expiated siu, satisfied jus- 
 tice, answered the demands of a righteous law, and 
 discharged the sinner, had they not been the blood, 
 sacrifice, and righteousness of God ; it is the impress 
 ofDeity upon them, which makes them etficacious to 
 answer all the purposes. Now this being called 
 a bottom, is no way a lessening or a diminution 
 of the glory of Christ's Deity, any more than his 
 being called 3^ fouyidation is; but rather serves 
 to set forth the glory and greatness of it, as its 
 being said to be of gold manifestly shows. And 
 then also, 
 
 Srdly. By the purple covering of the chariot, 
 which seems to be an allusion to the curtains of 
 the tabernacle, Exod. xsvi. 1, may be meant, 
 either the passion and sufi'erings of Christ in the 
 human nature, by which his garments were as though 
 they had been dyed ; and he appeared red in his 
 apparel ; nay clothed with a vesture dipped in 
 blood ; so that the covering of the human nature 
 of Christ may well be said to be of purple ; or 
 else, it means his royal dignity, and his exaltation 
 after sufferings; this being a colour used by kings 
 and great persons ; he was clothed with a purple 
 robe before his sufferings, by way of derision ; but 
 now he is really made Lord and Christ ; he was 
 then, in a way of mockery, crowned with thorns -. 
 but now, in the same nature, is crowned with 
 glory and honour. And then, 
 
 4thly. By the midst of it, which is paved with 
 love for the daughters of Jerusalem, may be meant 
 the heart of Christ, which is filled with, and as it 
 were, paved with love for poor sinners ; or as the 
 
 wordy may be rendered, inflamed, or set on fire 
 with love. It was this that moved him to espouse 
 their cause, take upon him the care and charge 
 of their persons, assume their nature, and die in 
 their room and stead ; which love of his, as to its 
 quality, is the best ; as to its degree, the greatest ; 
 as to its duration, for ever ; from whence there is 
 no separation, to which there is no parallel ; and 
 at present, to us finite creatures, incomprehensible ; 
 and all this is for the daughters of Jerusalem, the 
 elect of God, or young converts ; that is, it is all 
 for their sakcs, and out of love to them he made 
 this chariot, or assumed human nature, according to 
 what is said, Heb. ii. 14, " forasmuch then as the 
 children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also 
 himself likewise took part of the same :" or else 
 the meaning is, that such is the love of Christ to- 
 wards these daughters, that if any one could but 
 look into his heart, they would find the very ima- 
 ges and pictures of them drawn there ; who are 
 not only engraven upon the palms of his hands, 
 but are also set as a seal upon his heart ; which 
 was prefigured by the high-priest's bearing the 
 names of t?ie children of Israel in the breast-plate 
 of judgment upon his heart, before the Lord con- 
 tinually ; all which is expressive of that strong 
 affection which he has unto them. But then, 
 
 II. If by the chariot we understand the church 
 of Christ, then, 
 
 1st. By the pillars thereof are meant the minis- 
 ters of the gospel ; so of James, Cephas, and John, 
 the apostle Paul says, that they seemed to be pillars, 
 and such as these are intended by the seven pillars, 
 which wisdom had hewn out, aud built her house 
 upon, in Prov. ix. 1 ; who, for their strength, sta- 
 bility, and support to the churcli of Christ, may 
 be compared to those two pillars in the porch of 
 the temple, which are called, the one Jachin, aud 
 the other Boa~ : for these are of great strength 
 to the building ; there is a very great weight rests 
 upon them ; these are the legs in Christ's body, 
 which, like pillars of marble, stand firm and im- 
 moveable, notwithstanding the several pressures 
 of reproaches, afflictions, persecutions, &c., which 
 fall very hard and heavy upon them ; for none of 
 these things move them ; but with an unshaken 
 courage and magnanimity of mind they stand up 
 under them ; and in so doing, are very great sup- 
 ports to the cause, interest, and church of Christ ; 
 for though Christ is the Foundatiou and the chief 
 Corner-stone, yet these are pillars, and have their 
 usefulness. Now these are said to be of silver, 
 because of their valnableness, both in the esteem 
 of Christ, who has placed them in his church, and 
 from whom they have all their strength and use- 
 fulness ; and likewise in the esteem of saints, to 
 whom they are made useful ; for the tongue of 
 the just, and especially of a gospel-minister, is 
 as choice silver : these are the silver trumpets. 
 
 y flllil succensum, Montanus, Marckius ; accensum, sive exustum, some in Vatablus, so Aben Ezra. 
 nn»}-i is used to signify a live coal, in Isa. vi. fi. vid. Mercer, in loc, so iuflammatus amore conjugis, is used 
 by Virfe'il, ..Encid. 1. 3. v. 330. 
 
VER. 10.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 129 
 
 which sound forth and proclaim peace and par- 
 don, life and salvation to poor, lost, and rebellious 
 sinners ; their words, when fitly spoken, and 
 adapted to the cases of souls, either of afiQicted 
 saints, or distressed sinners, are like apples of gold 
 in pictures of silver. Moreover, this may be ex- 
 pressive of their shine and lustre, both in doc- 
 trine and life ; who preach the gospel in its 
 power ?nd purity, hold the mystery of the faith 
 in a pure conscience ; and who, the more they 
 are vilified, reproached, afflicted, and persecuted 
 for the sake of the gospel, the brighter they are, 
 like silver purified seven times. And then, 
 
 2ndly. By the " golden bottom," maybe meant 
 Christ ; who is the foundation of his church and 
 people, on which they are laid and firmly built ; 
 and is the only foundation of their everlasting sal- 
 vation, of all their faith, hope, joy, and comfort 
 here, and of their eternal happiness hereafter : and 
 a good bottom this is ; happy is every one that 
 is upon it ; it may well be said to be " of jiold," 
 because of the glory and splendour of it ; it is the 
 " foundation of the apostles and prophets," which 
 they ministerially laid, and on which their persons 
 are secured equally with others ; hence the 
 foundations of the new Jerusalem ai'e said to be 
 twelve, and each of them compared to a precious 
 stone, to set forth the excellency thereof: nay, this 
 foundfiion is a super-excellent one ; " for other 
 foundation can no man lay," which is in any re- 
 spect valuable, or upon any account to be com- 
 pared to this " which is laid, which is Christ 
 Jesus." Moreover, for the durableness of it, it 
 may be said to be of gold ; for " the righteous 
 is an everlasting foundation ;" that is, the rigliteous 
 man's foundation is such an one ; or be is built 
 upon one that will last forever ; and such an one 
 is Christ ; a foundation that will never decay ; but 
 will always abide firm and strong ; and is sufHcient 
 to bear the whole weight of the building to 
 all eternity. And then, 
 
 Srdly. The " purple covering" may intend either, 
 1. The snS'ering state of the church ; being 
 attended with a varietur of afflictions, tribulations, 
 and persecutions, and sometimes as it were covered 
 with blood, as the histories of several ages testify. 
 Or else, 2. Her regal dignity, to which she 
 and all believers are advanced by Christ, who 
 has made them " kings and priests to God and 
 his Father :" purple being a colour in use 
 among great persons, may very well represent 
 this. Or, 3. Her being clothed with the robe of 
 Christ's righteousness ; which may be said to be 
 of a purple colour, because it is the produce and 
 efl'ect of Christ's blood, and is as it were dip- 
 ped into it ; hence believers are said to be " jus- 
 tified by his blood," in Rom. v. 9. Or, 4. It 
 may signify her being washed in Christ's blood, 
 together with the outward garments of her con- 
 versation, and so appear to be of this dye. 
 And then. 
 
 4lhly. By the midst thereof, which is " paved 
 with love," may be meant, either the hearts 
 of believers, or of the church, filled with a 
 sense of Christ's love shed abroad in them, or in- 
 flamed with love to Christ,^ which, though it is 
 sometimes in a decaying and declining condition, 
 yet is never entirely moved ; for who " can 
 separate from the love of Christ ?" that is, either 
 from Christ's love to his people, or from their love 
 to him : or else, by this pavement of love in the 
 midst of the church, may be meant the ordinances 
 of Christ ; which he has institnted for the sake 
 of the daughters of Jerusalem, or young converts ; 
 through which he discovers his love unto them, 
 and by an attendance on which they discover their 
 love, both to Christ and to his church ; and the 
 church again discovers her love to them, by a 
 cheerful admission of them to these ordinances. 
 But then, 
 
 III. If by the chariot we understand the gos- 
 pel and the preaching of it, then, 
 
 1st. By the " silver pillars thereof," are 
 meant the truths and doctrines of it; which, 
 like pillars, are solid and substantial, and con- 
 tinue firm and immoveable, and not like chaff, 
 which is driven away with every wind ; nor like 
 such combustible and perishing things, as wood, 
 hay, and stubble; but like gold, silver, and pre- 
 cious stones ; and are of very great use to sup- 
 port God's children under the several trials and 
 exercises which they are attended with, and that 
 either in adversity or prosperity, life, or in death : 
 and therefore for their value, utility, and duration, 
 may be compared to pillars of silver : and ought 
 to be as diligently and carefully sought for and 
 into as silver is, and to be received and preferred 
 before it : for to get wisdom in Gospel truths, " is 
 better than gold;" and to get understanding in 
 Gospel-doctrines, "is rather to be chosen than 
 silver," Prov. xvi. 16. And then, 
 
 2ndly. By the " golden bottom," may be meant 
 Christ himself, who is the sum and substance 
 of the Gospel : to preach Christ, and him ouly, ' 
 as God's way of salvation to sinners, was the 
 old, primitive, and apostolical way of preaching : 
 and which God blessed and owned, and con- 
 tinues so to do, for the conversion of sinners, 
 and the comfort of saints . that gospel, of wliich 
 Christ is not the sum and substance, is like 
 a chariot without a bottom ; and such an one 
 is good for nothing; for who would venture 
 to ride in it ? but where Christ is the main 
 and principal subject insisted on, there is a good 
 bottom , nay , a golden one : or a good scat, avanKirov, 
 " a reclining place," as the Septuagint render 
 it, to sit and rest in, or lean upon. And also, 
 Srdly. By the " purple covering," may be 
 meant ' particularly those doctrines of the Gos- 
 pel, which concern our redemptiou from the law, 
 and the curses of it ; the pardon of our sins, and 
 our justification t hrough Christ's precious blood ; 
 amore flliarum, Vata- 
 
 ^ Ctijus media pars strata fuit amore foeminarum Jerusalem, Tigurine version 
 blus, Mercerus. 
 
130 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap, m. 
 
 for which reason they may be said to be of this 
 colour. And 
 
 4thly. This pavement of love may signify that 
 the whole Gospel is full of love ; wherein, in 
 a very lively manner, is set forth the love of 
 God the Father, iu contriving and drawing the 
 scheme and the model of our salvation before 
 all time ; and in sending his Son in the fulness of 
 time, to accomplish what was agreed on before, that 
 he should do ; as also the love of Christ in becom- 
 ing man, sustaining all the sorrows of life ; and 
 sufferings of death ; and all for the sake, and in the 
 room and stead of vile, sinful, and rebellious sinners; 
 it gives us such instances of love as never were 
 heard of before, which never were, nor never 
 will be paralleled ; its whole language is love ; 
 it is nothing else but a free promise and de- 
 claration of God's love and grace to sinful man ; 
 80 that it may well be said to be paved with 
 it ; and how delightful must such a pavement 
 be to the daughters of Jerusalem, to all young 
 converts, either to behold or sit upon, where 
 nothing but the love that is between Christ 
 and his church is beautifully described? But 
 then, 
 
 IV. If by the chariot we understand the covenant 
 of grace, then, 
 
 1st. By the silver pillars, may be meant the pro- 
 mises thereof ; which, lilce pillars, are firm and 
 immoveable, solid and substantial ; they are all 
 yea and amen in Christ ; not one of them shall 
 ever fail, being free, absolute, and unconditional ; 
 and therefore are called better promises, as being 
 preferable to those io the covenant of works, which 
 required conditions to be fulfilled before the enjoy- 
 ment of the things promised. These, like pillarS, 
 are the support of God's children, under the variety 
 of troubles they are exercised with ; these yield 
 them relief, are reviving cordials, and fill them 
 with joy and comfort when nothing else can. O 1 
 of what profit and advantage has a promise been 
 to a sinking believer, when it has been seasonably 
 brought, and suitably applied by the Spirit ! there 
 are some promises which the saints would not have 
 out of their Bibles for millions of worlds : and these 
 may be said to be of silver, because of their pre- 
 ciousness, richness, and durableness; they are " ex- 
 ceeding great aud precious," are of more worth 
 than " thousands of gold and silver;''' and will 
 last for ever, being the sure " mercies of David ;" 
 nay, the more they are tried, used, and handled 
 by faith, the brighter and more glorious will they 
 look. And then, 
 
 2ndly. By the golden bottom of this covenant, 
 must be meant Christ ; who is the covenant itself, 
 not only materially, but fundamentally ; he is not 
 only the matter and substance of it, all the bles- 
 sings and promises of it being comprised in him, 
 but also the Foundation of it ; he bears the whole 
 weight of the covenant, and is, as has been obser- 
 
 ved, the Surety, Mediator, and Messenger of it. 
 Now this bottom, for its richness, firmness, and 
 duration, may be said to be of gold ; souls who 
 are in this chariot, the covenant of grace, need 
 never fear falling through ; it can never be unbot- 
 totned ; once in covenant, and always so ; and 
 therefore it is said to be " ordered iu all things, 
 and sure ;" because it has such a bottom, it can 
 never be broken, nor will it ever be removed. And 
 then. 
 
 3rdly. Its purple covering may intend the blood 
 of Christ, which is called " the blood of the ever- 
 lasting covenant ;" by which, not only the co- 
 venant is ratified and confirmed ; but all that are 
 in it aud are under this cover," have their sins 
 blotted out, hidden and covered ; so that when they 
 are sought for, and the most diligent scrutiny made 
 for them by justice, they shall not be found. More- 
 over, their persons are hereby eternally screened 
 from the wrath of God; so that though showers 
 of wrath shall fall upon the heads of Christless 
 sinners, yet all under this purple covering shall 
 be safe, aud not have the least drop fall upon them ■, 
 but shall, in this chariot of rich and glorious grace, 
 be safely preserved, protected, aud conveyed to 
 eternal glory. 
 
 4thly. The midst of it being paved with love 
 shows that this covenant is full of love. It was 
 love that set Christ on work to make it, and en- 
 gaged him to be the Surety, Mediator, and 
 Messenger of it ; it is made up of nothing but 
 love ; love has filled it with precious promises 
 and spiritual blessings ; and all for the daughters 
 of Jerusalem, to whom love in time communicates 
 them. O ! what a delightful and easy chariot 
 must this be to ride in, which is lined with love ! 
 love is the hangings of it all around, and the 
 velvet cushions and pillows on which faith leans ; 
 with what splendour, stateliness, and majesty, as 
 well as ease and pleasure then, does the believer 
 go to glory ? 
 
 Tlie Jewish writers, as I have already observed, 
 by the chariot, understand the tabernacle or tem- 
 ple ; and by its pillars, bottom, covering, and 
 middle, the ark of the testimony, with the two 
 tables of stone, which are more precious than 
 gold and silver; the golden mercy-scat, the vail 
 of blue and purple, and the seat of the shechinah 
 between the two cherubims, which are upon the 
 mercy-seat. To this purpose are the Targum, 
 and the gloss of R. Solomon Jarchi upon the 
 place. 
 
 Moreover, besides the several senses which have 
 been already given of these words, it may not be 
 amiss to observe, that by this bride-chamber, as 
 some render the word in ver. 9, may be meant 
 the royal palace : and how well the description 
 of it in this verse agrees with what is given of 
 the new Jerusalem, in Rev. xxi., will best appear 
 by comparing both together : which bridal palace 
 
 ' Purpura, sanguis Ckristi, ut autum operimentum, sive coelum lecti tegit eos qui in lecto sunt, ita and 
 sanguis Christi nos tegit, Not. Tig in loo. 
 
VER. 11.] 
 
 SONG OF SOXGS. 
 
 131 
 
 Christ is now preparing for his spouse, and when 
 that is ready for her, and she for that, being 
 " perfumed with myrrh and frankinceusf," she 
 shall be kindly welcomed and cheerfully received ; 
 where the nuptial feast will be kept, and Christ 
 shall be seen by all the daughters of Zion in all 
 liis glory, and with his royal diadem upon his 
 head, as he is described in the following verse. 
 
 Verse 11. Go forth, ye daughters of Zion, 
 and beholding Solomon with the crown 
 wherewith his mother crowned him, in the 
 day of his espousals, and in the day of the 
 gladness of his heart. 
 
 These are not the words of Christ, for he is the 
 person spoken of and represented in this glorious 
 manner ; nor are they the speech of the daugh- 
 ters of Jerusalem, young converts, for they are 
 the persons spoken to, who are here called the 
 daughters of Zion ; nor are they to be considered 
 as the angels' exhortation to all the elect to forsake 
 the world, and contemplate Christ by faith in 
 the glory of his kingdom after his resurrection, 
 as some think : but they are the words of the 
 church, who, observing that the daughters of 
 Jerusalem were first struck with admiration at 
 the sight of her, as comiiig up out of the wilder- 
 ness, in ver. 6, and that their eyes were now in- 
 tently fixed upon the bed and chariot she had 
 been describing iu the former verses, calls them 
 otf from these things, and proposes a far more 
 glorious object to them, to whom her own glory 
 was not to be compared ; nay, king Solomon, in 
 all his glory, either on his coronation or marriage- 
 day, to which the allusion seems to be, cannot 
 equal him; and if his bed and chariot were so 
 acceptable to them, and gave them so much plea- 
 sure to behold, she might well conclude that a 
 sight of his person, especially in all his regal 
 glory, could not but be grateful to them ; and 
 therefore bids them go forth and behold him, 
 to which no doubt they would be forward enough ; 
 for the sight of a crowned king, as he passes along 
 the streets, especially on his coronation day, is 
 very desirable to people, who come forth out of 
 their houses, or look out of their windows to be- 
 hold the sight. 
 
 There is a very great variety in the opinion of 
 interpreters about the time to which these words 
 should be referred. The ancient Jewish writers'^ 
 refer them to the time of Solomon's finishing the 
 temple, and his dedication of it, and to the joy 
 and gladness which appeared on that solemn oc- 
 casion ; but that was neither his coronation nor 
 
 « T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 26. 2. Targum in loc. Zohar 
 Gen. fol. 15. 3. and in Exod. fol. 24. 3. '' So Lyra, 
 who frequently follows Jarchi. • Dicitur vero a 
 
 matre coronatus, quia ipsa precibus obtinuit, ut filius 
 regnaret, quod moraliter coronare est, Sanct. in loc. 
 
 f Vid. Sanct. and Bishop Patrick in loc. 
 
 « Vid. Paschal, de Coronis, 1. 2. c. 16, 17. p. 126. 
 Barthii and Animadv. ad Claudian.de Rapt. Proserp. 
 1. 2. V. 140. Magnisque coronis conjugium sit. Clau- 
 
 his raarriage-day. R. Solomon Jarchi'^ applies 
 them to the time of the giving of the law, when 
 the Israelites acknowledged God as their king, by 
 subjecting themselves to it; for though Moses 
 was legislator, yet God was king in Jeshurua ; 
 as also to the erection and dedication of the tem- 
 ple in the wilderness. Others refer them to the 
 time of Solomon's being crowned king of Israel, 
 which may be ascribed to his mother Bathsheba, 
 as the moral cause of it f who, by her entreaties 
 and supplications, procured it for him ; and 
 which was " the day of his espousals" to the peo- 
 ple of Israel, and no doubt " the day of the glad- 
 ness of his heart." Others' refer to the time of his 
 marriage to Pharaoh's daughter ; at which time it 
 was the custom, not only of other nations.^ but of 
 the Jews, to crown married persons, to which per- 
 haps the allusion is made in Ezek. xvi. 12, and of 
 those nuptial crowns meution is made in the Mis- 
 nah :'' others refer them to the incarnation of 
 Christ ;' and think that by the crown, is meant his 
 humanity, which he received from his mother, 
 the virgin Mary ; at which time he espoused 
 our nature, and was no less a day of gladness to 
 him than to us ; it being what he gladly per- 
 formed, and had been long desirous of, as is mani- 
 fest from the several preludiums of it in the Old 
 Testament : thongh others'' have been of opinion, 
 that the words regard the passion and sufferings 
 of Christ ; at which time he was crowned with 
 a crown of thorns, and by his blood purchased 
 and espoused the church to himself ; which bloody 
 baptism of his was so desirable to him, that he 
 was even straitened until it was accomplished : 
 but though the allusion, as I have already hinted, 
 is to the coronation and marriage-day of king 
 Solomon ; yet I should rather think that the 
 words have reference to Christ, as the glorious 
 Mediator, when first discovered to a poor sinner 
 in all the fulness of his grace, as sitting and riding 
 in the chariot of the everlasting gospel ; con- 
 cerning which we may observe. 
 
 First. The persons who are spoken to and 
 exhorted to go forth and behold Christ, and they 
 are the daughters of Zion : Zion was a mount, 
 situate on the north side of Jerusalem, and is 
 sometimes used for the city itself; and was a 
 figure of the church of Christ, which sometimes 
 bears this name in scripture : by the daughters of 
 it, we are to understand the same who are in this 
 song often called the daughters of Jerusalem, 
 by which we have all along understood young 
 converts ; who may be called the daughters of 
 Zion, because Christ, who is here thus gloriously 
 
 dian, laus Serenae, v. 189. 190. such a crown is called 
 rre^or yomiXioi'. Bion. Idyll, prope finera. Vid. 
 Plauti Casin. act. 4, 2. sc. 2. v. 17. Coronant and 
 nuptiae sponsos, ideo non nubimus Ethenicis, kc. 
 Tertull. de Corona Militis, c. 13. t Misnah 
 
 sotah.c. 9. s. 14. and Wagenseil. in ibid. ' Isidore 
 iu loc. Beda, S. Thorn, and Bernard in Sanct. in loc, 
 and not. Tigur. in loc. ■" Theodoret and Tres 
 
 Patres apud Ibid. 
 
 K 2 
 
132 
 
 AN EXPOSITJON OF THE 
 
 [chap. hi. 
 
 described, is king thereof; sec Psalm cxlix. 2, 
 Zcch. ix. 9. 
 
 Secondly. The object which is proposed to them 
 to behold, is king Solomon, or the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, who is greater than Soloaion, and was 
 typified by him, and in what respects has been 
 sliown on ver. 7. And it may not be amiss to 
 remark, what one' well observes, that there is a 
 manifest gradation in these verses : in ver. 7 he 
 is only called Solomon ; in ver. 9- king Solomon ; 
 and here in this verse, " king Solomon with a 
 crown ;" for, as the same author observes, " the 
 longer she speaks of Christ, and insists in 
 mentioning his excellency, her thoughts draw the 
 deeper, she sets him up the higher, and becomes 
 ■Warmer in her apprehensions, affections, and 
 expressions concerning him." And therefore I 
 shall DOW, 
 
 Thirdly. Consider this circumstance of Christ's 
 glory, he being represented with a " crown, 
 wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of 
 his espousals," &c., and here it will be proper to 
 inquire, 1st. Who we are to understand by his 
 mother. 2ndly. Who by the crown wherewith she 
 crowned him. 3rdly. The time of his coronation, 
 which is here expressed, " in the day of his 
 espousals," &c. 
 
 1st. By his mother, we are not to understand 
 Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon; nor the 
 "Virgin Mary, the natural mother of Christ : but 
 either, the church of Christ, the Jerusalem above, 
 which is the mother of us all, who being the 
 mother of Christ mystical, may be said to be the 
 mother of Christ also ; or else, every particular 
 believer may he intended, who stands related to 
 Chi-ist as his brother, and as one who has sucked 
 the breasts of one and the same mother ; see chap, 
 viii. 1 ; who not only is called Christ's brother 
 and sister, but also his mother. Matt. xii. 50 ; in 
 whose heart Christ is formed, by whom he is 
 affectionately loved, even as an only child is by a 
 tender mother; and for whose honour, glory, and 
 interest there is a very great concern. But, 
 
 2ndly. "What is meant by tliis croion, where- 
 with he is crowned hy his mother. Christ has a 
 crown and kingdom, as he is God, equal with the 
 Father, but this is not put upon him, nor given 
 to him by any; he has a natural right unto it 
 which none can give nor take away from him ; he 
 being " in the form of God," and in all respects 
 equal to him, " thought it no robbery" to as^ime 
 this crown and kingdom to himself: he has also 
 one as he is IMediator ; and this is put upon him, 
 not by his mother, but by his Father; who has 
 " anointed him with the oil of gladness above his 
 fellows," and placed him as " king over his holy 
 hill of Zion," and set " a crown of pure gold upon 
 his head." And thus now, by faith, believers see 
 him, " crowned with glory and honour;" all 
 which will more manifestly appear at the last day, 
 when there will be a more ojjen and visible 
 coronation of Christ than has hitherto been ; though 
 
 he has very often now a " crown given to him," 
 as the triumphant conqueror over the hearts of 
 men ; by the mighty power of his grace displayed 
 in the everlasting gospel, in which he goes forth 
 " conquering and to conquer." But it seems to 
 me that the crown which is here meant, is that 
 which every true believer puts on Christ, when 
 their soub are brought to venture on him, and 
 believe in him : every art of faith is a putting the 
 crown on Christ's head ; and every submission to 
 his commands and ordinances, is an acknowledging 
 of him as King of saints ; and the giving up of 
 their souls unto him, and owning him as their 
 Head and Husband, is " a crown of glory, and a 
 royal diadem" in his hand ; even as converts ai'c 
 a '■' crown of rejoicing" to ministers, and " a 
 virtuous woman is a crown to her husband ;" and 
 in nothing more do believers do this, than when 
 they ascribe all they have and are, to his graee, 
 and say, with the apostle, It i» " by the grace of 
 Christ I am what I am ;" for by so doing, they 
 not only cast their crowns at Christ's feet, but set 
 another upon his head ; whereas, on the contrary, 
 they take the crown from off Christ's head, who 
 do not believe on him, despise his commands, 
 neglect his ordinances, and ascribe their salvation, 
 either in whole or in part, unto themselves, their 
 own works and duties. Moreover, this honour 
 Christ justly deserves from us; and it is an in- 
 cumbent duty to give it to him ; for he, in crea- 
 tion, crowned man, and set him over all the works 
 of his hands, and made him but little inferior to 
 the angels themselves ; and by his incarnation, 
 has crowned the human nature with such glory 
 and honour, as it never had in a state of innocence 
 itself; it being united to a divine person, and is 
 now exalted at the Father's right hand, which is 
 an honour none ot the angelic race ever enjoyed ; 
 for, " to which of the angels said he at any time. 
 Sit at my right-hand ?" who also, in the redemp- 
 tion of us from the curse of the law, the slavery 
 and servitude of sin, Satan, and the world, in the 
 remission of our sins by his blood, the justification 
 of our persons by his righteousness, aud sanctifi- 
 cation of our hearts and natures by his grace and 
 Spirit, has " crowned us with loving-kinduess and 
 tender mercies." In short, he has laid up for us 
 a " crown of righteousness, life, and glory," which 
 he, the righteous judge, will give unto and put 
 upon the heads of all his people; so that there is 
 a great deal of reason to crown Christ, and 
 acknowledge him alone as our Lord and King, 
 our Head aud Husband, our Saviour and Redeemer, 
 who wascrowned with thorns for us,aud has crown- 
 ed us with his grace new, aud will ere long crown 
 us with glory. But, 
 
 3rdly. The time of his ccronation is next to be 
 enquired into ; and that is said to be " in the day 
 of his espousals," that is, on his marriage-day ; 
 for Christ's coronation and marriage-day are one 
 and the same day. Now, by this " day 
 of his espousals," we are to understand the time 
 
 ' Durham on ver. 9. 
 
VER. 1.] 
 
 SOXG OF SONGS. 
 
 133 
 
 of a poor siDner's being enabled, by miglity grace, 
 to give up itself to the Lord, when it consents to 
 be his for ever : this marriage was made and agreed 
 upon in the everlasting council and covenant of 
 grace and peace; Christ made it his request to his 
 Father, and he granted him it ; he gave his 
 full consent unto it, so that there remained 
 only the actual consent of the persons them- 
 selves, for whom Christ had such a strong 
 love and affection ; which is obtained by the 
 powerful workings of his grace and Spirit in time 
 upon their hearts ; and tliat often under the mi- 
 nistry of the word, where they arc " espoused as a 
 chaste virgin to Christ ," at which time there is 
 a large breaking forth, not only of Christ's love 
 to and upon their hearts, but also of tlieirs to 
 Christ; which is called the love of their espou- 
 sals, and which Christ afterwards remembers, 
 v\:hen it has grown cold and chill towards him : 
 thus every time that a particular soul is brought 
 to Clirist, it is both a coronation, and an espousal- 
 day ; but the great coronation aud espousal-day is 
 yet to come, when all the elect shall be brought 
 in, and it shall be said, " The marriage of the 
 lamb is come, and the bride is ready ;" then shall 
 the king, with her, enter into the marriage-cliam- 
 ber, where the nuptials will be solemnized, and 
 he openly and publicly crowned king of saints, 
 where he will reign with them in all his glory. 
 Some of the Jewish writers interpret this " day 
 of espousals," of the days of the Messiah.™ 
 
 Now this " day of his espousals," with parti- 
 cular believers, as well as the more glorious one 
 that is to come, is called " the day of the gladue.-^s 
 of his heart :" which shows how welcome poor 
 sinners are to Christ, and how gladly aad cheer- 
 fully he receives them ; it is not only the joy of 
 angels, but the joy aud gladness of his heart, 
 when sinners are converted to him, and believe on 
 liim ; the bridegroom cannot more rejoice over- 
 his bride on his marriage -day, than Christ does 
 over poor comiu^ siuners ; and when all his saints 
 are together with him in heaven to behold his 
 glory, what joy and gladness will thou fill his 
 heart? But, 
 
 Fourthly. We may observe the duty wliich is 
 enjoined those daughters of Zion ; and that is, 
 1. To go forth, i.e. out of themselves; for a 
 man can never see any glory and excellency in 
 Christ, until he looks out of himself alone to him, 
 the church would have these daughters turn away 
 their eyes from every thing else, and view this 
 glorious object ouly for every thing else though 
 never so valuable,istobe forsakenandleftforthesake 
 him, who is preferable to all enjoyments what- 
 ever. 2. To behold him : the former is in 
 order to this ; for as persons siting withiu doors, 
 cannot behold an object that is passing by, unless 
 they arise, get up, aud go forlh or look out ; so 
 neither can believers discern this glorious object 
 
 without going forth. Tlie church would have 
 these daughters behold Christ with attention, 
 affection, faith, and admiration ; she would have 
 them fix their eyes upon him, look upon him, and 
 love him ; look upon him, and believe in him ; look 
 upon him, and wonderathim; for there are astonish- 
 ing beauties, incomparable excellcucies, transcen- 
 dent glories in him, which deserve such looks as 
 these. 
 
 CHAP T E 11 I V. 
 
 In this chapter is contained a large commenrlatioB. 
 of the churcli's beauty by Christ: first more par- 
 ticularly, by an enumeration of several parts, as 
 her eyes, hair, teeth, lips, temples, neck, and 
 breasts, verse 1 — 5, and more generally, ver. 7, and 
 having observed where he himself was detormin- 
 ed to go, be invites her to 'go with him ; wliich he 
 enforces, partly from the danger she was expos- 
 ed unto where she was, verse G, 8, and partly from 
 the comeliness of her person and graces iu his es- 
 teem ; with wliich he was ravished, and therefore 
 was extremely desirous of her company, ver. 
 9 — 11 ; and then enters info Pome new description 
 of her, as a garden and an orchard, as a spring 
 and fountain, verse 12 — 14. All which slie makes 
 to be owing to him, verse 15. And the chapter is 
 closed with an order from Christ to the winds, to 
 blow on bis gai'den, and cause the spices of it 
 to flow out ; and with an invitation of the church 
 to Christ, to come into his garden, and recreate 
 himself there, verse IG. 
 
 V^erse. 1. Behold thou art fair, my love, behold 
 thou art fair; thou hast dovti's eyes within thy 
 lodes; thy hair is as a fork ofyoats, that appear 
 from mount Gilead. 
 
 In these words Christ reassumes his part in tiiis 
 Song, and eaters upon a commendation of his 
 church's beauty : which he does. 
 
 First. jMore generally by asserting it, wlieu he 
 says, " Behold thou art fair," &c., in which geuerai 
 commeudatioii ol her beauty, we have, 1st. An 
 affectionate character given to her, " my love." 
 
 2ndly. Something asserted of her, that she was 
 fair. 3rdly. This assertion repealed. 4tiily. To 
 this assertion the world behold prefixed. This 
 coinmendaliou we have already met with, expressed 
 in the same words, ia chap. i. 15, where this kind 
 aud loving character has been opened : iu wiiat 
 sense the church may be said to be fair, shown ; 
 as also the reasons of Chi'ist's repeating this asser- 
 tion, and prefixing to it the word bcliold, are given. 
 The reasons why these words are again mentioned 
 by him, perhaps may be to show how mucli his 
 heart was taken with her beauty ; that his love to 
 her was the same as ever it was, notvvithstaudirig 
 her sleepy frames and^uubccGming carriage to him ; 
 as also, because she miglit stand in need of the 
 fresh discoveries of his love. 
 
 Secondly. He gives some particular instances 
 of her beauty in this and the four following 
 verses. 
 
 Vid Yalcut iii loc. 
 
134 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF TllE 
 
 [chat, IV, 
 
 1st. He describes the beauty of her eyes, and 
 asserts, that she has dove's eyes within her locks ; 
 in which words we are to consider. 1. W hat we are 
 to understand by her eyes. 2. Why they are called 
 dove's eyes. 8. Why they are said to be within 
 her locks. 
 
 1. By the church's eyes we may understand, 
 either the ministers of the Gospel, who are to the 
 church what eyes are to a human body ; they 
 are placed in the more eminent part of C/hrist's 
 body, the chnrch, to watch, overlook, guide, and 
 direct the other members of the body : or else, 
 by them may be intended] the eyes of the under- 
 standing, being illuminated by'the divine Spirit ; 
 and more especially the eye of faith, by which a 
 soul.enliglitened by divine grace, beholds the glory, 
 fulness, and suitableness of Christ, and looks to 
 him alone for life and salvation. 
 
 2. These eyes are called doves. Why minis- 
 ters of the Gospel are cowpared to doves, and the 
 eye of faith said to be a dove's eye, have been 
 already shown on chap. i. 15. 
 
 3. These eyes are said to be vvithin her locks ; 
 which, if applied to the ministers of the Gospel, 
 may denote, 1. The imperfection of their light 
 and knowledge, and that a great deal of darkness 
 and obscurity attends them : they know but in 
 part, and prophecy but in part ; as eyes under 
 the locks, being covered with them, cannot see so 
 clearly, as when they are removed from them ; so 
 the ministers of the Gospel cannot see so clearly 
 into Gospel-truths in this state of imperfection, as 
 they shall, when these locks of darkness are re- 
 moved ; for then they shall see eye to eye ; their 
 knowledge of Christ is imperfect now ; their light 
 into Gospel-truths is weak and dim ; and pro- 
 portionate to their light and knowledge do they 
 preach ; the apostle Paul, who had the greatest 
 light into the Gospel, and the largest share of the 
 knowledge of Christ Jesus, that perhaps, ever any 
 man had, yet desired to know more of Christ, and 
 the power of his resurrection, Phil. iii. 10. 2. It 
 may be expressive of their modesty and humility ; 
 locks being decently tied up, as this word signifies," 
 is an evidence of modesty, as the contrary is of 
 wantonness ; the ministers of the Gospel, though 
 they have the greatest gifts bestowed upon them ; 
 yet reckon themselves less than the least of all 
 saints ; for notwithstanding all their parts, gifts, and 
 graces, they do not think themselves sufficient, 
 either to think or speak anything as of themselves ; 
 but acknowledge that their sufficiency is of God, 
 who only hath made them able L.inisters of the 
 New Testament ; and whenever their labours are 
 blest and owned, either for the comfort and edifi- 
 cation of God's people, or for the conversion of 
 sinners, they ascribe it not to themselves, but to 
 the grace of God that is withjthem. 3. This phrase 
 may be added, to set forth their beauty; eyes, 
 
 from under or within the locks decently and mo- 
 destly bound up, look very beautiful ; or under locks 
 of hair, plaited and curled about the face, so that 
 the eyes are but just seen, which add to the beauty 
 of them : the ministers of the Gospel appear beauti- 
 ful, not only to Christ, who has counted them 
 faithful, and put them into the ministry ; but also 
 to those to whom they are made useful, either for 
 comfort and establishment, or for conviction and 
 conversion ; to these, even the very " feet of him 
 that briugeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, 
 that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth 
 salvation, are beautiful," Isa. Iii. 7. 
 
 But if by these dove's eyes we understand the 
 enlightened eyes of the understanding, and parti- 
 cularly the eye of faith ; then this phrase per- 
 haps is used to denote, 1. The imperfection of 
 faith : the greatest believer has need to pray, 
 with the apostle, " Lord, increase our faith ;" 
 there are some, to. vaTepriuaTa, somethings lack- 
 ing, some deficiencies in faith which need perfect- 
 ing ; it is true, " faith is the evidence of things 
 not seen," yet oftentimes it is very dark and ob- 
 scure : indeed, when compared with Old Testa- 
 ment saints, believers under the New may be 
 said with open face to behold, as in a glass, the 
 glory of the Lord ; but when compared with 
 saints, possessed of the beatific vision, they see 
 but through a glass darkly ; their eyes are within 
 their locks. 2. To show us what a modest 
 grace faith is : it looks alone on Christ, it lives 
 only on him ; it receives all from him, and gives 
 all the glory to him ; it ascribes nothing in man's 
 salvation to itself, nor to any thing done by the 
 creature, but all to Christ and his grace ; and so 
 excludes boasting, as the apostle says, Rom. iii. 
 27, " Where is boasting then? it is excluded. 
 By what law ? of works ? nay ; but by the law 
 of faith." Had works any thing to do in man's 
 salvation, boasting would have been encouraged 
 and established ; but God of his infinite wisdom 
 has ordered it, that it should be of and through 
 faith ; that it might appear to be of grace, and 
 not of works, lest any man should boast. 3. To 
 set forth how beautiful faith is in Christ's eye, 
 and how much his heart is taken with it ; as ap- 
 pears from the ninth verse of this chapter, where 
 he says, " Thon hast ravished my heart, my sister, 
 my spouse ; thou bast ravished my heart with one 
 of thine eyes," that is, with the eye of faith. 
 
 2ndly. He describes her beauty by her hair, 
 which he says, " is as a flock of goats that ap- 
 pear from mount Gilead ;" that is, like the hair 
 of such a flock of goats, so Ben Melech ; which 
 in some couutries, hangs down like the locks of 
 women's hair plaited ; and is thought to be most 
 like human hair, 1 Sam. xix. 13 ; in the hair of 
 women their comeliness greatly lies, and without 
 which they are not pleasing, as Apuleius- ob- 
 
 • irras'? intra ligamina tua, some in Vatablus; 
 vittani tuam, Cocceius ; constrictam comam tuam. 
 Michac'lis, so .Tarehi; vjd. Horat. Carmin. 1. 2. ode II. 
 
 V. 23, 24. Crines connexi. Propert, 1. 2. eleg. .'i. v- 23. 
 ^ yElian. de Animrd. 1. 16. c 30. 
 " Mcfcaraorph. 1. 2. 
 
VER. 
 
 1-] 
 
 SO.VG OF SONGS. 
 
 13.J 
 
 serves : It is comparcil not to such hair for length 
 and sleekness, as for the colour of it, being yellow- 
 ish, which with women formerly was in esteem, 
 and reckoned graceful ; and great care was taken 
 to make it look so, even as yellow as gold j"" nor 
 was it unusual to compare the hair of women, 
 and represent it as superior to a fleece of the 
 choicest flock ;* women in former times had 
 their perukes made of goat's hair/ This may be 
 understood, 1st. Of the outward conversation of 
 the saints ; which may be compared to hair, for 
 the following reasons. 
 
 1. Because as the hair is for covering, 1 Cor. 
 li. 15, so is a well-ordered and gospel-conver- 
 sation a covering to the saints. A believer has 
 many coverings ; he has more garments than one ; 
 he is clothed with " the garments of salvation, 
 and covered with the robe of Christ's righteous- 
 ness ; this is his justification, and what gives him 
 a title to glory : he has also the garment of sanc- 
 tification, which is curiously wrought by the 
 Spirit of God ; and Ibis makes him meet for the 
 King's presence : and he has, besides these, his 
 conversation-garments, which he is to watch and 
 keep from being spotted with the flesh, and to 
 wash them and make them white in the blood of 
 the Lamb ; but these cannot cover sins, nor skreen 
 him from divine justice ; this only the righteous- 
 ness of Christ can do, by which his sins are so 
 covered, that when they are sought for they shall 
 not be found ; but his outward conversation is 
 " a covering narrower than that he can wrap 
 himself in," so as to be hid and secured from 
 divine justice ; if he was only to appear herein 
 before justice, these very clothes would both ab- 
 hor and condemn him : nor can they make him 
 meet for the King's presence ; this only the gar- 
 ment of sauctification can do : but then the out- 
 ward conversation of the saints is a cover and a 
 fence against the reproaches of the world ; for 
 though they have not whereof to glory before 
 God, yet at some times and in some cases they 
 may lawfully do it before men, and say, as Samuel 
 did, " Whose ox have I taken ? whom have I de- 
 frauded ? whom have I oppressed, or of whose 
 hand have 1 received any bribe ?" thus their con- 
 versation is a cover and fence unto them ; and 
 is of service to make those " ashamed who falsely 
 accuse their good conversation in Christ, and 
 to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. 
 2. As hair is very ornamental to the believer : as 
 garments, though they do not make, as yet they 
 adorn the man ; so a good conversation, though 
 it does not make, yet it adorns the Christian. It 
 is decent and becoming the Gospel of Christ 
 Jesus ; it adorns the doctrine of God our Saviour, 
 and recommends religion to others. 3. As hair 
 that is ordered aright, and well taken care of, so 
 }3 a well-ordered conversation ; that is, such an 
 
 * Virgil. iEneid. 4. prope finem, aurea csesaries, 
 ^neid. 8. v. 659. Vid. Barthii Animadv. ad Clau- 
 dian. de rapt Troserp. 1. 3. c. 86. • Qua crinc 
 
 one as is ordered, according to the rule of God's 
 word, and by God himself; for the steps of a 
 good man are ordered by the Lord :" David knew 
 this full v.-ell that God did so, and that he himself 
 was insufficient for it ; and therefore he thus 
 prays, " order my steps in thy word," that is, 
 according to thy word, which is the rule of faith 
 and practice : aud such a conversation as this 
 being like a well-set and ordered head of hair, is 
 very grateful and well-pleasing to Christ ; there- 
 fore he says, " to him that ordereth his conversa- 
 tion aright, will I show the salvation of God," 
 Psalm 1. 23. 4. As the hair upon the head is 
 conspicuous and manifest to all, so is the conver- 
 sation of the saints: that they are justified by 
 Christ's righteousness, and sanctified by his Spirit, 
 are not seen and known of all men ; but their 
 outward conversation is manifest, and so it should 
 be ; " let your light so shine before men, that 
 they may see your good works, and glorify your 
 Father which is in heaven," Matt. v. 16. 5. As 
 hair has its dependence upon, aud influence from 
 the head ; so has the outward conversation of 
 the saints its dependence on, and influence from 
 the grace of the Spirit : a graceless professor, 
 though he may keep up a moral conversation for 
 a time ; yet it will drop off from him like leaves 
 from the trees in autumn, or like hair that is shed 
 from the head after a violent distemper ; the 
 "root of the matter " not being in him : the dif- 
 ference between a man of grace and a graceless 
 professor, is elegantly given by Jeremy, chap, 
 ivii. 5 — 8, the one is like the " heath in the 
 desert," dry aud barren ; the other is like a " tree 
 planted by the waters," moist and flourishing; 
 " his leaf is green," and " he ceaseth not from 
 yielding fruit." Thus the outward conversation 
 of the saints may be compared to hair : and what 
 may farther confirm this sense of the words, is 
 that the apostle Paul, in 1 Tim. ii. 9, 10, in- 
 stead of broidered hair, recommends shamefaced- 
 ness, sobriety, and good works, as more becom- 
 ing godliness ; and the apostle Peter, in 1 Pet. 
 iii. 3, 4, instead of plaiting the hair, exhorts to 
 an adorning with the " ornament of a meek and 
 quiet spirit." 
 
 Now this hair of the church's, or the outward 
 conversation of the saints, may also be compared 
 to a " llock of goats which appear from mount 
 Gilead ;" or, on mount Gilead, as Noldius. Gilead 
 was a very proper place for cattle. Numb, xxxii. 
 1 : and no doubt the goats which were fed there, 
 as were usual on mountains,^ were fat and fruit- 
 ful: and being in large numbers, and kept in 
 good order, might appear from this mount, to 
 distant spectators, beautiful and magnificent ; 
 their hair particularly might be long, smooth, 
 sleek, and glistering, and look very beautiful aud 
 lovely; especially in the morning at sunrising, 
 
 vincit Boetiei gregis vellus, Martial. 1. 5. ep. 38. 
 f Hoediua tibi pelle, Ibid, 1. 12. ep. 38. 
 « Theocrit. Idyll. 3.T. 1,3. 
 
l.'J6 
 
 AN KXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. IV. 
 
 that glancing on tlicm, with its brigbt and glit- 
 tering rays, they were very delightful to behold ; 
 so R. Jouah, from the use of the word in the 
 Arabic language, which signifies the morning, 
 interprets it, " which rise early in the morning :" 
 and which, as Schullens'' observes, some render, 
 " leading to water early in the morning :" the 
 Vulgate Latin version is, " that ascend from 
 mount Gilead;" from a lower to a higher part of 
 it ; which Bochart approves of it.' So saints, 
 being fruitfvd in every good word and work, and 
 orderly in their lives and conversations, appear 
 even to the world amiable and lovely; they are 
 like to the he-goat, " comely in going," Prov. 
 XXX. 29 — 31 ; nay, to a Hock of them on mount 
 Gilead. Or else, 
 
 2ndly. By her hair, we may nnderstand the 
 inward thoughts of her heart.'' For, 1. As hair 
 arises from and has its dependence upon the 
 liead, so do thoughts from the heart ; it is out 
 t)f the heart all evil thoughts proceed ; Matt. xv. 
 19, " out of the heart proceed evil thoughts," 
 &c., and so all good thoughts, which are likewise 
 formed and cherished there by the Spirit of God. 
 2. As the hairs of the head are numerous, so are 
 the thoughts of the heart : a believer has many 
 thoughts of heart; there is a multitude of thoughts 
 within him, Psal. iciv. 19; concerning the cor- 
 ruption of his nature, the sinfulness of his ac- 
 tions, and his frequent backslidings from God ; 
 a multitude of thoughts concerning Christ and 
 his grace, and the glories of another world. 3. 
 As the hair of the head is weak, and easily moved 
 and tossed about by the wind ; so are the thoughts 
 of a believer's heart, sometimes this way and 
 sometimes another ; and are like the eyes of fools 
 in the ends of the earth, unless fixed and estab- 
 lished by the Spirit of God upon proper objects. 
 4. Being rightly ordered by the Spirit of God, as 
 a well-managed and well-ordered head of hair, 
 they are exceedingly admired and valued by Christ 
 Jesus ; for he has a " book of remembrance 
 written," not only for them who speak of him 
 and fear him, but also for those who think upon 
 his name, Mai. iii. 16. 
 
 And as the thoughts of a believer's heart, thus 
 fixed, managed, aud ordered by the Spirit of God, 
 may be compared to hair, so likewise to a flock 
 of goats on mount Gilead; and then may they be 
 so, when they ascend on high, and dwell upon 
 the everlasting, unchangeable, and boundless love 
 of God in Christ ; which love has its heights and 
 depths, its lengths and breadths ; when they 
 soar aloft, and dwell upon the everlasting cove- 
 nant of grace; wliich covenant " is ordered in 
 all things and sure," filled with all spiritual 
 bh.'ssings and precious promises; when their 
 thoughts arc composed and settled upon the cou- 
 sidcraliou of Christ's person, fulness, blood, and 
 riglitconsucss ; when they are employed about 
 
 I" Animadv.in loc. 
 
 • llierozoic. par. 1. 1. 2. c- 5. col. 628. 
 
 aud concerned in the contemplation of the sub- 
 lime doctrines of the gospel, and the invisible 
 realities of another world; all which are things 
 that are above ; then may they be said to be like 
 a flock of goats which appear from mount Gilead. 
 But, 
 
 3rdly. I rather choose to understand, by the 
 hair, believers themselves. Thus thepeople of Israel 
 and inhabitants of Jerusalem are represented by 
 hair, Exek. v. 1 — 5. Now believers may be called 
 so, 1. For their number; the hairs of a man's 
 head are numerous ; therefore when the Psalmist 
 declares the large number of his sins and trans- 
 gressions, he makes use of this metaphor, saying, 
 " they are more than the hairs of nij head:" in- 
 deed believers, when compared with the world, are 
 but few, a small number, a remnant, and a little 
 flock ; yet considered and viewed by themselves, 
 and when all together, they are a great multitude 
 which no man can number. Rev. vii. 9. 2. For 
 theirgrowing upon, and receiving nourishment from 
 Christ, the head : the hair grows upon the head, 
 receives its nourishment from it ; Christ is the 
 Head of his body, the church ; believers ai'e the 
 hair which grow upon, and grow up into this head : 
 and from thence do they receive all their grace 
 and streugth, their life and liveliness, their food 
 and nourishment, and so increase with " the in- 
 crease of God," Eph. iv. 15, 16, Col. ii. 12. 3. 
 For their weakness in Themselves, and dependence 
 on Christ, the Head : hair is a weak thing of it- 
 self, and has its dependence on the Head; believers 
 are weak in themselves, and can do nothing of 
 themselves w-ithout him ; their dependence is on 
 him for strength, as well as tor righteousness ; and 
 it is only through him strengthening them, that 
 they do the things they do. 4. For their being 
 an ornament to Christ,'the Head ; hair is an orna- 
 ment to the head ; " the beauty of old men is the 
 grey head :" Saints are the ornament, beauty, and 
 glory of Christ : they are a crown of glory and a 
 royal diadem in his hand, and upon his head. 5. 
 For their valuableness to him, and the care he 
 takes of them : a well-set head of hair is highly 
 esteemed, and is taken much care of among men ; 
 but this cannot be more valued, and taken more care 
 of, than believers are by Christ : he values them 
 as his jewels and peculiar treasure, he wiU not lose 
 one of them ; the hairs of our head are all numbered, 
 and so are all the hairs cf Christ's head, and not 
 one of them shall be lost ; it is true, those who 
 are only nominal professors, and only by an ex- 
 ternal profession hold to the head, not being root- 
 ed in him, shall be shed from thence ; but so shall 
 not one of those who are one Spirit with him, and 
 grow upon him. 
 
 Now saints may be compared to a flock of goats 
 on mount Gilead. (1). They may be compared to 
 goats ; it is true, this word is used of carnal and 
 Christless sinners ; who are called so in opposi- 
 
 k So Tres I'atres apud Theodoret in loc. 
 
VER. 2.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 137 
 
 tion to, and coutradistinctiou from Christ's sheep ; 
 but these creatures being offered up in sacrifice 
 under the old law, prefigured Christ, Exod. xii. 
 5, and therefore we need not wonder that saints 
 bear this character, who are enabled to present 
 themselves to God, holy, living, and acceptable 
 sacrifices ; as also, perhaps they may be so called, 
 on the account of the remainder of sin and cor- 
 ruption ; for in them, that is, in their " flesh, 
 dwells no good thing ;" and are stinking and' abom- 
 inable in the esteem of the world, reckoned by 
 them the offscouring and refuse of all things, as 
 well as mean and vile in their own eyes. 2. May 
 be compared to a flock of them, because they be- 
 long unto and are auder the care of one and the 
 same shepherd, folded in the one and the same fold, 
 and fed together in one and the same pasture ; 
 as also, on the accour.t of their social worship, their 
 assembling and walking together in the faith and 
 order of the Gospel. 3. To a flock of them on 
 mount Gilcad ; they have a good pasture upon a 
 goodly mount ; they live and feed upon the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, that great mountain, which shall 
 ere long fill the whole earth ; here they find the best 
 of pasture, and become fat and flourishing, like 
 the goats on mount Gilead ; here they live and 
 dwell safely, secure from danger, and out of the 
 reach of enemies ; their " place of defence is a mu- 
 nition of rocks, their bread is given them, and their 
 waters sure," Isa. xxxiii. 16. 
 
 Verse 2. T//// teeth are like a flock of sheep 
 that are even shorn, ichich came vp from 
 the washing : whereof every one hear twins, 
 and none is barren among them. 
 
 These words contain the third particular instance 
 of the church's beauty, viz., her teeth. "Which 
 were like the teeth of sheep, as their eyes were 
 like the eyes of doves, and her hair like the hair 
 of goats; and Galen long ago observed,! that hu- 
 man teeth are much like the teeth of sheep, in 
 figure, order, and structure, as well as are small and 
 white, neatly set, innocent and harmless ; not ra- 
 venous and voracious, cropping only herbs and 
 grass, the whiteness of the teeth is chiefly intend- 
 ed, in which the beantj of them lies ;" and for 
 which they are sometimes compared to Parian 
 mtirblc or whiteness," These are compared. 
 
 I. To a " flock of sheep." 
 
 II. To a flock of sheep " even shorn." 
 
 III. To a flock of sheep that are just " come 
 up from the washing." 
 
 IV. To a flock of slieep that are fruitful " where- 
 of every one bear twins," &c. 
 
 ^■^ her teeth we may understand. 
 
 1st. The ministers of the Gospel ;° the Tar- 
 gum interprets it of the priests and Levites ; and 
 other Jewish writers'" of the disciples of the wise 
 men. Ministers may be called the church's teeth, 
 
 ' In Salazer apud Marckium in loc. 
 "' Candid ati denies, veuustis oculis, color suavif, 
 Cicer. Tuscul. Quicst 1. 6. c. iG. " Thcocrit. 
 
 1. For strength ; (ecth arc strong, being of a 
 bony nature ; and indeed the work that is allotted 
 to them requires strength ; the ministers of 
 the Gospel are Christ's strong men ; who are, or 
 at least need to be, " strong in the grace that is 
 in Christ Jesus ;" they have need to be " strong 
 in the Lord, and in the power of his might;'"' for 
 their work is great, and requires it, wliich is to 
 labour in the word and doctrine ; a work so great, 
 arduous, and difficult, that the great apostle Paul, 
 notwithstanding all his gifts and grace, said, " Who 
 is sufficient for these things ?" they have need of 
 strength to quit themselves like men in the de- 
 fence of the Gospel, for which they are set, against 
 all opposers and gainsayers ; they have need of 
 strength to withstand Satan's temptations ; for he 
 generally bends his bow, shoots his arrows, and 
 casts his fiery darts most at them ; they have need 
 of strength to bear the world's reproaches and 
 persecution, of which they generally have the great- 
 est share, and to sustain the infirmities of weaker 
 saints, which are not few. 2. For their sharp- 
 ness ; teeth are sharp, and they ought to be so 
 upon many accounts ; the ministers of the Gospel, 
 though they are not to be like that generation, 
 " whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw-teeth 
 as knives," to devour the flock ; nor like ravenous 
 wolves, who will not spare it, but prey upon it, for 
 they are tD use meekness and tenderness ; yet in 
 some cases, they are to use sharpness also, ac- 
 cording to the power that Christ has given them, 
 and lodged in them ; as when persons are unsound 
 in the faith, and corrupt in their morals ; also as 
 sharpness is necessary to teeth, that they may 
 penetrate into, chew, and prepare the food for the 
 stomach; so is it necessary to ministers of the 
 Gospel, that they have abilities to penetrate into 
 Gospel-truths, in order to feed souls with the B read 
 of Life. 3. In nothing can they more fitly be com- 
 pared to teeth, than in their preparing food for 
 souls ; as the teeth break the food, chew it, and 
 prepare it for the stomach ; so ministers of the 
 Gospel break the bread of life, make hard things 
 plaiu, easy, and intelligible ; for|not only in Paul's 
 epistles, but in many other places of scripture 
 there are some SvcrvSriTa, " things hard to be un- 
 derstood." Now it is the work of the Gospel to open 
 and explain those difficult passages, remove the 
 hard shell that is over them, that souls may eat the 
 kernel ; nay, they not only break the bread of life, 
 but chew it, i. e., meditate upon the word, and di- 
 gest the doctrines of grace themselves, that so they 
 may not propose unto, or set before persons 
 crude, raw,and undigjsted food: but having chewed, 
 digested, and well prepared it, they then present 
 it to them ; for these are the church's teeth, 
 which cuti and rightly divide the word of truth, 
 and give to every one their " portion of meat in 
 due season." Now these teeth of the church. 
 
 Idyll. 6. v. 37, 38. « So Psellus and Isidore iu 
 
 loc. P Vic Yakut in loc. 
 
 <i Vp6uT0navru, 2 Tim. ii. 15. 
 
138 
 
 AK EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. IV. 
 
 the ministers of the Gospel, may be compared, 
 
 I. To a flock of sheep, and to their teeth, for 
 their harmlessness and innocence. They are sent 
 forth by Christ as "sheep among wolves;" and 
 so they live like sheep, useful to many, but hurt- 
 ful to none ; live harmless and inoffensive lives, 
 though exposed to a variety of evils, for the sake 
 of Christ and his Gospel : " they are counted as 
 sheep for the slaughter;" and yet like sheep, they 
 patiently bear all without murmuring, iu imitation 
 of their dear Lord, who was led like a lamb to 
 theslaughtcr,audlike the sheep before her shearers 
 is dumb, so he opened not his mouth, Isa. liii. 7- 
 
 II. To a flock of sheep even shorn. There is no 
 word in the original text for any animal, neither 
 sheep nor goats ; it is only " to a flock of shorn 
 ones;" and maybe supplied from the preceding 
 verse, " a flock of goats even shorn :" for in some 
 countries, particularly in Cilicia, goats were shorn, 
 as sheep in other places;'' and so in Lycia -.' but 
 inasmuch as the word sheep is in a parallel text, 
 chap. vi. 6, it seems best to supply it so here : 
 and the comparison is to iheir teeth, that are 
 equally alike in bigness and size ; do not stand 
 out nor rise up one above another ; but are as if 
 they had been cut, and planed, and made alike, as 
 some ' render the word ; which is a better render- 
 ing, since sheep are not shorn before washing, but 
 after it ; nor is the word ever used of shearing 
 wool ; which may denote the equality of the 
 ministers of the word, having such an agreement 
 with each other, as the cherubim in Solomon's 
 temple, which were of " one measure and one 
 size," 1 Kings vi. 25. Now the ministers of the 
 Gospel may be compared to such teeth, 1. Be- 
 cause they are equal in power and authority; though 
 one may be superior to another in gifts and grace, 
 in parts and learning, yet one has not a superior 
 power and jurisdiction over another ; for, as Christ 
 says to his disciples, Matt. xx. 25, 26, " the princes 
 of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them ; and 
 they that are great exercise autliority upon them ; 
 but it shall not be so among you; but vvhosoever 
 shall begreatamongyou, let him beyourminister ;" 
 no such dominion and authority are allowed by 
 Christ to be exercised by one minister, pastor, or 
 bishop, over another ; they are like to the teeth 
 of sheep that are even ; one is not higher than an- 
 other, nor superior to another in power ; Peter was 
 not above the rest of the apostles. 2. They have 
 all the same commission, and are sent about the 
 same work : the disciples of Christ were equally 
 sent to preach the Gospel to every creature ; aud 
 the commission now is of the same and of as large 
 extent as ever; and the same commission that is 
 given to one minister, is given to another; for 
 they are all sent to preach one aud the same Gos- 
 pel, in the full extent of it ; not one part of it is 
 assigned to one, and another part to another, but 
 
 ' Aristot. Hist. Animal. 1. fi. c. 28. Plin. 1. 3. c. 
 .50. ■ iElian de Animal. 1. Ifi. c. 30. 
 
 ' niaiapca-sa^.vcl.dedolatai.r.ochart. llicrozoicpar. 
 1. 1. 2. c. 45. col. •183, scquarum, Junius and Tremellus;; 
 
 the whole is assigned to them all ; for a different 
 Gospel is not given in commission to one to preach 
 than what is given to another ; thoua;h their man- 
 ner of preaching, and their success in their min- 
 istry, may not be alike. 3. They may be said 
 to be as the teeth of sheep even, on the account of 
 the harmony and agreement there is between the 
 doctrines which they preach : though there may be 
 a diversity of gifts, and one minister may have 
 more Gospel-light and knowledge than another, 
 yet tlie doctrine of grace, preached by them, is 
 one and the same ; it is one and the same Jesus 
 whom they preach ; one and the same way of 
 salvation which they show ; and one aud the same 
 heavenly inheritance which they are pointing at ; 
 which harmony and agreement of doctrine will 
 more manifestly appear, when the " watchmen 
 shall see eye to eye," even at the time " when the 
 Lord shall bring again Zion," Isa. lii. 8. 4. 
 These teeth ot the church may be said to be like 
 to the teeth of sheep even, to denote their mild- 
 ness, meekness, harmlessness, aud innocence; sheep 
 not having teeth or tusks, standing out more, 
 or rising up higher than the rest, as ravenous 
 beasts, such as lions, bears, &c., but are all equal 
 and even ; so such ministers do not devour, but 
 feed the flock ! do not assume a lordly and domi- 
 neering power over them; but, behaving them- 
 selves 'quietly and peaceably among them, seek 
 their good and welfare, and not their hurt. 
 
 III. To a flock of sheep just "come up from 
 the washing ;" and so are white and clean ; which 
 is another thing in which the beauty of teeth con- 
 sists ; for it is not only requisite that they should 
 be even, so as one does not grow out from, nor 
 rise higher than the other ; but likewise that they 
 should be white and clean, like sheep that are just 
 come out of the washing-pit: which some" think 
 intends baptism ; though it may be better under- 
 stood " of the washing of regeneration, and 
 renewing of the Holy Ghost," which ihe ministers 
 of the gospel ought not to be strangers to ; for 
 he that is not " born again of water, and of the 
 Spirit," as he sh.ill neither " see nor enter into the 
 kingdom of heaven " himself; so he is not fit to 
 preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven to 
 others : though I rather think it intends the pure 
 and unspotted lives aud conversations of Christ's 
 ministers ; who, being persons that hate the gar- 
 ment spotted with the flesh," and who " have 
 washed their robes, and made them white in the 
 blood of the lamb," become examples to the flock, 
 not only in faith, but in purity of conversation, 
 
 IV. To a flock, of which " every one bears 
 twins, and there is none barren among them." 
 The figures are just and beautiful; it is common 
 with sheep to bear twins or more in the eastern 
 countries, as the philosopher* observes : these 
 may answer to the two rows of teeth, and the word 
 statura a^qnaliuni Cocceius; vid. Aben Ezram iu loc. 
 and K'mchiumin lib. shorash. rad. 3Sp. 
 
 » Isidore, Fo'iot, Alcuin, and Cottin iu loc. 
 " Aristot. de animal. 1. 6. c. 19. 
 
VER. o 
 
 •1 
 
 SOXG OF SONGS. 
 
 130 
 
 for teeth is in the dual number ; and when tiiese 
 are white, clean, and equal, are well set, and not 
 one is wanting, none is rotten, nor shed, nor 
 fallen out, look very beautiful. This is to be un- 
 derstood of the fruitfuliiess and successfulness of 
 their ministry, in begetting and bringing fortli 
 many souls to Christ ; which was more especially 
 verified in the apostles and first preachers of the 
 gospel, whose ministry, after an extraordinary 
 manner, was blessed and owned for the conversion 
 of many sinners ; three thousand were converted 
 under one sermon ; the savour of Christ's "know- 
 ledge was made manifest by them in every place ;" 
 they bore twins to Christ, and were instrumental 
 in the conversion of many, both of Jews and 
 Gentiles ; they went forth bearing and sowing the 
 precious seed of the gospel; and returned, "bring- 
 ing their sheaves with them," having reaped a 
 glorious harvest : they travailed in birth, till Christ 
 " was formed in souls ;" and they did not travail 
 in vain, for he that brought to the birth, caused 
 to bring forth. 
 
 2ndly. Or else by teeth, if applied to particular 
 believers, we may understand meditation and 
 faith, by which they feed on divine and spiritual 
 things. 1. By meditation a soul feeds on Christ, 
 on his person, blood, and righteousness ; and finds a 
 pleasure, a sweetness, and delight therein : it is 
 sometimes, as in Psalm Ixiii. 5, 6, satisfied as 
 with marrow and fatness, when it remembers 
 Christ upon its bed, and meditates on his love 
 and grace in the night-watches; by it a believing 
 soul feeds upon the gospel, its truths, and pro- 
 mises, and receives much refreshment from 
 thence; like Jeremy, chap. xv. 16; it finds 
 the word by meditation, and eats it, and it is the 
 joy and rejoicing of its heart. Now meditating 
 souls may be very well compared to a flock of 
 sheep, which are clean creatures, and chew the 
 cud ; for these chew the word of grace, and 
 ruminate upon it ; and to a flock of sheep even 
 shorn, being in some measure rid of the old 
 fleece of vain, carnal, and worldly thoughts ; and 
 are come up from the washing ; being cleansed 
 in some measure from their former filthiuess and 
 uncleanness of their miuds, they ascend heaven- 
 wards in their thoughts, desires, and afi"ections, 
 which they employ by meditating upon pure, 
 spiritual, and heavenly things ; and such souls are 
 usually fruitful; they are not barren and un- 
 fruitful in the knowledge of Christ and his gos- 
 pel; but generally briug forth the twins of 
 prayer and praise : meditation fits a man for prayer, 
 and fills him with praise; meditating souls 
 are commonly praying and praising ones ; for 
 whilst they are musing, the fire burns, and then 
 speak they with their tongues, either in prayer or 
 praise ; it puts them either upon praying to God 
 for a mercy, or upon praising him for one. 2. 
 By faith a soul feeds on Christ and his grace : 
 faith serves a great many purposes ; it is the 
 
 ' Yoma, c. 6. s. «. in Misnah. 
 
 soul's eye, by \\hich it sees Christ; and its feet, 
 by which it goes to him ; and the hand, by which 
 it receives him and lays hold on him ; and like- 
 wise the teeth, by wliich it feeds upon him : faith 
 is expressed by eating his flesh, and driul<ing his 
 blood, in John vi. 56, " he that eateth my flesh, 
 and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in 
 him." Au oral, corporal manducation, is not 
 here intended, but a spiritual one, which is by 
 faith : faith feeds on Christ, the Bread of Life, and 
 eats that hidden manna, the food of the wil- 
 derness, lives wholly and entirely on him ; which 
 grace is peculiar to Christ's sheep, and therefore 
 is called the " faith of God's elect ;" and the rea- 
 son why others do not believe and live upon him, 
 is, because they are not of Christ's sheep ; and 
 though in some persons it is strong, and in others 
 weak, yet it is in all alike precious faith in its 
 own nature, and to Christ Jesns : these teeth are 
 even, and so fit for eating; faith is alike as to 
 quality in all believers, though not as to degree ; 
 and, like Judah's teeth, is white with the milk of 
 the word, is pure, unfeigned, and sincere; and is 
 always fruitful, attended with good works ; and 
 more especially bears and brings forth those twins, 
 love to Christ, aud love to the saints; for " faith 
 works by love," Gal. v. 6. 
 
 Verse 3. T/i// lips are like a ihre ad of scarlet, 
 and thy speech is comely ; thy temples are like 
 a piece of pomegranate within thy locks. 
 
 In these words Christ proceeds to give the fourth 
 and fifth instances of the church's beauty ; and 
 says, 
 
 I. That her " lips are like a thread of scarlet," 
 &c. 
 
 II. That her " temples are like apiece of pome- 
 granate." 
 
 I. Her lips are compared to a thread of scarlet. 
 The Targura on this place, by eyes, understands 
 the princes and wise men of Israel, who sat in 
 the sanhedrim, and enlightened the world ; by 
 the hair, the rest of the people of the land, in 
 verse 1 ; by teeth, in verse 2, the priests and 
 Levites, who offered the sacrifices, and eat the 
 holy flesh ; and by lips here, the lips of the high 
 priest, who (as the Targum expresses it) by his 
 prayer on the day of atouement, changed the 
 transgressions of the people of Israel, which were 
 like to a thread of scarlet, and made them wliite 
 as wool. It is a received tradition among the 
 Jews,* that vvhen the scape goat was sent into the 
 wilderness, a scarlet thread was tied to the temple- 
 door, and when the goat was come to the wilder- 
 uess, the scarlet thread turned white ; which was 
 not only a sign of the goat's arrival thither, but 
 also a token to them of the remission of their 
 sins, according to Isa. i. 18, " though your sins 
 be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ;" 
 and they tell us,'' that this scarlet thread ceased 
 turning white forty years before the destruction of 
 
 I y Talmud Yoma, fol. 39. 'i. 
 
140 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CHAl-. IV. 
 
 the temple; which was about the time that 
 Christ, the great sacrifice for sin, was offered up. 
 R. Aben Ezra thiuks, by tlie eyes are meant the 
 prophets, who in scripture arc called seers ; by the 
 hair, the Nazaritcs ; by the teeth, the strong and 
 mighty men ; and by the lips here, the singers 
 who sung tlie high praises of God. R. Solomon 
 Jarchi expounds it, of the beauty and comeliness 
 of the lips, in maldug and keeping promises ; as 
 the spies did to Rahab the harlot, whose token to 
 know her house by, was a Hue of scarlet. 
 
 Lips are the instruments of speech ; and by, the 
 church's lips here, are meant her words, which 
 the following expression, " and thy speech is 
 comely," manifests and confirms ; which are com- 
 pared to a thread of scarlet; to a thread for 
 thinness, and to a thread of scarlet for colour, 
 for these two things, thinness in substance and 
 redness of colour, are the beauty of the lips : thin, 
 red lips being beautiful, as well as white teeth ; 
 so the beautiful Aspasia had red lips,^ and teeth 
 whiter than snow : hence we sometimes read of 
 red and purple lips :* and which were not only 
 expressive of beauty, but of health, and of a sound 
 constitution. Now by the church's lips, or words, 
 are meant, either, 
 
 1st. Her prayers : Christ's prayers are, in Psal. 
 xxi. 2, called the request of his lips, and so may 
 the church's prayers, and every believer's, be 
 called the request of their lips ; which may be 
 compared to a thread of scarlet, 1. For thinness. 
 The prayers of believers are not filled with great 
 swelling words of vanity, but with humble con- 
 fessions of sin ; bewailing the corruption and de- 
 pravity of their natures ; earnestly imploring views 
 of pardoning grace, and the discoveries of God's 
 love to their souls : acknowledging that they are 
 unworthy to receive the least mercy and favour at 
 the hand of God, but deserve the severest strokes 
 of his justice, and the highest instances of his dis- 
 pleasure ; they do not address the throne of grace 
 with vanity and pride, but with an humble bold- 
 ness, and oftentimes under a great deal of broken- 
 nes3 of soul ; being conscious of their own guilt, 
 and filled with a sense of God's majesty and great- 
 ness ; was it not for the Mediator Christ Jesus, 
 and his precious blood, which is carried within 
 the vail, and his spotless righteousness, which 
 they are allowed to plead, they durst not presume 
 to approach the Divine Presence ; they do not exalt 
 themselves, and magnify their works of righte- 
 ousness, nor extenuate their sins and transgres- 
 sions, but are silent in the one, and frankly 
 acknowledge the other, with all their aggravating 
 circumstances ; they do not act like the proud 
 Pharisee,' Luke xviii. 11 — 13, who " stood and 
 prayed thus with himself; God, I thank thee, 
 that 1 am not as other men are, extortioners, un- 
 just, adulterers, or even as this publican ; I fast 
 twice in the week, I give tythcs of all that 1 
 
 ' iElian. Var. Hist. 1. 12. c. 1. " XctXea jruppo, 
 
 Theocrit. IJyll. 15. Purptireis labellis.Ovid. A.mor. 
 
 possess;" but like the poor publican, who stood 
 afar off, and " would not so much as lift up his 
 eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, 
 God be merciful to me a sinuer ;" the lips of the 
 puhlican, in this prayer, were like to a thread of 
 scarlet. 2. For their constaucy and continuance 
 in them : the prayers of believers are like one 
 continued thread of scarlet; no sooner me souls 
 born again, but behold they pray ;, and they con- 
 tinue, or at least ought to continue praying souls 
 all their days. Christ spoke a parable to this 
 end, that " men ought always to pray, and not 
 to faint ;" and the apostle, Col. iv. 2, exhorts 
 believers to " continue in prayer, and watch in 
 the same with thanksgiving;" not that it is in- 
 tended, in these places, that persons should always 
 be actually engaged in this duty ; but that be- 
 lievers should be often at the throne of grace ; 
 and when they are there, be importunate for the 
 blessing they stand in need of; watch for a re- 
 turn of their prayers, and then be as diligent to 
 attend the throue of grace with thankfulness ; and 
 when this is the common and constant course of 
 a believer's life, his lijjs may be said to be like to 
 a thread of scarlet. 3. For the fervency of them ; 
 the scarlet colour may denote the ardency, warmth, 
 and fervour of a believer's spirit in prayer ; such 
 a warm, fervent, praying soul was Jacob, who 
 wrestled with God, and would not stir with- 
 out the blessing, but, " as a prince, had power 
 with God, and prevailed ;" and such an one was 
 the Syrophcenician woman, who would take no 
 denial from Christ ; and such an one w'as Elias, 
 James v. 16 — 18, who prayed earnestly that it 
 might not raiu, and it rained not ; and again he 
 prayed that it might rain, and the heavens gave 
 rain ; for the " effectual fervent prayer of a righte- 
 ous man availeth much :" now w'hen believers 
 are thus fervent and importunate in prayer for the 
 mercy or blessing they want, then may their lips 
 be said to be like a thread of scarlet. 4. Be- 
 cause a believer's prayers are all tinctured with 
 the blood of Christ, and so become like a thread 
 of scarlet ; they are all presented through Christ's 
 mediation, being perfumed with his much incense; 
 a believer does not put them up in his own name, 
 but in the name of Christ ; he pleads not his own 
 worthiness, but the precious blood of Christ, and 
 expects that they will meet with acceptance only 
 through his mediation. 5. For their acccptable- 
 ness with God ; the scarlet colour is the best of 
 colours, and most highly esteemed of; the prayers 
 of the saints being offered up in faith, and in the 
 name of Christ, beiug presented through his me- 
 diation, are very acceptable to God ; they are plea- 
 sant music in his ears, and sweet fragrant odours 
 in his nostrils ; he is so far from despising the 
 prayer of the destitute, that he delights and takes 
 pleasure in it ; it is like a thread of scarlet to him. 
 Or else, by the church's lips, we may understand, 
 
 1.3. eleg. 13. Labiasque modicas purjmrautes, Apul. 
 Uet.imorph. 1. 10, Labella rosea, Catullus. 
 
VEB. 3.] 
 
 SONG OF SONCrS. 
 
 141 
 
 2ndly. Her praises : as prayer is called the re- 
 quest of the lips, so praise is called the fruit of 
 the lips, Heb. xiii. 15 ; as with our lips we pray 
 to God, so with our lips we praise him : and the 
 lips of believers in praising, as well as in praying, 
 may be compared to a thread of scarlet. 1. They 
 arc thin, like a thread of scarlet ; they are /lot 
 fiUi'd with big swoleu praises of themselves, and of 
 what they have done ; a believer takes the advice 
 tlie wise raau gives, Prov. xxvii. 2, " Let another 
 praise thee and not thine own mouth ; a stranger, 
 and not thine own lips ;" he docs not speak in the 
 commendation of himself, but of the goodness 
 and grace of God ; he praises him for all tem- 
 poral mercies, for his being, the preservation of 
 it, and for all the mercies of life, which make it 
 comfortable ; acknowledging that he is not worthy 
 of the least of the mercies which God has shown 
 him ; and then his praises and thanksgivings rise 
 higher for spiritual ones, for those all spiritual 
 blessings, with which he is blessed in heavenly 
 places in Christ Jesus ; how does he adore, admire, 
 and praise distinguishing love and grace, that such 
 a poor, blind, iguorant creature as he, should be 
 called out of darkness into marvellous light ! that 
 snch a gnilty wretch should be justified by Christ's 
 righteousness from all his sins 1 that such a filthy 
 creature should be washed and cleansed in Christ's 
 blood, and have all his iniquities pardoned through 
 the same ! that he should be adopted into God's fa- 
 mily, and be made an heir of God, and a joint heir 
 with Christ Jesus ! how thankful is he for the Gos- 
 ple and the ministers of it, which have brought 
 him the news of, and showed him the way unto life 
 and salvation by Jesus Christ I and, above all, 
 how thankful is he for Christ, that unspeakable 
 gift of God's love. Now when the lips of believers, 
 in praising, move in such a strain as this, then 
 may they be said to be like a thread of scarlet. 
 2. The praises of believers are compared to a thread 
 of scarlet, for the heartiness, sincerity, and affec- 
 tion that go along with them ; as they draw nigh 
 to God with their mouths, and honour him with 
 their lips, so their hearts are not far from him, 
 all the while they are praising, the fire of love 
 burns within them ; their souls are inflamed with 
 it, and their lips look like scarlet, being touched 
 with a live coal from off God's altar. 3. For the 
 acceptableness of them through Christ's medi- 
 ation ; our pi"aises, as well as our prayers, must be 
 tinctured with Christ's blood; they must be of- 
 fered up by him ; for no other way are these sacri- 
 fices well pleasing to God, or accepted with him. 
 Or, 
 
 3rdly. By her lips may be meant the doctrines 
 of the gospel, delivered by her ministers ; which 
 are the church's lips, that " drop as an honey- 
 comb," and publish the glad tidings of peace, life, 
 and salvation to poor souls. Now these doctrines 
 of grace, delivered by them, may be compared to 
 " a thread of scarlet," 1 . Because they are spun 
 out of the scriptures: all scripture being, divinely 
 
 inspired, 0f6Trvev(rTo^, breathed by God, "is profit- 
 able for doctrine," as well as for other things ; it 
 is the fountain from whence all the doctrines of 
 grace spring ; and the Lydian stone, by which 
 they are all tried ; for whatever is not according 
 to this " law and testimony," is not to be received : 
 hence Christ advises to " search the scriptures," 
 and the noble Bereans are commended for doing so. 
 
 2. This scarlet thread of the gospel, being spun 
 out of the scriptures, is smooth and eveu ; there 
 is au harmony and agreement in truths of the 
 gospel ; there is no jar and discord among them : 
 this great trumpet does not give an uncertain 
 sound ; the doctrines of it are not yea and nay, 
 contradictory to one another and truth itself, but 
 are all of a piece, like one single " scarlet thread ;" 
 there is a close connection between them ; they 
 are linked and chained together, and cannot be 
 separated ; they look like, and are answerable to 
 one another; there is a proportion or analogy of 
 faith, according to which they are all measured. 
 
 3. The great subjects of the gospel are the blood, 
 death, and sufferings of a crucified Christ ; we 
 says the apostle, 1 Cor. i. 23, " preach Christ 
 crucified ;" a crucified Christ was the sura and sub- 
 stance of their ministry ; therefore the gospel, and 
 the doctrines of it,may well be compared to a " scar- 
 let thread :" the chief doctrines of the gospel are 
 that the pardon of sin is procured by Christ's 
 blood ; that he has made peace and reconciliation 
 for sinners by the blood of liis cross ; that sinners 
 are justified by his blood, and so shall be saved 
 from wrath to come ; that Christ sanctifies his 
 people with his blood, and has by it opened the 
 gates of heaven for them ; that it is by that he 
 himself has entered into the holy of holies, and by 
 which saints have a right so to do. Now these 
 are the scarlet-coloured doctrines of the gospel ; 
 which, 4. Are valuable, precious, and highly to 
 be esteemed of as scarlet ; they are comparable to 
 gold, silver, and precious stones ; which angels 
 desire to look into, and are by saints preferred 
 to their necessary food; yea, are dearer to them 
 than their lives, or any thing in life ; witness the 
 fines, imprisonments, loss of goods, racks, tortures, 
 and death itself, which they have voluntarily and 
 cheerfully undergone for the sake of it ; thus her 
 lips are like " a thread of scarlet." 
 
 It is further added, " and thy speech is comely :" 
 which words are exegetical of the former ; and 
 manifestly show what is intended by her lips, 
 namely, her speech ; which is said to be comely, 
 that is, graceful, amiable, and to be desired. And 
 so is, 1. A believer's speech concerning Christ. 
 When believers speak to others of what Christ is 
 unto them ; how he is " of God made unto them 
 wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemp- 
 tion ;" and of what he has done for them, in aton- 
 ing for their sins, bringing in an everlasting 
 righteousness, and saving them from siu, law, 
 death, and hell ; when they speak of the glories of 
 his person, the picciousness and efficacy of his 
 
142 
 
 AN EXI'OSITION OF TliK 
 
 [CHAI'. 
 
 IV. 
 
 blood, the excellency Jof hia righteousness, and 
 completeness of his sacrifice : when believers 
 speak " often one to another " of these, " he 
 hearkens and hears," listens as it were to hear 
 what they talk of, and puts it down in the " book 
 of his remembrance," as being well pleased with 
 it. 2. The speech of a believer is graceful and 
 comely to Christ, when they speak for him, in 
 vindication,; of ' his 'person, people, truths, and 
 ordinances; for he says. Malt. x. 32, " whosoever 
 shall confess me'rhefore men, him will I confess 
 also before my Father in heaven." 3. Thespeech 
 of a believer^ to Christ is exceeding grateful and 
 well-pleasing, whether it be in prayer or in praise, 
 as has been already shown ; hence Christ says, 
 chap. ii. 14, " let me see thy countenance, let me 
 hear thy voice ; for sweet is thy voice, and thy 
 countenance is comely." 4. It may intend the 
 gracefulness of a believer's speech in his common 
 conversation : it being attended " with grace," 
 " and seasoned with salt, ministers grace unto 
 the hearers;" is not infectious, pernicious, and 
 destructive, as the corrupt and unsavoury com- 
 munication of the wicked is ; but tends to the 
 pleasure, profit, and edification of others. 
 
 II. Her temples are next commended in these 
 words which is the fifth particular instanced in 
 the church's beauty ; " thy temples are like a 
 piece of a pomegranate within thy locks." R. 
 Aben Ezra interprets these words of the priests, 
 who had pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, 
 round about the hem of the e^piiod which they 
 wore : but the Targum, on the place, understands 
 by the temples, the king who was the head of the 
 people of Israel, and was full of good works, as 
 the pomegranate is of kernels ; and by the locks, 
 the governors and princes, who were next to him : 
 but it seems more agreeable, that ecclesiastical 
 cflBcers are here intended, whom Christ has 
 placed in his church, to take care of the discipline 
 of his house, as well as to maintain and defend 
 the gospel. 
 
 That there is, and ought to be, such officers in 
 churches, who have the presiding, ruling, govern- 
 ing power therein, not only the nature of societies, 
 but the scripture also does^abuudautly confirm, 
 more especially the following ones ; " Let the 
 elders that rule well be counted worthy of double 
 honour, &c.. Obey them that have rule over you, 
 &c., He that ruleth with diligence," 1 Tim. v. 
 17, Heb. xiii. 17, Rom. xii. 8. Their work is 
 not only to preach the gospel, and feed the flock 
 with wholesome food ; but to admonish, warn, and 
 rebuke those who stand in need thereof ; to lay 
 on and take off censures, to open and shut the 
 doors of the church, that is, in admission and 
 excommunication of members. Now this power 
 is originally in the church, and only derivately in 
 them ; they are but the administrators of it, in 
 tlie church's name: they have no despotic, 
 
 •> "jnpl tenuis faciei pars, Marckius ; tenuior, Mi- 
 cbaelis ; vid, K. David Kimcbium, in lib. shorash. 
 
 arbitrary, and tyrannical power, lodged in their 
 hands, to rule at pleasure ; but are limited by the 
 laws of Christ, which he has provided for the 
 orderly government of his house, which they are 
 to see put into execution. Now these may be 
 called. 
 
 First. The church's temples. 
 
 1st. The temples are called, in the Hebrew 
 tongue, by a word** which signifies thinness and 
 tenderness ; because the temples have but little 
 flesh upon thera, and are covered only with a 
 thin skin; which may teach us. 1. That those per- 
 sons who are called to such a work and office in 
 Christ's house, though it cannot otherwise be but 
 they must have flesh as well as spirit in them, 
 being men of like passions and afi'ections with 
 others; yet these more especially ought not to 
 live in and walk after the flesh ; there should be 
 a less appearance of carnality in them, and a 
 greater discovery of spiritual-mindedness, and of 
 the life and power of godliness in their conversa- 
 tions ; therefore the apostle is very particular in 
 giving their characters, 1 Tim. iii. 1—7, Titus 
 i. 6 — 9. 2. It may also teach us, that there 
 ought to be a great deal of tenderness in them, 
 and used by them in the discharge of their work ; 
 for in so doing, they are like to be most success- 
 ful : admonitions and reproofs for sin, mildly and 
 tenderly given, are often kindly taken ; they are 
 like " an excellent oil, which does not break the 
 head," but wins the heart : tender-heartedness is 
 requisite in all Christians, but more especially in 
 officers of churches, who are to deal as tenderly 
 with persons, as surgeons do in dressing wounds, 
 or in setting broken or dislocated bones ; hence 
 the [apostle, in Gal. vi. 1, uses a metaphor taken 
 from them, " you that are spiritual restore," 
 KaTopTi|6Te, joint in, or set in joint again, "such 
 an one in the spirit of meekness ;" though it is 
 true, in some cases sharpness is to be used; as 
 when there is a gangrene in a member, which 
 endangers the body, there must be a cutting off, 
 an amputation of the member ; so persons, when 
 all means have been tried for their recovery and 
 restoration, and there is no reclaiming them from 
 an error in doctrine or practice ; they are not 
 only to be rebuked sharply, but to be cut off from 
 the body, the church. 
 
 2ndly. The temples are called in Greek, 
 Kp6Ta(j)oi,'^ from the evident beating of the pulse 
 there : now as a person's constitution may be 
 judged of by the beating of his pulse ; so may the 
 constitution of a church by her temples, the 
 officers, in their administration of affairs; if church 
 discipline is neglected, and Christ's laws are not 
 put in execution against delinquents, the church 
 is in a bad state, and in an unhealthful and dechn- 
 ing condition ; and on the contrary, when officers 
 are lively, zealous, aud diligent in their work, and 
 all things are kept in a j ust order and decorum. 
 
 rad- Ppl. 
 
 Tlapti TO KpOTCIV Tl) ui(l»iv 
 
VER. 4.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 143 
 
 the church is then iu an healthful aud flourishing 
 condition. 
 
 3rdly, The temples a.re placed between the eyes 
 and the ears ; and church officers being called so, 
 teaches us that they have need of both in ^mana- 
 ging the affairs of Christ's house. Christ indeed, 
 being God omniscient, " shall not judge after the 
 sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing 
 of his ears ;" but we have no other way of judging 
 than by the sight^of our eyes, and by the hearing 
 of our ears, and therefore both are to be employed : 
 the gars of the church-officers are to be open, 
 without respect of persons, to rich and poor, high 
 and low ; they are to hear complaints and charges 
 exhibited, if introduced iu a regular manner, aud 
 then the evidence to support these complaints 
 and charges ; they must also hear the answers of 
 the person or persons accused and complained of, 
 and must not shut their eyes against clear light 
 and plain evidence. 
 
 Secondly. These temples are said to be " within 
 the locks ;" under locks of hair plaited aud curled 
 about them ; expressive both of secrecy and 
 beauty : which may teach us. 1. Tliat admoni- 
 tions, in case of private offences, ought to be 
 given privately, according to that golden rule 
 given by our Lord, Matt, iviii. 15— 17, "If thy 
 brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him 
 bis fault between thee aud him alone ;" let no 
 one know it before thou hast told him, and let 
 none be with thee when thou dost ; " if he shall 
 hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother ;" there- 
 fore for ever after never speak of it to others, nor up- 
 braid him with it ; " but if he will not hear thee, 
 then take with thee one or two more, that in the 
 mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may 
 be established; and if he shall neglect to hear 
 them," matters being tlius prepared, "tell it uuto 
 tlie church ;" and then thou shalt have witnesses 
 to support and make good thy allegations. This 
 rule is so plaiu and easy, that one would think, 
 none could mistake or go aside from it ; and was 
 it but closely adhered to, would prevent a great 
 deal of scandal and reproach that is cast upon 
 religion, as well as a great many disturbances, 
 occasioned in churches by the neglect of it : and 
 in so doing, the church's temples, in this branch 
 of the administration of discipline, may be said 
 to be within her, locks ; though it is true, in case 
 of public offences, admonitions and rebukes are to 
 given publicly, that ."others may fear," 1 Tim. 
 V. 20. 2. It may also teach as, that all the 
 affairs and concerns of churches ought to be kept 
 private, and not blazed about in the world ; their 
 debates and determinatiens ought not to be told 
 to other churches, unless there is a necessity for it ; 
 much less told in Gath, and published in the 
 " streets of Askelon ;" for every particular church 
 should be as a "garden inclosed, a spring shut 
 up, a fountain sealed," Cant. iv. 12. 3. The 
 
 •• po in riTED aif \iiTvpuv poiir, Sept. sicut fragmen 
 mali punici, Vulg Lat. and Montanus. ' T Bab. 
 
 temples being within the locks, may denote the 
 humility of church-officers in their work ; they 
 lie hid uuder the hair, the rest of the believers ; 
 they do not rise up above them, though they aie 
 taller aud higher than they are in gifts and grace, 
 as well as by virtue of their office and station ia 
 the church ; yet they are, in their own esteem, 
 " less than the least of all saints :" they do not 
 assume to themselves a domination aud lordly 
 power "over God's heritage;" they do not im- 
 pose their seutiments upon churches for final de- 
 terminations in cases ; but humbly submit them- 
 selves, preferring the judgment of the church to 
 their own private ones ; they become " all things 
 to all, that they may save some." 4. May be 
 expressive of the beauty of church-discipline : that 
 church appears very beautiful, like the " temples 
 within the locks," where the gospel is faithfully 
 preached, the ordinances purely administered, and 
 the laws of Christ's house strictly regarded. Be- 
 lievers, who walk together in the order, as well as 
 in the faith of the gospel, appear very beautiful, 
 stately, and magnificent to spectators ; they are 
 " like a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariot ;" 
 or like a garden, with a variety of flowers, well 
 weeded and taken care of ; or an " orchard of 
 pomegranates," well dressed and managed : on 
 the contrary, a church, in which no regard is had 
 to order and discipline, is like " the field of the 
 slothful, and the vineyard of the man void of un- 
 derstanding," which is all overrun " with thorns 
 aud nettles," its fence and " stone-wall being 
 broken down." 
 
 Thirdly. These temples are said to be "like 
 a piece of a pomegranate; not of the tree, but 
 of the fruit, the shell or rind being broken ; so 
 the Septuagint render it.'' The laud of Canaan 
 was a laud of pomegranates ; they grew there 
 in great plenty, and therefore are frequently 
 mentioned in this Song. 
 
 1st. The fruit, when the shell or rind is 
 broken, appears to be full of grains or kernels, 
 and therefore is a jwmegranate ; and it is the 
 nature of this fruit, that if it hangs longer on the 
 tree after it is fully ripe, it will burst and open 
 of itself,*^ and its kernels will become visible ; 
 one of the mansions of the Israelites is called 
 by them Rimmou-parez, Numb, xxsiii. 19; the 
 pomegranate of rupture, or the bursteued pome- 
 granate, where probably they found such. And 
 the church's temples are said to be like to such a 
 bursteued and broken piece of pomegranate, that 
 is full of kernels, and visible; because those who 
 are called to such work and office in the church, 
 as has been mentioned, should be men " full of 
 the Holy Ghost," as Stephen was ; they should 
 be as full of the gifts and graces of the Spirit, as 
 the pomegranate is of kernels, that they may be 
 capable of discharging the work aright ; Christ 
 knows full well that they stand in need of such, 
 
 Zebachim, fol. 88. 2. and Closs. in ibid. 
 
144 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF TEE 
 
 [CUAP. IV. 
 
 and therefore, as he has " received gifts for men," 
 so he " gives them to men," to qualify them 
 for the work of the ministry, and for the well- 
 ordering and governing of his churches ; and yet, 
 notwithstanding all that they receive, they are 
 obliged to say, with the apostle, " Who is suffi- 
 cient for these things?" And as they should be 
 men full of the Spirit, so likewise full of good works; 
 and these visible to men, even as the kernels of 
 a burstencd pomegranate ;' their " light should 
 shine before men ;" they should have a good re- 
 port of them that are without, and be examples 
 to those that are within ; and when they are so, 
 then may the church's temples be said to be 
 " like a piece of a pomegranate within her locks." 
 j\ Iso the pomegranate, when broken, appearing to 
 be full of kernels, all set in a beautiful order, 
 and joined to each other, may be e.tpressive of 
 that union, harmony, and consent of church-mem- 
 bers, with their officers, in acts of discipline; 
 censures are laid and taken off, members are re- 
 ceived or rejected, not by some single person or 
 persons, but by the joint consent and unanimous 
 voice of the whole church. 
 
 2ndly. As this fruit is full of kernels, so, when 
 broken, there springs from it a rcdish, purple, 
 sweet, and delightful juice : hence we read of the 
 " juice of the pomegranate," chap. viii. 2, which 
 the church would cause Christ to drink of; and 
 nothing is more delightful in Christ's eye, odorous 
 to his smell, and sweet to his taste, than this 
 juice of the pomegranate is ; namely, a pure ad- 
 ministration of his ordinances, and a strict re- 
 gard and close adherence to the laws of his 
 house : nay, even to believers themselves, result 
 from hence pleasure, delight, and satisfaction. 
 
 3rdly. The fruit of the pomegranate is very use- 
 ful in medicine. 1 . For repressing the heat of 
 choler, and malignity of fevers.^ God's children 
 too ofLeu fall out by the way ; there are frequently 
 differences and divisions among them : many of 
 them are of hot, fiery, and choleric dispositions : 
 do not know " what spirits they are of," and at 
 every turn are, like the disciples, for calling " for 
 fire from heaven" upon those who have disobliged 
 them. Now officers in churches are like a piece of 
 a pomegranate ; they allay and repress these heats, 
 by wholesome advice and proper admonitions ; they 
 are instruments in making peace, and reconciling 
 differing brethren ; and either remove the causes of 
 contention, or else, with the consent of the church, 
 remove those who are the cause of these divisions 
 and contentions. 2. For stopping the fluxes of the 
 belly y the pomegranate is of an astringent nature, 
 the kernels bind more than the juice, and the shell 
 or riud more than either, theofficersof churches are 
 
 ' So the Jewish writers interpret the words ot 
 the Israelites, as full of good works, as the pome- 
 granate is of kernels. T. Bab. Eruvin.fol. 19. I and 
 T. Bab, Chagigah. fol. 20. I. Targura and R. Sol. 
 Jarchi in loc. e Fernel. Method. Medend. 1. 
 
 5 c. 3. h Plin. Nat. Hist. 1. 23, c. 6. 
 
 « Plin. Nat. Hist. 1. 23. c 6. ^ Vid. Mich- 
 
 useful in putting a slop to loose and disorderly 
 practices, by warning, admonishing, rebuking, or 
 withdrawing from those who walk disorderly. 3. 
 For comforting the stomach and bowels :' so these 
 officerscomfortthechildrenofGod; for as they warn 
 " the unruly, so they comfort the feeble-mind- 
 ed, and support the weak," by directing them to tlie 
 person, blood, righteousness, and fulness of Christ 
 Jesus ; by delivering the sweet doctrines, and open- 
 ing the precious promises of the Gospel. 
 
 Thus church -officers, in managing the affairs of 
 Christ's house, in conjunction with his church, 
 may be called her temples, which are " like a piece 
 of a pomegranate within her locks ;" or her veil,'' 
 as some render it ; so Symmachus covered with a 
 veil, as her eyes were, ver. 1 ; and here her cheeks ; 
 and so the Septuagint renders the word in Isa. 
 xlvii. 2; such veils, covering those parts, were worn 
 by women in the eastern countries, expressive of 
 their modesty ; and what was latent and much out 
 of sight, seemed more beautiful. Likewise the 
 temples, taken in a large signification, not only in- 
 tend that part of the face, between the ears and 
 eyes, and upwards, but include the cheeks also ; 
 and so the Septuagint' translate the word here : the 
 purple juice of the pomegranate well expresses the 
 colour of them, which is their beauty ; hence we 
 often read of purple cheeks as beautiful,'" and of 
 rosy ones blushing through shamefaeeduess and 
 modesty :■> a pomegranate cut affords a very 
 agreeable resemblance of a beautiful cheek ; and 
 in Talmudic language, as Jarchiobserves, the cheeks 
 are called 'E><1 'DQli, the pomegrauales of the 
 face. And these being compared to a " piece 
 of pomegranate within her locks," may 
 denote her modesty, shamefaeeduess, and 
 beauty. 1 . Her modesty : the cheeks are the 
 scat thereof, and being within her locks, give 
 the greater evidence of it. The church of Christ, or 
 believers, are very humble and modest ; they think 
 the worst of themselves and the best of others, and 
 so take the apostle's advice, Phil. ii. 3, " Let each 
 esteem others better than themselves :" they are 
 apt to think every saint lias more grace and less 
 sin and corruption in them than they have, and 
 esteem themselves the least of saints and the chief 
 of sinners ; they frankly acknowledge that all they 
 have, and all they are, is owiug to the grace of 
 God ; that whatsoever they hav», either of nature 
 or grace, whether temporal or spiritual, they have 
 received from him : and whatever they are, they 
 say it is by the grace of God they are what they 
 are ; they do not envy the gifts and grace of God, 
 which are bestowed on others, but could wish, 
 with Moses, Numb. xi. 29, that " all the Lord's 
 people were prophets ;" yet they could be glad of 
 
 aelis Not. in Lowth. Prelection. 31. p. 16-5. 
 
 1 MTiXoi/ aH, Sept. gena tua, Pagninus ; gena; tuas, 
 Vulg Lat. and Cocceius. ■" Purpureas genas, 
 
 Ovid. Amor. 1. 1. eleg. 4. Statii Thebaid. 1. 1 . v. hZ%. 
 Ausonii Parental 23. v. 16. Purpurissatas genas, 
 
 Apuleii Apo'.Og, p. 239. " Vohtr,v nap(Lt.r\v, &C. 
 
 Museus de Hero, &c. v. 191, IG.'j. 
 
VER. 
 
 4.] 
 
 SONG OF SOXGS. 
 
 145 
 
 more themselves, and are not puffed up with what 
 they have, and therefore are far from despising 
 others who are inferior to them ; they are willing 
 to be instructed by, and receive admonition from 
 the meanest saint : they are very sparing in speak- 
 ing of themselves; like theirdearLord, their " voice 
 is not heard in the street ;" and, whea they do open 
 their mouths, it is not in commendation of them- 
 selves and their own righteousness; but in lament- 
 ing the depravity and pollutiou of their nature, in 
 acknowledging the imperfection of their obedience, 
 and that when they have done all they can, they 
 are but unprofitable servants. 2. Her shamefaced- 
 ness and blushing ; which is elegantly set forth by 
 the broken piece of the shell or rind of the pome- 
 granate, tinctured with the red and purple juice 
 thereof: a believer oftentimes blushes before God 
 under a sense of sin, and especially when com- 
 mitted against love, grace, and mercy ; thus we 
 read of Ezra, chap. ix. 6, that he was " ashamed, 
 and blushed to lift up his face to God, because tliat 
 grace had been showed them from him ; and he 
 had left them a remnant to escape, and had given 
 them a nail in his holy place, and had extended 
 mercy to them in the sight of the kings of Persia ;" 
 and yet, after all this, they had forsaken his com- 
 maudment : it is this which cuts and grieves a be- 
 liever's heart, and fills his face with shame and con- 
 fusion ; and never more is he put to the blush, than 
 when he views sin in the glass of pardoning grace, 
 and pacifying love, according to Ezek. xvi. 63, 
 " That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, 
 and never open thy mouth any more, because of 
 thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee ;" then 
 are their cheeks like a piece of a pomegranate with- 
 in their locks, or under a veil ; they blush when 
 no eye sees them, and for that which none ever saw 
 or could charge them with : and whenever they are 
 charged with or reproved for sin, they have not a 
 brow of brass to outface the charge, but soon dis- 
 cover their consciousness of guilt by the blushing 
 of their countenance. Moreover, whenever they 
 cast their eyes upon their own righteousness, they 
 are ashamed of it, it being nothing but filthy rags, 
 and " as an unclean tiling ;" and oftentimes, when 
 they come into Christ's presence, not having that 
 holy boldness and confidence of faith in him, they 
 hang their heads, and dare not so much as lift up 
 their eyes to him ; wherefore he says to them, as 
 in chap. ii. 14, " Let me see thy countenance, 
 let me hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voice, 
 and thy countenance is comely ;" and that in 
 order to remove their fears, cheer their souls, 
 and encourage their faith. 3. Her beauty : 
 when a pomegranate is broken, there appears 
 a reddish juice, like blood, as Pausanius " 
 remarks : iuterspread between the white ker- 
 nels, which gives a lively idea of her beauty; 
 she being, as she says of her beloved " white 
 and ruddy," and so a perfection of beauty : her 
 modest dress and blushing looks : her temples 
 
 • Bceotica, sive 1.9. p. 578. 
 
 or cheeks being within her locks, or under a veil ; 
 and these like a piece of a pomegranate, made her 
 extremely beautiful in Christ's eyes ; modest and 
 humble souls he fixes his eye on, and delights to 
 dwell with ; to these he will give more grace, and 
 will beautify them yet more with his salvation. 
 
 Verse 4. Thy neck is like the tower of David, 
 luilded for an armoury ; whereon there hang 
 a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty 
 men. 
 
 In this verse Christ proceeds to give a sixth in- 
 stance of the church's beauty, and compares her 
 neck to the tower of David, &c. The Targum, 
 by her neck, understands " the chief ot the 
 session or great council," who, for his works 
 and worthiness, was like David king of Israel : 
 R. Abeu Ezra expounds it of the king, and the 
 bucklers and shields of the princes : R. Solomon 
 Jarchi interprets the neck of the chambers of 
 hewn stone, where the great council sat, which, 
 he says, was the strength and fortress of Israel ; 
 the bucklers or shields, the law, which is a 
 shield or buckler to Israel, which God hath 
 commanded to a thousand generations : and 
 others of the Jewish writers? think, that by the 
 neck, the house of the sanctuary or temple is 
 intended. Though rather, by the church's neck 
 are meant, either. 
 
 First. The ministers of the Gospel; who, 1. 
 As the neck, are placed next the head, in the 
 more eminent part of the body, they are set 
 above the rest of the members ; but yet in sub- 
 jection to Christ, the Head ; they are fixed be- 
 tween the head and the body, and are ruled by 
 the one, and govern the other ; but with no other 
 laws but what are given forth by the head. 2. 
 As the neck, they are adorned with chains of gold, 
 which are the gifts and graces of the Spirit ; 
 which, in a variety, are given to them, to make 
 them both beautiful and useful in the place where- 
 in they are set. 3. As the neck joins to the head, 
 so they hold to the Head, Christ Jesus, and no- 
 thing can separate them from him ; the flatteries 
 and allurements of the world cannot draw them ; 
 nor its terrors, reproaches, and persecutions, drive 
 them from Christ ; but they still espouse his 
 cause, vindicate his person, preach his Gospel, 
 and hold fast their profession, though it be with 
 the peril of their lives. 4. As the neck, they 
 bear up and support the Head, that is, the name, 
 cause, and interest of Christ Jesus ; so the apostle 
 Paul is said to be " a chosen vessel, to bear 
 Christ's name among the Gentiles," Acts ix. 15 ; 
 and Pselles, an ancient writer, thinks that he is 
 here particularly meant. 5. As the neck joins 
 the body to the head, so they bring souls near to 
 Christ who are afar off ; and that by preaching 
 " peace to them that were afar off, and to lead 
 them that are nigh ;" they show souls the way 
 of salvation, and direct them to a crucified Christ ; 
 
 p Vid. Zohar. iu Gen. fol. 1 14, 3. and Yalkut in loc. 
 
 L 
 
]4G 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. IV. 
 
 tlipy woo and beseech tbem, and are the iDstru- 
 ments of espousing them to him. 6. As the neck 
 is (he means of conveying food to the bod}' ; so 
 the)' are the means of conveying spiritual food 
 to souls from Christ ; all spiritual food and 
 nourishment is derived to the members from 
 Christ the Head ; and very frequently, through 
 the ministry of the word : Christ gives his minis- 
 tering servants light, liuowledge, and understand- 
 ing iu Gospel truths, that they may feed others 
 therewith; he breaks the bread of life, and gives 
 it to them, that they may give to every one their 
 portion ; as he took the loaves, and distributed to 
 his disciples, and they to the multitude. Now this 
 neck of the church may be compared to the 
 tower of David. 
 
 The tower of Davidi was either the strong- 
 hold of Zion, which he took from tlie Jebusites, 
 and rebuilt ; or some other tower, erected by him 
 for an armoury, wherein his worthies or mightymen 
 hung up their shields ; such an one as the house 
 of the forest of Lebanon, afterwards built by Solo- 
 mon, was, where he put two hundred targets, 
 and three hundred shields, all made of beaten 
 gold : and therefore mention is made in Isa. 
 xxii. 8, of the armour of the house of the fo- 
 rest." Now the ministers of the Gospel may be 
 compared to David's tovver : tlie Lord says of 
 Jeremy, chap. vi. 27, " 1 have set thee for a 
 tower and for a fortress among my people." I. 
 They may be compared to the tower of David for 
 its height ; towers are usually built very high, 
 and, no doubt, this tower of David's was built so ; 
 Mr. Sandys' says it stood aloft ia the utmost 
 angle of a mountain, vfhose ruins are yet extant : 
 ministers are set in the highest post and place in 
 Christ's house ; are called with the high calling 
 of God, to the greatest work therein, and are en- 
 dowed with the largest measures of gifts and 
 graces for it, and ought to be highly esteemed of 
 for their works' sake. 2. For its erectness : 
 towers are built erect, and for this reason the 
 neck is compared to one ; the beauty of the neck 
 consisting iu its straightness and uprightness; 
 which may set forth the integrity and upright- 
 ness of ministers, both in doctrine and con- 
 versation : as Christ has counted them faithful, 
 
 ' Turris David. Munita and excelsa valde, quae 
 in duarum voraginum angulo, in prseruptse rupis 
 colie ex quadris lapidibus, ferro and plumbo indis- 
 solubilitercompaginati.<!, aDaviderege ediflcata erat. 
 Ciijus singulan's fortitudo and egregia pulchritudo 
 ad commcndationem sponsiE Christi, quje est «ccles- 
 yia. a Solomone producitur, cura ait, Sicut turris 
 David, collum tuum, &c. Adrichom. Theatrum Terrje 
 SauetcP, p. 168. b. • Travels, p. 139. • Tbe 
 
 Hebrew word nvc'jn is only used in this place, and 
 is left untranslated by the Septuagint. Jewish 
 writers differ about the sense and dcriv.if on of it. 
 Seme, as R. Aben Ezra observes, take it to be a 
 compound word, of nb.l to hang, and nTD mouths or 
 edges, that is, of swords ; and so suppose this tower 
 to be buijt to hang up swords in ; which agrees well 
 enough w:th our translation, and with Junius and 
 Tremellius's version, who read the word, ad armaria. 
 Others think, that it is compounded of W an heap, 
 
 and put them into the ministry, and has put the 
 word of reconciliation into their hands, so they 
 will not let it go ; but will hold fast the faith- 
 ful word whatever it cost them, or whatever 
 be the consequence of it : moreover, they are 
 as careful to hold it forth in their lives, and 
 to exercise a good conscience void of offence, 
 both towards God and man. 3. For its strength : 
 towers, as they are built high and upright, so 
 they are usually built strong ; and no doubt but 
 this tower of David's was: the ministers of the 
 Gospel, like towers, are strong and immoveable, 
 cannot be easily moved away from the hope of the 
 Gospel ; bonds and imprisonment will not move 
 them, nor death itself scare them from it ; but, 
 like strong towers and walls of brass, they stand 
 the batteries of Satan and the world. 4. Towera 
 were built for defence, and so perhaps was this of 
 David's : ministers of the Gospel are set for the 
 defence of it ; and they have been enabled so well 
 to do it, that it has not been in the power of the 
 enemy hitherto to take and destroy it. 5. Some- 
 times they are built to watch in ; thus we read of 
 a watch-tower, in Hab. ii. 1 ; ministers of t!ie 
 Gospel are represented as watchmen, whose work 
 is to give warning of, and to prevent approaching 
 danger, and to watch over and for the souls of 
 men. 6. This tower of David was built for an 
 armoury," on which were hung a thousand buck- 
 lers, &e. ; this may intend that furniture which 
 ministers have for their work ; and that iravoirXla, 
 or whole armour of God, which they are supplied 
 with out of the scriptures, to defend the Gospel 
 against all opposers. And so. 
 
 Secondly. By the church's neck, which is com- 
 pared to " the tower of David," may be under- 
 stood also the scriptures of truth ; which, 1. As 
 the neck is joined to the head, and being erect, 
 discovers and makes it conspicuous ; so the 
 scriptures being near to Christ, point him out, 
 lead and direct souls unto him ; they hold him 
 forth, and discover him to them; and therefore 
 Christ exhorts us, John v. 39, to " search the 
 scriptures," and for our encouragement declares, 
 that they testify of him. 2. They are the means of 
 conveying s])iritual breath to souls : the words 
 which Christ speaks, aud when he speaks them to 
 
 and nVE mouths, edges, oi corners ; and so intends 
 an heap of stones, built up very high and strong, cut 
 in various forms and corners; so Kimchi, in lib. 
 Shora-h. rad ^"^n which are no other than the pina- 
 cl-'s or battlements of towers ; accordingly Aria.s 
 Montanus renders the words, celsa acumina; and 
 Cocceius translates it, in molem pinnarum. Others 
 derive it from f]bn to teach ; and suppose it to in- 
 tend some very beautiful strui'ture, which might serve 
 as !i pattern, and be very instructive to artificers, 
 80 Jarchi in loc. though R. Jonah in Kimchi, lib. 
 Shorash. rad ^''3? thinks, that it was designed to 
 show travellers their way : accordingly Pagnine 
 reads it, ad docendum tran.«euntes: and the Tigu- 
 rine version, ad usum divigendi homines ; in w hich 
 sense it may easily be applied to the ministers of the 
 Gospel, whose business is to show men the way of 
 salvation ; and to the word of God, which is a light 
 to our feet, and a lanthorn to our paths. 
 
VER. 4.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 147 
 
 the soul, " they are spirit, and they are life ;" and 
 when attended with an almighty power, they 
 make "dry bones live," and become the "savour 
 of life unto life" to dead sinners. 3. They are 
 the means of couveying spiritual food, as well as 
 spiritual breath ; as through the neck our breath 
 is drawn, and food communicated to us, so through 
 the scriptures we have spiritual breath and spiri- 
 tual food ; they supply us with that which is 
 nourishing and satisfying, delightful, and pleasant, 
 sweeter than the " houey or the honey-comb." 
 4. As the neck is beautified with chains of gold; 
 so are the scriptures bespangled with glorious 
 truths and precious promises, where every truth 
 is a golden link, aud every promise a pearl, to a 
 believing soul. 
 
 Now this ueck of the church, the sacred scrip- 
 tures, may very justly be represented by " the 
 tower of David." I. For height : the scriptures 
 are an high tower; the truths and doctrines 
 contained therein are sublime; they are 
 out of sight, beyond the reach, and above the 
 capacity of a natural man ; they are things which 
 the carnal eye hath not seen, the carnal heart 
 cannot conceive of, and which are only known, 
 judged, valued, and esteemed by the spiritual man, 
 to whom the Spirit of God has revealed these 
 deep things ; for there are heights and depths in 
 the sacred volumes, which require an eagle's eye 
 and an angel's heart. 2. For strength, firmness, 
 and immoveableness : Satan and his emissaries 
 have used all their art and cunning, and employed 
 all their power and might to remove the scrip- 
 ture out of the world; but they have found it 
 "a burdensome stone" unto thtm ; " the gates of 
 hell " and earth have not been able to " prevail 
 against it ;" it has stood, and ever will, im- 
 moveable as a rock, and impregnable as a tower. 
 3. It is like David's tower, " built for an armoury, 
 whereon hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of 
 mighty men." From hence are saints furnished 
 with spiritual armour, 1. To repel Satan's temp- 
 tations: when that enemy of souls set upon 
 Christ in the wilderness, and threw his fiery 
 darts and poisoned arrows at him ; he defended 
 himself, and vanquished the enemy with bucklers 
 and shields, and the like pieces of armour taken 
 out of his armoury ; he repelled and weakened 
 the force of his temptations, by saying, at every 
 assault of the tempter, " It is written," so or so : 
 and thus likewise believers are enabled to do 
 more or less ; there is no better weapon to engage 
 with that enemy thau " the sword of the Spirit, 
 which is the word of God;" neither is there 
 a better storehouse, and magazine of spiritual 
 armour, than the scriptures be ; the reason why 
 those young men, in 1 John ii. 14, are said to 
 " overcome the wicked one " is, because the 
 word of God abode in them. 2. To defend the 
 gospel, and refute erroneous doctrines : thus 
 Christ refuted the errors of the Pharisees con- 
 cerning the law, and of the Sadducees concerning 
 
 the resurrection from the dead, and proved 
 tlie spirituality of the one, and confirmed 
 the truth of the other by scripture testimonies : 
 so Paul and Apollos mightily convinced the Jews, 
 and proved from the scriptures, that Jesus was 
 tlie Christ, the true Messiah; for, as in 2 Tim. 
 iii. 16, 17, " all scripture is given by inspiration 
 of God, and is proGtable for doctrine, for reproof, 
 for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 
 that the man of God," every believer, and more 
 especially a minister of Christ, " may be perfect, 
 thoroughly furnished to every good work ;" and 
 particularly to defend truth, and refute error, for 
 which he may be abundantly supplied out of this 
 armoury; for here "hang a thousand bucklers," 
 and these are " all shields of mighty men ;" 
 which mighty men may use, and by which they 
 may perform mighty actions, and do great exploits. 
 Thirdly, By the church's neck, which is com- 
 pared to " the tower of David," we may also un- 
 derstand the grace of faith ; and 1. As the neck 
 is united to the head and members, so believers, 
 being united to Christ, lay hold upon him by faith, 
 and closely adhere to him ; by faith Christ dwells 
 in our hearts, and by faith we dwell in him, being 
 one with him. 2. It bears up and exalts the 
 head ; there is no grace which brings that glory 
 to Christ, and honours hira, as this does ; it is a 
 soul-emptying, self-abasing, and Christ-exalting 
 grace. 3. Through it is conveyed, and by it are 
 derived from Christ, the Head, all life, food, and 
 nourishment to oar souls : it is by faith we live 
 on Christ, aud receive life, and the comfortable 
 supplies of it; all food and uonrishmeut comes 
 from Christ, the Head, which faith receives and 
 conveys unto us. 4. It is adorned with other 
 graces and good works : the other grace of the 
 Spirit, such as hope, fear, love, humility, patience, 
 self-denial, &c., are like chains of gold about this 
 neck ; besides there are also the fruits of righte- 
 ousness which attend it, and make it look very 
 beautiful and amiable. 5. It is like to the neck 
 for erectness ; it looks not downwards, but up- 
 wards to Christ, who is, " the Author and Finisher 
 of it; it is attended with an humble boldness, 
 an holy confidence, and a becoming cheerful- 
 ness. 
 
 This may now be compared to "the tower of Da- 
 vid," 1 . For its height : the author of this grace of 
 faith is the Most High God : it has its original 
 from above ; its object is Christ, who is " made 
 higher than the heavens ;" and to him it looks, 
 on him it lives, in him it dwells : and is still press- 
 ing on toward" the mark, for the prize of the 
 high calling of God in Christ Jesus." 2. It is 
 like a tower builded for an armoury ; faith is the 
 believer's defence, his buckler and shield, whereby 
 he is enabled "to quench the fiery darts" of Satan: 
 faith makes use of God as its shield, being encou- 
 raged so to do, by the declaration of grace made 
 to Abraham, Gen. xv. 1, " Fear not, I am thy 
 shield, and thy exceeding great rev.'ard." Faith 
 
 L 2 
 
14S 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THK 
 
 [chap. IV. 
 
 improves and makes use of every perfection in 
 God, as a sliield, his love, grace, power, faithful- 
 ness, &c., faith makes use of all God's promises 
 as such, there is never a promise in the 
 gospel, but will serve for a buckler and shield 
 for faitli, which believers, atone time or another, 
 have also used as such ; but more especially, faith 
 uses Christ as such, who is the believer's sun and 
 shield, and will give grace and glory to them, and 
 will withhold 110 good thing from them -. Christ in- 
 deed rather than faith, is a storehouse and maga- 
 zine of armour, whereon hang a thousand buck- 
 lers : iu whom an inexhaustible, overflowing, 
 and all-sufficient fulness of grace dwells : from 
 wheuce faith is furnislied with all sorts of grace, 
 and every needful piece of spiritual armour. 
 
 Verse 5. Thy two breasts are like two young 
 ror.s that are twins, which feed among the 
 lilies. 
 
 These words contain the seventh and last parti- 
 cular instance of the church's beauty ; in which 
 her breasts are compared to " two young roes" 
 very elegantly exposing the beauty of him ; 
 they are compared to " two young roes" 
 for smallness, large breasts not being accounted 
 handsome, " to young roes that are twins," be- 
 cause they are of equal size and bigness, not one 
 larger and higher than the other, for that would 
 be a deformity ; and to " two young roes that 
 feed among the lilies," which are fat and plump, 
 and so well expresses the fulness of them, they 
 being not dry and empty breasts : such are some- 
 times called sororiantes^ as if they were sisters, 
 beiug alike ; and full and distended with milk, 
 reach and join to, and as it were kiss each other 
 as such; or, " two fawns, the twins of a doe :" 
 providence, as Plutarch" observes, has given to 
 women two breasts, that, should they have tvvius, 
 both might have a fountain of nourishment : and 
 though the hind, for the most part, brings but 
 one roe at a time ; yet the philosopher observes,™ 
 there are some that bring twins. Now by the 
 church's breasts, we may understand either. 
 
 First. The ministers of the Gospel. The Tar- 
 gum here makes mention of the Jews' two 
 Messiahs : which is a Talmudic fiction, and shows 
 the work, to be a later one than what is pre- 
 tended : the words are thus paraphrased iu it : 
 " Thy two redeemers which shall redeem thee, 
 Messiah sou of David, and Messiah son of Ephraira, 
 are like to Moses and Aaron, the sons of Jochebed, 
 who are compared to two young roes that are 
 twins ; who, in their integrity, fed the people, the 
 house of Israel, forty years in the wilderness, with 
 manna and fatted fowls, and water of the well of 
 Miriam." And agreeable to this paraphrase, other 
 Jewish writers^ would have Moses and Aaron liere 
 intended, who suckled and fed the people of Israel, 
 
 and as twins, were very like one another. Bat I 
 think they may be much better applied to the min- 
 isters of the Gospel ; who impart the " sincere 
 milk of the word " to persons ; deliver the sweet, 
 comfortable, aud nourishing doctrines of grace : 
 which may be compared to milk out of the breasts, 
 with which they feed them, as the apostle says, 
 1 Cor. iii. 2, " I have fed you with milk ;" 
 which is nourishing to new-born souls, suitable 
 to their natures, aud easily digested by them. Now 
 these breasts of the church, the ministers of the 
 Gospel, may be compared, 
 
 1st. To two young roes, which are, 1. Loving 
 and pleasant creatures ; " let her be as the loving 
 hind and pleasant roe ;" &c., Prov. v. 19 ; minis- 
 ters of the Gospel are loving and affectionate to 
 such sonls, more especially who are born again 
 under their ministry, whom they feed with the 
 milk of the word; they are as fond of them, and 
 bear as great an affection to them, as the tender 
 mother or nurse do to their sucking babes, ac- 
 cording to what the apostle says, 1 Thess. ii. 7, 
 8, " But we were gentle among you, even as a 
 nurse cherisheth her children ; so being affection- 
 ately desirous of you, we were willing to have 
 imparted unto you, not the Gospel of God only, 
 but also our own souls, because ye were dear to 
 us :" than which nothing can be more passionate- 
 ly spoken, nor in a more lively manner represent 
 the strong affection and tender love and regard 
 that ministers show, to souls: moreover as they 
 are as the loving hind unto souls, so they are as 
 the pleasant roe in their esteem ; they love them, 
 and are loved by them ; they appear exceeding 
 beautiful and lovely in the eyes of those to whom 
 God has made them useful ; for the very feet of 
 them that bring glad tidings are beautiful to them. 
 2. Those creatures are sharp-sighted ones ; min- 
 isters of the Gospel, having their understandings 
 opened, their judgments informed, aud their souls 
 led by the Spirit of God, iuto '"' the truth, as it 
 is in Jesus," have light, knowledge, and penetra- 
 tion into the scriptures of truth, and are capable 
 of directing and guiding the feet of, aud showing 
 the way of salvation unto others. 3. They are 
 swift creatures ; thus the apostles and first minis- 
 ters of the Gospel, like young roes, ran, spread, 
 and carried the Gospel all over the Gentile world ; 
 " their sound went into all the earth, aud their 
 words unto the end of the world :" and it may 
 also denote in general, how expedite and quick of 
 dispatch ministers are in doing of the Lord's work, 
 notwithstanding a great many difficulties are iu 
 the way : yet, like young roes, they leap over these 
 mountains, and skip over these hills, and are " not 
 slothful in business, but fervent iu Spirit, serving 
 the Lord." 4. Here is only mention made of two 
 young roes, and that to suit with the number of 
 her breasts ; and two breasts being sufficient for 
 
 •Papilla; sororiabant, Plauti Frivolari, Fragm. 1. 7. 
 Mammas sororiantes, Plin. 1. 31 c. ti. " De Li- 
 
 beris Educaud. vol, 2. p. 5. " Aristot, de 
 
 Animal. 1. 6. c 29. 
 aud Yalcut in loc. 
 
 K. Sol. Jarchi, Alshech, 
 
•] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 140 
 
 one person, denotes the sufficient nnuiber of min- 
 isters which Christ provides for his church : when 
 he had sent out the twelve apostles, he afterwards 
 sent ot:t other seventy disciples, and these he sent 
 out " two and two ;" and so in all ages of the 
 world, as he has removed some, he has sent others, 
 and when there has been want of snob workmen 
 in his vineyard, he has prayed " the Lord of the 
 harvest " to send forth more labourers ; and as 
 the fruit of his ascension and intercession, sufficient 
 gifts have been given to a competent number of 
 men to fit them for the ministry, for the good of 
 his body, the church. 
 
 2Qdly. They are compared, not only to two 
 young roes, but to young roes that are twins : 
 which is expressive of their equal authority, joint 
 commission, aud harmony of doctrine, as has been 
 already observed on ver. 2. 
 
 3,rdly. They are compared to two young roes 
 that " feed among the lilies ; the lilies of the field," 
 for such they- were. Matt. vi. 28 ; and we some- 
 times read of harts and hinds being among lilies.?^ 
 Now the lilies, among which the ministers of the 
 Gospel feed, are either, 1. The scriptures, which 
 they make their principal study, and the mean 
 subject of their contemplation ; here their own 
 souls are delighted, comforted, and instructed, and 
 so become useful in comforting and instructing 
 others ; from whence they gather food for them- 
 selves, and being nourished viith the wholesome 
 words of faith and sound doctrine, they are capa- 
 ble of feeding others also. Or, 2. The saints ; 
 in what respects the people of God may be com- 
 piired to lilies, has been shown on chap. ii. 2, 
 among these the ministers of the Gospel feed, and 
 and to these they break and impart the bread of 
 life. 3. It may be observed, that it is where 
 Christ himself feeds, as in chap. ii. 16. The min- 
 isters of the Gospel feed where Christ feeds, aud 
 Christ feeds where they do ; the great end of the 
 Gospel-ministry is, not only that saints may have 
 communion one with another, but also with their 
 Head, Christ Jesus. Would any therefore enjoy 
 communion with Christ ? Are any desirous of 
 knowing where Christ feeds? he feeds where his 
 ministers do, and that is among the lilies, in the 
 congregation of the saints ; it may serve then as 
 a direction to such, to sit under a Gospel-minis- 
 ter. Or, 
 
 Secondly. We may understand by the church's 
 t wo breasts, the two Testameuts, the Old and the 
 New. A Jewish writer,^ would have their two 
 laws here intended, namely, the written law, and 
 the oral law ; the written law is that which was 
 written on the two tables of stone ; the oral law 
 is what they imagine God' gave to Moses by word 
 of mouth, which he gave to Joshua, and so was 
 banded down from one to another, and makes up 
 the volume of their vain, unprofitable, and numer- 
 ous traditions, called the Jlisnah : but it is much 
 
 y En aipicis ilium, Candida qui medius cubat inter 
 lilia, cervum? Calphurnius apud Bochart. Hiorozoic 
 
 better applied by another of them," to the two 
 tables themselves, on which were written the ten 
 commandments, five on one table, and five on the 
 other ; and so, like two young roes that are twins, 
 answered one another : though the two Testa- 
 ments, the Old and the New, seem to bid much 
 fairer to be the sense of these words; which two 
 breasts contain and impart the whole " sincere 
 milk of the word," and afford everything that is 
 nourishing and refreshing to believers ; here is 
 milk for babes, and meat for strong men ; and, 
 like "two young roes," are exceeding pleasant and 
 delightful to believers ; they rejoice the heart, 
 cheer the spirits, and fill the soul with a universal 
 pleasure ; and as two young roes that are twins 
 are alike, there is a harmouy and agreement be- 
 tween them ; they look to one another as the two 
 cherubim over the mercy-seat did. They agree, 
 1. In the person, office, and grace of Christ: the 
 Old-Testament has said nothing concerning the 
 Messiah, what he should be, do, or suffer, but what 
 the New-Testament has fully confirmed and more 
 clearly discovered ; and the New-Testament says 
 nothing of Ciirist, his person, office, and grace, but 
 what the Old bears a testimony to ; aud there- 
 fore, says Christ to the Jews, John v. 39, " search 
 the scriptures," that is, of the Old Testament; 
 " for they arc they which testify of me." (2). They 
 are alike in their doctrines ; the doctrines con- 
 cerning Christ's person, the remission of sins by 
 his blood, justification by his righteousness, &c., 
 are the same in both Testaments, notwithstanding 
 they were spoken at " sundry times, " and de- 
 livered in " divers manners ;" though perhaps 
 they are more clearly revealed in the one than in 
 llie other: the apostle Paul, that great asserter of 
 the doctrines of grace under the New Testament, 
 said no other things than what Moses and the 
 prophets said under the Old. 3. The promises 
 and prophecies of the Old-Testament have their 
 completion in the New ; there was nothing pro- 
 mised to be done, or prophesied that should be, 
 but what has been exactly fulfilled aud brought to 
 pass; neither is there scarcely any thing in the 
 New Testament, but what was promised aud pro- 
 pliesied of under the Old. 4. The types and 
 figures of the old law are exactly answered in the 
 New-Testament : the law was nothing else but a 
 shadow of good things to come ;" the passover 
 lamb, the brazeu serpent, the rock, and manna, the 
 Jewish sabbaths, sacrifices, new moon, washings, 
 aud purifications, all prefigured and had their ful- 
 filment in Christ Jesus : there is scarce any thing 
 in the New-Testament, but what was typified 
 under the Old; aud nothing prefigured under the 
 Old, but what has its completion in the New; 
 aud thus are they like two young roes that are 
 twins : aud they may also be said to be like roes 
 that " feed among the lilies," because they abound 
 with the lilies of gospel promises and gospel-doc- 
 par. 1.1.3. c. 24. col. 024. « R. Aben Ezra in loc. 
 • K. Solom. Jarcbi in loc. so in Yalkut in loc. 
 
150 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THK 
 
 [CIIAP. IV. 
 
 trines; these two fields are full of them ; there 
 are " exceeding great and precious promises," and 
 heavenly and delightful truths, which make for 
 the consolation, edification, and instruction of 
 God's people. Or, 
 
 Thirdly. By the church's two breasts may be 
 intended, the two ordinances of the gospel, bap- 
 tism, and the Lord's supper ; which are not dry 
 breasts, but the breasts of consolation, out of 
 which believers suck and are satisfied ; in the 
 Lord's supper, by faith they " eat the flesh," and 
 " drink the blood " of the Son of God, and feed 
 upon the bruised and broken body of a crucified 
 Jesus, and in so doing, receive much strength and 
 nourishment; in the ordinance of baptism, they 
 look to a buried and risen Jesus, behold the place 
 where their Lord lay, " who was delivered for their 
 offences, and rose again for their justification;" 
 and oftentimes go away, as the eunuch did, rejoic- 
 ing : now these, like " two young roes," are 
 exceeding pleasant and delightful to believers, 
 when they have the presence and Spirit of God 
 with them, and the discoveries of his love unto 
 them; for then are wisdom's ways, " ways of 
 pleasantness, and all her paths, paths of peace." 
 Again, like two roes that are twins, they are both 
 instituted by Christ, both lead the faith of God's 
 children to him ; they both require the same sub- 
 jects, namely, believers, and ought to go insepar- 
 ably together ; he that has a right to the one, has 
 an indubitable right to the other ; and he that sub- 
 jects to the one, should also to the other; for so 
 did the first primitive Christians, who, as soon as 
 converted, were baptized, and the same day joined 
 themselves to the church, and stedfastly continued 
 in holy fellowship aud communion with it; a 
 practice to be imitated and followed by us now. 
 Moreover, these may be said to " feed among the 
 lilies, " because they are all acknowledged, re- 
 ceived, and submitted to by the saints, who are 
 compared to lilies ; who not only entertain them, 
 but maintain and vindicate them against all oppo- 
 sers. 
 
 There are some,'' who think by the church's 
 breasts are meant, love to God, and love to our 
 neighbour, which are the two great command- 
 ments of the law ; and therefore love is said to 
 be the " fulfilling of the law." Now " we love 
 God, because he first loved us," and we love the 
 saints, because they are loved with the same love, 
 redeemed by the same blood as we are, have the 
 same grace wrought in their hearts, as we our- 
 selves have, and all as the fruit and effect of 
 divine grace ; and being thus filled with a sense 
 of God's love, they become very fruitful in good 
 works, and, like " two young roes," are exceeding 
 pleasant and delightful to Christ ; and therefore 
 he says, in ver. 10, " How fair is my love, my 
 sister, my spouse," &c., both to me and to my 
 
 *■ Bernard and Carpath. in Sauct. in loc. 
 • Vid. Ainsworth and Sanct. in loc. « Shilte 
 
 Hagibborim, c. 88. fol. 95. 4. -i Florus de Gcst. 
 
 saints : and like two young roes that are twins, 
 are wrought at one and the same time in the 
 soul ; bear a very great resemblance to each 
 other in their natures, properties, aud usefulness, 
 and do inseparably go together ; for where there 
 is love to God, there will be love to the saints : 
 for to say we love God, and do not love our bro- 
 ther, is a manifest contradiction, as the apostle 
 John says, 1 John iv. 20, " He that loveth not 
 his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love 
 God whom he hath not seen ;" and these being 
 fed by scripture-precepts and examples, grow and 
 increase abundantly, like two young roes which 
 are fat and plump, feeding among the lilies : but 
 the other senses of the words before-mentioned 
 seem better to agree with them. 
 
 Verse 6. Until the day break, and the sha- 
 dows flee away, I will get me to the moun- 
 tain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. 
 
 Some'' think these are the words of the church ; 
 who, not being able to bear any longer to hear 
 herself so highly commended, as in the preceding 
 verses, resolves to betake herself to some private 
 place, where she might be out of the hearing of 
 such praises and commendations : or else, being 
 under great temptations and darkness of soul, re- 
 solves to go to the mountain of the Lord's house, 
 ihe church of Christ, and there in reading, medi- 
 tation, prayer, and other exercises, wait for his 
 presence, and the manifestations of himself unto 
 her : or rather, being in distressed circumstances, 
 she is resolved to go to Christ himself, " the 
 rock that is higher than " she ; who, for the 
 odour of his sacrifice, the fragrancy of his inter- 
 cession, and sweet-smelling garment of his righte- 
 ousness, may be called " the mountain of myrrh," 
 and "hill of frankincense," as he is "a bundle 
 of myrrh," in chap. i. 13. But I am rather in- 
 clined to think, that they are the words of Christ; 
 in which we are told. 
 
 First. The place where he resolves to go to 
 and abide ; " the mountain of myrrh, and hill of 
 frankincense ;" which 1 apprehend intend one and 
 the same place ; though two places in Arabia 
 were so called." The allusion may be to moun- 
 tains and hills, where those odoriferous plants 
 grew ; such as were in or near Judea. It is said 
 of Pompey the Great, that when he passed over 
 Lebanon, after-mentioned, ver. 8, he went through 
 sweet-smelling groves, and woods of frankincense 
 and balsam ;^ aud Lebanon is thought by some,' 
 to have its name from the frankincense that 
 grew upon it ; though rather, from the whiteness 
 of the snow continually on it , and is, in the 
 Targum of ver. 8, called " the mouutain of snow;" 
 see Jer. xviii. 14. Secondly. How long he pro- 
 poses to contiuue here ; " until the day break, 
 and the shadows flee away." 
 
 Roman. 1. 3. c. 5. 
 ient. Urb. c. 6. p. 14. 
 
 Vid. Gabriel Sisnit. de Or- 
 
VEK. 
 
 C] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 151 
 
 Now by " the mountain of mynh, and hill of 
 frankincense," most of the Jewish writers^ under- 
 stand the temple, which was built on mount 
 Mori;fh, 2 Chron. iii. l.the place where Abraham 
 offered up his son Isaac ; in which mountain as 
 the Lord then, so frequeutly in after-ages, espe- 
 cially when the temple was built, appeared unto 
 his people. Now the temple may be called " the 
 mountain of myrrh, and hill of frankincense," 
 either in allusion to Moriah, the name of the 
 mountain on which it was built : which perhaps 
 might have its name originally from the abun- 
 dance of myrrh which grew upon it ; or else, be- 
 cause in it was the holy anointing oil, one ingre- 
 dient in which was " pure myrrh ;" and also the 
 incense, which was made of " pure frankincense," 
 together with other spices ; which was likewise 
 put upon their meat-oiferings, which were there 
 olFered up unto the Lord : and this sense of the 
 words is not altogether to be despised ; for in 
 the temple, 'Caz shechinah or Divine Majesty dwelt, 
 until Christ came in the flesh, when the gospel- 
 day broke, and the shadows of the ceremouial law 
 vanished, fled, and disappeared, as has been shown 
 in chap. ii. 17. Though I think rather, by " the 
 mountain of myrrh, aud hill of fraukiucense," is 
 intended the church of Christ ;^ where he has 
 taken up his residence, and resolves to dwell 
 unto his second coming ; which may be compared 
 to a hill or mountain. 1. For their height : hills 
 and mountains are higher than any other parts 
 of the earth ; and so is the church of Christ 
 than the rest of the world ; saints are higher in 
 Christ's esteem than all the world besides ; and are 
 exalted by his grace, and dignified with favours by 
 him above all others ; aud however low aud mean 
 they may now appear in the eyes of the world, 
 the time is coming when this " mountain of the 
 Lord's house shall be established in the top of 
 the mountains, and shall be exalted above the 
 hills," Isa. ii. 2. 2. For their immoveableuess : 
 hills and mountains cannot be removed ; no more 
 can the church or believers in Christ, Psalnou 
 cxxv. 1 ; for " they that trust in the Lord shall 
 be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, 
 but abideth for ever :" they shall never be re- 
 moved either from (/hrist's hands or Christ's 
 heart ; they shall never be removed from a 
 state of justification to a state of condem- 
 nation ; they are secured by electing love, 
 and preserved in Christ Jesus ; they are held fast 
 by covenant-bands, and are built upon "a sure 
 foundation, upon a rock," agaiust which " the 
 gates of hell can never prevail." 3. For being 
 places where trees grow, as oaks, cedars, olives, 
 &c., and famous for these were Baslian, Hermon, 
 Lebanon, the " mount of Olives," &c., in the 
 church of Christ are " trees of righteousness," 
 which, being planted by Christ's Father, flourish 
 
 ' Targum, R. Aben Ezra, and R. sol. Jarchi in loc. 
 and Zoharin Gen. fol. 75. 1. Alshech interprets it of 
 mount Sinai, and the day-break of the captivity of 
 
 like palm-trees,' and grow like cedars in Lebanon. 
 4. For being places of pasture for cattle ; such 
 were Bashan, Carmel, and Gilend -. in the church 
 of Christ there is pasture for all his sheep ; there 
 plenteous provisions of grace are made ; " a feast of 
 fat things," wiue mingled, bread prepared, and a 
 tablesufficiently furnished forallChrist'sfriends and 
 guests, in this his hoJy mountain, thechurch. 5. 
 la hills and mouutaias worship uned to be given, 
 and sacrifices offered up to God, as may be collected 
 from the discourse of Christ with the woman of 
 Samaria, John iv. 20, 21, as well as from other 
 l)laces of scripture : in the church of Christ the 
 worship of God is maintained, the word of God is 
 preached, his ordinances are administered, and 
 the sacrifices of prayer and praise are off'ered up 
 to him in the name and through the mediation 
 of Christ Jesus. And as it may be compared to a 
 mountain and hill, so likewise to " a mountain 
 of myrrh, aud hill of frankincense." (1.) Be- 
 cause of the fragrancy of those graces with which 
 the church is perfumed : hence she is said, in 
 chap. iii. 6, to be " perfumed with myrrh aud 
 frankinc^se, with all powders of the merchant ;" 
 and in this chapter, ver. 10, the smell of them 
 is said to exceed all spices ; and that more espe- 
 cially when they are in exercise ; so grateful, 
 well-pleasing, and sweet-smelling are they then 
 to Christ Jssus. (2.) Because of sacrifices 
 which are of "a sweet-smelling savour, that are 
 offered up here, as the sacrifices of prayer, which, 
 in Rev. v. 8, are called odours ; and are more 
 especially so to God the Father, when they are 
 ofl"ered up through Christ's mediation, being 
 perfumed with his much incense ; here are also 
 the sacrifices of praise, which are of an exceed! ug 
 grateful aud delightful odour to God ; for being 
 offered up to him through Christ, these spiritual 
 sacrifices become acceptable to him. (3.) Be- 
 cause of that pleasure aud delight which Christ 
 takes in his people, and that sweet coiamuuiou 
 which they here enjoy with him; so that to them 
 both it is " a mountain of myrrh aud hill of 
 frankiucense ;" where the one concludes, it is good 
 to be, and the other resolves to stay " till the 
 day break," &c. The saints are " the excellent 
 in the earth," with whom Christ delights to 
 converse, and' to whom his " goodness extends ;" 
 he says, " the lines are fallen to him in pleasaut 
 places ;" aud that he has a goodly heritage assigned 
 him by his Father ; inasmuch as they are his 
 to live and dwell with him for evermore : and to 
 the saints, Christ's " tabernacles are amiable " 
 and lovely ; they count " a day spent in his 
 courts, better than a thousand elsewhere ;" be- 
 cause there they see him, and have fellowship 
 with him, whom their souls love. Now in this 
 " mountain of myrrh, and hill of frankin- 
 cense," Christ, as he delights, so he resolves to 
 
 Egypt. B So the Cabalistic 'doctors by these 
 
 understand malcuth, the congregation of Israel, or 
 tJie chm-ch, Lexic, Cabal, p. 229. 277. 
 
152 
 
 AJI EXPOSITION OF TKK 
 
 [CIIAP. 
 
 " dwell, until the day break," &c. Which is, 
 1st. Uatil the day of grace breaks in upon every 
 elect soul. All that the Father hath loved with 
 an everlasting love, and hath chosen in Christ be- 
 fore the world began, he put into his hands ; who, 
 upon the reception of them, laid himself under ob- 
 ligation to redeem them by his blood, and bring 
 them safe to glory ; and as he has already done 
 the former, he is now doing the latter, through 
 the ministry of the word ; and therefore the preach- 
 ing of the gospel, a standing ministry, and a church 
 state, are continued on earth ; in which he will 
 stay, until every one of those other sheep are 
 called by diviue grace, whom he has laid himself 
 under obligation to bring in ; and now, when 
 grace breaks in upon a poor sinner's heart, it is 
 like the break of day unto him ; light springs into 
 his understanding, which before was darkened ; he 
 was darkness itself, is now made light in the Lord ; 
 and is no more reckoned among the children of 
 the night, but among the children of the day ; 
 for now the shadows of ignorance and infidelity 
 are fled away ; the scales of darkness are fallen 
 from his eyes, and in God's light he sees light : 
 he now sees his lost and undone state without 
 Christ, the corruption and depravity of his nature, 
 and the plague of his own heart ; he sees the im- 
 purity and imperfection of his own righteousness, 
 and the glory and fulness of Christ's ; he sees 
 Christ as a proper, suitable, able, and willing 
 Saviour ; he sees things he never saw before, and 
 which will ever remain invisible to a carnal eye. 
 Now until the day of grace has thus broken in upon 
 every elect soul ; and the shadows of blindness, 
 ignorance, and infidelity, are thus fled and gone: 
 Christ has taken up his residence, and will dwell 
 in his church, which, to him, is a mountain of 
 myrrh and hill of frankincense. Or else, 
 
 Sndly. Until the day of glory breaks ; that 
 everlasting day, in which there will be no more 
 night; when all shadows of darkness, infidelity, 
 doubts, and fears, will flee away ; when saints 
 shall be attended no more with the long, tedious, 
 and dark nights of afflictions and sorrows, and 
 shall stand in no need of shadowy ordinances ; 
 but shall enjoy Christ, the sum and substance of 
 all, and dwell and be delighted with him perpe- 
 tually, upon the everlasting mountains of spices, 
 as has been shown on ch. ii. 17. 
 
 Verse 7. Thou art all fair, my love, there is 
 no spot in thee. 
 
 (/HKiST having mentioned some particular parts 
 of the church, wherein she appeared very beauti- 
 ful ; in describing of which his soul was so taken 
 with her beauty, that he resolves to dwell with 
 her till his second coming; and now, lest it 
 should be thought that there was a defect of 
 beauty in the parts not mentioned, he sums up 
 
 all in this general commendation ; " Thou art all 
 fair, my love, there is no spot in thee :" which 
 commendation may regard the church in some 
 particular period of time ; or, in general, be ex- 
 pressive of the fairness and beauty of the church, 
 aad every believer in any age of the world. A 
 learned Jewish writer,** would have the words re- 
 ferred to the days of Solomon ; in which, he af- 
 firms, all Israel were righteous : and another' to 
 the time when Israel received the law from 
 mount Sinai ; when, it is said , there were none 
 lame, blind, and dumb, among fhem : but they 
 much better agree with the primitive and apos- 
 tolic church, that was gathered by the minis- 
 try of the apostles after Christ's ascension, 
 which is the mind of some Christian expositors ;'' 
 and indeed the church then bid as fair for this 
 character, as in any other period of time what- 
 ever. Therefore, it may not be amiss if we 
 consider how well it agrees with it; which 
 will appear, if we observe, 
 
 Pirst. The pure doctrines of grace which 
 were then preached ; the doctrines of the gospel 
 by the first ministers thereof, were fully preach- 
 ed ; they kept back nothing that might be pro- 
 fitable to the church's upon any pretence what- 
 ever ; they shunned not to declare all the couusel 
 of God, whatever was the cousequence of it ; 
 and this they did in all sincerity and godly sim- 
 plicity : they used no artful methods to conceal 
 their principles, but renounced those hidden things 
 of dishonesty ; they did not handle the word of 
 God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth 
 commended themselves to every man's conscience ; 
 they did not corrupt the word of God,' and blend 
 it with their own inventions, but as of sincerity, 
 but as of God, being sent by him, in the sight of 
 God, so spake they in Christ ; and were always 
 jealous, lest the souls they ministered to should 
 be seduced and drawn away, by cunning and artful 
 men, from the simplicity of the gospel : they were 
 careful to deliver those doctrines consistently ; 
 their trumpet did not give an uncertain sound ; 
 their word was not yeaand nay, sometimes one thing, 
 and sometimes another, to the dishonour of the gos- 
 pel, and the confusion of souls, but was all of a 
 piece; they preachedagreeable to theanalogyof faith, 
 and were very solicitous to keep to that rule, and 
 not swerve from it : and with a great deal of 
 warmth and zeal they adhered to these truths ; 
 bravely withstood all opposers, feared the faces 
 of none, and studied to please no man; but were 
 bold in the name of God to speak the gospel of 
 God, though with much contention ; and how- 
 ever weak, mean, and contemptible their mini- 
 stry might appear to the world, it was attended 
 with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 
 and was made useful for the conversion of thou- 
 sands of souls : for these truths being received 
 
 '' R. Aben Ezra in loc. ' Vid. Yalkut in loc. 
 
 ^ Brightman and Cotton in loc. ' KaffiyXfi/ovTev, 
 caupouantes sermouem Dei ; metaphora sumpta est 
 
 ab hospitibus and cauponautibus, quibus m more 
 est vinum aqua corruinpere, Aretjus in 2 Cor. ii. 17. 
 
7.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 153 
 
 in the love thereof, wrought eifectually in them 
 that believed : and were constantly adhered to 
 and retained by them, maugre all the opposition 
 of men and devils. 
 
 Secondly. If we consider the nature of their 
 worship, which was pure and spiritual : the ordi- 
 nances were kept by them, as they were delivered 
 to them : were not mixed with human inventions, 
 and, to their eternal honour, were constantly at- 
 tended on by them : they were very frequent and 
 fervent in the duties of fasting and prayer, aud 
 did nothing of moment in the church without 
 them : all the parts of religious worship were per- 
 formed decently and in order by them ; in all 
 things they sought the glory of God, and the con- 
 solation and edification of each other. 
 
 Thirdly. If we take notice of their discipline, 
 which was strict, and according to rule : proper 
 officers were chosen by the joint suffrages of 
 the church ; ministers were by them set apart 
 for the ministry ; and deacons chosen by them to 
 take care of the poor, and serve the tables : church 
 censures and •■ excommunications were admini- 
 stered by the whole body, aud that with a great 
 deal of success; in case of private offences, they 
 gave private admonitions, and for public crimes, 
 rebuked before all, that others might tear : those 
 who were errouous iu principle, they sharply re- 
 proved : aud such as were disorderly iu practice, 
 withdrew from ; an heretic after the first aud se- 
 cond admonition, they rejected ; and such who 
 were the authors of division, and causes of conten- 
 tion, they carefully marked, observed, aud avoided. 
 
 Fourthly. -If we take a view of their Christian 
 commuuion and fellowship with each other ; they 
 lived in entire unity andharmouy with each other ; 
 they were all of one heart and of one soul ; one 
 soul did, as it were, dwell iu, and actuate all their 
 bodies ; they had a great deal of sympathy for 
 each other iu all distresses, whether inward or 
 outward, and freely communicated to each other; 
 they wept with those that wept, and rejoiced with 
 those that rejoiced ; they kept Christ's new com- 
 mandment, and entirely loved one another ; and in 
 so doing, gave an evidence of their beiug the true 
 disciples of Christ ; so that the very heatheustook 
 notice of it, and could say, " See how they love 
 one another !" ™ which, though they could not 
 condemn, yet it was not very grateful to them. 
 
 Fifthly. Their conversation was as becomeththe 
 gospel of Christ Jesus : they held the mystery of 
 the faith in a pure conscience ; that grace, which 
 was reveakd uuto them, and wrought in them, 
 taught them to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, 
 and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this 
 present world ; aud in so doing, they adorned the 
 gospel, honoured their profession, stopped the 
 mouths of gainsayers, aud recommended religion 
 to others ; and thus the primitive church much 
 continued for the first three hundred years after 
 
 Christ : but we are not to imagine, that there were 
 no blemishes and imperfections in her during all 
 this time ; for there were many, and more espe- 
 cially towards the latter end ; but, being compared 
 with the state of the church in after ages, she 
 might then be said to be all fair, and no spot in 
 her. But I rather think the words are not to be 
 limited to the church in any one period of time, 
 but are applicable to her and to all believers in 
 any age of the world ; who are all fair, not upon 
 the foot of their own works, as the Targum on the 
 place intimates ; for all their righteousnesses are 
 as filthy rags, and so are far from making them 
 appear fair and beautiful in Christ's sight; but 
 they are so, being justified by his righteousness, 
 washed iu his blood, and sanctified by his Spirit ; 
 and so shall be at last presented to him " a glorious 
 church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such 
 thing," Eph. v. 27. 
 
 The title and character which Christ here gives 
 to his church, " my love," I have already met 
 with and explained in chap. i. 9. It is here pre- 
 dicated of her, 
 
 1st. That she is all fair. She is said to be fair, 
 and is called by Christ, his fair one, and the fairest 
 among women, before ; but here, all fair : To show, 
 
 1. That she was a perfection of beauty, being 
 made perfect through that comeliuess which Christ 
 put upon her : believers are perfectly justified by 
 Christ's righteousness from all sin ; stand com- 
 plete in him, and so are esteemed all fair by him ; 
 and in respect of sauctification, there is a perfec- 
 tion of parts, though not of degrees ; there is a 
 perfect new creature in all its parts, though it is 
 not as yet grown up to be a perfect man in Christ ; 
 even as a new born babe, which has every part 
 and limb in just proportion, may be said to be 
 perfect, though it has not as yet grown up to the 
 stature and bigness it will do, if life is continued. 
 
 2. That the whole church, and aU the true mem- 
 bers thereof are so ; all of the church, every mem- 
 ber, every individual believer, is fair in Christ's 
 eye ; the meanest and weakest believer, as well as 
 the greatest and strongest, is made perfectly comely 
 with Christ's comeliness, and equally accepted in 
 the beloved. 3. He says so of the church, to 
 manifest the exceeding greatness of her beauty, 
 and how much his heart was taken with it, that 
 he, the king, greatly desired it, and delighted to 
 be in her company. 4. To comfort her, banish 
 her doubts aud fears, and strengthen her faith ; 
 who, seeing her own vileuess and sinfulness, and 
 spots and blemishes, might be ready to despond 
 in her mind, and call iu question her interest iu 
 Christ, and his righteousness ; therefore he says ; 
 " Thou art all fair, ray love :" I do love thee, 
 thou art exceeding fair and beautiful in my eye ; 
 all of thee is fair and beautiful ; thou art fairer 
 than all others, being adorned with my grace, and 
 clothed with ray righteousness. 
 
 ■■ Vide, inquiunt, ut invicem se diligant, Tertull. apolog. c. 39. Sic mutuo, quod deletes, amore dili- 
 gimus, quoniam odisso nun novimus. Sic. nos, quod invidctis, fratres vocamus, ut uuius Dei parentis ho- 
 mines, ut consortes fidci, ut spei cohxtredes, Minut. Filix Octav. p. (milii") 35. 
 
154 
 
 AX KXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CIIAP. 
 
 2ndly. He asserts that there was no spot iu her ; 
 which is not to be understood, 1. As if there was 
 no sin in believers ; for this is contrary to all the 
 experience of God's children, as well as to express 
 texts of scripture ; the humble coufeasions and 
 ingenuous acknowledgments of saints in all ages, 
 their frequent groans and complaints of the weight 
 and burden of it, are plain proofs to the contrary ; 
 their ardeut prayers at the throne of grace, for 
 the manifestations of pardoning love, that God 
 would cleanse them from seciet, and keep them 
 back from presumptuous sins, not only testify their 
 commission of sinful actions, but also their sense 
 of indwelling corruptions ; and their daily slips 
 and falls loudly proclaim the depravity of their 
 natures ; to imagine that we have no sin in ns, is 
 but to deceive ourselves, and to give an evidence 
 to others, that the trutli is not in us ; therefore, 
 when Christ says of his church, that there is no 
 spot in her, we are not to understand it in this 
 sense. Nor, 2. As if the sins of God's people 
 were not sins; for, though thev are justified by 
 
 Christ's righteousness from all'sin, and have all to Christ and his church: This, says he, is a 
 
 great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and 
 
 a large and full commendation of his church's 
 beauty, and having his heart exceedingly taken 
 with it, so that he could not bear a distance from 
 her: invites her, as his spouse and bride, to go 
 along with him, and look otf from the several 
 places mentioned. In the words are, 
 
 I. A special title given her, expressive of the 
 nearest relation to him ; "my spouse." 
 
 II. A kind invitation to go along with him, en- 
 forced with the most powerful arguments. 
 
 I. A special title is given to her, " my 
 spouse." This is a new one, which we never met 
 with before: He had called her his love, his dove, 
 and his fair one, but never, till now, his spouse ; 
 which is expressive of that near relation and 
 strict union that is between Christ and his church , 
 which union is represented by several things in 
 scriptore, as by the union of the head and mem- 
 bers, vine and branches ; but by none more 
 strongly than by the conjugal union of husband 
 and wife, by which they become one flesh; which 
 the apostle, Eph. v. 32, taking notice of, applies 
 
 their sins pardoned through Christ's blood : yet 
 their sins do not hereby cease to be sins: pardon 
 of sin and justification by Christ's righteousness, 
 free souls from an obligation to the punishment 
 due to sin, but do not destroy the nature of sin : 
 violations and breaches of God's righteous law, 
 made by his own people, are equally esteemed sins 
 by him, as those made by others ; and though he 
 never will inflict his vindictive wrath npon them 
 for their sins ; yet he does oftentimes, in a fatherly 
 manner, chastise them for them, and brings them 
 under a sense and acknowledgment of them before 
 him. But, 3. The church and all believers are 
 so in Christ's account ; though they have sin in 
 them, and have committed sin, and, through infir- 
 mity, continue to do so, yet sin is not reckoned 
 and imputed to them ; for, being clothed with his 
 spotless righteousness, he looks upou them as if 
 they had no spot in them ; and they are so corered 
 with it, that when their sins are sought for by 
 divine justice, they shall not be found, nay, God 
 himself having accepted of Christ's righteousness 
 and imputed it to them, sees no iniquity in Jacob, 
 nor perverseness in Israel : though all sin is seen 
 by him, in articulo providenlia , in the article of 
 providence, and nothing escapes his all-seeing eye ; 
 yet, in articulo justificationis, in the article of 
 justification, he sees no sin in his people, so as to 
 reckon it to them, or condemn them for it ; for 
 they all stand unblameable and nnreproveable in 
 his sight ; and Christ will ere long present them 
 in open view to men and angels, not having spot 
 or wrinkle, or any such thing. 
 
 Verse 8. Come with me from Lebanon, (my 
 spouse) with me from Lebanon : look from the 
 top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and 
 Hermon, Jrom the lions' duns, from th& moun- 
 tains of the leopards. 
 
 ('HBibT haviiij.', ill liie verse? going before, civcn 
 
 his church:" Christ and his church being es- 
 poused together, become one spirit; hence it 
 is that they are called by the same names : Christ 
 is called by the name of Israel, which is the 
 church's name, and the church is called by the 
 name of Christ ; hence all that Christ has is the 
 church's, and all that the church has is Christ's ; 
 her debts become his, and his grace becomes hers; 
 there is a mutual interest of persons and things ; 
 and that which crowns all, is, that this union is 
 indissoluble: this band can never be broken, nor 
 this marriage-knot be ever untied. 
 
 I shall now very briefly show you, 1st. How 
 the church came to be the spouse of Christ. 
 2ndly. Why she is first called so here. 
 
 1st. How the church came to be Christ's 
 spouse ; a person so much beneath him, at such 
 a distance from him, and so unlovely and un- 
 likely iu herself, it may justly seem strange and be 
 wondered at, how she came to be so nearly related 
 to him. And here aow observe, that the Lord Jesus 
 Christ from all eternity pitched his love upou her : 
 that he loved her from thence, is manifest from 
 his suretyship-engagements for her; he asked her 
 of his I'ather, who had a right to dispose of her, 
 and he gave him his heart's desire, and did not 
 withhold the request of his lips from him ; which 
 request being made by the Son, and consent given 
 by the leather, he then betrothed her to himself for 
 ever, and tliat in righteousness, and iu judgment, 
 aud in loving-kindness, and in mercies; aud resolved 
 to bestow that grace upon her, which should cause 
 her to know, own, and acknowledge him to be her 
 Lord and Husband : but notwithstanding this, at 
 present here was an actual consent of her own 
 wanting; wherefore he sends his ministering ser- 
 vants iu the several ages of the world to obtain 
 it: these are sent to display his greatness, dis- 
 cover tlie richness of his giace, aud speak of all 
 
VKR. 8.] 
 
 SONG 01-' SONGS. 
 
 155 
 
 his glories ; which, being impressed upoa souls 
 by the mighty power of his Spirit and grace, they 
 are willing to give up themselves to him to be his 
 for ever, to love, owu, and acknowledge him as 
 their Lord and Husband ; which may be called 
 " the day of their espousals" lo him : but all this 
 will more visibly and gloriously appear, when all 
 the elect are gathered in, and every soul of them 
 made willing to be a holy spouse unto him : then 
 shall the nuptials be solemnized, and that voice 
 should be heard in heaven, " the marriage of the 
 Lamb is come;" whose wife, being " as a bride 
 adorned for her husband," shall be received by 
 him, and enter with him into the marriage cham- 
 ber, where they shall spend an endless eternity 
 in the enjoyment of each other. 
 
 2ndly. Why she is first called so here ; she is in 
 the following verses, and in other parts of this 
 song, frequently called so, but never before this 
 time. (1). Being all fair, without any spot or 
 blemish, being prepared by his grace for himself, 
 and having a grant from him to be " arrayed in 
 fine linen, clean and white," he calls her his 
 spouse ; for now she looked something like one, 
 having on the wedding garment, Christ's spotless 
 righteousness. (2) . The marriage was now con- 
 summated, " the day of his espousals" was over, 
 which is mentioned in chap. iii. 11, for all that 
 comes between that and these words, is a com- 
 mendation of his church's beauty, which his heart 
 was wonderfully taken with on his marriage-day ; 
 and when he had finished the commendation, 
 salutes her with this title, my spouse. (3). The 
 mentioning of it here, may be also to prevail with 
 her to go along with him. Where should a wife 
 be? or with whom should she be, but with her 
 husband ? I am thy husband, and thou art my 
 spouse and bride ; and therefore both duty and 
 affection to vne should oblige thee to go along 
 with me : so that the import of the words is much 
 the same with those ; " forget thine own people, 
 and thy father's house, so shall the king greatly 
 desire thy beauty ; for he is thy Lord, and wor- 
 ship thou him," Psalm xlv. 10, 11. Which leads 
 me to consider, 
 
 II. The invitation he gives her to go along 
 with him, " Come with me, my spouse," &e., or, 
 as the words may be read, " Thou shalt come 
 with me,"° &c., for whatever Christ invites and 
 exhorts us to, he must give us grace and strength 
 to perform, and, blessed be his name, he does. 
 
 Lebanon, from whence she is exhorted and in- 
 vited to remove, was a goodly mountain, on the 
 borders of the land of Canaan, northward ; it was 
 famous for odoriferous trees, and especially for 
 cedars, wherefore frequent mention is made of it 
 in this song; this was that "goodly mountain 
 
 » 'Nian veiiies, Pagniuus, Montanus, Mercerus. 
 Junius and Tremellius. ° See Lightfoofs 
 
 Works, vol. 1. p. 76. and Bedford's Scripture CJiron- 
 ology, p. 607. P Targum and R. Aben Ezra in 
 
 loc. 1 R. Abendana; not. in Miclol Yoplii, E. Sol. 
 Jarchi in Zech. xi. I. ' Talmud Yoma.fol. 
 
 and Lebanon," which Moses had such a desire to 
 see before his death, Deut. iii. 25, the allusion 
 may be to the bringing of Pharaoh's daughter, 
 whom Solomon married, from the house of the 
 forest of Lebanon, where she might be first 
 placed, to tiie house he built for her, when it was 
 prepared to receive her," 1 Kings ix. 24. Some 
 of the Jewish writers^ think, that a mighty con- 
 flux of people to the temple, from all parts of 
 Judea, and even from among the uncircumcised, 
 who are compared to lions and leopards, is here 
 intended : but rather, we are to uuderstaud the 
 words as an exhortation, to remove from the tera- 
 ple and from Jerusalem ; for perhaps by Lebanon 
 here, may be meant the temple, as in Zech. xi. 1, 
 " Open thy doors, Lebanon, that the fire may 
 devour thy cedars;" which, by some Jewish wri- 
 ters,"i is expounded of the temple, aud the des- 
 truction of it : for they tell us,' that forty years 
 before the destruction of it, the gates of the tem- 
 ple opened of themselves ; at which R. Jochanau 
 Ben Zaccai, as if affrighted, rebuked them, aud 
 said, " Now know I that thy destruction is at 
 hand, according to the prophecy of Zechariah, the 
 son of Iddo, Open thy gates, O Lebanon," &c. 
 The temple might be called so, because it was 
 made of the wood of Lebanon, of cedars which 
 were brought from thence, and because the frank- 
 incense which grew there, was daily burnt in it, 
 and the glory of it was brought into it. Now iu 
 Christ's time the temple was become a den of 
 thieves, as he calls it, in Matt. sxi. 13; and iu 
 the apostles time was a den of lions, and a moun- 
 tain of leopards ; was full of painted and spotted 
 hypocrites, and cruel persecutors ; wolves in sheep's 
 clothing, who made havoc of the church, and 
 persecuted the saints from place to place ; where- 
 fore Christ removed from them, broke up house- 
 keeping with them, and left their house desolate 
 unto th em ; he took his gospel from them, or- 
 dered his ministers to depart far hence to the 
 Gentiles, and calls forth his people from among 
 them, to go along with him thither, " Come with 
 me from Lebanon, ray spouse," &c. Also he 
 bids her look from the top of Amana, from the 
 top of Shenir and Ilermon : Amana' was a moun- 
 tain, which divided Cilicia from Syria; from 
 whence perhaps the river at the foot of it took its 
 name, which in 2 Kings v. 12, is called Abana, 
 but in the keri or margin it is read Amana: and 
 so the Targum here expounds it of the people 
 which dwelt by the river Amana : R. Solomon 
 Jarchi would have it to be a mountain in the 
 northern border of Israel, and that it is the same 
 with mount Hor ;* and indeed, iu every place 
 where mention is made of mount Hor, the Tar- 
 gum of Joaathan* always renders it, Taurus 
 
 39. 2. • riin. 1. 6. c. 22. Pompon Mela, 1. 1. c. 
 
 12, and solin. c. h\. 
 
 ' So Talmud. Hieros. Challah, fol. 60. 1. and 
 Sheviith, fol. 37. 4. » In Numb. 20. 22, 25, 27. 
 
 and xxxiv. 7, 8. Deut. xxxii. SO. 
 
156 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. IV. 
 
 Umanns ; for Amanus, according to Ptolemy, was 
 a part of mount Taurus ; it is joined with Libanou 
 by Josephus,"' and was a part of it, where the 
 snow lay all the summer ; as it is both with that 
 and Carmel by ^lianus.^ Shenir and Ilermon 
 were one and the same mountain, called by differ- 
 ent names : Herraon perhaps was the common 
 name to the whole mountain ; and that part of it 
 which belonged to the Sidonians, they called 
 Sirion ; and the other (lart which belongei to the 
 Amorites, they called Shenir, Dent. iii. 9. Now all 
 these mountains may be called dens of lions, and 
 mountains of leopards, not only because they were 
 inhabited by those wild beasts,'' but because they 
 were inhabited by cruel, savage, and tyrannical 
 persons, and by thieves and robbers, and such like 
 persons, and especially Amana, as Strabo,^ Cicero,* 
 and Plutarch'' relate ; and whicli appears also from 
 what Lucan says, in his Pharsnlia, lib. 3, ver. 244. 
 
 Venere feroces, 
 
 Cappadoces duri populus nunc cultor Amani. 
 
 Shenir and Hermon were formerly, as Jarchi 
 observes, the dens of those lions, Sihon and Og, 
 kings of Bashan and of the Amorites ; unless 
 they should rather be thought to be the proper 
 names of some places about Lebanon, for Adricho- 
 mius"^ says, " The mountain of the leopards, which 
 was round and high, was two miles distant north- 
 wards from Tripolis, three from the city Areas 
 southward, and one from mount Lebanon." Now 
 from the tops of these mountains Christ would 
 have his ehurch look, and take a prospect how 
 the gospel was received, what numbers of souls 
 w'ere converted, and how churches were planted 
 in Phoenicia, Cyprus, Cyrenia, Antioch, &c., 
 though it was contemned, rejected, and persecuted 
 by the Jewish nation ; so that the words may be 
 understood of Christ's carrying his gospel into 
 the Gentile world, andsncceeuingin it, and calling 
 his people to take notice of it. Or else. 
 
 This may intend in general Christ's call to his 
 church and people, to leave the society of, and 
 come out from among the wicked men of the 
 world, comparalde to lions and leopards, and to 
 go along with him, as in 2 Cor. vi. 17, and Rev. 
 sviii. 4. And here are two sorts of arguments, 
 which he makes use of to enforce this upon them. 
 
 I'irst. That the persons from whom he exhorts 
 them to remove, were no better than lions and 
 leopards ; and to converse with them, was no 
 better than to dwell in the dens and mountains of 
 such. 1. Wicked and ungodly persons may be 
 compared to lions, especially those wjio are of a 
 cruel and persecuting nature : hence David, baing 
 among such, says, " my soul is among lions;" he 
 frequently represents the wicked as such, and 
 desires deliverance from them: likewise the 
 
 " Antiq. 1. 1. c. 6. s. 1. " De Animal, i. 5. c. Sfi. 
 
 y Vid. Aristot. Hist. Animal I. 6, c. 3. Plin 1 8 
 c. 16. and Brocard in Cocceii Lexic. p. 123. 
 
 « GeoRraph. 1. 14. p. 405. and 1. 1. Ifi. p. 517. 
 
 » All. Attic. 1. 5. ep. -M. I- III VitaCiceron. 
 
 V. ^70. ' Mens leopardorum rotuudus and alius 
 
 apostle Paul calls a persecuting Nero, " the lion," 
 out of whose mouth it pleased the Lord to deliver 
 him. 2. They may be compared to leopards, 
 (1.) For their being full of spots ; the leopard is 
 not fuller of spots, than the sinner is of sin ; as 
 the one is natural, so is the other ; and as the 
 leopard cannot change one spot, nor make any 
 alteration in his nature; no more can the sinner 
 change his own heart, nor by any power of his 
 own remove the spots and stains of sin ; as Jeremy 
 says, chap. xiii. 23, " Can the Ethiopian change 
 his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye 
 also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." 
 (2.) For their craftiness and cruelty, as is manifest 
 from Jer. v. 6, Hos. xiii. 7- .Sllianus reports,"* 
 that when the leopard is in want of food, it hides 
 itself among the thickets, so as it cannot be seen ; 
 and, by the sweetness of its odour, draws the 
 fawns, does, wild goats, and such like animals to 
 it; and when they are near, breaks out of its 
 lurking-place, and makes them its prey : other 
 artful methods it makes use of for the' same 
 purpose, as is recorded by others f which is a 
 just emblem of the craftiness and cruelty of 
 wicked <and ungodly men, who use all the strata- 
 gems to ensnare, and exercise all the cruelty tlicy 
 can devise upon those who are " quiet in the 
 land," (3.) For their swiftness; so in Ilab. i. 
 8, the horses of the Chaldeans are said to be 
 swifter than leopards : wicked men, thougli slow 
 and backward to that which is good, yet are 
 swift to do mischief; no sooner do their hearts 
 devise wickedness, but their feet run to accom- 
 plish it. 
 
 Secondly. The second argument he uses with 
 her to quit the society of wicked men, is, the 
 enjoyment of his own company, which is far 
 preferable to theirs ; " Come with me, my spouse." 
 L Christ's company is much more pleasant than 
 theirs ; though the ways of sin may seem pleasant 
 for a while, yet at length they will appear no 
 other than the haunts of lions and leopards ; 
 though the company of sinners may seem now 
 sweet and delightful, they will be found at last to 
 be more bitter than death ; but Christ's ways are 
 always " ways of pleasantness ." it is good i'or 
 the believer to be always in his company, where 
 he iinds solid pleasure, and inexpressible delight ; 
 more than ever he did in the tents of wickedness. 
 2. It is more profitable : the company and con- 
 versation of wicked men is hurtful and pernicious; 
 " evil commimications corrupt good manners ;" 
 but the company of Christ is always profitable : 
 a believer always gets something by it ; it has a 
 mighty influence upon the inward frame of his 
 soul, and upon his outward walk in the world'; it 
 makes him both comfortable in himself, and 
 
 est, qui contra aquilonem a Tripoli daubns, versus 
 austrum a civitate Areas tribus, aLibano autom 
 uno niiliario distat, Adrichomii 1 lieatriiro Terras 
 Sanctm. p. iRn. l. "f De Animal. !. 5. c. 40. 
 
 • Soliu. c. 27 . FranlziiHist. Animal, par. I c. 8. 
 
VER. 9.1 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 157 
 
 useful to others ; so that he sustains no loss, but 
 undoubtedly is a gainer, who parts with the com- 
 l)any of the men of the world for Christ's. 3. 
 Christ's compauy is much more safe than theirs : 
 the company of wicked men is always dangerous ; 
 there is danger not only of being infected with 
 their sins, but also of partaking of their plagues ; 
 it tends to ruin here, and leads to everlasting 
 destruction ; but the believer is always safe iu 
 Christ's company, in what place or condition 
 soever he be ; though he walks through the waters 
 of affliction, and fire of tribulation, nay, though 
 tlirough the valley of the shadow of death ; yet 
 he is always safe, being guided by his counsel, sup- 
 ported by his hand, and comforted by his presence. 
 Now Christ in all this discovers a great deal of 
 cave over, and affection to his church and people. 
 One would think she cannot witlistand a request, 
 delivered in such an affectionate manner, where 
 her own comfort, profit, and safety, are so much 
 concerned. Who would dwell in lions' dens, and 
 in the mountains of the leopards, when they might 
 have such agreeable and delightful compauy as 
 Christ's is? which is to be valued and preferred 
 before this world, and all the things of it ; though 
 God's owu children are too apt to be taken with 
 them ; and therefore have need, as here, to be 
 called to look off from them to things that are 
 spiritual and heavenly; and not take up their 
 rest and satisfaction in those things and places, 
 where lions dwell and leopards walk. 
 
 Verse 9. Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, 
 my spouse : thou hast ravished my heart 
 with one of thine eyes, with one chain of 
 thy neck. 
 
 CHRist, having invited his church to go along 
 with him, here discovers the reason of it, because 
 his heart was ravished with her ; he had such an 
 affection for her, that he could not bear to be at a 
 distance from her. In these words, consider, 
 
 I. The titles given to her; " my sister, my 
 . spouse." 
 
 II. What he declares to her ; " thou hast ra- 
 vished my heart ," which expression is doubled. 
 
 III. What it was his heart was so taken with, 
 which had such a mighty influence upon him; 
 " with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy 
 neck." 
 
 I. I shall consider the titles he gives unto her, 
 and they are two, " my sister, my spouse ;" one 
 of which, namely, " my spouse," has been ex- 
 plained iu the former verse, and is here repeated 
 to show his affection to her, how much he de- 
 lighted in her under this character ; as also, to 
 assure her of the truth of it, as well as to maui- 
 fest his satisfaction in this relation, and that he 
 was not ashamed to own and acknowledge her as 
 such : the other title, " my sistei'," we have not 
 met before. Novt Christ may call the church 
 his sister, 1. More amatorio, it being a love- 
 strain ;' aud this being a love-song, where Christ 
 
 ' Sive tibi coujux, -sivi.' futuia soror, Tibullus. 
 
 and his church are expressing their love to each 
 other ; such a title as this cannot be looked upon 
 as an improper one : it being an endearing expres- 
 sion, used by husbands to tiieir wives ; as by 
 Raguel to Edna, Tobit vii. 8, and by Tobias to 
 Sara, chap. viii. 4. 3. More Hebrceorum : it 
 being usual with the Jews to call those of their 
 own kindred and coitntry, brethren and sisters, 
 and with none but such were they allowed to 
 marry ; and perhaps to this the apostle has a 
 respect, 1 Cor. ix. 5, " Have we not power to 
 lead about a sister, a wife?" &c., agreeable to 
 this, Christ calls his church his sister, whom he 
 had espoused to himself. 3. He may call her so 
 on account of his incarnation ; he assuming the 
 same nature, and partaking of the same flesh and 
 blood the children did ; and so being of one and 
 the same mass and lump with them, is not 
 ashamed to call them brethreu ; which, it may be, 
 is intended in that wish of the church's, chap, 
 viii. 1, " O that thou wert as my brother!" 
 &c., that is, that thou wert incarnate ! that 
 we were of the same flesh and blood, and thereby 
 thou appear to be my brother, aud I thy sister. 
 4. On the account of her adoption : God has 
 by his sovereign, free, and distinguishing grace, 
 adopted all his elect into his family, and has iu 
 his covenant of grace declared himself to be their 
 Father, aud them to be his sons and daughters ; 
 and now, being the sons aud daughters of the 
 same Father as Christ is the Son of, they become 
 his brethren and sisters, which he acknowledges, 
 John XX. 17. 5. Being bora again, not of blood, 
 nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of 
 man, but of God, they bear this character ; and 
 are so in Christ's esteem, according to what he 
 says, Matt. xii. 50, " Whosoever shall do the 
 will of my Father Avhich is in heaven, the same 
 is my brother and sister, aud mother :" Christ 
 bears all relations to his people, aud is willing 
 to own them iu all relations to him. 6. Perhaps 
 the church is here first called Christ's sister ; be- 
 cause Christ having called his people out of Judea's 
 land, aud gathered a church among the Gentiles, 
 that little sister spoken of iu chap. viii. 8 ; it 
 might hereby appear that he had a real affection 
 for her, that she was valued by him, and neai'ly 
 related to him. 
 
 II. What he declares unto her, is, that she 
 had " ravished his heart." It is but one word 
 in the Hebrew text, and is used in this form and 
 seuse no where else, but twice in this verse ; for 
 Christ's love being so unspeakable and inexpres- 
 sible, he coius, as one? well "observes, new words 
 to discover it by ; it is variously rendered, and 
 perhaps by laying the several versions together, 
 it will appear more fully what is intended by it. 
 1. The words may be rendered, " thou hast 
 heartened me, or put heart into me," and caused 
 me to be of good cheer ; so Cocceius and Schmidt : 
 the word is used in this sense, in the Syriac Tes- 
 tament, in Matt. ix. 2, and 1 Thess. v. 14, and 
 
 8 Durham in Loc. 
 
158 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 then the sense may be this ; the love which I 
 bear unto thee, the charming ideas of thee, which 
 I always carry in my mind, and the " joy which 
 was set before me," of having tliy company and 
 presence for ever in glory ; have made my heavy 
 sufferings easy, animated me as man and Jlediator, 
 and cheerfully carried mc through them all for 
 thy sake, lieb. xii. 2. 2. Others read them, " thou 
 hast unhcarted me ;" thou hast taken away my 
 heart, and stolen it from me, so that 1 have no 
 heart left in me, so the Septuagiut ; which read- 
 ing R. Aben Ezra confirms. Sometimes fear 
 throws persons into such a condition, that they 
 are as if they had no heart, spirit, life, or soul in 
 them ; as the Canaanites in Jadg. v. 1 ; some- 
 times wonder and surprise ; thus the queen of 
 Sheba, when she had seen Solomon's wisdom and 
 glory, it is said, " there was no more spirit in 
 her;" and sometimes love has such an influeuce 
 on the heart, and so it had here on Ciirist ; it 
 was so powerful, that it had taken away his 
 heart ; " thou hast ravished my heart," that is, 
 thou hast taken it away from me, as it were, by 
 force and violence, that it is no longer mine, but 
 thine; thou art master over it, and hast the com- 
 mand of it,*" having claimed it to thyself as thine 
 own. 3. It is rendered by others, " thou hast 
 drawn my heart unto thee," so R. Solomon Jar- 
 chi ; or, " brought me near, " or " caused me to 
 draw nigh :"' that our hearts should be drawn to 
 Christ, by views of his loveliness, and discoveries 
 of his love to us, is no wonder ; but that Christ's 
 heart should be drawn to us, in whom were neither 
 love nor loveliness, is surprising ; which shows the 
 exceeding greatness, freeness, and richness of 
 Christ's love. 4. It may be read, " thou hast 
 coupled ray heart with thine ;" and in this sense 
 the Talmudists use the word -.^ Christ's heart and 
 a believer's are so knit, joined, and coupled toge- 
 ther, that they are but one heart, one soul, and one 
 spirit ; " he that is joined to the Lord is one 
 spirit ;" all the powers of hell and earth, united 
 together, are not able to disjoin and separate, 
 either a believer's heart from Christ, or Christ's 
 heart from a believer. 5. The Targum para- 
 phrases it thus, " thy love is fixed upon the table 
 of mv heart ;" it is written there in legible cha- 
 racters, which can never be erased ; the church is 
 not only engraven on tlie palms of Christ's hands, 
 but also upon the table of his heart: and so the 
 church has what she wished for, chap. viii. 6, 
 " Set me as a seal upon thine heart :" Christ's 
 love to the church is so rivetted and fixed in his 
 heart, that there is no removing it ; " Who shall 
 separate us from the love of Christ?" 6. It is 
 translated by others, " thou hast wounded my 
 heart," so the Vulgate Latin ; which reading is 
 
 i" '•sna^'? vendicasti tibi cor raeum, Tigurine version: 
 occupasti.Luthorus, Marckius. ' Glosp. in T. Bab. 
 Sabbat, fol. .'iS. 2. and 88. 2. ^ In Sabbat, fol. 5. 2. 
 and Avoda Zara; fol. 2. 2. in Misnah. Vid. Buxtorf. 
 Lex. Heb. in rad. 21"? and Lex. Talmud, p. llfi. 
 Cor copulasti mihi. uxtorf. Hettinger, Smegma, p. 
 
 not to be despised ; R. David Kinichi' owns it : 
 Christ's heart was wounded with one of love's 
 darts,"" with an arrow shot from one of the church's 
 eyes ; which is expressive of the force and power 
 of love, with what vehemence it dwelt in, and 
 what iiidiience it had upon the heart of Christ. 
 
 Now this expression is repeated, to show the 
 vehemency and passionateness of liis love, and the 
 exceeding greatness of it ; as also to assure her of 
 the reality of it; that he was hearty and sincere 
 in it ; and did not say this by way of compliment 
 to her as lovers too often do ; nor was it a word 
 which was rashly spoken by him, or that dropped 
 from him at unawares ; but as it proceeded from 
 his heart, so it vvas spoken by him in a deliberate 
 manner; therefore he repeats it, not to correct, 
 but to confirm it. 
 
 Hence we may conclude what interest a believer 
 has in Christ's heart. What may he not expect? 
 what can he vvant ? what need he fear, that has 
 so great a share in Christ's heart? and what 
 reason has he to give Christ his heart, who has so 
 much of Christ's ?. 
 
 III. I shall now take notice of the things with 
 which Christ's heart was ravished. 1. " With 
 one of the church's eyes ;" the eye is an attrac- 
 tive of love;° and therefore it is said in Prov. vi. 
 25, " Neither let her take thee with her eye- 
 lids." By the eye, with which Christ was so taken, 
 may be meant, the eye of faith ; by which a soul 
 looks on him, and loves him ; beholds his fulness, 
 and wishes for an interest in him ; and looks to him, 
 and expects from him alone life and salvation : 
 He says, it was with one of her eyes ; which 
 shows that a believer has more eyes than one ; and 
 therefore we read of " the eyes of their understand- 
 ing," Eph. i. 18; but it was with this eye of 
 faith, by which she looked to him, and believed 
 on him, that his heart was so ravished ; and that 
 but with one look from it, or glance of it, as botli 
 Junius and Ainsworth read it ; nay, though but 
 a very glimmering one ; for faith, even in its 
 lowest degree, is exceeding precious to Christ Jesus; 
 which shows how easily and quickly a couquest is 
 gained over Christ's heart by faith; his heart 
 must needs be full of love to believers, since it is 
 ravished and overcome even with a single glimmer- 
 ing look from faith's eye ; and if so, how much 
 will his heart be ravished, when we shall see 
 him " face to face, just as he is; "take a full 
 view of him, look at him, and feed our eyes for 
 ever upon the unutterable glories of his person ? 
 2. " With one chain of her neck : " the neck is 
 a beautiful part of the body, and being agreeably 
 adorned, is exceeding enamouring : the Vulgate 
 Latin version is, " with one lock of hair of thy 
 neck," so Aquila; which hung down in it, and 
 
 1G2. ' In lib Sliorash. rad. 23'?. »> Sag- 
 
 ittiferi amores, Stattii Sylva, 1. 3. ode 3. v. 131. 
 
 " Tur 7rui/T€t eir oixfxaaiv 'ifiepot ivTi, Theocrit. Idyll. 
 
 18. Perque tuos oculos qui rapuere meo.'s, Ovid. 
 Amor. 1. 3. eleg. 10. Vid. Barthii not. ad Clau- 
 dian. De Nupt. Honor, v. G. 
 
VER. 10.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 159 
 
 looked very beautiful, and with which lovers are 
 sometimes taken." By the neck, we may also 
 understand faith, as we have observed on ver. 4, it 
 beint; neither unusual uor improper to represent 
 one and the same thing under different metaphors : 
 and by the chain, may be meant the graces of the 
 Spirit, which, being linked and chained, do 
 inseparably go together : and being put about 
 this neck of faith, makes it look very beautiful: 
 every grace is as a golden link or precious pearl 
 in Christ's esteem ; who having beautified his 
 people with them, takes the utmost delight in 
 viewing them ; and whilst he is observing how 
 beautifully they are adorned there-with, his heart 
 is ravished with them. 
 
 Verse 10. How fair is thy love, my sister, my 
 spouse ! how much better is thy love than 
 wine ! and the smell of thine ointments than 
 all spices ! 
 
 Christ having; declared in the preceding verse, 
 hnw much his heart was delighted in, and ravished 
 with the faith of his church ; now proceeds to 
 show how well pleased he was with her love, and 
 other graces of the Spirit, in these words ; 
 where, 
 
 I. The excellency of her love is set forth. 
 
 ir. The sweet smell of her ointments is com- 
 mended. 
 
 I. He gives some excellent characters of her 
 love to him, Christ is the objdct of a believer's 
 love; and he is well pleased with that love which 
 they show to him: the nature of this love, its 
 spring and actings, have been shown already, on 
 chap. i. 3, where it has been observed, that it is 
 superlative and universal ; a believer loves Christ 
 above all, and all of Christ ; it is, or at least 
 ought to be, constant and ardent, and is always 
 hearty and unfeigned; it springs and arises from 
 views of Christ's loveliness, and sights of his 
 suitableness and fulness, from a sense of his love, 
 and a discovery of uuion and relation to him ; 
 and is heightened and increased by enjoying com- 
 munion and fellowship with them ; it manifests 
 itself by a regard to his commands and ordinances, 
 his truths, his people, and his presence, and by 
 parting with, and bearing all for him, as has 
 there been more largely shown. Now of such a 
 love as this he says, 1. That it is fair; "How 
 fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse 1" the 
 titles and characters he gives her, have been al- 
 ready explained ; it was prqper to repeat them 
 here, that whilst he was commending her love, 
 he might show his own ; and assure her of the 
 relation she stood in to him, and that he had an 
 undoubted right to the affections of her heart : 
 he here says, that her love to him was fair, that 
 is lovely, delightful, grateful, and acceptable; 
 and it appears to be exceeding well-pleasing to 
 
 ° Ain-apa Trap auxei/a (reier iSeipa, Theocrit. Idyll. .5. 
 
 Caesariem effusa nitidam per Candida colla, Vir- 
 gil. Georgic. I. 4. v. 337. Coma; per levia colla ilu- 
 
 him ; for those persons, ha dee]are9,are the objects 
 of his love, to whom he manifests himself in a way 
 of special grace and favour ; he overrules all things 
 here for their good ; he gives them more grace, has 
 prepared glory for them, and will preserve them 
 safe unto it : not that their love is the meritorious 
 and procuring cause of all this, nor the condition 
 of their enjoying it ; for his love to them has 
 resolved all these things for them beforehand, 
 and is the cause of theirs ; but when it is wrought 
 in their souls, and discovers itself to him, he is 
 pleased to show by those instances of his grace, 
 how fair and lovely it is in his sight. 2. He says, 
 that it is "better than wine:" he here asserts 
 the same of her love, which she had of his, in 
 chap. i. 3. Christ and the church, in this Song, 
 do frequently gather up each others words, stri- 
 ving, as it were, to outdo each other in their 
 expressions of love ; but Christ will in no wise 
 come behind, and be autdane by his church and 
 people ; though it may well be wondered at, 
 that Christ should have the same to say of our 
 love, as we have of his ; yet so it is : he here 
 declares, it is " better than wine," that is, more 
 grateful and pleasant, more refreshing and re- 
 viving; "wine makes glad the heart of man," 
 Psalm civ. 15; but it cannot cheer, and make 
 glad the heart of man, more than a sinner's 
 love does the heart of Christ: wine was used 
 in feasts, and counted a principal part thereof; 
 therefore the " house of feasting" was called the 
 " house of drinking," that is, wine, Eccles. 
 vii. 2 ; the feast which the rich Pharisee made 
 for Christ, was not, as one? well observes, 
 thought so much of by him, nor half so enter- 
 taining to him, as the love which the poor wo- 
 man showed him : wine was used iu the legal 
 sacrifices ; but the wine of legal sacrifices, or any 
 external performance, is not so valued by Christ 
 as a sinner's love is ; and indeed no duties or 
 performances whatever are acceptable to him, 
 unless love be the iuward principle from whence 
 they flow, and by which they are acted. 3. He 
 sets off the greatness and excellency of it, 
 by using a word of the plural number; "How 
 fair are thy loves,'' how much better are thy 
 loves," &c., which may be expressive of the se- 
 veral actings of it towards him, for it discovers 
 itself in various ways : and also of the several fruits 
 which accompany or spring from it ; all which 
 serve for the greater commendation of it. 4. The 
 manner of the expressions, which is by wav of 
 interrogation and admiration ; " How fair ! &c., 
 how much better !" &c., as if it could not be well 
 expressed, how fair and lovely it was; which is 
 an evidence of the valuableness of it, or at least 
 an indication how much Christ esteemed it ; 
 Christ's love has its heights and depths, and 
 lengths and breadths: and to hear souls speak af- 
 
 entes, propert. 1. 2. eleg 3.v . 13. p Durham in loc. 
 1 "['""n amores tui, Pagninus, Blontarus, &c. 
 
160 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap IV. 
 
 ter such a manner, concerning that, need not to be 
 wondered at ; but to bear Christ express himself 
 after this manner, concerning ours, is strange 
 and surprising. 
 
 II. Her ointments are next commended, and 
 the smell of them : in chap. i. 3, we read of 
 Christ's ointments, here of the church's ; in both 
 places one and the same thing is intended, 
 namely, the graces of the Spirit; why these are 
 called ointments, have been there shown. These 
 ointments, or graces of the Spirit, are first. 
 Christ's and then the church's -. the head is first 
 anointed with them, and then the members ; he 
 without measure, but they iu measure; which 
 being poured forth upon them, and they anointed 
 with them, the smell of them is exceeding grate- 
 ful to him: the smell of these ointments intends 
 the actings and exercises of grace upon him ; 
 which are very delightful to him, and preferred 
 by him to all spices, even to all that were used ia 
 the holy anointing oil, Exod. xxx. 23, 24 ; that 
 was not so valuable as this " anointing which 
 leacheth all things ;" nor the smell of that so 
 much esteemed by Christ, as this is. 
 
 Verse 11. Thy lips, ray spouse ! drop as the 
 
 honey-comb ; honey and milk are under thy 
 
 tongue ; and the smell of thy garments is like 
 
 the smell of Lebanon. 
 
 Christ having declared, in the two former verses, 
 
 how much his heart was taken with the failh 
 
 and love of his church, and delighted with the 
 
 the effectual, fervent, 4vepyovfj.i]vri, the inwrought 
 " prayer of a righteous man availeth much," 
 James v. 16 ; so they are sweet, pleasant, delight- 
 ful, and acceptable to Christ : " the prayer of the 
 upright is his delight ;" the prayers of the 
 meanest believer are as delightful music iu his 
 ears, as sweet-smelling odours in bis nostrils, 
 and like the honey or honey-cumb to his taste. 
 2. In praises : Christ has done great things for 
 his church and people in the redemption and sal- 
 vation of them ; and therefore praise becomes 
 them ; it is their duty : and as this work is 
 oftentimes pleasant to tlieir own souls ; so in 
 discharging it, they often drop things in the 
 praise of Christ's person and grace, which are 
 exceeding grateful and well- pleasing to him. 3. 
 In confessing Christ's name, and owning bis 
 truths before men : this is a work exceeding 
 necessary, and a duty highly incumbent on God's 
 children ; at every opportunity, and whenever they 
 are called to it, they ought to do it ; and as the 
 omission ot it is much resented by Christ, so the 
 performance of it will be graciously rewarded, as 
 appears from Matt. x. 32 ; thus Paul, both at 
 Jerusalem and at Rome, and many other martyrs 
 and confessors, have, in the behalf of Christ and 
 his gospel, dropped words like the honey-comb. 
 4. In the ministry of the word : the church's 
 lips are the ministers of the gospel, so Theo- 
 doret ; whose business is to deliver, not so much 
 " the senses of the law," which is Jarchi's note 
 on the words, as the doctrines of the gospel : 
 
 smell of her ointments, here, with pleasure, takes I these lips drop " the wholesome words of our 
 
 notice of her mellifluous language, and sweet- Lord Jesus Christ ;" and not words which eat 
 
 mellins dress. Two things are here commended like a canker, but words, which, like the honey 
 
 in her ; 
 
 I. The sweetness of her speech. 
 
 II. The smell of her garments. 
 
 I. The sweetness of her speech : Christ's 
 heart was not only ravished with her sparkling 
 eye and dazzling chain, but also with her charm- 
 ing lips end graceful language ; " Thy lips, O 
 my spouse ! drop as the honey-comb," &c., her 
 lips dropped things for matter like the honey 
 
 comb, are " health to the bones." 5. In com- 
 mon conversation: the lips of the saints do 
 frequcHtly therein drop words pleasant and de- 
 lightful ; which tend to the edification of those 
 with whom they converse, and " ministers grace 
 to the hearers ;" and so are like the honey-comb, 
 both pleasant and profitable. ■ 
 
 2ndly. Her lips dropped these things in such 
 a manner as the honey comb does; 1. Freely, 
 
 comb ; and these things in such a manner as the and without pressing or squeezing ; a soul that 
 
 honey-comb does: so the speech of persons, 
 flowing from the mouth and tongue, is said to be 
 sweetsr than the honey-comb ;' and lovers are 
 said to be sweeter to one another than the sweet 
 honey.^ 
 
 First. Things for matter like the honey- 
 comb; "Pleasant words," says Solomon, Prov. 
 xviii. 24, " are as an honey-comb, sweet to the 
 soul, and health to the bones." Such pleasant 
 words, which are as the honey-comb, drop from 
 the church's, and from every believer's lips. 1. 
 In prayer ; so the Targum expounds these words 
 of the priest's lips, dropping as the honey-comb, 
 when they prayed in the holy com't. The be- 
 liever oftentimes drops things in prayer ; which, 
 as they are profitable to himself and others, for 
 
 Vid. Theocrit. Idyll. 21. v. 26. 27. Homer. Iliad, i 1. v. 249. • Plauti Asinaria, act 
 
 has received the " grace of God in truth, cannot 
 but speak of the things which he has heard and 
 seen : being full of matter, his belly is as wine 
 which hath no vent, and is ready to burst, like 
 new bottles ;" therefore he must speak, that he 
 " may be refreshed :" there needs no other con- 
 straint to be laid an him, than what he feels in 
 his own breast. 2. Gradually : the honey-comb 
 does not pour out all at once, but by degrees ; 
 a man of grace, like the virtuous woman in Prov. 
 xxxi. 26, opens his mouth with wisdom, and not 
 like the fool who pours out his foolishness, and 
 utters all his mind at once; but delivers his 
 words with moderation and discretion, and ob- 
 serves proper seasons and opportunities to speak 
 his mind : now a word fitly, prudently, and season- 
 
 3. sc. 9. v. 21. 
 
VER. 11.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 IC.l 
 
 ably spoken, is like apples of gold in pictures of 
 silver ;" for as we are to walk, so are wc to " talk 
 in wisdom," both to those " that are without," 
 and to those that are within. 3. Constantly : the 
 hoaey-comb, though it drops gradually, yet it 
 keeps constantly dropping ; so a believers' speech 
 should " be always with grace ;" lie should be 
 always praying or praising, or dropping something 
 which may tend to the magnifying of God's grace, 
 and the good and edification of souls. 
 
 These words in general show the choiceness of 
 a believer's discourse ; that it is not any thing 
 that is the subject of it ; no common and ordinary 
 things which he is speaking of, but what are 
 choice and excellent ; as the honey which drops 
 from the honey-comb is esteemed the best, being 
 what we call life-honey ; as also, how much 
 Christ's heart was taken with it, and his affec- 
 tions drawn by it ; it had a mighty influence upon 
 him, and strongly engaged his heart towards her ; 
 see Prov. v. 3. Now the reason why her lips 
 dropped after this manner, was, because " honey 
 and milk were under her tongue ;" aud there- 
 fore they could not well drop otherwise-. The 
 ancients had a sort of food of this mixture, called 
 by the Greeks meligala^ aud sometimes candylos^ 
 which was the same composition: according to 
 Galen,"' it was not safe to take milk, particu- 
 larly goat's milk, without honey ; Jove is said^ to 
 be nursed with such a mixture : and this being 
 very grateful to the taste, the speech of the 
 church for pleasantness is compared to it ; so 
 Pindar^ compares his hymn or ode to honey, 
 mixed with milk, as being sweet aud grateful ; 
 aud in Plautus,'' it is said, " your words are honey 
 and milk :" and it may be farther observed, that 
 such a mixture of milk aud honey, with poppies in 
 it, was given to the new married bride, when 
 brought home to her husband ;" which was now 
 the case of the church. By " milk and honey," 
 may be intended the aboundings and overflowings 
 of grace in a believer's heart, which thereby is 
 made like Canaan's land, " flowing with milk and 
 honey ;" now out of the abundance of this grace, 
 received into the heai't, the mouth speaks : or 
 else, by them may be meant the doctrines of the 
 Gospel ; which may very well be compared there- 
 unto, words sweeter than honey and milk.'' 1st. 
 To honej. 1. The Gospel is gathered out of the 
 choice flowers of the scriptures : the ministers of 
 it, " who labour in the word and doctrine ;" are 
 the bees, who come laden with the honey of the 
 Gospel, into the hive of the church, by which 
 souls are delighted and refreshed. 2. It is like 
 to honey for its sweetness : thus David could say. 
 Psalm cxix. 103, by experience, " How sweet are 
 thy words unto my taste ! yea, sweeter than honey 
 
 \ • Vid. Cohen de Lara, Ir David, p. 52. the word is 
 used in T. Hieros, Challah, fol. 57. 4. " Athen. 
 
 Deipnosophist. 1. I. c. 8. p. 9. and 1. 14. c 13. p. 
 644. Suidas in voce Kai^uXoo?. Aristoph. Pax. and 
 riorent. Christian, iu ib. p. 033. " Lib. de 
 
 Bono Sapore, c. 4. » Lactant. de Fals. Kelig. 1. 
 
 to my mouth :" a gracious soul, who feeds on the 
 Gospel, aud tastes the sweetness of it, finds it, as 
 Ezekiel did his roll, " like honey for sweetness" 
 in his mouth : and so it is always thus grateful to 
 a spiritual man, who has a proper gust and relish 
 of it. 3. Like honey, it is of a nourishing nature : 
 honey was not only the food of babes, but of 
 grown persons, as appears from Isa. vii, 15, 22 ; 
 tlie Gospel has in it food both for children and for 
 strong men, and that which is exceeding nourish- 
 ing to both. 4. Like the honey which Jonathan 
 ate of, it eulightens the eyes : when the Spirit of 
 God introduces it into a sinner's heart, it gives 
 light there, as the psalmist says. Psalm cxix. 130, 
 " the entrance of thy words giveth light ;" it 
 gives light into a man's self, into bis lost and 
 miserable state by nature ; it gives light into the 
 impurity of his heart, and the imperfection of his 
 obedience ; it gives light into the person, grace, 
 and righteousness of Christ; and is an instrument, 
 in the Spirit's hands, " to guide his feet in the 
 way of peace." 5. It is like the honey the 
 Israelites sucked out of the rock in the wilder- 
 ness : the rock is Christ, from whence the honey 
 of the Gospel flows ; he is the Author, aud he is 
 the Subject of it, Or, 6. It is like the honey 
 Samson found in the carcase of the liou : Christ 
 is the " lion of the tribe of Judah ;" in whose 
 slain body and precious blood, the honey of Gos- 
 pel-grace is to be found by poor sinners, who feed 
 upon it. 
 
 2adly. As the Gospel may be compared to houey, 
 so likewise to milk ; it is called the " sincere 
 milk of the word :" which is not mixed and 
 blended with human doctrines, but is free from 
 such adulterations ; and so is exceeding profitable, 
 and no ways hurtful to the souls of men. Lit 
 may be compared to milk, because it is easy of 
 digestion, and therefore proper food for new-born 
 babes: hence the apostle fed the Corinthiaus 
 with the milk of the word, and not with the 
 strong meat thereof; because they were not as 
 yet able to bear it, could not digest it ; but tlie 
 plainer and more easy truths of the Gospel are like 
 milk, easy of digestion to souls that are born 
 again ; though even these to a natural man are 
 hard sayings, which he cannot bear. 2. Like 
 milk, it is very nourishing ; Christ's new-born 
 babes grow hereby, being " nourished up in the 
 words of faith, and of good doctrine." 3. Mili< is 
 of a cooling nature, and useful in abating tlie 
 violence of inflammations f so the gospel, being 
 applied by the Spirit to a poor sinner, who has 
 been under a work of the law, represses the vio- 
 lence ofthosc inflammations raised in hisconscience, 
 by a fiery law's working wrath there ; which is 
 wonderfully allayed by the milk of the Gospel, 
 
 1. c. 22. y Nemea, ode 3. p. 10, 11. 
 
 ^ Truculent, act. 1. sc. 2. v. 75, 76. > Nee pi- 
 
 geat tritum niveo cum lacte papaver, &c. Ovid. 
 Fasti, 1. 4. V. U'J. I-iO. !• Vid. T. F.ab. Chagi- 
 
 gah. fol. 13. 1. ' Ferncl. Method. Medeud.L 5. 
 
 c. 27. 
 
3 02 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF TilE 
 
 [ciiAP. 
 
 find the application of the exceeding great and 
 precious promises of it, which lead the soul to the 
 ))erson, blood, and righteousness of Jesus Christ. 
 
 4. Milk is esteemed useful to persons in consump- 
 tions, and therefore a milky diet is usually re- 
 commended to them ; sin is a wasting and con- 
 suming distemper, which is only cured by bring- 
 ing the milk of the Gospel : which, when power- 
 fully applied by the Spirit of God, is " tiie savour 
 of life unto life ;" and will not only recover a 
 person that is far gone, and in the most declining 
 condition, but also restore him from death itself. 
 
 Now when these are said to be under her 
 tongue, it intends either, 1. That they were in 
 her heart ; so Psal Ixvi. 17, " he was exalted 
 with my tongue," or he was exalted under my 
 tongue, that is, in my heart ; it was in my heart 
 to exalt him, I purposed and designed it: so here 
 " honey and milk are under thy tongue," that is, they 
 are in thy heart ; it is one thing to have a notion 
 of the Gospel in our heads, and another thing to 
 have it in our hearts by a comfortable experience. 
 2. It supposes that she tasted the sweetness of 
 those truths ; she rolled them as a sweet morsel 
 under her tongue, as Job xx. 12; resolving to 
 have all the pleasure and satisfaction which might 
 arise from thence. 3. That these were the con- 
 stant subject of her meditation, Psal. x. 7 ; having 
 tasted a sweetness in them, which drew her af- 
 fections to them, her thouglits were always em- 
 ployed about them. 4. That she was always 
 ready to speak of them at suitable times, and on 
 ])roper occasions, having them under her tongue. 
 
 5. This shows the differeuce there is between a 
 carnal, Christless sinner, and a trne believer ; 
 the one has " the poison of asps under his lips," 
 Rom. iii. 13, and the other " honey and milk 
 under his tongue;" the speech of the one is 
 poisonous and infectious, and the language of the 
 other sweet and edifying ; so that as by their words 
 they shall be justified, by their words also they 
 may be known ; their speech bewrays them, 
 and declares to what company they belong. 
 
 II. The second thing commended in her, is 
 t'lie smell of her garments ; the ancients used to 
 scent their garments ; Calypso gave to Ulysses 
 sweet-smelling garments;* " and the smell of thy 
 garments is like the smell of Lebanon :" in Le- 
 banon grew many odoriferous trees, which did 
 emit a fragrant smell to passers by, hence called 
 " sweet-smelling Lebanon ;"• so the graces of 
 God's people are said to smell as Lebanon, Hosea 
 xiv. 6. By her garments here may be meant, 1. 
 The garments of salvation, and the robe of Christ's 
 righteousness. Christ's garments are said to 
 " smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia ;" now these 
 very garments are put upon the believer, so that 
 it is uo wonder his garments smell like Lebanon ; 
 in these believers appear before God, as Jacob did 
 
 * EijuoTo auioata, Homer. Odyss. 5. v. 264. and 21. 
 
 V. 52. lire fivpuv e/iTn-or a^Trex'"'), PosidippUS apud 
 
 Athen. Ueipuosophist. 1. 13. c. 7. p. 59G. 
 
 before his father, in the garments of his elder 
 brother Esau, and are in his nostrils a sweet 
 smelling savour ; for the smell of their raiment to 
 him is like " the smell of a field which the Lord 
 hatli blessed ;" he is exceeding well pleased with 
 it, and with them in it. Christ smells a sweet 
 odour, even in those garments which he himself 
 has wrought out, and clothed his people with. 
 Or else, 2. By them we may understand the 
 outward conveisation-garmcnts of the saints; 
 which are wholesome and savoury, and not like 
 the conversation of the wicked, filthy, of an ill- 
 smell, nauseous and infectious; when works go 
 along with words, and practice with profession ; 
 when with lips dropping like the honey-comb, 
 the sweet-smelling garment of a Gospel conversa- 
 tion is joined, how does it adorn a Christian, and 
 render him lovely and acceptable, and causes his 
 smell to 1)0 as thai of Lebanon? Some Jewish 
 writers' refer these garments to the sacerdotal 
 garments of the priests: which were certainly 
 typical of those, which Christ, as our high-priest, 
 wears, and with which he clothes his people. 
 
 Verse \2. A garden inclosed is my sister, my 
 
 spouse ; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 
 
 Christ, having admired his church's faith and 
 love, her language, and her dress ; proceeds to give 
 farther commendations of her, and makes use of 
 new metaphors to describe her by ; in which he 
 represents her as a well-watered and fruitful 
 garden. 
 
 First. He says, she is " a garden enclosed :" the 
 titles he gives her, " my sister, my spouse," have 
 been explained in ver. 8, 9. I shall only here 
 enquire why she is called a garden, and that an 
 enclosed one. And she is said to be a garden, 1. 
 Because a garden is a piece of ground distinguished 
 and separated from others for the owner's use : 
 the church of Christ is distinguished and separated 
 from others by electing and redeeming grace ; by 
 efficacious calling grace saints are also made to 
 differ from others, and do in their lives and con- 
 versation live separate from them ; and being set 
 apart tor God's own use, service, and glory, are a 
 peculiar people to himself. 2. In a garden is a 
 variety of flowers, herbs, and plants : in Christ's 
 church are many members, and those of different 
 sorts ; they have gifts ditfering from one another, 
 and grace also ; some have greater gifts, and lar- 
 ger measures of grace than others have ; but in 
 them all there are many of those sweet flowers and 
 precious plants. 8. In a garden, flowers, herbs, 
 and plants, do not grow up naturally of themselves, 
 but are either set or sown ; nothing but weeds 
 grow u]) of themselves ; so in Christ's garden, the 
 church, and in the members of it, thegraces of the 
 Spirit do not grow up of themselves; they are 
 sown, jdauted, and raised up by the Spirit of God ; 
 
 • Ai/Savu OuoeuTOf, Museus de Hero. &c. v. 48. 
 ' Vid. Targutn and R. Sol Jarcliium in loc. and 
 Midrash in Mercer, in loc. 
 
VER. 12.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 1G3 
 
 for iu their hearts naturally grovv nothing but the 
 weeds of sin and corruption. 4. The ground must 
 be dug and prepared for the setting of plants and 
 herbs therein : the hearts of God's people before 
 conversion are like fallow- ground ; God is the 
 husbandman, and they are his husbandry, this 
 ground must be dunged, as well aa dug, before it 
 becomes good ground, or ever these flowers, herbs, 
 and plants will grow there, which method Christ 
 takes with his garden, and the several parts there- 
 of. 5. To keep a garden in order, requires a deal 
 of labour and care ; the stones must be gathered 
 out, the plants must be watered, the trees pruned, 
 the ground dunged, and the fences kept up : all 
 this, and much more, does Christ to his garden, 
 the church ; he gathers out those things which 
 offend and hinder the growth of his plants ; he 
 watches over them night and day, and waters them 
 every moment ; he lops off the fruitless bi'anches, 
 and prunes those that are fruitful, that they may 
 bring forth more fruit, and keep up the fences 
 thereof, that " the wild boar of the forest" may 
 not enter in, and destroy his garden. 6. Gardens 
 are places where persons delight to walk : Christ 
 walks in his garden, the church ; in the midst of 
 his golden candlesticks ; you frequently hear of 
 him in this song, that " he is gone down into his 
 garden, to feed" there, and " to gather lilies ;" 
 nay, he not only takes his walks, but takes up his 
 residence in his church. 7. A garden is usually 
 but a small piece of ground ; and so is C-irist's 
 church, iu cjmparison of the wilderness and waste 
 places of the world ; it is a little flock, a small 
 remnant, a. few that shall be saved. 8. A fruitful 
 and pleasant place; and so is the church, when 
 compared with the world, " which liethin wicked- 
 ness," and is overrun with the briars and thorns 
 of sin. 
 
 Also the church is said to be a garden enclosed, 
 1. For distinction-sake: the church is by God 
 distinguished from others ; the fence with which 
 it is enclosed, and by which it is made to differ 
 from others, is the free, special, and distinguishing 
 grace of God. 2. For protection ; Christ's church, 
 as it is distinguished by God's grace, so it is pro- 
 tected by his power ; he is " a wall of fire round 
 about it, and the glory in the midst of it ;" a noble 
 fence indeed ! a glorious enclosure ! Jerusalem with 
 all its mountains, and Zion with all its bulwarks, 
 were not so well fenced as this. 3. For secrecy : 
 it is hidden from, and is not seen and known by 
 the world ; it is like a garden that is walled around, 
 and closely locked and barred,^ whose flowers emit 
 a sweet and fragrant odour, but are not seen ; the 
 saints, though they are exceeding useful in the 
 world, yet are not known by the world ; but are 
 hid and shut up till the resurrection-morn, when 
 
 8 A'id. K. Aben Ezram in loc. >■ by: clausit, 
 
 obserav'it, pessulurs, obdidit, buxtorf. ' Hortu", 
 
 regius, qui liortus conclusus dicitur ; hortus erat in 
 suburbauis Jerusalem muris undique septus and 
 obfirmatus ; atque sicut paradisus arborum, fructi- 
 cam, herbarum, aromatum, florum, fructuunique ub- 
 
 it shall appear what they really are, for at present 
 it does not. 4. It is compared to a garden en- 
 closed, or locked and barred ; for so the word"* 
 properly signifies, because it is not pervious to 
 every one, neither ought it to be ; every one has 
 not a right to enter there,it should remainenclosed, 
 bolted, and barred, to all but those who believe in 
 Christ ; none ought to walk here but those who 
 come in at the right door, Christ Jesus ; and every 
 one that climbs up, and gets into this garden any 
 other way, is reckoned by Christ as a thief and a 
 robber. 5. It is said to be a garden inclosed or 
 locked up, because it is only for Christ's use ; there- 
 fore, iu ver. 16, she desires him to " come into 
 his garden, and eat his pleasant fruit;" for this 
 garden is only his, and the fruits of it for his use 
 alone : in chap. v. 1, agreeable to her request, he 
 tells her, that he was come into his garden, had 
 gathered the fruits of it, and had eaten ; it being 
 his sole property, which others had no right uuto, 
 he keeps it enclosed, locked, and bolted. The allu- 
 sion perhaps is to a garden near Jerusalem, which 
 Adrichomius' calls liortus regius, \\\z.king' sgarden, 
 which was shut up, and was only for his use and 
 pleasure ; which is much more likely than what 
 Mr. Maundrel relates,'' that at a little distance from 
 Bethlehem, are pools of water ; and below those 
 runs a narrow, rocky valley, enclosed on both sides 
 with high mountains ; which the friars will have 
 to be the enclosed garden alluded to. 
 
 Secondly. He says that she is " a spring shut 
 up, and a fountain sealed ;" I put these to^-ether, 
 because they seem to intend much one and the 
 same thing ; though perhaps the one may be more 
 strongly expressive of the church's fulness aud ex- 
 cellency than the other; a fountain may intimate 
 a larger qantity of water than a S])ring, and seal- 
 ing signify a stronger security than bare shutting ; 
 but are both designed to inform us, that Christ's 
 garden was well watered, and that there is no dan- 
 ger of the herbs, flowers, aud plants withering 
 and perishing. 
 
 The Septuagint render the first of these ex- 
 pressions as before, Krjiros KeK\ei(T/xeyos, " a garden 
 enclosed," or shut up ; and so do the Vulgate Latin 
 and Tigurine Versions, reading 1] for b: ; Cocceius 
 translates, " a he:ip locked up :" and thinks the 
 church is compared to a heap of spices or fruits, 
 which are locked up in a private place, that they 
 may not be spoiled nor stolen away from the 
 owner : Christ's church congregated together is a 
 heap, but not a confused one ; it is like an heap of 
 spice or fruit laid in order ; nor is it a heap of 
 anything, but of sweet-smelling spices and ])leasaut 
 fruits, such as are mentioned in ver. 13, 14 ; to 
 which add also, it is an heap that is valu°d and 
 cared for, and therefore kept up safe under lock 
 
 ertate amoenus ; mukendisque ac fovendis sensibus 
 conveniens, and ad secessus voluptuarios idoueus ; in 
 quo erat inclytus ille sons Rogel and lapis Zoeieth, 
 &c. Adrichomii Theatrum Terrje Sanctae, p. 170. 1. 
 Vid. 2 Sam. xvii. 17. 2 Kings xxv. 4, ^ Journey 
 
 from Aleppo, &c. p. 89. edit. 7. 
 
 M 2 
 
ir.4 
 
 AN EXI'OSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap, IV 
 
 and key. The other version of " a spring shnt 
 np," is more usually received and acknowledged, 
 both by Jewish' and Christian Expositors, which 
 also onr Trauslalors follow. 
 
 Now the church is said to be a spring and a 
 fountain from whence waters flow, to water all the 
 plants in Christ's garden ; which are either, 1. 
 The graces of the Spirit, which are in her as " a 
 •well, and rivers of living water, springing up unto 
 eternal life," John iv. 14, and vii. 88,39; and 
 are called waters, because they are of a fructifying 
 and reviving nature ; the plants in Christ's garden 
 being watered with these, revive and lift np their 
 heads, and become'green, flourishing, and fruitful ; 
 the souls of God's children drinking them in, and 
 being filled with them, become like a watered garden, 
 whose springs fail not. Or else, 2. The doctrines 
 of the Gospel : the Gospel is thought to be the 
 fountain, spoken of in Joel iii. 18, which should 
 " come forth of the house of the Lord, and water 
 the valley of Shittim :" it is with its gracious 
 truths that the faitiifid ministers of the Gospel 
 water Christ's garden ; the Spirit of grace does it I 
 efficaciously, they do it miaisterially ; Paul plants, j 
 and ApoUos waters, but God gives the increase ; 
 the doctrines of grace oftentimes flow in the min- 
 istry of the word, like floods of water upon the 
 dry and parched ground, which soften, moisten, 
 and make it fruitful ; souls are refreshed, grow, 
 and flourish thereby ; their graces are revived, 
 quickened, and drawn forth into exercise, and every 
 thing looks gay and beautiful, as in a fruitful and 
 pleasant garden. Now we are not to suppose that 
 the church is so properly this spring or fountain, 
 as Christ and his Spirit are; she has not an in- 
 deficient supply in herself, she receives all from 
 another ; but because of the abundance of grace 
 and the means of it, which Christ is pleased to 
 grant unto his church, therefore he calls her a 
 spring and fountain ; though she has grace enough 
 to ascribe all the glory to him, and own him to 
 be the alone spring and fountain from whence she 
 is supplied, as in ver. 15, will be made more man- 
 ifestly to appear. 
 
 Moreover the church is said to be " a spring 
 shut up, a foimtaiu sealed;" springs and wells of 
 water being highly esteemed, and much valued in 
 those hot countries, were highly preserved ; they 
 used to roll a large stone at the mouth of them, 
 and, for farther security, seal it ; as fhat stone was 
 which was laid at the month of the lions' den, in 
 which Daniel was cast : and that at the sepulchre 
 in which Christ was buried : now these fountains 
 were shut lip and sealed, not only that the waters 
 might not be bemudded by beasts, but also that 
 they might not be converted to the use of others ; 
 thus it is reported, that among the Persians,™ 
 were such fountains that only the king and his 
 eldest son might drink of; it being a capital pun- 
 
 ' R. Sol. Jarchi, R. Aben Ezra in loc. and R. 
 David Kimclii in lib. Shorosh. rad. bb:. >» A- 
 
 then. Deipnosopliist. 1. 12. c. 2. p. .'jl.5. 
 
 ishment for any others to do so : and perhaps So- 
 lomon might have such a spring and fountain in 
 his garden, which was shut up and sealed, and 
 kept for his oVvn pi'ivate use, to which the allusion 
 is here made ; either at Jerusalem, or at Ethan, 
 where he had a pleasure house ; which, for the 
 delicate gardens, walks, and fountains, and the 
 fruitfulness of the place, he took great delight in •." 
 and near the pools at some distance from Bethle- 
 hem, supposed to be his, is a fountain, which the 
 friars wall have to be the scaled fountain, here 
 allndcd to ; and to confirm which, they pretend a 
 tradition, that Solomon shut np these springs 
 and kept the door of them sealed with his signet, 
 to preserve the waters for his own drinking : and 
 Mr. Maundrel,° who saw them, says, it was not 
 difficult to secure them ; they rising under ground, 
 and having no avenue to them, but by a little hole, 
 like to the month of a narrow well. And if we 
 apply this to the doctrine of tbe Gospel, it intends, 
 1. The secrecy and hiddennessof them to the men 
 of the world ; " for if onr Gospel be hid, it is hid 
 to them that are lost, wh^m the god of this world 
 hath blinded," says the apostle, in 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4 : 
 it is an hidden Gospel to some, a book sealed both 
 to the learned and unlearned, who are in a carnal 
 and unconverted state ; from many it is hidden, 
 as to the external ministry of it; and to others it 
 remains a secret, in the midst of the clearest light, 
 and most powerful ministrations of it ; it is shnt 
 up in parables, and appears to be nothing else but 
 dark sayings to a mere natural man. 2. That 
 they are peculiarly intended and designed for the 
 elect of God : it is for their sakes he has sent it 
 into the world ; and for their sakes he will con- 
 tinue to keep it there, maugre all opposition, until 
 every one of them are called by powerful and 
 eflficacions grace ; ■ " I endure all things," says the 
 apostle, 2 Tim. ii. 10, " for the elect's sake, that 
 they may also obtain the salvation, which is in 
 Christ Jesus, with eternal glory ;" that is, 1 preach 
 the Gospel ; and in doing it, undergo all the suffer- 
 ings I do, purely upon their account ; that salva- 
 tion may be brought unto them, and they brought 
 at last into the etemal possession of it ; and as it 
 is sent into, and continued in the world for their 
 sakes, so it is only blessed to them for conversion 
 and consolation ; though the Gospel is preached 
 to others, as well as to them, yet it does not be- 
 come profitable to them, because it is not mixed 
 with faith by them ; for whilst it is the " savour 
 of life unto life" to some, it is the " savour of 
 death unto death " to others ; and though these 
 waters of Gospel-doctrines flow to, and fall upon 
 others ; yet is but like water that falls upon a 
 rock, that quickly glides away, and makes no im- 
 pression; and not like streams of water which 
 run about the plants, and soak to the very/oot. 
 The elect of God are only savingly converted. 
 
 n Joseph. Antiquitat. 1. 8. c. 8. 7. 3. 
 from Aleppo, p. 88, 89. 
 
 » Journey 
 
VEic. 13, 14] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 1G5 
 
 refreshed, and comforted by Gospel-doctrines ; they 
 are peculiarly designed for them, and eminently 
 blessed to them ; they are only for their use, 
 and are to them " a spring shut up, and a fountain 
 sealed." 
 
 And if we apply it to (he grace of the Spirit, it 
 denotes, 1. That it is hidden, unknown, and is not 
 communicated to any but to the elect of God : the 
 natural man knows not the things of the Spirit, 
 namely, the grace of the Spirit in regeneration and 
 effectual vocation ; these things are mysteries to 
 him ; he is a stranger to them, and unacquainted 
 with them; they are only communicated to, and 
 wrought in those to whom God would make 
 known the exceeding riches of his grace : thus 
 things are said to be shut and sealed up, which 
 are kept secret and hidden, aud are not conveyed 
 to the knowledge of persons, as iu Esther viii. 
 16, Dan. sii. 4 — 9. 2. That it is safe and secure • 
 the grace of God's people is shut up aud sealed ; 
 it can never be taken away from them ; their life, 
 and all their grace, and the fulness of it, " are hid 
 with Christ in God ; aud what is given forth unto 
 them, and wrought in them, is an immortal seed, 
 aud that good part which cannot be taken away. 
 3. It may intend the confirmation of it to the 
 saints ; so things are said to be sealed, when they 
 are ratified, confirmed, and made sure ; grace and 
 glory are both so to the saints ; the Spirit is the 
 author of their grace, and the earnest aud pledge 
 of their glory, by whom they are " sealed unto 
 the day of redemption." 4. It may signify Christ's 
 special property in his church, aud her inviolable 
 chastity to him ; and this I take to be the most 
 proper sense of all these expressions ; she is " a 
 garden enclosed, a spring shut up, a fountain 
 sealed ;" she is Christ's garden and none but his ; 
 Christ's spring aud fountain, to which none has a 
 right but himself; she is his spouse aud bride, 
 and no other's; and being espoused unto him, as 
 a chaste virgin, by mighty grace is kept so. The 
 Jewish writers? geue rally understand it of the 
 modesty and chastity of the daughters of Israel ; 
 and this sense seems to be abundantly confirmed 
 from Prov. v. ]5 — 18. "Drink waters out of 
 thiue own cistern, and running waters out of 
 thine own well," &c. Let thy fountain be blessed, 
 and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 
 
 Ver. 13, 14. Thy plants are an orchard nf pome- 
 granates, xoith pleasant fruits, camphire with 
 spikenard. Spikenard and saffron, calamus and 
 cinnatnon, vnlh all trees of frankincense, myrrh 
 and aloes, with all the chiif spices. 
 
 Christ having compared his church to a garden, 
 and observed that it was well watered, having in 
 it a spring and fountain ; he proceeds to show the 
 fruitfuluess of it, that it abounded with the choic- 
 est trees, the most pleasant fruits, aud the chief 
 
 of spices. In explaining these words, it will be 
 proper, 
 
 I. To inquire what are iuteuded by the church's 
 plants. 
 
 II. Why these plants are said to be " an orchard 
 of pomegranates." 
 
 III. Take notice of the several trees, fruits, 
 and spices here mentioned, aud what may be 
 meant by them. 
 
 I. Who are meant by the clnirch's plants. 
 The Targum and Jarchi expound of the young 
 men in Israel ; and it is not unusual in scripture 
 to call children plants ; see Psalm cxxviii. 3, and 
 cxliv. 12 ; therefore, by her pkmts, may be in- 
 tended the members of the church, her children, 
 young converts, believers in Christ, who are 
 " planted iu the house of the Lord, and flourish 
 in the courts of our God ;" these are not mere 
 education plants, who spring up in the churches, 
 aud join themselves to them, because their parents 
 did ; and espouse religion, because they were 
 brought up in it : these are not mere outward 
 profession-plants, who have a name to live, and 
 are dead ; have lamps, but no oil in their lamps ; 
 aud have a form of godliness, but deny the power 
 thereof: such plants as these are fruitless ones; 
 they are like the barren Cg-tree, from which three 
 years successively fruit was sought, but none 
 found ; if ever there was any appearance of fruit 
 on them, it never came to any thing, but withered 
 away ; and whatsoever fruit they do bring forth 
 it is to themselves, and not to God : like Israel, 
 of whom it is said, Hosea x. 1, tliat he is " au 
 empty vine, and brings forth fruit to himself;" 
 and the reason of this is because they have not 
 the root of the matter in them ; nor are they en- 
 grafted into, and rooted in Christ Jesns; and 
 therefore are like the stony ground-hearers, who 
 heard and received the word with joy, but did not 
 last long, because they had no root in themselves ; 
 and such being none of the Father's planting, 
 shall be plucked up, according to what Christ 
 says, jNIatt. xv. 13, " Every plaut which my hea- 
 venly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted 
 up ;" aud shall be buudled together, as fit fuel 
 for the fire, like the unfruitful and withered 
 branches, or like the taicsin the end of the world, 
 but these plants iu the text are such who, 1. 
 Are by divine grace transplanted from the wilder- 
 ness of the world ; they are Christ's vines, which 
 he briugs out of Egypt ; his fir aud myrtle trees, 
 which he causes to spring up instead of briars 
 aud thorns ; these he either takes out of the wil- 
 derness, or else makes it a fruitful garden by plant- 
 ing them there ; he calls them out of the world, 
 and translates them into his own kingdom, where- 
 by he enlarges his church, aud of a garden makes 
 it an orchard. 2. Who have the grace of the 
 Spirit planted in their hearts ; who works in them 
 every sort of grace, which he raises, cherishes. 
 
 p Targum. R. Sol. Jarchi, and R. Aben Ezra in loc. T. B. Yoma, fol. 75. apud Wagenseil. Sotah, p. 
 240. Seder Tephillot, fol. 203. 1. ed Basil. Addi.sou's present state of the Jews, c. 5. p. .50. 
 
16i3 
 
 AN EXl>OSlTION OF THE 
 
 [_C1IAP. IV. 
 
 and at last brings to perfection. 3. Who are 
 engrafted into Ciirist Jesus : by nature they be- 
 long to, and grow upon the wild olive : but 
 are by grace broken off from that, and are en- 
 grafted into the true olive, Christ Jesus ; they are 
 planted into the likeness of his death, and into the 
 likeness of his resurrection, and so receive the be- 
 nefits of both ; they abide in him, as the branch 
 iu the vine, and receiving sap and nourishment 
 from him, become fruitful souls. 4. They are 
 such who have received the ingrafted word ; it has 
 been planted in them, and powerfully impressed 
 upon them ; they have received it in the love of 
 it ; it has effectually wrought in them, and 
 brought forth fruit in them from the very day 
 they heard and received it. 5. Such as these who 
 are transplanted from the wilderness of the world, 
 and are planted in Christ, and have had his word 
 and grace planted in their souls, have a right to 
 be planted ministerially iu his church ; and being 
 planted there, will grow and flourish. Now such 
 plants as these are choice and select ones; they 
 are plants of renown, and pleasant ones to God 
 and Christ ; th.;y are planted in a fruitful soil, 
 and by rivers of water, therefore their leaf is al- 
 ways green ; neither do they cease from yielding 
 fruit; hence they shall never be plucked up; 
 iieither sin, nor Satan, nor the world can do it; 
 and Christ Jesus never will ; for they are his 
 Father's planting, in whom he is, and will be 
 glorified, and then is he so, when they bring forth 
 much fruit. 
 
 II. These plants are said to be an orchard, or 
 like unto an orchard of pomegranates. The word 
 for plants, is by the Cabalistic doctors,") rendered 
 waterings or rivulets ; which, being derived, make 
 her a garden of pomegranates, as full as an or- 
 chard is of til 2m : and it may be rendered gardens;' 
 particular churches, which make an orchard, or 
 are like one ; even a paradise, as the word is ren- 
 dered by the Scptuagint, and in other versions ;' 
 it is generally thought to be a Persiac word ; see 
 Netiem. ii. 8, but Hillerust derives it from TiD, 
 to separate; it being a garden separate and en- 
 closed, as before ; one like Eden's garden, exceed- 
 ing pleasant and delightful ; and not like an or- 
 chard of any sort of trees, but of pomegranates ; 
 of which there was plenty iu the land of Canaan; 
 called " a land of pomegranates," Deut. viii. 8 ; 
 many places in it had their names from thence, 
 Josh. XV. 32, and xix. 13, and sxi. 24. And the 
 church," with her plants, may be called so, in al- 
 lusion to the garden of Eden, the earthly paradise 
 of our first parents ; where the " Lord God made 
 to grow every tree that was pleasant to the sight, 
 
 >« Learic. Cabal, p. 237. ' Vid. Guisium in Misn. 
 Sheviith, c. 2. s. 2. • DIID ■napaiecaot, Sept. par- 
 adisus, Pagninus.Montanus. Tiguriue version, Cocce- 
 ius, Marckius, Michaelis. ' Onomastic, Sacr. p. 291. 
 
 " Possunt haec etiam iu ecclesia intilligi, ut ea 
 melius accipiamusta.'iquam prophetica indicia pre- 
 cedentia futuronim ; paradisum scilicet ipsani ec- 
 clesiam. sicut de ilia Icgitur in Cautico Canticorum ; 
 
 and good for food ;" in the midst of it stood the 
 tree of life, and out of it went a river to water all 
 the garden, and was on all accounts exceeding 
 pleasant and delightful: in Christ's garden, the 
 church, are planted all manner of trees of righte- 
 ousness, which are both pleasant aud profitable ; 
 in the midst of this paradise of God, stands the 
 tree of life, Christ Jesus : but with this difference 
 from the tree of life in Eden's garden ; for Adam 
 might not put forth his hand, and take of that ; 
 but of this, whosoever will, may pluck and eat, 
 and happy is every one that does so : here runs a 
 river of boundless love and grace, the streams 
 whereof water and refresh all the plants herein, 
 and upon all accounts is an Eden of pleasure, a 
 paradise which Christ has made for his own plea- 
 sure and delight," and for that reason bears this 
 name : but these plants are not only said to be 
 an orchard, but an orchard or paradise of 
 pomegranates, that is, in which pomegranates 
 grew in great plenty. The church, like the land 
 of Canaan, is a land or orchard of pomegranates ; 
 and the church's plants, believers in Christ, who 
 are planted and grow there, may be compared to 
 pomegranates, that is, not to the fruit and shell, 
 as in ver. 3, but to the trees, 1, Because there 
 are various sorts of them,* which bear fruit dif- 
 fering from each other ; which may denote the dif- 
 ference there is in saints, by reason of their gifts 
 and graces ; they have grace and gifts differing 
 from each other ; one has more grace and larger 
 gifts than other's have ; they are not all of an equal 
 size and bigness ; they have not all alike measure 
 of the Spirit, aud yet they are all pomegranates, 
 trees of righteousness, of the right planting. 2. Po- 
 megranate treesinsomecountriesarevery large; and 
 so they were in the land of Canaan, as appears from 
 1 Sam. xiv. 2, and perhaps may here denote such 
 who excel others in gifts aud grace ; who are of- 
 ficers in churches, and are set over others in and 
 by the Lord ; as by other trees, fruits, and spices, 
 after mentioned, may be intended lesser saints, 
 who are of a lower form in the church of Christ. 
 3. They are very fruitful trees : the fruit they 
 bear, as it is full of a delightful juice, so of grains 
 or kernels ; which may denote the saints being 
 full of grace, aud all the fruits of righteousness 
 aud good works, as the Targum and Jarchi ob- 
 serves here. 4. They grow up straight and 
 upright, and so denote the samts upright- 
 ness, both in heart and life ; they are men 
 of upright hearts, and of upright conversations; 
 are looking upwards to, and growing up into their 
 Head, Christ Jesus. 5. Tliey do not grow any 
 where, in any soil ; the wilderness, through which 
 
 quatuor autem paradisi flumina, quatuor evangelia ; 
 ligna fructifera, Sanctos ; fructus outem eorum, opera 
 eorum; lignum vitas, Sanctum Sanctorum, 
 utique Christum : lignum scieutiiB boni and 
 mali, proprium voluntatis arbitrium. Aug. de Civit. 
 Dei, 1. 13. c. 21. »" DTiD napddeiaor, paradisus, 
 
 poniarium, voluptatis and anioenitatis causa consi- 
 tum, Buxtorf. " Vid. Tlin. 1. 13. c. 19. 
 
VER. 
 
 13.] 
 
 SON'5 OF SONGS. 
 
 1G7 
 
 the Israelites travelled, could not furaish thetc i 
 with any, though the land of Canaan couL' when 
 they came thither; these plants or trees of righ- 
 teousness, do not grow anywhere ; they are not 
 to be found every where ; they grow in Christ's 
 garden ; in his house they are planted, and in his 
 courts they flourish. 
 
 III. Here are several other trees, fruits, and 
 spices, which are said to be in this garden or 
 orchard ; for it is added, with all pleasant fruits ; 
 that is, whatsoever is valuable, precious, and 
 desirable, such as those after mentioned ; as 
 camphire with spikenard; both these have been 
 observed in chap. i. 12, 14, but are here mentioned 
 in the plural number, ci/p-esses, or cyprusses 
 tcith nards ;^ the camphire, or cypress, on the 
 account of its fruits or berries ; and the spikenard, 
 because there are various sorts of it, as nardus 
 Italica, nardus Cellica, and nardus Indica, which 
 last is the right spikenard ; and it may be, because 
 the leaves which grow out of the root, are like a 
 bunch of ears of corn : saffron : it is no where 
 else mentioned in scripture : we call it by this 
 name from the Arabic, zaffran ; it is called so on 
 account of its yellow and goljen colour ; its 
 nature and usefulness are well known among ns ; 
 according to Schindler,^ it seems to have been read 
 carcos, the same with crocus, which has its name 
 from Corycus^ a mountain in CiLcia; so Pliny, 
 lib. 21, c. 6, where it grew, aud was the best : it is 
 propei'ly joined with spikenard, since itself is a 
 spice, and is called spica Cilissa i^ it bears a blue 
 flower, in the midst of which are three stylets, or 
 little threads, of a fine red colour, which are what 
 is called saffron: calamus and cinnamon ; both 
 these were ingredients in the holy anointing oil, 
 Exod. XXX. 23 ; both grow in India, and in Arabia,"^ 
 and in Ethiopia ; calamus is the sweet cane, men- 
 tioned in Isa. xliii. 24 ; it grows in India and 
 Arabia ; and is said to scent the air, where and 
 while it is growing, with a fragrant smell ; and 
 cinnamon is the middlemost bark of a tree that 
 grows in Ceylon in the East Indies ; it is men- 
 tioned in Prov. vii. 17, as the harlot's perfume, 
 and in Rev. xviii. 13, as part of the wares or 
 merchandise of the whore of Babylon : some say,"^ 
 what we call cinnamon is the cassia of the ancients ; 
 Herodotus' fabulously relates, what, from the 
 Phojnieians, is called cinnamon, are stalks or barks, 
 which the Arabs say, are found in the nests of 
 certain birds. " With all trees of frankincense, 
 myrrh ;" frankincense chiefly grew in one of the 
 Arabias, hence culled thurifera ;' and is said to 
 come out of Syria ;8 it was used in the holy 
 perfume, as was myrrh in the anointing oil, Exod. 
 ssx. 23 — 34, which is a gum, from a shrub in 
 
 Arabia, of a bitter taste, but fragrant ; and with 
 both these the church is said to be perfumed, chaii. 
 iii. 6, and aloes ; either the ling-aloes, so the 
 Targum here, of which mention is made in Numb. 
 xxiv. 6, called agallochium, an aromatic plant, 
 which grows in India and Arabia, and is of a sweet 
 odour, as Isidore*" says ; or the herb aloes, which 
 is of a bitter taste, but of a sweet smell, and with 
 which garments were perfumed, Psalm xlv. 8, Prov. 
 vii. 17 ; together with all chief spices, or precious 
 ones ; Solomon's gardens might be furnished with 
 these from Arabia Felix, -where all sorts of spices 
 grew, hence called aromatifera, the spice coun- 
 try :' and be they what they will, they are all to 
 be found in Christ's garden, or what is auswerablc 
 to them. Now by these may be meant, the several 
 graces of the Spirit, which are to be found in all 
 those who are plants or members in Christ's 
 church ; which are called by these names, and 
 compared to these fi-uits, herbs, and spices. 1. 
 Because the graces of the Spirit are many, and 
 therefore many herbs and siiices are mentioned ; 
 . see Gal. v. 22. 2. They are various, of different 
 sorts ; for as it makes for the pleasantness of a 
 garden or orchard to have many trees, plants, herbs, 
 and flowers, so to have them of different sorts ; 
 for if there were never so many, and all of one 
 sort, it would not be so deliglitful : the church of 
 Christ, and believers in Christ, as they have 
 many, so they have various graces ; there are 
 faith, hope, love, &c. ; faith is a grace differing 
 from hope, and hope differs from faith, and love 
 from them both. 3. They are rare aud excellent ; 
 the herbs and spices here mentioned, such as 
 spikenard, saffron, camphire, cinnamon, &c., are 
 not to be found everywhere : they do not grow in 
 every garden ; they are very rarely to be met 
 with : the graces of the Spirit do not grow any 
 where, in any heart ; there are but few that have 
 them ; they are exceeding rare, valuable, aud pre- 
 cious. 4. These herbs and spices are all of them 
 of a sweet smtU : and so are the graces of the 
 Si)irit to Christ ; they are a sweet perfume to 
 liira : the smell of these ointments is preferred by 
 him to all spices, in verse 10. 5. Some of these 
 herbs aud jilants cheer the heart,'' and revive the 
 spirits, as saffron, cinnamon, and camphire : the 
 Spirit of God, in his operations of grace, and in 
 exciting and drawing forth grace into exercise, 
 wonderfully chders our hearts, revives our spirits, 
 and keeps us from fainting and swooning fits ; in 
 the multitude of cur thoughts within us, his com- 
 forts delight onr souls. 6. Some of them preserve 
 from putrefaction, as myrrh and aloes ; and there- 
 fore were used in embalming dead bodies, Johu 
 xix. 39, the grace of the Spirit is of such a nature ; 
 
 T So Junius and Tremellius, Piscator. • Lexic. 
 Pentaglott. col. 910. ' Corvcii pressura croci, 
 
 Lucan. Pharsal. 1. 9. v. 809. Hie Cilico crocus editus 
 arvo, Virgil. Culex. •• Ovid. Fast. 1. 1. v. 76. in 
 
 Ibim. V. 200. Propert. 1. 4. eleg. 6. v. 74. « Plin. 
 
 1. la. c. 19, 22. Strabo; 1. I.t. p. 47S. Herodot. Tha- 
 lia, c. 107. Cinnamomi aud multi pastor odorie Arubs, 
 
 Propert. 1. 4. eleg. 13. v. 8. ^ Vid. Reland. de 
 
 Vet. Ling. Ind. s. 10. p. 216. • Thalia, :^ive 1. 3. 
 
 c. III. Vid. Plin. 1. 12. c. 19. ' Plin. 1. 12. c. 14. 
 
 e Hermippus apud Athen. Dtipnosophist. 1. I.e. 
 21. p. 27. I" Origin. 1. 17. c. 8. • Strabo. 1, 
 
 16 p. .=^38. vid. p. .^35. ^ Femel. Method. Me-=^ 
 
 deud. 1. 6. c, 7. aud 1. 5. c. 17, 21. 
 
IGS 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. IV. 
 
 it is by this our dead souls are quickened, by this 
 they are kept in life, and are preserved from 
 putrifying and rotting in sin. 7. Some of them 
 are green in winter-time ; as saffron and the aloe -.'' 
 grace is always alive, and ever green, even in 
 winter-storms and tempests, though it does not 
 always appear so to ns ; it is an immortal seed 
 which never dies. 8. Some of these grow up 
 higher and taller than others; the calamus,™ 
 cinnamon, myrrh, and others, grow up taller than 
 the spikenard and saffron : now these may intend 
 the graces of the faith, hope, and love, which rise 
 upwards in their actings on the Lord Jesus Christ ; 
 and the latter, the graces of humility, meekness, 
 lowliness of mind, &c. 9. All these emit the 
 most fragrant odour, when they are either cut, 
 bruised, or burnt ; so do the graces of the Spirit, 
 when they are exercised and tried in the furnace 
 of affliction. 10. They are all, one way or ano- 
 ther, more or less medicinal, and are healthful to 
 the bodies of men ; and so are the graces of the 
 Spirit to the souls of men. Solomon understood 
 the nature of all sorts of herbs and plants, and no 
 doubt these are aptly chosen to set forth the graces 
 of the Spirit by ; and had we but his wisdom, we 
 should know better how to apply them. 
 
 Verse 15. A fountain of ga'devs, a well of living 
 
 waters, and streams from Lebanon. 
 Cheist having commended his church as a well 
 watered garden, and declared her fruitfnlness ; 
 she breaks forth in these words, and ascribes 
 it all to him, saying, " O fountain of gardens, 
 and well of living waters," &c., as the words are 
 rendered by some :" though others® take them 
 to be the words of Christ ; but rather are the 
 church's. It is true, as if she should say, I 
 am a garden, and a garden enclosed by thy 
 sovereign grace, where the streams and flows 
 of thy grace run and water all ray plants, and 
 make them so fruitful as they are : but I am 
 not the spring, the fountain from whence they 
 flow ; it is thou who art the fountain of gardens, 
 from whence I am supplied, and am put into, 
 and kept in the flourishing condition I am ; it 
 is not owing to myself, but it is by thy grace 
 I am what 1 am ; and therefore I will ascribe 
 all the glory to thee. So that the church here 
 acknowledges Christ, 
 
 I. To be " a fountain of gardens." 
 
 il. "A. well of living waters." And, 
 
 111. Hisgracctobelike "strearasfrouaLebanon." 
 
 Thei'e seems to be a respect to several places, 
 
 called by these names. There was one called, 
 
 " the Fountain of Gardens," which flowed from 
 
 Lebanon, sis miles from Tripoli, and watered all 
 
 the gardens about, whence it had its name, and 
 
 all the country that lay between those two 
 
 ' I'lin. 1. 21. c. 6. "» Ibid. 1. 12. c. I9. and So- 
 
 lin. c. 43. and 46. " So Ainsworth, Junius and 
 
 Trciiifllius, Piscator, Marckius. " Isidore, Coc- 
 
 cciuj. ScluniiU, 1-louiiischins ; so the Cabalistic doc- 
 tors interpret tlie well of living waters, of malcuth, 
 
 places:? and there was another, called " the Well 
 of living waters," a little mile to the south of 
 Tyre ;" it had four fountains, from whence were 
 cut various aqueducts and rivulets, which watered 
 all the plain of Tyre, and all its gardens ; which 
 fountains were little more than a bow's cast from 
 the main sea ; and in which space six mills were 
 employed :' and there is a rupture in mount Le- 
 banon, as Mr Mauudrelr says, which runs up in 
 seven hours travelling ; and which on both sides 
 is steep and high, and clothed with fragrant 
 greens from top to bottom ; and every where 
 refreshed with fountains, falling down from the 
 rocks, in pleasant cascades, the ingenious work of 
 nature: and RauwolfF,* who was on this moun- 
 tain in 1575, relates, "We came, says he, into 
 pleasant groves, by delightful rivulets that arose 
 from springs, that made so sweet a noise as to 
 be admired by king Solomon," Cant. iv. 15. 
 
 I. She acknowledges him to be " a fountain 
 of gardens." By gardens may be intended, ei- 
 ther particular believers, whose souls are made 
 like watered gardens, whose springs fail not ; or 
 rather, particular churches : Christ has more gar- 
 dens than one ; every particular church is a gar- 
 den ; such were the churches at Rome, Corinth, 
 Colosse, Philippi, Thessalonica, and the seven 
 churches of Asia; but though there hare been, 
 and still are many gardens, yet there is but one 
 fountain, from whence they are supplied, and by 
 which they are all watered, and that is the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, as the church here owns ; in him 
 all fulness of grace dwells, and from thence be- 
 lievers " receive grace for grace;" he is the foun- 
 tain from whence it all flows : all justifying grace 
 flows from this fountain ; in him alone is our 
 justifying righteousness before God; by him are 
 all the elect justified, and that from all things 
 from which they could not be justified by the 
 law of Moses ; in doing which abundance of 
 grace is displayed, both in bringing it in and 
 applying it to the ungodfy sinner; all which 
 grace flows from this fountain : all sanctifying 
 grace flows from hence ; a holy nature, as well 
 as a justifying righteousness, we have from 
 Christ ; he is both our sanctification and our 
 righteousness ; to him we must look for, and 
 from him we must receive the one as well as the 
 other : all the streams of pardoning grace take 
 their rise from hence ; Christ shed his blood to 
 obtain the pardon of sin, and he has obtained it 
 thereby for all his people ; so that now as for- 
 giveness of sin is according to the riches of 
 God's grace, it is also upcn the foot of justice, 
 being founded upon redemption through the 
 blood of Jesus; hence God's justice and faithful- 
 ness are concerned in the pardon of sin, as well 
 as his grace and mercy displayed ; Christ is 
 
 or the bride, tlie church, Lexic. Cabal, p. 183. 
 
 p Adrlchom. Theatrum Terra Sanctae.p. 107, 108. 
 
 "! Ibid. p. 6. ' Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. I, 
 
 2, 143. ' Travels, part 2. ch. 12. p. 187, !88. edit. 
 
 Hay. 
 
VER. 15.] 
 
 SONG OF SOXGS. 
 
 1G9 
 
 " the fountain opened," to wash in " for sin and 
 for unclean ness ;" it is his blood alone which 
 " cleanseth from all sin" whatever. He is the 
 fountain of all the blessings and promises of the 
 everlasting covenant ; of all that light and life 
 that we arc made partakers of; of all that 
 strength and wisdom that are given forth to us, 
 to act for him in our several stations of life ; 
 and of all that joy, comfort, and peace in believ- 
 ing, which onr souls are at any times possessed 
 of. He is the fountain of all fructifying and 
 persevering grace, by which the plants in his gar- 
 den become fruitful, and continue to do so : in 
 short, he is the fountain from whence all his 
 churches are supplied not ouly with grace, but 
 with the gifts of the Spirit ; he is ascended on 
 high, " that he might fill all things ;" he is filled 
 himself as Man and IMediator, with the Spirit, 
 without measure ; he has received " the promise 
 of the Father," and plentifully sheds it abroad 
 among his people ; he fills his churches with 
 members and officers, and all these with suitable 
 gifts and graces for their respective places ; all 
 comes from this " fountain of gardens." 
 
 II. Siie declares him to be " a well of living 
 waters:" we read, in Isa. xii. 3, of wells of sal- 
 vation, in the plural number, which intend the 
 same as here ; and are so called to denote the 
 fulness, completeness, and excellency of salvation 
 in Christ. Christ is a well, 1. Large and 
 deep ; like that which Isaac called Rehoboth, 
 either from the largeness of it, or the liberty he 
 had then obtained in enjoying it ; or like Jacob's 
 well, which was very deep, at which Christ met 
 the woman of Samaria: the fulness of grace in 
 Christ has its heights and depths, its lengths and 
 breadths ; it is bottomless and unfathomable, it 
 is immeasurable and incomprehensible. 2. Christ 
 is a full well: we read, 2 Peter ii. 17, of some 
 that are wells without water ; but such an one is 
 not Christ ; he is a full well, and not full of any 
 thing, of any sort of water, but of living water ; 
 he is full of grace and truth. 3. This well was 
 dug by, and filled alone with sovereign grace ; it 
 pleased the Father ; it was an act of his sove- 
 reign grace, that Christ should be the Mediator, 
 and that all fulness of grace should dwell in him 
 as such ; when he treasured up in him before 
 the world began : the Lord, says Wisdom, Prov. 
 viii. 22, possessed me ; with what ? with all ful- 
 ness of grace ; and when did he do this ? in the 
 beginning of his way, before his works of old ; 
 boundless, sovereign grace ! 4. Faith is the grace 
 with which we draw from hence : it may indeed 
 be said to ns, what the woman of Samaria said 
 to Christ, John iv. 11, " Sir, thou hast nothing 
 to draw with, and the weU is deep :" we have 
 nothing of our own to draw with ; but Christ, 
 who has opened our eyes, as the Lord did 
 Hagar's, to behold himself, the well of living 
 waters, gives us faitli, whereby we draw out of 
 
 the wells of salvation, and receive from this over- 
 flowing fountain grace for grace. 5. The wa- 
 ters we draw from hence are living ones; such 
 Christ told the woman of Samaria he could, as 
 undoubtedly he afterwards did give nnto her, 
 even living water. Christ is a well, and a well 
 full of living waters; which are so called, (1.) 
 Because grace given forth, from Christ's fulness 
 to dead sinners, makes them alive ; these waters 
 are like the waters of the sanctuary, in Eze- 
 kiel's vision ; which, whenever they come, not 
 ouly keep alive those that are so, but quicken 
 such who are dead in trespasses and sins, and in 
 this respect excel them : we are told, Prov. x. 
 11, that the mouth of a righteous man is a well 
 of life ; certainly Christ's mouth is so, when he 
 says to sinners, whilst in their blood, live ; his 
 grace may then be said to be living water. 
 (2.) Grace given forth from Christ's fulaess, 
 I'evives and quickens saints when dull, lifeless, and 
 fainting ; it comforts their hearts, and makes 
 them cheerful, lively, and active. (3.) Grace 
 maintains and supports life in believers : we have 
 our life alone from Christ ; he is the Author of 
 it, and with him it is hid, secured, and preserved ; 
 it is by his mighty grace that our souls are up- 
 held in it,; from his fulness we have all the com- 
 munications of it; and because he lives, there- 
 fore we do, and shall live also. (4.) It is this 
 grace of Christ's that gives saints a right to, 
 prepares them for, and will end in eternal life ; 
 justifying grace gives them a right to eternal 
 life ; sanctifying grace makes them meet for it, 
 which is in them " a well of water springing up 
 into everlasting life," John iv. 14. (5.) These 
 are called living waters, because they are ever 
 running;' and so opposed to standing waters, 
 which are dried up in the summer season : Christ's 
 grace is perpetual, everlasting, and inexhaustible ; 
 like himself, it is " the same yesterday, to-day, 
 and for ever ;" the fulness of grace in Christ, 
 and the communications of it, are like those living 
 or ever-running waters, mentioned in Zech. xiv. 
 8, " And it shall be in that day, that living 
 waters shall go out from Jerusalem ; half of 
 them towards the former sea, and half of them 
 toward the hinder sea ; in summer and in winter 
 shall it be ;" that is, at all times and seasons of 
 the year shall these waters flow : the saints before 
 and after the flood, the saints before and under 
 the law; the saints under the Old Testament, 
 and the saints under the New, have all received 
 from this fountain and fulness of grace in Christ ; 
 all the grace that angels have, and all that men 
 have or shall have, all comes from hence ; and 
 yet it is an over-running, overflowing, and inex- 
 haustible fulness. And this I take to be the 
 principal reason why it is called " living 
 water." 
 
 III. The church here acknowledges the grace 
 of Christ to be like streams from Lebanon : mount 
 
 • Flumine vivo, Tirg. .^neid. I. 2. v. 715. semper fluenti, i. e. naturali, Servius ind. lb 
 
170 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE. 
 
 [CIIAP. IV. 
 
 Lebanon gave rise to some rivers, as Jordan," 
 Eleutherus, &c., and as these took their rise and 
 streamed from thence, so does grace from Christ, 
 " whose countenance is as Lebanon," chap. v. 15, 
 who is intended here ; from this high, goodly, 
 pleasant, fruitful, and fragrant mountain, flow all 
 the streams of divine grace to our souls. Now by 
 tliis expression are intended, 1. The discoveries 
 and breakings forth of grace to those who are the 
 objects of it : the river of God's love ran under 
 ground from eternity ; so that those who are in- 
 terested in it, and are the objects of it, know no- 
 thing of it, till it breaks forth in effectual vocation ; 
 when it comes pouring in unto them, like streams 
 from Lebanon. 2. This expression may denote 
 the rapidity, force, and power of divine grace : as 
 the streams from Lebanon fall with great rapidity :'*■ 
 grace comes like a mighty torreut, and carries all 
 before it ; throws down the strong-holds of Satan, 
 and is a match for the corruptions of nature ; for 
 when this works, nothing can let ; all mountains 
 become a plain : all obstacles and impediments 
 are removed out of the way; and nothing can 
 stand before it, when the exceeding greatness of 
 its power is exerted ; it is irresistible, invincible, 
 and always victorious. 3. This phrase may be 
 expressive of the abundance of grace which flows 
 from Christ: there are aboundings of sin in our 
 nature ; but grace, streaming from Christ, abounds 
 over all ; where sin abounded, says the apostle, 
 Kom. v. 20, " grace did much more abound ;" 
 it flows into, and it overflows in a believer's 
 heart ; the grace of our Lord was exceeding abun- 
 dant, virepeirXehi/aae, it abounded ; yea, it super- 
 abounded with faith and love which is in Christ 
 Jesus : there is an abundance of grace given forth 
 to a single believer ; how much then must it be 
 that is given forth to them all 1 and how large 
 that fulness which is in Christ 1 4. Though this 
 grace flows in abundance to poor sinners, yet it is 
 in measure ; grace is in Christ without measure, 
 but in us in measure ; it is in hira as in a foun- 
 tain, but is given forth to us in streams ; and these 
 streams should lead us to the fountain from whence 
 they flow ; for though we should rejoice in, and 
 adore grace for the streams, yet we should not rest 
 contented, without often going to the fountain it- 
 self. 5. The communications of grace are called 
 streams, and said to be as streams from Lebanon, 
 because they are exceeding grateful and delightful 
 to souls ; even as streams of water were in those 
 hot countries : the streams which flow in this ri- 
 ver of divine grace make glad the city of God ; a 
 spring of water to a thirsty traveller in the Ara- 
 bian deserts, cannot be more welcome and delight- 
 ful than the discoveries of grace, those streams 
 from Lebanon, are to a believing soul; and there- 
 fore Christ is said to be " as rivers of water in a 
 dry place, and as the shadow cf a great rock in 
 
 " Plin. 1. 5. c. '20. and Joseph. Antiq. I. V c. 3.s. 1. 
 
 " PoifwvTot uTTo T» A/Jiava, Sept. qua; fluunt impetu 
 do Libano, V. L. Et impetus descendens a Libano, 
 Anibros. in Psal. cxviii. octon. 17. col. 1041. AH 
 
 a weary land," Isa. xxxii. 2. 6. It intends the 
 coutiuued supplies of grace to believers: grace is 
 always ruuning, streaming, flowing to them ; could 
 the communications of grace be stopped, xvere those 
 streams from Lebanon to cease, they would soon 
 be in an empty, miserable, and wretched state and 
 condition : but this " rixxT of the water of life is 
 proceeding out of the throne of God and of the 
 Lamb ;" it ever did, and so it does still, and ever 
 shall ; " my God will supply all your need," &c., 
 Phil. iv. 19. 7- It intimates unto us the frceness 
 of it ; it is like the streams from Lebanon ; it 
 runs freely ; whosoever will, may come and take 
 of this w.ater of life freely. The first of these ex- 
 pressions in the text, denotes the fulness of grace 
 in Christ ; the second, the perpetuity and inex- 
 haustibleness of it ; and this third, the exceeding 
 freeness of it. 
 
 Verse 16. Former part. Awake, north rcind, 
 and come thou south, blow upon my garden, 
 that the spices thereof may flow out. — 
 
 Christ having taken notice of the fruit.'"ulaes3 
 of his garden, the church, in verse 12 — 14, and 
 she, in verse 15, having acknowledged that it was 
 all owing to himscF, who is the fountain of gar- 
 dens ; he, in this verse, that nothing may be 
 wanting to continue and increase the fruitfulncss 
 thereof, calls to the north and south winds, the 
 one (o^ awake, and the other to "come and blow 
 upon his garden, that the spices thereof may 
 flow out." The reason why I take these words 
 to be the words of Christ, and not of the church, 
 as some," are, 1. Because the language seems 
 best to suit with him ; who has created the winds, 
 and gathered them in his fist, and holds them 
 there ; who opens his hand and lets them loose, 
 and can and does recall them of at his pleasure ; who 
 has his storehouse and magazines of them, and 
 when he pleases, brings them forth out of his 
 treasures ; who, in the days of his flesh, gave a 
 surprising instance of his power over them, in 
 rebuking (he wind and sea, and commauding a 
 calm, when the disci])les, with others, were in 
 imminent danger ; wliich occasioned the men to 
 say, ""What manner of man is this, that eveu the 
 wind and the sea obey him 1" he can shut up 
 and let loose the winds, when he thinks fit ; he 
 has them at his command, and uses them as he 
 pleases ; so that it may be truly said of him, 
 what the Heathen poet^ said of his Jove : 
 Protinus .Soliis aquilonemclaudit in antris, 
 Emittitque notum ; madidisnotusevolatalia. 
 
 2. It does not appear so agreeable that the 
 church should petition Christ to let loose the 
 north wind upon her ; especially, if by it we 
 understand, as I think we must, some rough 
 dispensation of providence, as afflictions, tenipta- 
 tations, &c., which though Christ knows they are 
 
 agreeable to the accounts before given of those 
 streams. * Cocceius, Marckius, Michaelis, 
 
 y Ovid. Metamorph, I. 1. fab. T, 
 
VEB. 10.] 
 
 SOXG OF SONGS. 
 
 171 
 
 wholesome and useful to his people, and he makes 
 them so, and therefore iu his wisdom and grace 
 sends them ; yet lliey are not desirable to the 
 saints ; they do not pray for them. 3. The 
 person here speaking, claims a right and pro- 
 perty in this garden, on which the south wind is 
 to blow. Now the church is not her garden, but 
 Christ's, as she in the following part of the verse 
 acknowledges ; therefore it appears to be Christ 
 who here speaks, and says, " blow upon my 
 garden." Taking them then to be his words, I 
 shall now consider what he says. And, 
 
 I. He calls to the north wind to awake, 
 " Awake, O north wind." Which some^ under- 
 stand as a command, to remove and be gone, and 
 blow no longer upon his garden : in Psalm evil. 
 25, we read that God commaudeth, and raiselh 
 the stormy wind ; it is in the Hebrew text, lc?n, 
 "and causeth the stormy wiud to stand:" so 
 that the raising of the wind, and continuing of it,iu 
 that language was called a causing it to stand ; 
 and perhaps a recalling it was, as here, called an 
 awaking or raising it up, in order to be gone : 
 and there are some reasons which may be alleged 
 why it may be supposed that it was not the design 
 of Christ, that the north wind should blow, but 
 rather that it should not. 1. Because it was 
 now spring time ; " the winter was past, the 
 rain was over and gone ; the flowers appeared in 
 the earth, the fig-tree put forth her green figs, 
 and the vines with the tender grapes gave a good 
 smell," chap. ii. 11 — 13; and therefore it was 
 time for the north wind to cease blowing. 2. 
 It being a cold and nippiug wind, would be hurt- 
 ful and injurious to the plants in his garden, 
 mentioned in ver. 13, 14, and therefore it may 
 be supposed that he would not have it blow. 
 3. The verb 'msn, blow, is in the singular num- 
 ber, and seems to be only in construction with 
 the south wind ; and therefore is alone ordered to 
 blow, and not the north wind. 4. Winds dia- 
 metrically opposite to each other," as the north 
 and south be, cannot blow together under one 
 and the same horizon with a contiuned blast ; 
 for if they blow with equal force, they will 
 hinder each other from blowing freely ; and if 
 one is more powerful than the other, the weaker 
 will be obliged to join the other, or else subside ; 
 though winds contrary may blow together oblique- 
 ly and side-way ; but the more oblique they 
 are, the greater tempest they raise, which can 
 not be supposed to be Christ's design here : and 
 now, when he orders the north wiud to awake, 
 arise, and be gone, he intends every thing that 
 may be noxious, hurtful, and injurious to his 
 garden. Though otliers think the meaning of 
 this phrase, " Awake, O north wiud," is, arise, 
 exert thyself, and blow, together with the south 
 wind, upon my garden ; and so the Jewish writers 
 
 think,'' that both wiuds are designed to blow. 
 The north wiud, thougii a cold and nipping wind, 
 yet Pliny says,'^ tliat it is the most wholesome 
 wind that blows : and the scripture informs us, 
 that though out of the north comes forth the 
 cold; yet also from it proceeds fair weather; 
 Job xxxvii. 9 — 22 ; aad Solomon tells us, that 
 the uortl -viud drives away lain, Prov. xxv. 23, 
 and then by the north wind, as I hinted before, 
 we may understand rough dispensations of pro- 
 vidence, as temptations, afBictions, &c., which 
 Christ is pleased to suffer to come'upon his peo- 
 ple, and whicli he brings them under, for their 
 good and his glory : and this shows, (1.) That 
 none of these things come upon the saints with- 
 out Christ's knowledge, permission, or appoiut- 
 ment; there is not a wind blows upon them 
 without his will and order : atflictions do not 
 come out of the dust, nor trouble spring out of the 
 ground, bat are sent from heaven to the saints as 
 covenant mercies ; no temptation comes upon them, 
 what is common to man ; and Christ takes care 
 that they are not tempted above that they are 
 able to bear, and in his own way and time 
 gives them • deliverance from it. (2.) These 
 are all for their good ; it is, if need be, they 
 are in heaviness through manifold temptations ; 
 all adverse and rough dispensations of provi- 
 dence, all afflictions, work together for their 
 good ; they are all in mercy to them, otherwise 
 he that holds the wind in his fist, would not 
 suffer the blustering north wind to blow upon 
 them. (3.) They serve to make the spices flow 
 out ; that is, they are useful for the trial, exer- 
 cise, and increase of grace ; tribulation works 
 patience, and patience experience, and experience 
 hope ; that is, tribulation exercises and tries 
 these graces, and makes them to appear more 
 bright and glorious : the manifold temptations 
 the saints are attended with, are suffered to 
 come upon them "that the trial of their faith 
 being much more precious than of gold that 
 perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be 
 found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the 
 appearing of Jesus Christ," 1 Pet. i. 6, 7. 
 
 II. He calls to the south wind, to come and 
 blow Tipon his garden. The church is compared 
 to a garden, in verse 12 ; and why it is so, 
 has been there shown. Here Christ claims a 
 property in it; and it is his, 1. By choice ; he 
 chose this spot of ground, and preferred it to 
 all others, for this purpose and use. 2. By gift : 
 he asked it of his Father, and he gave it to 
 him : " thine they were, and thou gavest them 
 me," John xvii. 6. 3. By purchase; he has 
 bought it, and at a dear rate : not with cor- 
 ruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the 
 invaluable price of his own precious blood. 4. 
 By his powerful and efficacious grace, has dis- 
 
 ' Foliot. Sanctius, and Tig. not. in loc. so Ambrose, 
 in Psal. i. 5. p. C86. Theocloret. in loc. ^nd Tres 
 Tatres apud Ibid. • Aristot. Meteorolog. 1. 2. c G. 
 
 * R. Sol. Jarchi, and R. Aben Ezra, and Yalcut 
 in loc. ' Lib. 2. c. ■IT. 
 
172 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. IV. 
 
 tinguished and separated it from the wilderness 
 of this world. 5. He uses it as his own ; he 
 purcRased and set it apart for his own use and 
 recreation, and here delights to walk ; he is fre- 
 quently to be found, seen, and heard of here: 
 and this being his own garden, which he him- 
 self chose, his Father gave him, which he has 
 purchased with his own blood, distinguished by 
 his grace, and where he delights to take his 
 walks ; he therefore calls upon the south wind 
 to blow upon it. And by the south wind, and 
 blowing ol it, I apprehend, is intended the 
 Spirit of God, in his pow'erful operations, and 
 special influences of grace, in and upon the hearts 
 of God's people ; and shall now consider how he 
 may be compared, 
 
 First. To the wind in general. The Spirit of 
 God bears the same name, and several of the 
 properties thei-efore are applicable to him. 1. 
 The wind, as our Lord says, John iii. 8, blow- 
 eth where it listeth ; the Spirit of God is a free 
 agent ; he works how and where he pleaseth ; he 
 acts freely in the first application of grace to a 
 poor sinner; and so he does in all the after act- 
 ings, operations, and influences of it, as well as 
 in the donation of those gifts, which he be- 
 stows upon men for different purposes ; for 
 though there " are diversities of gifts, differences 
 of administrations, and diversities of operations, 
 yet all these worketh that one and the self-same 
 spirit ; dividing to every one severally as he will," 
 1 Cor. xii. 4 — 11. 2. The wind blows im- 
 perceptibly ; thou hearest, as Christ says in the 
 above-mentioned place, " the sound thereof, but 
 canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it 
 goeth; and so is every one that is born of the 
 Spirit :" the workings of the Spirit of God in 
 regeneration are invisible and imperceptible to 
 the natural man ; he can no more discern the 
 Spirit's grace, than he can see the wind when 
 it blows ; he can no more tell from whence this 
 grace comes, and how it is acted, than he can 
 point at the treasures of wind, and tell from 
 whence they take their rise, and why they blow 
 sometimes one way and sometimes another ; why 
 sometimes only in a gentle breeze, and at other 
 times rises to violent storms ; why sometimes 
 they drive on in a direct line, and at other times 
 have a circular motion ; and as he cannot ac- 
 count for these things, no more can he for the 
 operations of the Spirit; for he neither knows 
 his person nor his grace. 3. It blows power- 
 fully and irresistibly ; there is no stopping of it ; 
 it blows when, where, and how it listeth, for 
 any thing that man can do ; none but he who 
 has created the winds, and gathered them in 
 Lis first, can rule them at pleasure ; and, when 
 he lets them loose, and gives them a command 
 they carry all before them ; throw down houses, 
 pluck up trees by the roots, rend the mountains, 
 and break the rocks in pieces ; for which rea- 
 son the Spirit of God is compared to a mighty 
 
 rushing wind. Acts ii. 2, which filled the house 
 in which the disciples were on the day of Pen- 
 ticost, and filled them with extraordinary gifts : 
 the Spirit of God, in his mighty operations of 
 grace upon a sinner's heart, carries all before 
 liim ; there is no withstanding his grace and 
 power ; he throws down Satan's strong-holds, 
 and demolishes the fortifications of sin ; all moun- 
 tains become a plain before him ; and the whole 
 posse of hell, and the corruptions of a man's 
 heart, are not a match for him ; for when he 
 works, none can let: he has conquered the hearts 
 of the vilest and most notorious sinners, such 
 as a Manasseh, a Mary Magdalene, and a per- 
 secuting Saul; there is no resisting his grace 
 and the power of it, nor holding of his almighty 
 arm. 4. The wind is of a purifying nature, there- 
 fore some call it nature's fan ; it clears the ait 
 of infections and noxious vapours ; we are scarce 
 sensible how much our health is owing to it ; 
 for without this, the air would soon be stagnated, 
 and quickly destroy the life both of man and 
 beast : the Spirit of God purifies our hearts by 
 faith : which he does by leading it to the blood 
 of Jesus, which cleanseth from all sin : and by 
 sprinkling it upon our consciences whereby they 
 are purged from dead works ; these dead weights 
 and heavy clogs, which hinder us in serving the 
 living God. 5. It is of a piercing and search- 
 ing nature : it penetrates into every hole and 
 cranny : the Spirit of God searches, not only the 
 deep things of God, but the deep things of man 
 also; what is said, Prov. sx. 27, of the spirit 
 of man, may in a higher sense be said of the 
 Spirit of God, that it is " the candle of the 
 Lord, searching'all the inward parts of the belly ;" 
 it penetrates into the utmost recesses of a man's 
 heart, and discovers those hidden swarms of cor- 
 ruptions, which before lay indiscernible ; it pierces 
 even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, 
 and of the joints and marrow, and is both a 
 discerner and revealer of the thoughts and in- 
 tents of the heart. 6. It is of a cooling na- 
 ture ; so is the Spirit of God, in his operations 
 of grace upon a sinner's heart ; which is often 
 enflamed with wrath, through the workings of 
 a fiery law, and the injections of Satan's fiery 
 darts ; the heat of which he allays, by acting as a 
 comforter, and as the Spirit of promise, bring- 
 ing home and applying to tlie conscience of the 
 distressed sinner, the exceeding great and pre- 
 cious promises of the Gospel, which cool and re- 
 fresh, by removing wrath and teiTor from thence. 
 Secondly, lie may be compared to the south- 
 wind in particular, 1. Because it blows warmly, 
 brings heat with it, breaks up frosts, and thaws 
 the ice ; " when ye see the south-wind blow," 
 says Christ, Luke xii. 55, " ye say there will be 
 heat, and it cometh to pass :" so the Spirit of God 
 brings heat along with him to the cold heart of a 
 sinner, " dead in trespasses and sins ;" and by the 
 mighty influence of his grace, thaws and melts his 
 
15.] 
 
 SOXG OF SONGS. 
 
 173 
 
 hard and frozen soul ; and witli his soul-warming 
 gales, and comfortable discoveries of love, warms, 
 enlivens, comforts, and refreshes the saint, when in 
 a cold, lifeless, and uncomfortable frame. 2. It 
 brings serenity along with it : it is not a bluster- 
 ing and tempestuous wiud, as the north-wind is ; 
 but is still, gentle, and quiet ; blows soflly, as Elihu 
 said to Job, chap, xxxvii. 17, " Dost thou know — 
 how thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the 
 earth by the south-wind ?" the Spirit of God brings 
 peace unto, and commands quietness in the heart 
 of a distressed sinner, where were nothiug before 
 but storms and tempests : the fruit of the Spirit 
 is peace, a conscience peace, " a peace that pas- 
 seth all understanding ;" which he works in the 
 sinner's heart, by leading him to the persou, blood, 
 and righteousness of Christ. 3. It is very fruc- 
 tifying ; by its warmth, together with the sun, it 
 loosens the trees, and causes the sap to flow, which 
 was congealed by the cold, and clothes them with 
 leaves, flowers, and fruit : the Spirit of God, by 
 Iiis mighty gi-ace and special influence, makes 
 souls fruitful in every good word and work. (4). 
 The south-wind usually brings rain, hence it is 
 called nubilus auster ;^ and therefore the poet re- 
 presents it as flying, cum madidis alis, with wet 
 and moistened wings. Pliny^ says, it produces 
 greater floods than others do ; which suits well 
 with Junius's version, who renders the next clause 
 thus, " let the waters flow through the spices 
 thereof:"' the Spirit of God blows, and causes the 
 floods of grace to rise ; which, running about the 
 several plauts in the garden, makes them fruitful. 
 Thirdly. According to the mind of some Expo- 
 sitors,ff the Spirit of God is intended by both 
 winds, the north and south; and that, 1. On the 
 account of his dilferent operations ; for which rea- 
 son we read of "the seven spirits" of God, Rev. i. 
 4 ; not that there are so many distinct spirits per- 
 sonally existing ; but by them are intended the 
 variety and perfection of the gifts and graces of 
 the Holy Spirit of God, who works them in, and 
 bestows them on whom he will. 2. If the Spirit 
 is intended by both winds, it may be expressive of 
 the usual order of the Spirit in his operations : 
 h is first as the north-wind, sharp and nipping; 
 and then as the south-wind, warm and refreshing ; 
 he first acts the part of a conviucer, and then that 
 of a comforter ; he first kills, and then makes 
 alive; wounds, and then he heals; he humbles 
 souls, and makes them low in their own eyes, and 
 then exalts them : he brings them " into the wil- 
 derness," and then " speaks comfortably to them." 
 3. It may show that Christ's garden stands in 
 need of both winds : that the saints sometimes 
 need the Spirit as a reprover, to bring them to a 
 sense of themselves ; as well as a comforter, to re- 
 lieve them under their distresses : the cold and 
 
 ^ Ovid. Metamorph. 1. 11. v. fir.3. Fluvioque ma- 
 descit ab austro, Ibid. 1. 1. fab. 2. Pluvialibus 
 austris, Virgil. Georgic. 1. 3. v. 429. • Lib. 2. c. 
 
 47. f Perfluant aquae aromata ejus, Junius. 
 
 B Diodat, and Durham in loc. •> Floribus aus- 
 
 nipping north-wind, as well as the warm and com- 
 fortable south -wmd. 4. Both winds are called 
 upon, and that to cause the spices to flow out, that 
 the odour of them may be spread far and near, 
 that it might be carried from pole to pole, even all 
 the world over. Now when Christ is here repre- 
 sented, saying to the Spirit, " come and blow upon 
 my garden ;" it must be understood of him as Me- 
 diator, calling unto, and as it were demanding of 
 the Spirit to do his work assigned him in the 
 church; which does not suppose any inferiority 
 in the Spirit to Christ; for all the three persons 
 having jointly agreed in the everlasting council 
 and covenant of peace, to take their several 
 distinct parts in man's salvation ; and the Father 
 having distinguished this spot of ground, this 
 garden, by his grace ; and Christ having purchased 
 it by his blood ; and the Spirit having planted it 
 with precious plants, herbs, and spices; Christ 
 calls upon him, by virtue of this former agree- 
 ment, to do the remaining part of his work ; see 
 John xiv. 16, and xvi. 7 ; to blow upon his gar- 
 den, that it may grow and flourish, and the sweet 
 smell of these spices be carried far and near. 
 Which brings me to consider, 
 
 III. The reason why he would have the south 
 wind blow upon his garden ; and that is, " that 
 the spices may flow out ;" might emit a fragrant 
 smell ; though Virgil*" represents the south-wind 
 as. hurtful to flowers , so it might be in Italy, 
 where it dried them up, as Severius on the place 
 observes ; and yet be useful to them in Palestine, 
 where it blew from the sea, by which the south is 
 sometimes called, Psalm cvii. 3. Now by spices, 
 we must understand the graces of believers; 
 which like spices, are rare, excellent, precious, 
 sweet, and odorous, especially to Christ Jesus, by 
 whom they are preferred to all spices : and the 
 " flowing out" of them intend, either, 1. The 
 exercise of them : grace is not always in exercise, 
 but is like flowers, shut up ; or like plants, herbs, 
 and fruits, which seem to be withering; or like coals 
 covered with ashes, that want to be " stirred up,"' 
 or blown upon, as iu 2 Tim. i. 6 ; but this believ- 
 ers are not capable of doing themselves ; for they 
 can no more exercise grace, than they can work it 
 of themselves : Christ knew full well, that this is 
 the Spirit's work ; therefore he calls upon him to 
 blow, and thereby open these flowers, revive these 
 plants, and blow off the ashes from these coals, 
 and draw forth grace into exercise upon himself, 
 the proper Object of it. Or, 2. The evidence and 
 showing forth of it to others : Christ would not 
 only have grace in the hearts of his people, but 
 would have it exert and show itself in the life and 
 conversation ; he would have these " lights shine 
 before men," and this grace appear, uot only to 
 himself, but to others. Or, 3. The increase of 
 
 trum perditus, Bucolic, eclog. 2. v. 58. Velut primos 
 expiraturus ad austros— flos, Statii Sylv. 1. 2. ode 1. 
 V. lOG. 1 Verbum uiuCuTrupen', signilicat ignem 
 
 cineribus tectum excitare, sopitam favillam in Uam- 
 raam proferre, Aretius in 2 Tim. i. 6. 
 
174 
 
 AN p:>U:>osttion of the 
 
 [chap. IV. 
 
 grace : that these herbs and plants might be 
 fruitful, the spices smell, and the whole garden be 
 in a flourishing condition ; iu short, that the 
 Spirit would be ripening and bringing to maturity 
 grace in the souls of believers, and finish what he 
 had begun there. Or else, 4. The diffusive odour 
 of them : that their graces might emit such a 
 sweet odour, both to himself and others, as a 
 garden does, when after a delightful shower of 
 rain, the wind gently blows upon it. Which 
 request, or rather demand of his, no doubt was 
 answered, as appears from the following words. 
 
 Verse 16. Latter part Let my beJovfid comt 
 
 into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. 
 
 The north-wind being awakened, and the south- 
 wind having blown u])on Christ's garden, the 
 church, according to his order, the spices did flow 
 out, her graces were stirred up, and begin now to 
 exercise themselves : which causes her, before he 
 had well done speaking, and made a stop, to break 
 forth in these words, and earnestly desire his 
 presence and company in his garden ; so that in 
 this one verse we have both Christ and his 
 church speaking. la these words are to be con- 
 sidered, 
 
 I. A title or character she gives him ; " my 
 beloved." 
 
 II. A request or invitation she makes him ; to 
 " come into his garden." 
 
 III. Her end in it ; to " eat his pleasant 
 fruits." 
 
 I. Here is a title or character which she gives 
 Lim, "my beloved;" which, as it comes from 
 her mouth, is expressive, 1. Of her love to him, 
 he was the object of her love, him whom her soul 
 loved ; and indeed how could she do otherwise 
 than love so lovely a person, one who loved her 
 so dearly, and had given such undeniable demon- 
 strations of it ? love, we usually say, begets love ; 
 and no wonder that Christ's love should beget 
 love in her, when we consider his person, the 
 nature of his love, and how undeserving she was 
 of it. 2. Of her faith as to her interest in him, 
 she could point him out, and distinguish him from 
 all others, and had strength of faith enough to 
 claim him as hers ; faith and love go together, 
 they are twins ; they were born together in a re- 
 generate soul, and grow up together ; when one 
 is in exercise, usually the other is also ; for " faith 
 works by love." 3. She makes use of this title as 
 an argument to obtain her request, or make her 
 invitations the more forcible : she who in this 
 manner earnestly desires that he would come into 
 his garden, was one who dearly loved him, stood 
 nearly related to him, and had an interest both in 
 his person and affections: arguments taken by the 
 saints from their union and relation to Christ, and 
 their interest in him, have very great influence 
 upon him, and are not disregarded by him : David 
 knew this, and therefore uses this way of speaking 
 
 at the throne of grace, " I am thine," says he, 
 Psalm cxix. 94, " save me." 
 
 II. Here is a request made, or an invitation 
 given, by the church to Christ, to " come into 
 his garden." By the garden is meant the church ; 
 and why it is so called, has been shown on v. 12; 
 and in what sense it is Christ's, and how he came 
 to have a right to if, and property in it, has been 
 observed in the former part of this verse, where 
 Christ claims it, and the church here owns it ; 
 he calls to the south-wind, and says, " blow upon 
 ray garden ;" she here says, " let ray beloved 
 come into his garden :" believers are willing to 
 acknowledge that all they have, or are, belong to 
 Christ ; that they are not their own, 'but " are 
 bought with a price ;" and therefore all they have 
 and are, are for his use, and at his service ; 
 which they openly declare, and would have others 
 take notice of, and therefore say, Psalm c. 3, 
 " Know ye, that the Lord he is God ; it is he that 
 hath made us, and not vve ourselves ;" that is, 
 who hath remade us; we are new creatures in 
 Christ, and are his workmanship, and not our 
 our own ; " we are his people," in a way of special 
 and covenant-grace ; " and the sheep of his pas- 
 ture," whom he has taken the care and charge of, 
 as the Great Shepherd ; has laid down his life for, 
 and feeds and leads into good pasture. 
 
 The next thing to be taken notice of, is, what 
 is meant by Christ's " coming into his garden." 
 There is a threefold coming of Christ mentioned 
 in the scripture. 
 
 1st. His coming in the flesh. This was what 
 the Old-Testament-saints earnestly desired, pray- 
 ed, and longed for : it was not only the wish of 
 David, but of the whole church ; he spoke the 
 language of all their hearts, when he said. Psalm 
 xiv. 7, " O that the salvation of Israel were come 
 out of Zion !" This being long promised, and long 
 expected, the faith of the saints sometimes grew 
 weak and languid concerning it ; therefore the 
 promises w^hich respected it, were frequently re- 
 newed and repeated, and the prophets bidden to say, 
 Isa. XXXV. 4, to them that were of a fearful heart, 
 " Fear not, be strong, your God will come and save 
 you ;" and when they by faith saw the time near 
 at hand, and him approaching, they were filled 
 with joy and exultation ; hence it is said, " Rejoice 
 greatly, O daughter of Zion ! behold thy king 
 Cometh unto thee," &c., Zech. ix. 9 ; but this, I 
 apprehend, is not intended in these words of the 
 church. 
 
 2ndly. There is his coming at the last day to 
 judge the world, which is usually called his second 
 coming ; which is what the apostle intends, when 
 he says, Heb. ix. 28, " Unto them that look for 
 him, shall he appear the second time, without sin 
 unto salvation." The first time of his appearing 
 in the flesh, though it was without sin of his 
 own, yet not without the sins of his people ; 
 which were imputed to him, charged upon liira, 
 and he answered for them ; but when he appears 
 
VER. IG.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 175 
 
 tlie second time, it shall be without them, they 
 being alreaJy expiated and atoued for. He 
 came the iiist liiue to obtain salvation for sinners, 
 and will come the second time to put them into 
 the full possession of it ; and as the first comiug 
 of Christ was desired by the Old-Testament-saiuts ; 
 so this is desired by the New-Testament-saints ; 
 who, upon Christ's saying, " Surely I come 
 quickly," answer, " Amen, even so come, Lord 
 Jesus :" it will fill the saints with wonder and 
 joy ; for he, when he comes, will be both glorified 
 in them, and admired by them, though il will 
 strike the wicked with dread and terror, and fill 
 them with the utmost conslernaliou ; for his 
 coming will be " in flaming fire, to take ven- 
 geance" on them. But neither is this, I think, 
 the coming intended here. But, 
 
 3rd]y. There is a spiritual coming of Christ ; 
 which is, when he comes and pays a visit, grants 
 his presence, manifests his love, discloses the 
 secrets of his heart unto his people, which was 
 what he promised his sorrov\ing disciples, when 
 he was about to remove from them, and they 
 were no longer to enjoy his bodily presence ; says 
 he, John xiv. 18, "I will not leave you com- 
 fortless, op<pavovs, orphans or fathei'less, I will 
 come to you ;" which promise Christ made good 
 unto them, as lie does to all his people at one 
 time or another; for, says he, John xiv. 23, 
 " If any man love me, he will keep my words ; and 
 my Father will love him, and we will come unto 
 him :" that is. Father, Son, and Spirit, " and 
 make our abode with him;" which is what the 
 church desires here, that Christ would grant her 
 his spiritual, gracious, and comfortable presence, 
 and tliat she might have more intimate commu- 
 nion with him. From whence we may observe, 
 J. That Christ is sometimes absent from his 
 church and people ; He does not always mauifest 
 himself unto them ; he sometimes hides his face, 
 withdraws his preseuce, and seems to stand at a 
 distance from them, he is sometimes Beus ab- 
 scondiius, the hidden God ; he was so to the 
 Jews in the days of his flesh, and he is so some- 
 times to his own flesh ; for "he hidelh his face 
 from the house of Jacob ;" his o\s'u church and 
 people, for whom he has the greatest love and 
 regard : not that Christ is ever really and wholly 
 absent from his church ; he is always iu his gar- 
 den ; he has promised to be always with his peo- 
 ple and ministers unto the end of the world, and 
 his faithfulness stands engaged to make it good ; 
 but he does not always alike manifest himself 
 unto them ; they have not always alike views of 
 his person, discoveries of his love, and enjoy- 
 ments of his preseuce; which sometimes makes 
 them say, with Job, "O that I were as in months 
 past !" &c.; nay, sometimes in their apprehensions 
 he is entirely gone, which is the church's case, 
 iu chap. v. 9 ; and such is their infirmity, and 
 the strength of unbelief in them, that they are 
 
 ready to say. He is gone, and will never return 
 more; and therefore, as David did, read all that 
 in the affirmative, which you will find in Psalm 
 Ixxvii. 7—9; though I do not think this to be 
 the case of the church here ; she seems not to be 
 without the manifestation of Christ's love, and 
 enjoyments of his presence, being in such a fruit- 
 ful state, the south-wind having blown upon her, 
 her grace appearing to be in exercise, and she in 
 a comfortable frame ; though she wanted more 
 nearness to him, more intimate communion and 
 fellowship with him: believers never think them- 
 selves near enough to Christ, nor never will, till 
 they are with him in glory : the highest enjoy- 
 ment of Christ here below, though exceeding 
 ravishing and delightful, falls short of giving lull 
 satisfaction; for still the soul desires more and 
 greater : the apostle Paul, who had as mucli com- 
 munion and fellowship with Christ, as perhaps 
 ever any man had on earth ; and yet, when he 
 had in view that eternal being with Christ here- 
 after, speaks as if he had never been with him 
 here; all his communion with him here was no- 
 thing, when compared with that which he ex- 
 pected iu another world, and therefore he had "a 
 desire to depart, that he might be with Christ." 
 2. From hence may be observed, that Christ's 
 presence is exceeding desirable to believers; this 
 is the one thing they seek aflei, and cannot be 
 easy without ; which when enjoyed, gives them 
 the utmost pleasure, and fills them with inei- 
 pressible joy : and tiie reason why Christ's com- 
 pany and preseuce is so desirable to them, is 
 because he is nearly related to them; he is their 
 beloveJ, their Head and Husband; they are 
 " members of his body, his flesh, and of his 
 hones ;" he is their " all in all ;" and wheu he is 
 iu the garden,'' all they want, and all they desire 
 is there; for there is none in heaven nor in earth 
 with them comparable to him ; his coming re- 
 vives the plants and herbs, and makes them fruit- 
 ful ; it causes the spices to flow,- grace to appear 
 in exercise ; it is like " the rain, and as the latter 
 and former rain unto the earth :" also it is doing 
 the saints the greatest houour ; they have reason 
 to say, "Whence is this to us, that not " the 
 mother of our Lord," as Elizabeth said to Marv, 
 but our Lord himself, should come to us? and yet 
 this honour have all the saints. Moreover, Christ's 
 coming is always beneficial to believers ; he never 
 comes empty-handed ; he never pays a visit, but 
 he brings something with him ; he never sups 
 with his people, but he is at the charge of the 
 whole entertainment. Again, it is Christ's pre- 
 sence that makes his garden, the church, an Eden 
 of pleasure, a heaven on earth ; which makes it a 
 Bethel, and the " gate of heaven :" it is this 
 which makes Christ's tabernacles "amiable and 
 and lovely, his ways, ways of pleasantness, and 
 his paths, paths of peace ;" it is this which makes 
 his " yoke easy," and his " burden light," and 
 
 ■■ Vid. B. ,Sol. Jarchium in loc. 
 
176 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. IV. 
 
 all his comraandments not to be grievous, but 
 delightfnl ; and when all this is considered, it is 
 no wonder that believers are so desirous of Christ's 
 presence and company in his garden. 3. Hence 
 it appears, that Christ's granting his presence 
 with his church, is an act of wonderful grace and 
 condescension ; and therefore she asks it as a 
 favour of him ; and a surprising instance of his 
 grace it is, that he who is the high and lofty 
 one, should vouchsafe his presence to such vile 
 and unworthy creatures as we be. The Septua- 
 gint render it, " let him descend into his garden;"' 
 and, agreeable hereunto in chap. vi. 2, he is said 
 to be " gone down into his garden, intending his 
 wonderful condescension. Solomon, at the dedi- 
 cation of the temple, said, " But will God indeed 
 dwell on the earth ?" We have reason to say with 
 Judas, not Tscariot, " Lord, how is it that thou 
 wilt manifest thyself to us, and not unto the 
 world?" especially when, with the centurion, we 
 consider, that we are not worthy that he should 
 come under our roof. 
 
 III. The end of her making this request or 
 invitation, is, that he might " eat his pleasant 
 fruits;" in which may be considered, 1st. What 
 these fruits are ?" 2udly. Whose they are. 3dly. 
 That they are pleasant ones. And 4thly. What 
 is meant by eating them. 
 
 1st. What these fruits are. By fruits are 
 meant, either the graces of the Spirit, which are 
 called " the fruit of the Spirit," Gal. v. 23, or else, 
 the duties and services of God's people, their good 
 works, which are performed in the exercise of 
 grace, believers are " trees of righteousness;" and 
 the fruits which they bear are called " fruits of 
 righteousness ;" being by grace made good trees, 
 they bring forth good fruit, and are said to be 
 " fruitful in every good work ;" now these Christ 
 is here invited to eat. The Tai'gum expounds it 
 of the offerings of the people, which God gracious- 
 ly accepted. 
 
 2ndly. Whose fruit is this, is the next inquiry ; 
 and they are said to be his, that is, Christ's : the 
 garden is his, and all the fruit of it : only, as one™ 
 well observes, the weeds are hers ; every thing else 
 in the garden, that is either for service or pleasure, 
 belongs to him. The graces of the Spirit are his, 
 1. He is the procurer and possessor of them ; he 
 obtained all grace for his church and people in the 
 everlasting covenant ; he then asked for it, and it 
 was granted him and given to us in him, on con- 
 dition of his performing certain articles then 
 agreed upon ; so that, as the glorious Mediator of 
 the covenant, he is " full of grace and truth, and 
 from his fulness do saints receive grace for grace ;" 
 it is all lodged in his hands, and from thence given 
 forth to us. 2. He is the Author of all grace; 
 he is said to be the Author and Piuisher of faith ; 
 and as he is the Author of that, so he is of all other 
 grace ; he gives it to us, and by his Spirit works 
 it in us ; he is the green fir tree, from whom all 
 
 ' KaTa/SijTo) cTt K?|ffOi/ ukth, Sept. 
 
 our fruit is found, for otherwise \vc have none of 
 ourselves. 3. He is the object of all grace, parti- 
 cularly faith, hope, and love ; he is the person in 
 whom we believe, trust, and depend on for life and 
 salvation; on whom our hope of glory is fixed, and 
 to whom our love and affections are drawn ; so 
 that tliese fruits may be truly said to be his ; also 
 our duties, services, and good works, performed in 
 the exercise of grace, are his ; for, (1.) They are 
 performed by virtue of union to him ; and there- 
 fore the fruits of righteousness are said to be by 
 Jesus Christ; and " as the branch cannot bear 
 fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine," no more 
 can any bear fruit, or perform good works aright, 
 except they are engrafted and abide in Christ ; he 
 is the root which bears the branches, and from 
 whence they receive sap and nourishment, which 
 causes them to abound with frait ; " the root of 
 the righteous yieldeth fruit," says Solomon, Prov. 
 xii. 12, now the righteous man's root is Christ. 
 (2.) They are done, not in their own strength, 
 but in his ; for without him they can do nothing ; 
 it is he who works in them, both " to will and to 
 do of his good pleasure ;" therefore they ascribe 
 all their works, duties, and services to him : and 
 say, as the apostle did, when he had asserted that 
 he had laboured more abundantly than the rest of 
 the apostles, corrects himself thus, " yet not I, 
 but the grace of God which was with me." (3.) 
 They are designed for his honour and glory, when 
 performed aright ; they do not seek themselves, 
 their own carnal interest, nor worldly applause, 
 nor expect to merit any thing by them ; but what 
 they do, is in a way of obedience and gratitude to 
 Christ, and that he in all things may be glorified ; 
 they are performed in his strength, and designed 
 for his use ; and so are properly his ; which being 
 considered, destroys that notion which advances 
 the merit of good works. 
 
 3rdly. These fruits are said to be pleasant, 
 that is, grateful, well-pleasiug, and acceptable to 
 Christ ; so are the graces of the Spirit, especially 
 when in exercise, as appears from ver. 9, 10 ; and 
 so are the good works of his people, when per- 
 formed in faith, from a principle of love to him, 
 and are directed to his glory ; the'smallest services 
 of his saints to him, and the least acts of charity 
 to his, are acceptable to him, when performed in 
 the exercise of grace ; and he will take notice of 
 them, and openly declare it one day before angels 
 and men, how well pleased he is with them. 
 
 4thly. What is meant by eating them : and 
 this intends Christ's accejjtation of them, and de- 
 light in them, as also his enjoyment of them ; tiie 
 phrase of eating and drinking being, with the Jews, 
 expressive of enjoyment : and it also farther de- 
 clares, the church's acknowledgment of Christ 
 being the owner of the garden ; for who should 
 ea^ of the fruits of it but he who has planted it, 
 and takes care of it, and to whom all the fruit 
 belongs? knowing it therefore to be so, she here 
 
 " Durham in loc. 
 
1-] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 177 
 
 invites him to his own ; which invitation is not 
 disregarded, hut observed by him, as appears from 
 the following words. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 This chapter begins with Christ's answer to the 
 church's request, at the close of the preceding 
 chapter ; in which he informs her, that he was 
 come into his garden, as she desired ; and gives an 
 account of what he had done there ; and kindly 
 invites her, and his dear friends, to feast with him 
 there, ver. I. Then she relates her case and cir- 
 cumstances, which followed upon her sleepy frame, 
 and ungrateful carriage to her beloved ; which he 
 resenting, he withdrew [from her, and this gave 
 her sensible pain, ver. 2 — 6. Also what treatment 
 she met with from the watchmen ; her charge to 
 the daughters of Jerusalem ; and the questions 
 they put to her about her beloved, ver. 7 — 9, which 
 led her to give a large description of hira, by his 
 several parts, head, hair, &c. ver. 10 — 15. And 
 the chapter is concluded with, a general com- 
 mendation of him and his loveliness, and a claim 
 of interest in him, ver 16. 
 
 Verse 1. / am come into my garden, my sister, my 
 spouse : I have gathered wy myrrh with my 
 spice, 1 have eaten my honey-comb with my 
 honey, 1 have drunk my wine with my milk -. 
 eat, friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, 
 beloved. 
 This verse properly belongs unto, and is a part of 
 the preceding chapter. The bible, when first writ- 
 ten, was not divided into chapters, as now it is : this 
 is a work purely human and not divine, therefore 
 liable to correction. And I much wonder that the 
 authors of this work should begin this chapter 
 with this verse, which ouglit to end the former, 
 as both the words and sense of them manifestly 
 show ; for this chapter ought to begin at ver. 2, 
 where the church begins a new account of her 
 state and case, and of some other remarkable occur- 
 rences which befel her, not hitherto spoken of. 
 In this verse may be observed, 
 
 I. Christ's reply to the church's request, in the 
 latter end of the former cliapter, where she desires 
 and invites him to come into his garden. 
 
 II. An account of Christ's carriage and be- 
 haviour, or what he did when he came into his 
 garden. 
 
 III. A kind invitation given by Christ to his 
 friends to feast with him. 
 
 I. Here is a reply made by Christ to the church's 
 request or invitation ; " I am come into my gar- 
 den, my sister, my spouse." The titles which he 
 gives her, have been already taken notice of and 
 explained, in chap. iv. 8, 9, and this reply of his 
 unto her may be considered, either by way of 
 denial to her, so some" interpret it ; as though 
 Christ did not answer the church's wishes and 
 desires, but rather gives a reason why he does not ; 
 and wherefore she had no reason to expect his 
 presence a long time; because, says he, I have 
 been in my garden already, and there I have ga- 
 
 thered ray myrrh and the rest of my spices ; I 
 have got in my harvest or vintage, and I have eaten 
 my honey and honey-comb, and drunk my wine 
 and milk ; and therefore to what purpose should 
 I now come into my garden ? thou canst not ex- 
 pect me, until more myrrh and otlier spices grow : 
 or else, as a correction of her mistake, as if he 
 should say. Dost thou invite me to come into my 
 garden, as if I was absent from it ? thou art mis- 
 taken, I am always in it, and never out of it ; 
 and am now there, gathering my myrrh and spice, 
 eating my honey and honey-comb, and drinking 
 my wine and milk. From hence may be observed, 
 that Christ may be iu his church, among his peo- 
 ple, or with particular believers, and they not 
 know it ; so God was in the place where Jacob 
 was, and he knew it not : and thus it was with 
 Mary at the sepulchre ; Christ was at her elbow, 
 and she knew hira not ; he speaks to her, and yet 
 she is ignorant, and takes him for the gardener, 
 until he calls her by her name, Mary, and then 
 she knew him, and turus herself, " and saith unto 
 him, Rabboni, that is to say, master." Though 
 I rather think the words are to be taken as a 
 direct answer of Christ's to the church ; she de- 
 sires and invites him to come into his garden, and 
 accordingly he does come, and lets her know of it : 
 in which we may take notice, I. Of thespeedioess 
 of it ; she no sooner asks, but it is granted ; no 
 sooner invites, but he comes •, and before she bad 
 well done speaking, makes a reply ; his answer 
 was ready ; he was as willing to come, as she 
 w^as to desire him ; which makes good what is 
 said in Isa. Ixv. 24, " And it shall come to 
 pass, that before they call, I will answer," that 
 is, will be ready to give an answer ; " and while 
 they are yet speaking, I will hear :" a famous 
 instance of this kind we have in Daniel ; who, 
 ' while he was speaking in prayer," and confessing 
 to God his own sins, and the sins of his people, the 
 angel Gabriel was causeJ to fly swiftly to him ; 
 who informed him, that at the beginning of his 
 supplications, as soon as the good mau was on his 
 knees, and had opened his mouth in prayer to 
 God, " the commandment came forth," orders were 
 given, and he, as a messenger from heaven, dis- 
 patched to bring him an answer ; but God does 
 not always do so; " the vision is for an appointed 
 time," and mast be waited for till it comes. 2. 
 The nature of this answer is worth observing, 
 being exactly according to her request ; Clirist 
 does not always do so : when the apostle Paul had 
 " a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to 
 buffet him," he besought the Lord thrice, that it 
 might depart from him : but it does not appear 
 by the answer which was given him, that his re- 
 quest was granted immediately ; the answer, 
 " My grace is sufficient for thee," was a very 
 glorious one, enough to support him under his 
 present exercise, but gives us no intimation that 
 it immediately freed him from it ; it being some- 
 
 Brightman in loc 
 
178 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. V. 
 
 times most for our good and for God's glory, not 
 to be immediately and exactly answered : but 
 here, as she was answered speedily, so exactly ; 
 she desires him to " come into his garden, and 
 eat his pleasant fruits ;" he tells her, that he was 
 come iato his garden, and did eat his honey-comb 
 with his honey : which shows, 3. That her re- 
 quest was according to his will, in that she was 
 answered so speedily and exactly ; for " if we ask 
 any thing according to his' will, he bearelh us ;" 
 and therefore onr great concern in pr;iyer should 
 be, that we might be under the directions and in- 
 fluences of the Spirit of God, and that he would 
 make intercession for us, according to the will of 
 God, who perfectly knows it ; and when we ask a 
 favour or entreat a blessing, it should be always 
 with snlimission to the divine will, in imitation of 
 onr dear Lord, and so shall we be most likely to 
 succeed. 4. It may be observed, that Christ 
 not only answers her, but lets iicr know it ; not 
 only grants his presence, but gives her intimations 
 of it ; he himself acquaints her with it ; for, as 
 has been observed, Christ may be present with 
 believei-s, and they not know it: so he was with 
 tlie two disciples who were going to Emmaus ; 
 he walked with them, conversed with them, 
 oi)ened the scriptures to them, and their hearts 
 burned within them, while he did so ; and yet 
 they knew him not, till he was made known to 
 them in breaking of bread: it is not only an in- 
 stance of Christ's grace to be present with us, 
 but also to assure us that be is so. I have shown 
 in cha|). iv. 16, what is intended by Christ's 
 coming into his garden ; and therefore, 
 
 II. Shall now proceed to take notice of his car- 
 riage and behaviour there, or what he declares he 
 did, or was doing, being there. 
 
 1st. He says, " I have gathered my myrrh 
 with my spice." Myrrh is one of the chief spices, 
 was a principal ingredient in the holy anointing 
 oil, and was used in other ointments. "We read 
 of the oil or ointment of myrrh, in Esth. ii. 12, 
 with whicli Esther and the other maidens were puri- 
 fied, in ordtr to be presented to king Ahasuerus : 
 this, and other sorts of ointments, as spikenard, 
 were used in feasts, and were poured upon the 
 heads of those who w'ere the guests, as appears 
 from Slark xiv. 3, to which custom the Psalmist 
 alludes. Psalm xxiii. 5. Christ being about to 
 make a feast, not only for himself, but for others, 
 gathers myrrh, with other spices, to make an oint- 
 ment of, to entertain and refresh his guests with. 
 By myrrh, with the rest of spices, may be meant 
 either repentance and humiliation for sin, and 
 mortification of it, according to some interpret- 
 ers -^ and indeed repentance and humiliation for 
 sin, when evangelical, being the work of the 
 blessed Spirit, springing from right principles, 
 and /coxa ®^v, according to God's mind ; when 
 
 •> Sanctius in loc. = Foliot, Alcuin, Cocceius, 
 
 and Bisliop Patrick in loc. « ^)L<p^-iov uproi/ ;u» 
 
 H(7a fU\nm /^u. Sipt. ' In Cocccius in loc. 
 
 it arises from an apprehension of sin, as commit- 
 ted against a God of love and grace ; and when 
 it springs from faith's viewing a crucified Christ ; 
 though, like myrrh, it is bitter to the soul, yet is 
 odorous and well-pleasing to Christ ; it is taken 
 notice of by him, as Ephraim's bemoanings, re- 
 pentance, and humiliation, were by God ; he has 
 a bottle to put such tears as these in, which drop 
 from faith's eye: and so mortification of sin con- 
 sidered as the Spirit's grace, is regarded by him, 
 according to Horn. viii. 13, " If ye, through 
 the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye 
 shall live." Or else, according to others, *•' by myrrh 
 with other spices, are intended the suffering saints 
 and martyrs, who have undergone bitter afflictions 
 and persecution for Christ and his gospel ; whom 
 he values, esteems, takes notice of, and gathers 
 into his Father's house; where he clothes them 
 whith white robes, put palms in their liauds, and 
 everlasting hallelujahs in tlieir mouths; see Rev. 
 vii. 9 — 14 ; or, rather, the sufferings of Christ 
 himself, and the fruits thereof ; which, tliough 
 bitter to him, yet are of a sweet-smelling savour 
 to Gud the Father, and to all the saints; the 
 fruits of which, appearing in the everlasting sal- 
 vation of his people, are very delightful to him, 
 for he now sees of the " travail of his soul, and is 
 satisiied;" he is now reaping with pleasure a 
 glorious harvest of all his sweat, toil, and labour. 
 Though I rather choose to understand hereby iu 
 general the graces of the Spirit, which Christ de- 
 lights in, and which go under the name of myrrh 
 and other spices, iu chap. iv. 13, J4. Christ 
 having got in his harvest, as the word signilies, 
 and the Septuagiut renders it, provides a feast 
 for himself and others ; as was the custom of those 
 times and nations, as it is now with us. And 
 tlierefore, 
 
 2udly. He says, " I have eaten my honey-comb 
 with my honey. Honey was the food, not only 
 of infants, but of grown persons, as is manifest 
 from Isa. vii. 22, but that he should eat the honey- 
 comb with it, seems to have some difficulty iu it. 
 The Septuagiut read it thus, I have eaten my 
 bread with my honey, ^ that is, either bread dipped 
 in honey, or honey being put upon it, or else bread 
 made with it ; which sense is favoured by those 
 words in Ezek. xvi. 13, " Thou didst eat fine 
 flower, and honey, and oil," that is, bread made 
 thereof. R. Sol. Jarchi says, it is the honey 
 which grows in canes ; he means sugar, which, by 
 Arrianus,' is called /xsXi KaXdjxivov, and that for 
 the exceeding love he had for it, he is said to eat 
 it out of the cane ; but it rather seems to be a 
 piece of an honey-comb full of honey, just taken 
 out of tlie hive ; such an one as the disciples gave 
 Christ ; and this was had in no small esteem 
 among the Jews. The word for honey-comb, sig- 
 nifies a wood or forest, b and may design such 
 
 B 'IS" Toi/ dpi'/iov M«> Symmachus ; niel sylvestre, 
 Michwlis. 
 
VF,R. ].] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 170 
 
 honey as was found ia woods; though here, it 
 should seem, in a gardeu, of which there was plen- 
 ty in Judea, 1 Sam. xiv. 25, which of its own ac- 
 cord dropped from the comb, and ran down the 
 tree from it, in which it was, and was reckoned 
 the purest honey : and the other word lor honey, 
 may signify common houey, orlioney made of the 
 fruit of the palm-tree; which, the Jewish writers 
 say, is the honey meant in Deut. viii. 8,'^ and so 
 the words may be rendered, " I have eaten my 
 wood-honey with my palm-honey;" for it cannot 
 be thought that the honey and the comb were 
 both eaten together. And by the honey and honey- 
 comb, may be meant the doctrines of the gospel, 
 or the words of Christ's mouth, which are said to 
 be sweeter than the honey or the houey-comb ; 
 so that Christ delights, not only in the graces of 
 the Spirit, but also in the doctrines of the gospel, 
 and the preaching of them, 
 
 3rJly. He says, " I have drunk my wine with 
 my milk." Having eaten, he drinks, to show that 
 he had a complete feast, and nothing was wanting 
 to give him satisfaction ; not only wine, but milk 
 was used for drink, by many nations, and no 
 doubt by the Hebrews ; we find that Jael gave 
 Sisera milk to drink when he was thirsty, as being 
 preferable to water ; but that wine and milk should 
 be drunk together, is not so usual ; though it may 
 be observed, that a mixture of wine and milk was 
 used by the ancients,' and is by us, which, Clemens 
 of Alexandria says,'' is a very profitable and 
 healthful mixture. Some pf the Jewish writers 
 think, that by wine, is meant red vvine, and by 
 milk, white wine ; and so the Targura expounds 
 the words of God's acceptation of the drink-offer- 
 ing of red and white wine, which the priests pour- 
 ed upon the altar : R. Aben Ezra gives it as the 
 sense of some of their Rabbins, though he does 
 not approve of it ; that by milk, is meant the 
 white which ascends upon the wine ; T suppose he 
 means the froth or head that is made by pouring 
 it out. But to leave these empty conjectures, 
 this seems in general to intend the plenty of pro- 
 visions, and satisfaction therein, which Christ 
 found in his church ; by which may be meant the 
 doctrines of the gospel. Gospel grace is repre- 
 sented hereby, in Isa. Iv. 1, " By wine and milk 
 without money and without price :" wine revives 
 and cheers the spirits, makes a man to forget his 
 poverty, and to remember his misery no more : 
 so do the doctrines of the gospel, when they 
 come with power to a poor sinner, sensible of 
 his poverty, and misery ; they make him to 
 forget it, and fill him with an unspeakable 
 joy : milk nourishes and strengthens ; and so do 
 the doctrines of the gospel ; therefore says the 
 apostle, " I have fed you with milk," meaning the 
 wholesome and nourishing words of faith. Now 
 from all this I would observe, 1. That here is a 
 
 ■• See my Exposition in loc. ' Et nivei lactis 
 
 pocula mista mero, TibuUus, 1. 3. eleg. 5. v. 34. 
 I' Pctdagog. 1. 1 c. 6. p. 107. ' R. Aben Ezra, 
 
 variety : as at a feast, there is a variety of dishes, 
 different sorts, both for eating and drinking; so 
 here are myrrh and spice, honey, and the honey- 
 comb, wine, and milk. 2. That here is nothing 
 but what is sweet, savoury, and wholesome ; myrrh 
 and spice are of a delightful odour ; honey is 
 sweet to the taste, and wine and milk are whole- 
 some and nourishing. 3. That all these are 
 Christ's own ; it is his own he feasts and makes 
 himself welcome with ; he does not say, " I have 
 gathered thy myrrh with thy spice," which grows 
 in thy garden ; " I have eaten thy honey-comb 
 with thy honey ; I have drunk thy wine with thy 
 milk ;" but it is my myrrh and my spice, my 
 houey and my honey comb, my wine and my milk ; 
 Christ would leave but a poor entertainment, if 
 he had no other than what we can provide for him 
 of our own. 4. Christ appears exceedingly de- 
 lighted and well-pleased vvith all this ; therefore 
 he plucks and gathers, eats and drinks : the 
 smallest degree of grace, and the weakest perfor- 
 mances of his people, he takes notice of, and re- 
 gards ; he eats his honey-comb, as well as his 
 honey, and drinks his milk, as well as his wine ; 
 for a " bruised reed shall he not break, and the 
 smoking flax shall he not quench." 
 
 III. In these words is also an invitation of 
 Christ to his friends to eat and drink ; he is not 
 willing to eat his morsel alone ; as he feeds, feasts, 
 and delights himself in the graces of his own Spirit 
 in his people, so he will have them feed and feast 
 upon his person and grace ; into whatsoever heart 
 Christ comes, he will uot only sup with them, but will 
 make them also sup with him. And here are to 
 be considered, 1st. The persons whom he invites. 
 2ndly. What it is he invites them to. 
 
 1st. Who the persons are whom Christ invites ; 
 and they are here called friends and beloved ; by 
 whom are meant, not the augels, which is the 
 mind of some ;' though it is true, they are Christ's 
 friends, and rejoice at the conversion of elect 
 sinners, and in the prosperity of his church and 
 people ; yet I think they are not intended here : 
 nor the priests, whose right it was to eat the 
 remainder of the sacrifices, as many Jewish writers'" 
 expound the words : but rather believers in Christ, 
 who of enemies are made fri'nds ; being first recon- 
 ciled to God by the death of Christ, and then to 
 himself by his Spirit and grace ; whom he regai ds 
 and treats as such, by granting them his presence, 
 paying them visits, and disclosing the secrets of 
 his heart unto them ; and so he said to his dis- 
 ciples, John XV. 14, 15, " Henceforth I call you 
 not servants, for the servant kuoweth not what 
 his Lord doeth ; but I have called you friends, for 
 all things that I have heard of my Father, I have 
 made known unto you :" now these are enabled, 
 through divine grace, to show themselves friendly 
 to Christ again, by valuing his presence, delighting 
 
 Sanctius. and Diodat. in loc. 
 and K, Sol. Jarchi in loc. 
 
 "■ Targum 
 
180 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 in his company, regarding his ordinances, and 
 observing his commands; for though these 
 things do not make friends, yet they show 
 them to be so ; as Christ says, " Ye are my friends, 
 if ye do whatsoever I command you." These are 
 also the beloved of his soul ; he has loved them 
 with an everlasting love, and has given the fullest 
 proofs and clearestdemonstrationsof it that possibly 
 can be ; which being manifested to their souls, 
 begets love to him again ; on the account of which 
 he calls them friends and beloved. But, 
 
 2ndly. It will be proper to consider what he 
 invites his friends and beloved to ; to eat and 
 drink, yea, to drink abundantly: but what is it 
 tliey are to eat and drink of, or to feast upon ? why, 
 Christ himself, who is the bread of life, and the 
 hidden manna, whose flesh is meat indeed, and 
 whose blood is drink indeed ; which if a man eats, 
 and feeds upon by faith, he shall never hunger, 
 nor die the second death, but live for ever: more- 
 over, his love is what they are to drink of, and 
 that largely ; it being preferable to wine, may be 
 drunk of, without danger, plentifully : they may 
 drink, yea, be inebriated with loves," as the words 
 may be rendered ; for here is enough of it, and no 
 fear of receiving any danger by it ; and all this 
 together makes up that feast of fat things, of wines 
 on the lees well refined, which the Lord's supper 
 is a representation of. And this shows, 1. The 
 plenteousness of the provisions which Christ makes 
 in his house for his people : it is not an empty house 
 that Christ keeps, a niggardly feast that he makes ; 
 but here is food, and that in plenty, and drink 
 enough and to spare. 2. That a believer is 
 heartily welcome to the entertainment which 
 Christ makes : it is true, we are unworthy creatures 
 of ourselves ; but seeing Christ has made such 
 entertainments for us, and has so kindly invited 
 us, let us use freedom and eat ; and the more 
 heartily we feed on these royal dainties, the more 
 welcome we are ; and to assure believers that 
 they are so, he, in his invitation to them, gives 
 them the titles of friends and beloved : nay, the 
 very manner of the invitation, not only declares 
 the plenteousness of the feast, but also the large- 
 ness and sincerity of his heart in it. 3. It also 
 lets US know, that Christ neither invites nor allows 
 any to feed and feast with him, but those who 
 are his friends, whom he accounts and makes so ; 
 this is a privilege peculiar to them, which indeed 
 none can enjoy but they. And as for the exter- 
 nal ordinance of the Lord's supper, that feast of 
 love, none have a right to eat of it, but those who 
 are Christ's friends ; and to none but those is it 
 profitable and edifying ; for he does not manifest 
 himself, nor discover his love to any other : these 
 are his darlings ami favourites ; with these he 
 grants his presence at his table, and satisfies their 
 souls with the goodness of his house. 
 
 • mn "naiB inebriamini amoribus, Mercerus, 
 Schmidt ; inebriamini araoenit'atibus, Cocceius ; be 
 drunken (that is, be plenteously filled, with loves, 
 
 Verse 2. 1 sleep, but my heart waheth ; it is 
 i/ie voice of r.iy beloved that knocketh, saying, 
 Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my 
 undejiled : for my head is filled with dew, 
 and my locks with the drops of the night. 
 These are the words of the church, who here 
 begins to give an account of her present state 
 and condition ; how that after this spiritual ban- 
 quet, which she had partaken of with Christ, she 
 fell asleep, as the disciples did in the garden, 
 after they had been with Christ, at his table : 
 and also, what methods he made use of to awake 
 her; how basely and ungratefully she treated 
 him ; which he resented, and showed by a de- 
 parture from her; which then she was sensible 
 of, was troubled at, and made enquiry after him, 
 first of the watchmen, who abused her, and then 
 of the daughters of Jerusalem, who questioned her 
 about him ; which gave her occasion to give that 
 large and excellent account of him, which closes 
 this chapter : and it may be observed, that as 
 Christ speaks most in the preceding chapter, so 
 she does in this. In these words are these two 
 things, 
 
 I. The church's account of her present state 
 and condition. 
 
 II. Christ's carriage and behaviour to her in 
 this condition. 
 
 I. The account she gives of her present state 
 and condition ; 
 
 " I sleep, but my heart waketh :" like persons 
 half awake and half asleep, whom Cicero» calls 
 semisomni ; the phrase is sometimes used to 
 describe a sluggish, slothful man.? This case 
 which the church was now in, is different from 
 that recorded in chap, iii., there she was upon her 
 bed indeed, hut not asleep : there she was seeking 
 after her beloved ; but here he is seeking to her, 
 and entreating her in the most kind and affec- 
 tionate manner to arise, and let him in ; there 
 she of her own accord arose and sought him in 
 the streets and broad ways ; but here she con- 
 tinues in this sleepy and lazy condition, notwith- 
 standing the pressing instances and powerful 
 arguments which he made use of, until he ex- 
 erted his mighty grace, which caused her to 
 arise and open to him ; but then he was gone :' 
 there she enquires of the watchmen, who though 
 we do not read of any answer they gave her, yet 
 they did not abuse her ; but here they smite her, 
 wound her, and take away her veil from her; 
 there, a little after she had passed from them she 
 found him ; but here she appears to be even sick 
 of love before she found him. In this account of 
 hers, two things are asserted by her, Pirst, That 
 she was asleep. Yet, Secondly, Her heart was 
 awake. 
 
 First. She acknowledges that she was asleep. 
 
 Ainaworth. See Prov. vii. 18. " Familiar. Epist. 
 1. 7. ep. 1, so Seneca, ep. 122. p Qui vigilans dor- 
 miat, riauti Pseurtolus, act. I. sc. .3. v. ISl. 
 
VER. 
 
 2-] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 181 
 
 " I sleep." This is not the dead sleep of sin, in 
 whom all UHConverted persoDS are ; uor that ju- 
 dicial slumber, which God suffers to fall upon 
 some ; but such an one, which though displeasing 
 to Christ and unbecoming the believer, yet is 
 consistent with a principle of grace. The church 
 here was not so fast asleep, but she could hear, 
 know, and distinguish the voice of Christ ; her 
 sleep is much the same with that of the wise vir- 
 gins, who all slumbered and slept, as well as the 
 foolish, and yet had oil in their lamps, which 
 they had not. And in taking notice of this part 
 of the church's case, I will endeavour, 1st. To 
 show wherein this sleepy frame, which sometimes 
 attend believers, does consists, or wherein it shows 
 itself. 2ndly. What are the springs and causes 
 of it, or from whence it proceeds. 3rdly. The dan- 
 ger of such a frame. 
 
 1st. It will be proper to show wherein this 
 sleepy fi'ame of spirit does consist, or wherein it 
 shows itself. 1. It consists in a non-exercise of 
 grace ; though there is grace in the heart, yet it 
 is but very little exercised by persons in this con- 
 dition, it lies dormant ; faith is weak and languid, 
 hope abates in its former liveliness, and love in 
 its warmth and fervency ; it grows cold ; there is 
 such a thing, as a leaving, though not a losing 
 our first love. 2. It appears in a sluggishuess 
 and slothfulness to or in duty ; for though per- 
 sons have not wholly cast off the fear of God, and 
 restrained prayer before him, as Eliphaz, Job xv. 
 4, wrongfully charged Job; yet there is a back- 
 wardness to it, and a laziness appears in the per- 
 formance of it ; there is a want of that fervency 
 and spirit, which formerly discovered itself whilst 
 they were serving the living God. 3. It mani- 
 fests itself in a contentatiou in the external parts 
 of religion. Internal religion is at a low ebb in 
 their souls ; they hear, and read, and pray, and 
 attend on ordinances, contenting themselves with 
 the bare performance of tliese things, without 
 having their hearts engaged, their faith in exer- 
 cise, and their affections raised ; and so come short 
 of answering the character of being worshippers 
 of God in the Spirit ; either under the influences 
 of the eternal Spirit, or with their own spirits 
 influenced thereby, which formerly was their 
 great concern in religious worship. 4. It dis- 
 covers itself in a carelessness, lukewarmness, and 
 unconcerneduess for the cause of Christ : persons 
 in such a condition may be observed sensibly to 
 abate in their zeal, both for the doctrines of the 
 gospel, and the discipline of God's house ; they 
 seek their own things, and not the things which 
 are Jesus Christ's; they mind their own ceiled 
 houses, and let the house of God lie waste ; they 
 come far short of imitating Christ, their glorious 
 Head, of whom it is said. Psalm Ixis. 9, that the 
 zeal of God's house ate him up : things may go 
 how they will for ought they care, who have got- 
 ten into this frame of spirit. 5. It shows itself in 
 
 an unconcernedness, as to omission of duty, and 
 commission of sin ; time was, when these persons 
 could not omit a duty occasioned by the hurrying 
 business of life, but it gave them great uneasi- 
 ness ; could not do those things which by some 
 are not accounted sinful, but it burdened their 
 consciences; but now they can neglect duties 
 time after time, fall in with the customs and cor- 
 ruptions of the age, and be very little concerned 
 about it. 6. In a willingness to continue so : 
 they do not love to be jogged ; grow peevish 
 when any attempts are made, to awaken them ; 
 their language is that of the sluggard, Prov. vi. 
 10, " yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little 
 folding of the hands to sleep." This seems to 
 be the case of the church, who being asleep, did 
 not care to be disturbed ; and therefore made 
 those idle excuses she did, when called upon 
 in the most tender and affectionate manner to 
 arise. 
 
 2ndly. What are the true springs and causes of 
 this sleepy frame, or from whence it does proceed. 
 1. From a " body of sin" they carry about with 
 them ; which fleshly, gross, and earthly part in 
 them, induces heaviness, and inclines to sleep : 
 the cold humours of sin benumb the soul, and 
 bring upon it a spiritual lethargy ; " like the 
 poison of asps," it operates this way : the deceitful 
 charms of sin sometimes lull them asleep. 2- 
 Worldly cares have sometimes this effect upon 
 God's people ; an immoderate thirst aud pursuit 
 after the things of this world, oftentimes makes 
 persons grow indifferent about the things of an- 
 other ; it runs them into many temptations and 
 snares ; it frequently causes them to omit private 
 and family duty, and " chokes the word" and 
 ordinances, that they become unfruitful; being 
 surfeited and overcharged with it, they fall into 
 this drowsy and sleepy frame. 3. Xt arises some- 
 times from a cessation from spiritual exercises : 
 idleness, or a want of exercise induces sleep; when 
 believers grow weary of well-doing, and grow re- 
 miss in the duties of meditation, prayer, hearing 
 and reading; grace, as to the exercise of it, declines, 
 and their souls fall into a spiritual slumber. 4. 
 It sometimes springs from, and is increased bj au 
 absenting from the ministry, especially an awaking 
 one, which might be useful to rouse them ; aud 
 from the company of lively Christians by con- 
 versing with whom, their souls, through the bless- 
 ing of divine grace, might be kept awake ; but 
 instead of this, they neglect the ministry of the 
 word, leave off the company of those warm and 
 lively souls, and converse with cold and formal 
 professors, which bring them into, and con- 
 tinues them in this sleepy frame. 5. So.Tietimes 
 it follows upon an enjoyment of ease, peace, and 
 liberty ; therefore somei interpret these words of 
 the state of the church in Constantine's time, 
 when the church not only enjoyed freedom from 
 persecution, but also abounded in riches and 
 
 1 Brij^htman and Cotton in loc. 
 
182 
 
 AN EXI'OSIXION OF THE 
 
 [chap. V. 
 
 prosperity, and upon it grew cjreless, secure, and 
 sleepy ; by reason of which many errors, both in 
 doctrine luid discipline, crept into the church ; 
 and T aiii afraid, that the long enjoyment of peace 
 and liberty which v\e have liad, has brought us 
 into much the same frame of spirit. 
 
 oidly. The danger of being in such a state and 
 condition. 1, When the church of Christ is in 
 such a condition, it lies liable to be filled witli 
 hypocrites, and pestered with licretics : to be tilled 
 with hypo(rrites, because it has not then such a 
 spirit of discerning; these may then more easily 
 im|)ose themselves upon it : to be pestered with 
 heresies and heretics, of which there have been 
 lamentable instances, that " while men slept, the 
 enemy sowed tares ;" which roots of bitterness 
 have sprung up with the wheat of sound doctrine, 
 and have troubled some, and defiled others : and 
 I wish I could say, that this is not the case of the 
 churches of Christ now, nor these the dreadful 
 consequences of her being in such an one. 2. 
 Particular believers, who are gotten into this sleepy 
 and drowsy frame, are exposed to every sin and 
 every temptation ; therefore said Christ to his 
 disciples. Matt. xxvi. 41, " watch and pray, that 
 ye enter not into temptation ;' ' knowing, that 
 when asleep, they might easily be led into it. 
 What may not the " devouring lion" be suffered 
 to do to persons in such a condition ? Into 
 what sins and snaies may he not be permitted to 
 lead them, tiiough he shall never destroy them? 
 3. Tliey are liable to be de|)rived of Christ's pre- 
 sence, which was the case of the church here: she 
 had had a glorious enjoyment of Christ's presence ; 
 he had been with her in his garden, and had made 
 a noble entertainment for her and his friends, 
 quickly after which she falls asleep ; and after he 
 had made some attempts to awake her, and had 
 given some notices of his regard to her, withdraws 
 himself from her, ver. 6. 4. Such may be robbed 
 of what is valuable and dear nnto them ; a man 
 that is asleep, any thing that he has, money, 
 jewels, &c., may be taken from him : so a be- 
 liever-, thoush he cannot lose his grace, nor that 
 trtasur-e which he has in heaven, yet he may lose 
 his comfort and liveliness; and the truths of the 
 Gospel may be more easily wruirgout of his hands. 
 5. Such a sleepy, lazy frame, tends to spiritual 
 poverty ; it brings leanness upon the soul : grace 
 as to its exercise, is brought low thei-eby, and the 
 soul into a declining condition. 6. Such persons 
 are liable to be sur'prised with the midnight-cry ; 
 though it is true those who are real believers, 
 shall never be found without oil in their lamps, 
 but shall be always ready in Christ for his appear- 
 ance : yet it will not be so startling and sur[)risiiig 
 to the waking, as to the sleepy virgins. 7- Such 
 a frame is botli displeasing Lo Christ and uucom- 
 fortable to themselves : a lukewarm frame Christ 
 80 resents, that he threatens to " spue such out 
 
 ' Anrl so Tanchuma in Yalkut in loc. 
 
 • A phrase used by lover*, meuin cor, I'lautj 
 
 of his mouth;" neither is it very comfortable to 
 themselves ; it is but broken sleep they have ; they 
 ai-c disturbed with many startlings and joggings 
 of conscience; like persons who know it is their 
 duty to arise and be about their business, and yet 
 liave no power to do so, being overconje with 
 sleep. 
 
 Secondly. She declares, that notwithstanding 
 she slept, yet her heart was awake. II. Sol. Jarchi 
 divides these words, and refers the former clause, 
 " I sleep," to the bride ; and this here, " my 
 heart waketh," to the bridegroom ; and so he 
 says, it is expounded in an ancient book of theirs 
 called Pesikta:' and then the sense is. Though I 
 have been, and am, in a sleepy frame of spirit, yet 
 he who is in my heart,' ray life, my soul, my all ; 
 he whom I love with all my heart, and who is the 
 rock, the str'ength of my heart, and my portion 
 for ever ; he, I say, never slumbers nor sleeps, 
 but watches over me night and day, even when I 
 am asleep, that nothing hurts me. But in 
 another ancient book of theirs, called Zohar,' I fiud 
 both clauses referred to the church, and so they 
 are to be understood ; " my heart waketh," that 
 is, my regenerate part, which is sometimes called 
 in scripture, "the spirit," and the " inward man;" 
 that is to say, so far as my carnal and unregene- 
 rate heart prevails, " I sleep ;" and so far as I am 
 r'enewed and sanctified, "my heart waketh :" she 
 was not so fast asleep, but that, I. She had some 
 thoughts of heart concerning Christ ; he was not 
 wholly out of her mind; though she was asleep, 
 her thoughts were ruuning upon, and employed 
 about her beloved ; his image was so impressed 
 upon her mind, that she thought him present ; 
 and every thing that stirred, supposed it was he, 
 and that she heard fats voice ; even as lovers iu 
 their sleep, have their thoughts running upon the 
 person, who is the object of their love. 2. Tirere 
 were some stirrings of affections in her towards 
 him ; though she had got into this sleepy and lazy 
 frame of soul, yet Christ was still the object of 
 her love ; and therefore she says, " it is the voice 
 of my beloved ;" she was not so fast asleep, but 
 that she could not only know and distinguisli the 
 voice of Christ, but she could also call him " her 
 beloved." 3. There were no doubt some con- 
 victions of sin upon her conscience : we must 
 not suppose her to be in such a dead sleep, as 
 to bo " past feeling," or to have her "conscience 
 seared with an hot iron ;" she was sensible of 
 her evil, in indulging such a frame ; though being 
 ovei'come with sleep she had no power to guard 
 against it. 4. It is highly probable, that she 
 was not without some desires after being in her 
 duty, as being uneasy in her present case ; it 
 seems to be with her, as it was with the dis- 
 ciples when asleep, of whom Christ says, that 
 the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak ;" 
 they, with her here, had a will to duty, a will 
 
 P(Hiiihis.act 1. sc. 2. V. 154,170, 17.^. meum corcuUmi, 
 lb. Calina, act 1. sc. 4. v. 14. • InDeut. fol. Tii. -J. 
 
VEE. 2. J 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 183 
 
 to vratch and pray with him ; " but how to pei'- 
 form they know not," being overpowered with 
 this fleshly and earthly part. 
 
 Now from this whole account which she gives 
 of herself, as sleeping, and yet waking, we may 
 observe the following things. 1. That a believer 
 has two different principles in him ; a principle 
 of corruption, and a principle of grace ; the one he 
 brings into the world with him, Iheother is wrought 
 by the Spirit of God ; and these are represented as 
 two different persous, both by the church here, who 
 speaks of an /that sleeps, and an heart (hat wakes; 
 and by the apostles, elsewhere, who speaks of a new 
 man, and old man ; of himself, as having no 
 good things dwelling in him, and yet of an / 
 that sinneth not ; see Kom. vii. 18 — 20, Eph. 
 iv. 22—24. 2. That these two different prin- 
 ciples may exert themselves, at one and the same 
 time, iu a believer ; " the flesh lustcth against 
 the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and 
 these are contrary the one to the other : the 
 law in the members wars against the law in 
 the mind, and the law in the mind opposes the 
 law in the members ;" and at the same time she 
 sleeps, her heart wakes. 3. That corruption may 
 seem to have tbe ascendant, in a believer's heart 
 for a time ; it seems to have had it in the 
 church here : sleep overpowered her, though her 
 heart was awake : this law iu the members may 
 carry captive for some time, and have such a 
 power over the believer, as that he cannot do 
 the good which he would. 4. Notwithstandiug 
 trne grace caniiot be lost in a believer; it is 
 an immortal seed which remains and abides ; 
 grace is always alive, though not always alike 
 lively ; it is " a well of living water springing 
 up into everlasting life." 5. The difference be- 
 tween a carnal and a spiritual heart ; the one 
 is in a dead sleep, the other, though asleep, 
 yet his heart wakes; the one has spirit as well 
 as flesh, the other is nothing but flesh. And, 
 considering these are the words of the church, 
 they inform us, 1. That believers have a dis- 
 cerning of their state and condition ; when iu 
 the lowest, they know in some measure how it 
 is with them, and can observe a difference in 
 themselves, from themselves, and from vvhat they 
 have formerly been, which an unconverted per- 
 son is a stranger to ; he is not capable of mak- 
 ing such a remark as this upon himself, which 
 the church here does; though it is true, the 
 believer may be left sometimes to make a wrong 
 judgment of himself. 2. That believers are in- 
 genuous in acknowledging their sins, failings, and 
 infirmities : which is an evidence of the truth 
 of grace, and that there are more or less some 
 stirrings of it, where this Spirit is. 3. That 
 it is the duty of believers to take notice of their 
 grace, as well as of their sin ; and therefore 
 the church takes notice of her " waking heart," 
 as well as of her " sleeping I :" wc should be 
 careful huw we deuv or loaien the work of the 
 
 Spirit of God u))ou our souls, but speak of it 
 to the glory of him who is the Author of it ; 
 who can, does, and will keep our hearts awake, 
 grace alive there: though we, with the church, 
 may be sometimes suffered to fall asleep ; thus 
 much for her state and condition. Now follows, 
 II. Christ's carriage and behaviour to her when 
 in this state, as acknowledged by herself. 
 
 1st. He called unto her, and that so loud, that 
 she, though asleep, could hear, and own it to be 
 his voice, saying, " It is the voice of my beloved." 
 By the voice of Christ, we must understand the 
 gospel, as preached by his ministering servants ; 
 by whom he often calls to his drowsy and sleepy 
 saints to awake, as Ije does here. In what sense 
 the gospel is the voice of Christ, and how it may 
 be and is distinguished by believers from the voice 
 of stransers, have been shown on chap. ii. 8. I 
 need only add here, that as it is a distinguishing 
 character of believers to know Christ's voice ; so 
 they are capable of doing it, even when in a carnal 
 and sleepy frame of soul: believers sometimes, 
 under hearing the word, are very dull and heavy ; 
 there is but very little exercise of faith in them ; 
 yet they can then distinguish the gospel from what 
 is not so ; though they are little affected with it, 
 and receive but very little advantage by it : nay, 
 it may be further observej, that she could say, it 
 was the voice of her beloved ; for though her faith 
 and love were very low, yet they were not lost ; 
 but then let it be carefully remarked, that though 
 she was capable of making such observations on 
 what she heard, yet she was not thoroughly 
 awakened hereby, but sleeps on still ; thus, noU 
 withstanding Christ's passionate expostulation witn 
 his disciples in the garden, saying, " What, could 
 ye not watch with me one hour?" I say, not- 
 withstanding this, they fall asleep again. Christ's 
 word without his power, will neither quicken dead 
 sinners, nor awake sleepy saints; neither of these 
 will be affected by it, unless he puts in the finger 
 of his powerful and efficacious grace, " by the hole 
 of the door," as he does in ver. 4. Well, Christ 
 calling her by his ministers, and not awaking her, 
 he takes another method : and therefore, 
 
 2ndly. Knocks, and calls again, snying, Open to 
 me, &c. There is, (1). A knocking at sinners 
 hearts at first conversion. The heart of an uncon- 
 verted sinner is bolted and barred against Christ, 
 with the strong bolts and bars of sin and unbe- 
 lief: elect sinners, whilst in a state of nature, are 
 stout-hearted, and far from righteousness; they 
 are unwilling to submit to Ciirist and his right- 
 eousness, nor to opp.n the doors of their hearts, 
 and let the king of glory in : he stands and 
 knocks there, by the preaching of the gospel ; and, 
 having the key of David in his hands, "he 
 openeth and no man slintteth, and shutteth, and 
 no man opeueth ;" with this key of almighty and 
 efficacious grace, he openeth their hearts, as he 
 did Lydia's ; and, with the hammer of his word, 
 breaks thctn iu pieces, and causes all bolts and 
 
184 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 TCHAP. V. 
 
 bars to fly before him ; plucks down the strong 
 holds which Satan had made ; di«posse33es the 
 strong man of his armour, wherein he trusted, to 
 keep his palace in peace and safety ; and reduces 
 all in obedience to himself ; where entering with 
 his glorious train of graces, and having dethroned 
 sin, sets up grace to reign in his stead ; and takes 
 possession of the heart as his palace, from whence 
 sin and Satan will never be able to eject him. 
 Now in this mighty work of grace, in thus con- 
 quering and subduing a sinner's heart, we are not 
 to suppose that here is a force upon the will; for 
 though before they were unwilling, as well as 
 unable to open and let him in, yet are now made 
 willing in the day of his po)ver, to submit unto 
 him ; they become voluntary subjects to him ; 
 and Christ meets with a kind reception and hearty 
 welcome from them ; so that they are as desirous 
 of having him there, as he is of entering in, when 
 this day of his power has passed upon them. 
 But, (2). There is a knocking at churches, or at 
 the hearts of particular believers ; and of this we 
 read in Rev. iii. 20, " Behold, I stand at the door 
 and knock," &c., the church of Laodicea there 
 appears to be in much the same case and condition 
 as the church is here : the church here was asleep, 
 though her heart was awake ; and the church of 
 Laodicea there was lukewarm, neither hot nor 
 cold; which being highly displeasing to Christ, in 
 order to bring her to a sense of her present condi- 
 tion, he comes and stands at the door, and knocks, 
 as he dots here. Now we are not to suppose that 
 Christ is ever turned out of doors ; that the key 
 is turned upon him; or that he has not always a 
 dwelling in his churches, or in the hearts of 
 particular believers; for he is Christ in us, and in 
 all believers, the hope of glory ; he is there, and 
 will continue there, till he has brought them to 
 that glory which they are hoping for ; though 
 sometimes they are so shut up in their frames, 
 that they can neither come forth themselves, in 
 the enlargement of their desires and affections, 
 and in the exercise of grace, nor let in Christ unto 
 them ; there is but very little communion between 
 Christ and them ; and though there is no distance 
 or separation with respect to union, yet there is 
 with regard to communion ; there stands as it 
 were a door, a wall, a middle wall of partition, 
 between Christ and their souls ; and oftentimes, 
 which is still worse, they are secure, careless and 
 unconcerned about it ; therefore Christ, in order 
 to bring them to a sense of themselves, and their 
 present condition ; that they may see their need 
 of, and that desires m»y hd stirred up in them, 
 after communion with himself, comes and stauds 
 at the door, and knocks : which knocking I 
 take to be, not by the ministry of the word, as 
 before : but in a providential way, in a way of 
 chastisement, by taking in his hand the rod of 
 affliction or scourge of persecution, and lashing 
 his children with them; with such severe raps 
 
 and blows of persecution did he knock at the door 
 of the church, in the times of Constantius, Valens, 
 and Julian, emperors of Rome, after she was 
 fallen asleep, through the peace and prosperity 
 which she enjoyed in the times of Constantine : 
 the two former of which persecuted the orthodox 
 ministers and others, in favour of the Arians ; 
 and the latter entirely apostatised from the Chris- 
 tian religion, and became a bitter enemy and cruel 
 persecutor of it : and this is thought by some in- 
 terpreters," to be particularly intended here : and 
 in tliis sense we are to understand knocking, in 
 that parallel text. Rev. iii. 20, as is manifest by 
 comparing it with verse 19, " as many as I love, 
 I rebuke and chasten ; be zealous therefore, and 
 repent; behold, I stand at the door and knock," 
 &c. His knocking there, is no other than his re- 
 bukes and chastisements in a way of love, which 
 were designed to bring her to a sense of herself, as 
 appears from that exhortation, " be zealous there- 
 fore, and repent;" and that she might sec her 
 need of, and have her desires enlarged after com- 
 munion with him, as is manifest from these 
 words ; " if any man open to me, I will come in 
 to him, and will sup with him, and he with me ;" 
 which also is his end and desfgn in knocking 
 after this manner here ; " it is the voice of my 
 beloved that knocketh, saying. Open to me." 
 There is an emphasis upon the word me ! open to 
 me, who am thy Lord, thy Head, thy Husband, 
 and thy Friend : and by opening to him, he means 
 an enlarging of their affections and desires to him, 
 which were now very cold and chill ; and an ex- 
 ercise of their faith upon him, which was very 
 weak ; which they of themselves were no more 
 capable to do, than a sinner is to open his heart 
 to Christ at first conversion ; this can only be done 
 by him, who has the key of David, who openelh 
 and no man shutteth, &c., and therefore we find 
 this knocking was also ineffectual, until he exerted 
 his mighty grace, as in ver. 4 ; his sayiug to her, 
 " open to me," is designed to convince her of her 
 present condition, and what need she stood in of 
 his presence and assistance. 
 
 Srdly. Christ not only calls by the ministry of 
 the word, and knocks in a providential way 
 by his rebukes and chastisements ; but he also 
 gives her good works, kind and endearing titles 
 and characters : he calls to her, " sayiug. Open 
 to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my un- 
 deliled." The three first of these titles and 
 characters have been already considered and ex- 
 plained : the first title, my sister, is expressive 
 of the near relation the church stands in to 
 Christ, being " flesh of his flesh, and bone of 
 his bone," and has been spoken to on chap. iv. 
 9 ; the second, " my love," shows the strong 
 affection Christ had for her, she being the alone 
 object of it, and has been opened on chap. i. 
 9 ; the third, " my dove," declares the church's 
 harmlessness and simplicity, her cleanness, purity. 
 
 Bright man, Cotton, and Cocceius in loc. 
 
VER. 2.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 185 
 
 and chastity, as has beeu shown on chap. ii. 14 ; 
 and the fourth, " my uudefiled," or my perfect 
 one," as it in the Hebrew text, is what we have 
 not yet met with, and therefore will deserve a 
 little more consifleration. And here it must be 
 observed, that all the descendants of Adam, by 
 ordinary generation, are polluted and defiled, both 
 in their nature and actions ; all the parts of 
 their bodies, and powers, and faculties of their 
 souls are so ; their will and affectious, understaad- 
 ing, and judgment, mind, and conscience, are all 
 defiled : and indeed how can it otherwise be, for 
 " who can bring a clean thing out of an un- 
 clean? not one:" nay, believers themselves are 
 not free from pollution ; but complain of the 
 uncleanness of their hearts and lips : and frankly 
 acknowledge that ihey are all as an unclean thing, 
 and that all their righteousnesses are as filthy rags : 
 it may then seem strange, that Christ should 
 call his church, aud that in her present cir- 
 cumstances, his undefiled one : and so she is not 
 in herself, but as considered in him; believers 
 are full of spots in themselves, but having on his 
 spotless righteousness, he looks upon them as all 
 fair, and as having no spot in them ; they are 
 the undefiled in the way, eveu whilst in the way 
 to glory ; and on this side the heavenly inheritance, 
 which is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth 
 not away, reserved in the heavens for them. Or 
 else, this character may regard her chastity to 
 Christ ; who, though she was guilty of many fail- 
 ings and infirmities, yet she had kept his bed 
 undefiled : had not committed spiritual adultery, 
 which is idolatry, but kept close to his ways 
 and ordinances, as those we read of in Rev. xiv. 
 4 ; who, because they did not join with the whore 
 of Rome in her abominations, are said not to 
 be " defiled with women, for they are virgins ; 
 these are they which follow the lamb whither- 
 soever he goeth." Now Christ calls his church 
 by all those loving and endearing titles, 1. To 
 show that she stood in the same relation to 
 him she ever did, and was loved by him with 
 the same love she ever was : though sleepy aud 
 lazy, careless and negligent of her duty, and 
 regardless of him, yet she is his sister, his love, 
 his dove, his undefiled: notwithstanding all this, 
 there was a change in the frame of her soul, 
 aud in her carriage and behaviour towards him : 
 but no alteration in her relation to him, nor 
 in his love to her, which shows him indeed 
 " Jesus, the same yesterday, to-day, and for 
 ever." 2. That all these knocks, raps, and chas- 
 tisements, were all in love ; he meant it for her 
 good, aud would have her take it so: we are 
 too apt to think, when chastised and under 
 God's afflicting hand, that it is in a way of 
 wrath, and that he deals not with us as chil- 
 dren ; but when he knocks, and gives such en- 
 
 dearing characters as these, it plainly shows that 
 it is all in love. 3. To manifest how desirous 
 he was of communion with her, and therefore 
 takes all ways to obtain it; he calls and knocks, 
 and calls again, and that in the most tender, 
 moving language that can be. And this is not 
 all ; but, 
 
 4thly. He expostulates with her, and uses very 
 pressing instances and powerful arguments to per- 
 suade her to open aud let him in ; " for my head," 
 says he, " is filled with dew, and my locks with 
 the drops of the night :" here, because of the 
 great love and alfection which he has for his 
 chuich, and the desire he has of enjoying com- 
 munion with her ; here he is represented as com- 
 ing in the night-season to pay her a visit, and 
 standing knocking at her door, and waiting so 
 long there for an answer, until his head was filled 
 with dew, and his locks with the drops of the 
 night : which may be understood, either, 1. Of 
 the doctrines and blessings of grace, which Christ 
 came full fraught with ; these being compared to 
 dew in scripture, see Dent, xxxii. 2, Hos. xiv. 6 ; 
 and theu the sense is, " Behold, my love, I stand 
 at thy door knocking, and waiting to be admitted 
 iu ; I pray thee, rise and open to me, for I am 
 come filled with the comfortable and refreshing 
 doctrines of the Gospel, and with all the spiritual 
 blessings of the everlasting covenant of grace, 
 which I know are needful and proper for thee." 
 So R. Sol. Jarchi, by dew, understands God's 
 blcssiugs for those who turn by repentance , 
 though by drops of the night, he thinks are meant 
 punishments for those who forsake aud despise 
 him. Or else, 2. These words may intend the 
 sufi'erings of Christ, which I rather incline to. 
 Thus Nebuchadnezzar's body beiug wet with the 
 dew of heaven, is expressive of the forlorn aud 
 miserable condition he was in, when being driven 
 from men, he ate grass as oxen, and was exposed 
 to all the inclemency of the heavens : so when 
 Christ's head is here said to be filled with dew, 
 aud his locks with the drop 5 of the night, it may 
 mean his sufferings in his state o*' humiliation, 
 who had no where to lay his head; whose con- 
 stant practice it was some time before his death, 
 in the day time, to teach in the temple, and in 
 the night continued praying iu the mount of 
 Olives ; and that night in which he was taken, 
 appears to be a very cold one, from Peter's warm- 
 ing himself : so that there seems to be au agree- 
 ment between those outv^ard sufferings of his, 
 and those represented in these words ; though no 
 doubt far greater than those intended here, which 
 he underwent in his own person, on the account 
 of his church ; which may be compared to dew 
 and drops of the night, 1. Because of the mul- 
 titude of them, the dew and drops of the night 
 being many j Christ's sufi'erings W£re many and 
 
 " Tinn TeKeiaifiH, Sept. perfecta niea, Montanus, Tigurine version, Marckius ; Integra mea, Junius and 
 Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Michaelis, Galatinus, 1. 3. c. 30. de Arcan. Cathol. Verit. from the 
 Midrash, would have it, that it was formerly read, Tiown gemella mea, my twin ; and I lind in Zohar, 
 in Deut. fol. 120. 3. it is observed that it s)iould be so read. 
 
186 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CIIAP. V. 
 
 various ; there are the sufferings of his body and 
 of his soul, and many of both sorts ; what tongue 
 can express, what heart can conceive what he un- 
 derwent, when he bore our sins and his Father's 
 wrath ? and because of the multitude of them, 
 they are compared, not only to dew and drops of 
 the night, but to floods, Psalm Ixix. i, 2. (2.) 
 As the dew and drops of the night are uncomfort- 
 able and prejudicial to healtii, especially in those 
 hot countries ; so Christ's sufferings were uncom- 
 fortable to the human nature, as is manifest from 
 what he said to his Father in ihe garden, and 
 when upon the cross ; and they would have been 
 intolerable to any but himself. (3.) As the dew 
 and drops of the night, though prejudical to the 
 health of persons, yet are very useful and fructify- 
 ing to the earth ; so the sufferings of Christ, 
 though uncomfortable to the human nature, yet 
 liave produced many blessings of grace, and are 
 the means of bringing many sons to glory ; see 
 John xii. 2.4. Now the sum of the argument 
 then is this ; seeing I have suffered so much and 
 so largely on this account, how canst thou be so 
 cruel, so hard-hearted, so base and disingenuous, 
 as not to arise and let me in ? so lovers some- 
 times represent their case in such circumstances 
 as hardly dealt with f and know not which to 
 call most hard and cruel, the door, shut against 
 them, or the lover within : and yet, notwithstand- 
 ing such a moving and melting argument, what 
 idle excuses does the church make to put Christ 
 off, in the following words ? 
 
 Verse 3. Ihavepid off my coat, how shall I put it 
 on F I have xoashed my feet, how shall I defile 
 them ? 
 The sleepy and lazy frame which the church had 
 fallen into, together with Christ's carriage and 
 behaviour towards her in that condition, has been 
 considered in the preceding verse ; and in this we 
 have the effect which Christ's calls and knocks, his 
 melting language, and moving expostulations had 
 upon her ; all the answer he obtains from her, aie 
 only some idle excuses and frivolous shifts to put 
 him off. Some interpreters'' indeed have attempt- 
 ed to vindicate the church from slothfulness and 
 rudeness, and would have this ascribed to her 
 modesty, which would not admit her to appear 
 before so great a person in such a disagreeable 
 dress ; but if this had been the case, he would never 
 have resented her behaviour to him, as he did by 
 withdrawing from her ; he would never have 
 suffei'cd her to wander about the city in quest of 
 him, as she did ; nor would he have permitted the 
 watcliman to abuse her, as they did, by smiting, 
 wounding, and unveiling her ; nor should she 
 have gone so long, until she was sick of love, be- 
 fore she found him, had not all this been to chastise 
 her for her former slothfulness and rudeness. Nor 
 are we to consider these words as of one asking 
 
 » Janua ve! domina, &c. I'ropertj eleg. 10. 
 19. ine mcdiiisnoctos. &,i;. . 22. 
 
 V. 17- 
 
 for information-sake, how she should do this and 
 the other thing, as being willing to comply with 
 the request made to her, if she knew but how ; 
 for she had no desire to do it; her chief desiga 
 being to keep her bed, her ease and rest, if pos- 
 sible ; therefore, though she is not so rude as to 
 say, that she would not arise and let him in ; yet 
 her words and actions manifestly show that she 
 had no design to do it, and therefore makes the 
 excuses she does; which are to be looked upon as 
 an absolute denial, aud were so interpreted by Christ; 
 and may be parallel with that answer which the 
 man gave to his friend, who came at midnight to 
 borrow loaves of him, which, in Luke si. 7, you 
 will find to be this, " Trouble me not, the door 
 is now shut, and my children are with me in bed ; 
 I cannot rise and give thee." Having given you 
 this general view of the words, 1 will now con- 
 sider the parts of them, or the particular excuses 
 that she makes. 
 
 First. She says, " I have put off my coat," and 
 from thence argues, " how sliall I put it on ?" It 
 will be proper to consider what is meant by her 
 putting off her coat; and also what the argument 
 she forms upon it, or the conclusion she draws 
 from it intends. 1. The believer's coat is Christ 
 and his righteousness : his clothing is the gar- 
 ments of salvation, and his covering the robe of 
 righteousness ; all which he has from Christ, who 
 is Jehovah, our righteousness ; whose righteous- 
 ness is the saints wedding-garments ; which being 
 made of fine linen, clean, and white, and put upon 
 them, they are clothed as with the sun ; their own 
 garments, whether of sin or rigliteousness, are 
 filthy ones ; in the room of whicli, is given to 
 them change of raiment. Now this coat or gar- 
 ment of justifying righteousness, being wrought 
 out by Christ, and brought to the soul by tiie 
 Spirit of God, faith puts on, according to Rom. 
 xxii. 14, " Put on the Lord Jesus Christ," that 
 is, the righteousness of Christ ; which faith puts 
 on, as a man does his clothes ; aud for this reason 
 we are said to be justified by faith ; not that faith, 
 by virtue of its own, has an iuhuence in our justi- 
 fication, or is a part of it ; for we are not other- 
 wise justified by it, than as it apprehends, lays 
 hold, and puts on Christ for righteousness. Now 
 this coat or garment being once put on, the be- 
 liever can never be disrobed of it ; it is an ever- 
 lasting righteousness ; it will never wear out, nor 
 can it be lost, nor will it ever be taken away from 
 him ; Adam lost the righteousness in which he was 
 created, but the believer's can never be lost ; for 
 it is not the righteousness of a creature, but of 
 God ; those who once have on Christ's righte- 
 ness, always have; for being once justified by it, 
 they will always be so ; nor must it be imagined, 
 that ever a true believer will be left to despise 
 and reject this righteousness ; there is nothing 
 dearer to him, and more valued by him than this 
 
 y Vid. Sanct. in loo. 
 
3.] 
 
 SOXG OF SONGS. 
 
 187 
 
 13 ; he often thinks of it in himself, and frequently . ing io arise and go along with him, lest she should 
 speaks of it to others ; he desires to be always meet with the same trials and sufferings as before, 
 found in it, living and dying; but yet sometimes for the sake of him and his Gospel ; so much does 
 
 his faith may be remiss about it ; may lie dormant 
 and be very little exercised on this glorious ob- 
 ject ; sometimes a believer is gotten into such a 
 carnal, secure, and lazy frame of spirit, as the 
 church here was, that he contents himself with 
 the bare performance of external duties, without 
 having his soul affected with, or his faith concern- 
 ed, about Christ, as the Lord bis righteousness ; 
 nay, sometimes when he is not in such a frame, he 
 is too apt to dwell upon his own heart, his graces, 
 his frames, his duties; there is a great deal of 
 legality sometimes in believers, and their practice 
 runs contrary to their light and judgment. Now 
 so far as we rest in ourselves, in our duties, 
 and performances, or dwell in our gra'ies and our 
 frames ; so far we may be said to have put off 
 our coat, or to have laid aside and neglected the 
 righteousness of Christ; though it is certain 
 believers cannot be really disrobed of it ; and 
 perhaps this maybe the sense of these words.^ 
 Or else, 2. They may iuteud her leaving her 
 first love ; as her faith in Christ's righteous- 
 ness was very low, so her love to Christ, his 
 people, ways, and ordinances, was very cold ; there 
 is such a thing as leaving, though not losing our 
 first love, for which the church at Ephesus was 
 blamed. Rev. ii. 4 ; now when saints are iu the 
 exercise of this grace of love to Christ or his peo- 
 ple, they may be said to put it on, as the apostle 
 exhorts in Col. iii. 14, " And above all these 
 things, put on charity, or love, which is the bond 
 of perfectness," and when they grow remiss and 
 cold in it, they may be said to put it off. 3. 
 Tliese words may also represent her neglect of her 
 duty ; for she had not only, dropped in a great 
 measure the exercise of grace, but likewise the per- 
 formance of duty ; she was grown slothful and 
 inactive ; slie had put off her clothes, as having 
 done working, aud therefore takes to her bed, and 
 composes herself to rest ; thus, as a performance 
 of duties may be called a putting of them on ; see 
 Col. iii. 12 ; so a neglect of them may be called a 
 putting of them off ; which Eliphaz, in Job xv. 4, 
 calls a casting off fear before God ; for he intends 
 thereby a disregard to religious exercises, which he 
 supposed Job chargeable with. 4. These words 
 manifestly show that she was in a sleepy, drowsy 
 frame : had put off her clothes, and was gone to 
 bed ; that she was now off her guard, and had 
 dropped her spiritual watchfulness ; thus, as put- 
 tins and keeping on of clothes is a sign of watch- 
 
 the love of worldly ease prevail over God's own 
 children, that they are sometimes loth to arise and 
 follow Christ in his own ways. 
 
 Now from hence she argues, and thus she con- 
 cludes, that seeing she had put off her coat, how 
 should she put it on? Which discovers, 1, 
 That she was apprehensive of difficulty in doing 
 it, " How shall I," &c., that is, how difficult will 
 it be for me to do it ? and indeed it is easier drop- 
 ping the exercise of a grace, or the performance 
 of a duty, than it is to take it up again after we 
 have so done ; and when grace is called to exert 
 itself, or a duty is presented to be performed, 
 carnal reason raises a thousand difficulties as in- 
 superable, which faith only gets over. 2. This 
 way of arguing shows her sluggishness, and her 
 love of ease ; a sluggard thinks there is danger 
 if he arises and goes into the streets, saying, 
 " There is a lion without^ 1 shall be slain in the 
 streets ;" and he is so wretchedly slothful, that 
 having " hid his hand in his bosom, it grieveth 
 him to bring it again to his mouth ;" so she, 
 having put off her coat, was so exceeding slothful 
 and sluggish, that she was loth, it grieved her, 
 it went to her very heart, she did not know how 
 to bring herself to it, to put it on again. 3. 
 Nay there was not only a loathness, but an aver- 
 sion to it ; the carnal and fleshly part in the be- 
 liever is entirely averse, either to the exercise of 
 grace, or to the discharge of duty; it lusteth 
 against tlie spirit ; though tliere is a willingness 
 ill the regenerate part thereunto, for he delights 
 in the law of God, after the inward man : but 
 the former seems to have the ascendant in the 
 church here, which makes her say, " How shall 
 I," &c., I am averse unto it. 4. It intimates 
 as though she thought it unreasonable in him to 
 desire it, seeing her clothes were off, aud she jvas 
 now in bed ; for him to desire her to arise and 
 open, and let him in, was, what she thought, an 
 unreasonable request, and therefore says, " How 
 shall I put it on?" that is, How canst thou 
 desire it of me ? though this which Christ called 
 her to, and indeed, had it been much more diffi- 
 cult than it was, but her reasonable service. 5. 
 It supposes that she was apprehensive of dauger 
 by doing it ; that it would be incommodious aud 
 detrimental to her, break her rest, disturb 
 her ease, and be prejudicial to her health; 
 there being danger of it, as she imagined, by 
 rising out of her bed, aud putting on her clothes 
 
 fulness ; see Neh. iv. 23, Rev. xvi. 15'; so putting I to let him in. Now arguments taken from, and 
 them off is an indication of the contrary ; and she | formed upon such selfish principles, are much 
 
 having done so, is not only exposed to danger, but 
 to shame, disgrace, and scandal. 5. Being now 
 free from troubles, afflictions, and persecutions, she 
 puts off her coat, and betakes herself to a bed of 
 ease ; and though Christ calls, yet she is unwill- 
 
 made use of by carnal reason, and are pleaded with 
 a great deal of force and vehemency by it, against 
 the observance of au ordinance or performance of 
 a duty : it was npon this footing that those who 
 were bidden to the wedding, excused themselves; 
 
 Vid Brightman in loc. 
 
188 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. V. 
 
 it was against their worldly profit and pleasure to 
 comply with the invitation ; one had bought a 
 piece of ground, another, five yoke of nxen, and a 
 third had married a wife, and therefore they could 
 not come ; and in so doing, declared that they 
 valued their worldly interest before the blessings 
 of grace in Clirist ; as the church here in saying, 
 " How shall I put it on ?" shows, that she pre- 
 ferred her worldly ease to Christ's company, and 
 that she sought more her " own things, than the 
 things which are Jesus Christ's." 6. It may 
 also signify that she knew not how to do it, be- 
 cause of that shame and confusion which attended 
 her on the account of her sins aud transgressions 
 against him ; being conscious to herself of these 
 things she blushed and was ashamed, not knowing 
 how to show her face, and appear before him 
 with any confidence, and therefore puts him off 
 with these excuses ; and so it oftentimes is with 
 believers, who, when they have fallen into sin, ne- 
 glect their duty through shame, and so add sin to 
 sin, as the church did here ; and this sense of the 
 words the Targum gives after this manner : 
 " The congregation of Israel answered and said 
 before the prophets, Lo, now I have removed 
 from me the yoke of his precepts, and have served 
 the idols of the people ; and how can I have 
 the face to return unto him ?" though it makes 
 the latter part of the text to be, not the words 
 of the church, but of the Lord ; who makes an- 
 swer to her, and lets her know, that as he had 
 removed his divine presence from her, because of 
 her sins, how should he return to her again ? 
 which other part of the words come now to be 
 considered. 
 
 Secondly. She urges that she had washed her 
 feet ; and therefore how could she " defile them." 
 Washing of feet was a custom much used in the 
 eastei'n countries, where they wore not shoes, but 
 sandals, and therefore contracted a great deal of 
 soil, especially in travelling, after which it was 
 usual to wash them ; which not only removed the 
 filth from them, but much comforted and refreshed 
 them : instances of this we have in Abraham and 
 Lot, who desired that water might be brought to 
 wash the feet of the angels, whom they thought 
 to be men, also in Abraham's servant, in Joseph's 
 brethren, aud in Christ's washing the feet of his 
 disciples a little before his death : washing 
 of feet was also used before going to bed," which 
 is what is here referred to. Now this is to be 
 understood, not of the washing of regeneration. 
 
 not intend it here ; for her outward conversatiou 
 does not appear to be so clean and pure, and so 
 becoming the gospel, and her profession of it, as 
 it should be. But, 1. It may be observed, that 
 she had plucked off her shoes or saudles, which 
 are the gospel, and a conversation agreeable to it, 
 according to Ephes. vi. ]5, " And your feet shod 
 with the preparation of the gospel of peace." 
 Now when the believer's feet are shod thus, that 
 is, when he holds " the mystery of the faith in a 
 pure conscience," then may it be said of hiiu, as 
 in chap. vii. I, " How beautiful are thy feet 
 with shoes, princes' daughter 1" but now the 
 church here had plucked off hers, in order to wash 
 her feet ; that is, she was grown very careless 
 about the doctrines of the gospel, and very negli- 
 gent in keeping up a conversation answerable to 
 them. 2. This phrase shows that she was grown 
 weary of spiritual exercises ; so persons when they 
 are weary of work or travelling, used to wash their 
 feet, and go to rest. She was grown weary of 
 well-doing, and was much like those in Mai. i. 
 13, who said, in regard to the performance of 
 religious exercises, " Behold, what a weariness is 
 it !" aud therefore washes her feet, lays aside au 
 observance of ordinances and duties, and betakes 
 herself to her carnal ease and rest ; and being 
 called from thence, she argues, " I have washed 
 my feet, how shall I defile them ;" which intimates 
 as before, a loathuess, au aversion to it ; and as 
 though she thought it unreasonable in him to 
 desire it, and criminal in her to comply with it. 
 Where observe her wretched mistake, in imagining 
 that hearkening to, and obeying Christ's com- 
 mand's would be a defiling her ; and it also shows 
 us what poor, little trifling excuses, persons in 
 such a condition will make, to keep themselves in 
 their carnal ease and peace, in a state of sloth - 
 fulness and inactivity ; nay, these excuses of hers 
 were not only idle and frivolous, as the putting 
 on of her coat, and defiling her feet, but likewise 
 vile aud sinful, as will appear from the following 
 considerations. (1.) She had slighted the means 
 which Christ had made use of to awake her; she 
 had made them null and void, and of no effect ; he 
 had called to her by the ministry of the word, and 
 had knocked in a providential way, and yet to no 
 purpose ; she withstands both his knocks aud 
 calls, which must needs be au aggravation of her 
 sin. (2.) She sinned against light and knowledge; 
 she knew that it was the voice of her beloved that 
 called unto her, and acknowledges it to be so ; 
 
 with which no doubt she was washed, being Christ's and yet she sleeps on, and makes these idle excuses 
 spouse and bride, as well as washed in his blood ; as she does, which must needs increase her guilt, 
 for that is the work of the Spirit of God, in his | (3.) She had invited him to come but a little 
 mighty operations of his grace upon her ; but this before, as in chap. iv. IG, " Let my beloved come 
 
 appears to be something of her owu doing, " I 
 have washed my feet," &c., nor is it meant of the 
 purity of her outward conversation ; though feet 
 and walking, when applied to the saints, do in a 
 spiritual sense, intend this oftentimes, but it does 
 
 into his garden ;" accordingly he did come ; and 
 as soon as he was come, she falls asleep, and 
 treats him after this base and disingenuous man- 
 ner. (4.) She had purposely composed herself to 
 sleep ; it does not seem to have fallen upon her 
 
 A7roi/i>|^aTe, narOere d' €mi)v, Homsr. OdySS. 1. 19. V. 317. Vid. V. 343, 351, STfi, 3*7. 
 
VER. 4.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 180 
 
 at aa unawares ; but she as it were sought it, and 
 for this reason put off her coat, and washed her 
 feet, that she might be the more fit for rest, and 
 take it more easily. (5.) Yet she endeavours to 
 shift the blame from off herself, as if she was no 
 ways in the fault, but that the thing was either 
 difficult and unreasonable, or else unlawful to be 
 done ; and therefore she says, " How shall I," 
 &c. (6.) She appears in all this to be guilty 
 of the greatest ingratitude; she fell into this 
 sleepy and lazy frame after this, and a noble 
 entertainment and sumptuous feast that Christ 
 had made for her ; she continues herein, uotwith- 
 standing the most affectionate characters he gives 
 her, and the most powerful arguments he uses 
 with her; she sleeps on, though he lets her know 
 that his " head was filled with dew, and his locks 
 with the drops of the night :" though he had 
 suffered and undergone so much on her account, 
 yet, vile ingratitude 1 she is unwilling to be at 
 the trouble of putting on a coat on his account, 
 or to run the risk of defiling her feet for his sake. 
 (7.) She also discovers the highest folly, in that 
 she prefers her present ease to Christ's company. 
 Well, but how does Christ take this ? how can he 
 bear to be affronted after this rate ? does he not 
 highly resent it ? Yes : but this will farther 
 ap|)ear in the consideration of the following verses. 
 
 Verse 4. My beloved -put in his hand hy the 
 hole of the door, and my bowels loere moved 
 for him. 
 
 The church proceeds here to give an account of 
 some farther steps which Christ took in order to 
 awake her, and cause her to arise and open to 
 him; which, though they are instances of his 
 grace unto her, yet manifestly show how much he 
 resented her nnkiudness and ingratitude to him ! 
 and she also takes notice what iuduence this car- 
 riage of his towards her had upon her. In these 
 words we have, 
 
 I. The method which Christ took in order to 
 have entrance ; he " put in his hand by the hole 
 of the door." 
 
 II. The effect it had upon her ; " her bowels 
 were moved for him." 
 
 I. The method which Christ took to let him- 
 self in. Seeing she was so loath and so unwilling 
 to arise and open to him, he attempts it himself; 
 not by breaking open the door, but by putting in 
 his hand by the hole thereof, in order to remove 
 the bolt or bar which kept him from entering in. 
 Some read the words, " My beloved put down his 
 hand from the hole of the door, or lock -."^ that 
 is, withdrew or removed his hand from thence : 
 he put it in there for the aforesaid reason ; but 
 hearing such language from within, as in the pre- 
 ceding verse, " I have put off my coat," &c., he 
 desisted from his attempt, and went his way ; re- 
 
 •> 'Vr'n \n IT n"?© nn S^ie\<pSot fm an-to-TCiXe xeipa 
 
 avTov airo Tiir oTrnr, Sept. dilectus meus demiseret 
 
 solving to chastise her for her base usage of him, 
 by a departure from her ; which, when she under- 
 stood, it threw her into that concern of mind, 
 which appears in this verse; and also put her 
 upon taking those methods to find him, which 
 the following verses show she did. But I shall 
 consider the words according to our version of 
 them, " My beloved put in his hand by the hole 
 of the door ;" and then, not to take any notice of 
 the character which she gives him, " My beloved," 
 which has been often considered and explained ; I 
 shall inquire, 1st. What is meant by the door ? 
 2ndly. What by Ihe hole of the door ? 8rdly. 
 What the hand of Christ signifies ? 4thly. 
 What the putting of it in is expressive of ? 
 
 1st. It will be proper to inquire what is 
 meant by the door. There are several things in 
 scripture which bear this name, in a figurative 
 and metaphorical sense ; as Christ, the church, an 
 occasion or opportunity of preaching the gospel, 
 John X. 9, Cant. viii. 9, 1 Cor. xvi. 9, &c., none 
 of which can be intended here. A Jewish writer"^ 
 thinks, that the firmament is here meant, and that 
 God put forth his hand from thence ; perhaps 
 either in a threatening way, or by mflicting some 
 chastisement on the people of Israel, for their 
 slothfulness and neglect of building the second 
 temple: but by the door here, I apprehend we 
 are to understand, either the door of faith, of 
 which we read in A.cts xiv. 27, " And when 
 they were come," that is, " Paul and Barnabas, 
 to Antioch, and had gathered the church together, 
 they rehearsed all that God had done with them, 
 and how he had opened the door of faith unto the 
 Gentiles;" which must be understood, either of 
 the preaching of the doctrine of faith among 
 them, or of the implantation of faith in them, 
 and perhaps both are intended: all by nature, 
 whether elect or non-elect, are shut and locked up 
 fast in the prison of unbelief; and when God 
 comes to convert a sinner, he opens the door of 
 faith, and sets them at liberty ; though sometimes 
 tills door of faith, even afterwards, is so closely 
 shut up, as that there is only a little crevice, a 
 small hole, through which a little love breaks forth 
 from the soul to Christ, and a little ligiit breaks 
 in from Christ unto the soul ; which seems to be 
 tlie case of the church here, and is what Heman 
 the Ezrahite complains of, in Psalm Ixxxviii. 8, 
 when he says, " I am shut up, and I cannot come 
 forth." Or else, by the door, may be meant the 
 door of her heart, which was in a great measure 
 shut against Christ, through weakness, and the 
 prevailiugs of corruptions in her : thus Lydia's 
 heart is compared to a door, which was opened 
 by the hand of powerful and efEcacious grace ; by 
 the means of which, Christ, with his large train of 
 grace, were let in, of whom it is said, Psalm xxiv. 
 7 — 10, " Lift up your heads, ye gates, and be ye 
 lift up, ye everlasting doors ;" which are not to 
 
 manum suam a foramine, Junius. 
 Ezra in Ice. 
 
 K. Al)en 
 
190 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF TITF. 
 
 [chap. 
 
 be understood of the doors and gates of the tem- 
 ple, though perhaps there may be an allusion to 
 them, but of souls which are of an everlasting 
 make ; and the king of glory shall come in. Who 
 is this king of glory ? the Lord of hosts, he is 
 the king of glory ; ecen the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 who is the King of kings, and Lord of lords ; who 
 is glorious in his person, in his offices, and in his 
 saints ; and who demands an entrance into, takes 
 possession of, and dwells by faith in the hearts 
 of his people. The door then is either the door 
 of faith, or the door of her heart; or if we put 
 them both together, and say, it is faith in her 
 heart here meant, I cannot see that it will be 
 amiss. But, 
 
 2ndly. What is meant by the hole of the 
 door, is our next enquiry. The word door is not 
 in the Hebrew text ; therefore some interpret it 
 the hole of the window or casement, others of the 
 lock ; but it seems rather to be of the door: this 
 hole was either in the door, or hard by it, so R. 
 Solomon Jarchi tliinks ; or else was between the 
 two leaves or foldings of the door, according to 
 R. Aben Ezra ; but however, it is the mystical 
 and spiritual sense which we are chiefly concerned 
 about. And having interpreted the door, of her 
 heart, or of faith in her heart ; and there being 
 but a small hole in this door, through which 
 Christ put his hand, it lets us know that her heart 
 was much uarrowed and straitened ; her faith 
 was very low in its exercise on Christ, which 
 sometimes is an open door to receive him ; but 
 now was but as a hole, through which but little 
 light was let in from Christ, and but little love 
 returned to him ; her affections were chill and 
 cold, which used to be enlarged with fervency unto 
 him ; her obedience to him was but very small, not 
 attended with that cheerfulness and spirit of li- 
 berty, as heretofore ; which seems to be the case 
 of David, when he says, Psalm cxix. 33, " I 
 will run the ways of thy commandments, when 
 thou shalt enlarge my heart ;" his heart was then 
 narrowed, and he was shut up in his own soul ; 
 there were not that cheerfulness and liberty, that 
 warmth and zeal, that liveliness and sprigiitliuess, 
 which he had sometimes experienced, in his obe- 
 dience to the divine commands ; and this no 
 doubt was the church's case here : but there being 
 a hole open, though perhaps but a small one, yet 
 it shows, that her heart was not entirely closed and 
 shut up ; it cannot be said of her, that there were 
 in her no faith in Christ, ho love to him, no fear 
 of him ; for grace ouce implanted, can never be 
 lost ; though it is not always in exercise, in mo- 
 tion, yet it is always in being : and herein lies 
 the difference between a regenerate and an unre- 
 generate man ; the one has his heart entirely 
 closed and shut up against Christ ; there is not a 
 crevice, a cranny open to Christ ; but the other, 
 though his heart may be much closed and shut 
 lip, yet there is always an entrance, though some- 
 times but a small cue, for him : but you will aay. 
 
 Why then docs Christ say, in verse 2, " Open 
 to me, my sister, my love?" &c., I answer. 
 Because he found the entrance into her heart was 
 not so wide, so open and so free, as it had hereto- 
 fore been ; and thoupih he knew she was no more 
 able to widen and enlarge her heart, and to open 
 it to him, than she was at first conversion ; yet 
 to bring her under a conviction of her present 
 state, he thus calls to her : no, this work is his 
 alone ; he alone can enlarge the heart, and make 
 it wide enough for himself to enter in at ; he has 
 a key that can open this door, when he pleases, 
 even the key of David, with which he openeth, 
 and no man shntteth, and sbutteth, and no man 
 openeth. But I proceed, 
 
 Srdly. To show what is meant by the hand of 
 Christ, which he puts in by the hole of this door : 
 and this 1 take to be his mighty, powerful, and 
 efTicacious grace; and so the word is used in Acts 
 xi. 21, "And the hand of the liord was with 
 them ; and a great number believed, and turned 
 to the Lord." The reason why the ministry of 
 the apostles was so much owned for the conver- 
 sion of souls, was, because it was attended with 
 the mighty and efficacious grace of Christ ; it was 
 the want of this Isaiah complained of, when he 
 said, Isa. liii. 1, " Who hath believed our re- 
 port, and to whom is the arm of the Lord reveal- 
 ed ?" If the ministry of any is made useful for 
 the good of souls, it is because this arm is reveal- 
 ed, and this hand is put forth ; and the ministers 
 of Christ are vvilling to ascribe it to that, aud not 
 to themselves; and can freely join with the apos- 
 tle Paul, in saying, " Not I, but the grace of 
 God which was with me ;" and without this hand, 
 all the means of grace are ineffectual ; but this caa 
 turn the key aud open the door of any heart, 
 though never so closely shut, and strongly barred 
 aud bolted against Christ : now the same mighty 
 aud efficacious grace is equally exerted aud put 
 forth in the awaking of a drowsy saint, reclaiming 
 a backsliding professor, and quickening him to his 
 duty, as in the conversion of a sinner, dead in 
 trespasses aud sins. Which brings me to consider, 
 
 4thly. What is meant by Christ's putting in 
 his hand of mighty and efficacious grace, by the 
 hole of the door. Now this intends the exertion 
 aud application of grace to the hearts of believers, 
 which influence and quicken, support and main- 
 tain, grace in them ; this is an internal work, aud 
 differs from all the other methods which Christ 
 took with her, and appears to be more powerful 
 than any of them ; he had called in the external 
 ministry of the word, and knocked in a providen- 
 tial way, by inflicting some chastisement upon 
 her ; he had given her good words, expostulated 
 with her, and used persuasive arguments, and yet 
 to no purpose : but now he puts in his hand of 
 mighty grace, and the work is done ; which hand 
 moves secretly aud invisibly, and yet powerfully 
 and irresistibly; for " none can stay his hand, or 
 say unto him. What doest thou ?" though it uses 
 
VKR. 4.] 
 
 SONG OF SONOS. 
 
 191 
 
 no force or compulsion, but works sweetly and 
 kindly upon the heart; for how unwilliut; and 
 loth soever the church was before to arise and 
 open to Christ, now she is entirely willing to do it ; 
 and that not through force uor fear, but out of a 
 real affection for him, and love to him. Christ 
 now, in putting in his hand, and thus powerfully 
 and sweetlv working upon her heart, shows, 1. 
 The exceeding greatness of his love and grace 
 unto her : that though she had treated hini in so 
 rude a manner, and discovered so much disingen- 
 uity and ingratitude to him, which made him take 
 up a resolution to depart from her ; yet he would 
 not leave her without giving some evidence of his 
 love to her, without puttiny; in his hand, and leav- 
 ing some myrrh upon the lock, and sweet smell- 
 ing myrrh upon the handles thereof. 2. Jlis faith- 
 fulness to her. Christ never wholly and entirely 
 leaves his people ; he has promised that he will 
 not, and he is faithful to this promise ; Christ may 
 so withdraw himself from thetn, as that they may 
 not have sensible communion with him : but their 
 union to him remains firm, and indissoluble ; they 
 may think that he has totally and finally left 
 them when he has not, nor never will: he departs 
 here from the church, but it was not a total de- 
 parture ; for he put in his baud by the hole of the 
 door, aud left something there, which stirred up 
 her affections to him, aud put her upon a diligent 
 search and inquiry after him. 3. His power: 
 ^Vhat is it tiiat the hand of Christ cannot do? 
 what the external calls of the ministry, knocks, 
 and raps of ptrsecution, what good words and 
 moving arguments could not do, that is done in 
 a moment by Christ's putting iu his hand; she lay 
 still before, aud put him off with idle excuses, but 
 now she arises and opeus to hiui. V\ liich leads 
 me to consider. 
 
 II. The effect of this, or what iuQuence this 
 had upon her heart ; her bowels, she says, were 
 moved for him : which is expressive, either, 
 
 ¥irst. Of that sorrow aud grief which then pos- 
 sessed her heart. The word is used in Jer. iv. 19, 
 Lam. i. 20, to express grief and sorrow ; and in- 
 deed, it is no wouder that it should be so with 
 her, when she began to be capable of revolving 
 things in her mind, and comparing her carriage 
 aud his together ; observing the baseness aud 
 disiugeuuity there were iu the one, and the ex- 
 ceeding greatness of love and tenderness iu the 
 other. The words have a double reading in the 
 Hebrew text : some copies read, " my bowels 
 were moved, 'ba, in me, or forme;" and this read- 
 ing the Jewish commentators follow, particularly 
 R. Solomon Jarchi, and so do Junius aud Tremel- 
 lius, the Tigurine version, and that of Pagniue's: 
 other copies read, " my bowels were moved, vbs, 
 for him ;" which, by Mercer, is esteemed the best 
 and most correct reading, and is followed by our 
 aud other translators. If we read the woriis in 
 the first way, they will afford us these two ob- 
 servations : 1. That her grief and sorrow was in- 
 
 ward, and so real and sincere ; her bowels moved 
 within her ; and such a sorrow as this is what is 
 required, regarded, and approved of by God ; 
 " Thoa de&ircst truth in the inward parts, and in 
 the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wis- 
 dom," says David, Psalm li. 6 ; for it is not a 
 shedding of te;irs, nor rending of garments, but a 
 heart broken under a sense of sin, and melted 
 down with the discoveries of boundless love, that 
 is an acceptable sacrifice with God through Christ. 
 2. That her own sin and unkiiidness to Christ 
 was the cause of all this ; my bowels were moved 
 for me, or concerning myself; for what I had 
 done, and had been guilty of, I have none to blame 
 but myself ; I am the sole author of all this 
 trouble to myself ; my own sin and wickedness 
 has brought all this upon me. O ! it pains me, it 
 cuts me to the very heart, to think that I should 
 use the best of husbands so unkindly, and treat 
 him after so base a rate as I have done I 
 
 But then if we follow the second reading, it 
 will lead us to make the remarks following : 1. 
 That sin, as committed against Christ, was the 
 chief and priucipal cause of her trouble and sor- 
 row ; " my bowels were moved for him," be- 
 cause I had sinned against him ; had it been an- 
 other, it would not have grieved me so much : 
 but against thee, thee only have I sinned ; which 
 shows her repentance to be right, aud her sorrow 
 to be true and genuine. 2. That the sufferings 
 of Christ, occasioued by her sins and transgres- 
 sions, influenced her sorrow ; my bowels were 
 moved for him ; it grieves me, I am pained at the 
 very heart, to think that my beloved's head should 
 be wet with dew, aud his locks with the drops of 
 the night, f hrouu;h me ; that he should suffer so 
 much upon my account, and for my sake ; now 
 when repentance springs from -faith's viewing a 
 crucified and suffering Christ, it appears to be 
 evangelical ; see Zech. xii. 10. 3. That her 
 frustrating the means which Christ made use of, 
 added to her grief. Did my beloved call and 
 knock, and call again ; and did I know that it 
 was the voice of my beloved ? Did he give me 
 good words, expostulate and argue with me in the 
 most moving and tender manner? and yet, vile 
 and ungrateful wretch that I am, did I lie still, 
 and not move to open and let him in? could he 
 get nothing from me but mere shifts and evasions ? 
 O ! how does the consideration of all this over- 
 whelm me with grief and sorrow? 4. That the 
 loss of his company was also an ingredient herein ; 
 for, as Christ's company and presence fill the be- 
 liever with the greatest joy, so his absence and 
 departure from him give hiui the greatest uneasi- 
 ness : " Thou didst hide thy face," says David, 
 Psalm XXX. 7, and I was troubled ; so here, her 
 bowels moved, her soul was grieved, not only for 
 what she had done unto him ; but also for the 
 loss of him. Or else, these words, " my bowels 
 were moved for him," are expressive. 
 
 Secondly. Of the moving and stirring of her 
 
192 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CHAI'. V, 
 
 affections to him, ia which sense the word is used 
 in Isa. Ixiii. 15, Philem. 12, for though her af- 
 fections had been chill, and her love to Christ 
 cold, jet they were not lost; Christ's putting in 
 his hand, stirred up the coals of love, which 
 " many waters cannot quench :" so that they 
 began to kindle and appear in flames ; for not 
 only the grace was in her heart, but in exercise, 
 in motion there, " my bowels moved," &c., so that 
 she could say, after all her sleepiness, slothfulness, 
 negligence in duty, and base carriage towards 
 Christ, as Peter, after his backslidiugs, " Lord, 
 thou Icuowest all things, thou knowest that I love 
 thee ;" this love of hers was real, hearty, and sin- 
 cere ; it was not the moving of her lips or tongue, 
 but of her bowels within her ; she loved " not in 
 word, neither in tongue, but in deed and truth :" 
 and this her actions testify, which are recorded 
 in the following verses. 
 
 Verse 5. I rose up to open to my beloved, andmij 
 hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with 
 sweet-smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the 
 lock. 
 In these words the church gives an account of 
 a second and third effect of Christ's " putting in 
 his hand by the hole of the door." 
 T. She " rose to open to him." 
 II. Having done so, she laid hold on the 
 " handles of the lock," in order to draw it 
 back ; and before she proceeds to take notice of 
 any other steps she took, with the success thereof, 
 she stops to give an account of a sweet piece 
 of experience she met with, when she put her 
 hands " upon the handles of the lock. My bauds, 
 says she, dropped with myrrh, and my fingers 
 with sweet-smelling myrrh." 
 
 I. She says, that she " rose to open to her 
 beloved." This is opposed to her former sloth- 
 fulness and sleepiness : before she lay still and 
 slept on, notwithstanding Christ's calls and knocks, 
 his melting words and moving language ; but 
 now being touched by his hand of mighty and 
 powerful grace, she shakes off her sluggishness, 
 and arises to open to him, which is more than 
 a mere resolution to do it ; such an one as she 
 made in chap. iii. 2, and the prodigal in Luke 
 XV. 13. Now these resolutions were made in 
 the strength of grace ; and being assisted by 
 divine grace to perform them, were quickly put 
 in execution ; though otherwise, resolutions made 
 in our own strength, are seldom or never made 
 good : but this was more than a mere resolu- 
 tion, it was an actual performance of it; not 
 but that she resolved no doubt in her mind, 
 to do it before she did it; but the dispatch 
 was so quick, and there being so little time be- 
 tween the making and the execution of it, she 
 had neither leisuie nor room to regard it ; "I 
 rose to open to my beloved :" which act of hers 
 shows, 1. That her design and intention to open 
 to Christ, was real and hearty : had she lain 
 
 upon her bed, and made ever such fair promises, 
 that she would arise and open to him, and yet 
 have kept her bed and slept on : there would 
 have been but very little proof that she really 
 and heartily designed it ; but her risiu"; in order 
 to it, is a full indication of it ; even as Abra-- 
 ham's rising up early, saddling his asses, taking 
 his own and only son Isaac with him, and going 
 to the place which the Lord directed him to ; 
 his putting the wood in order, binding his son, 
 and laying him upon it ; his taking the knife, 
 and stretching out his hand to slay his son, 
 manifestly showed that he really intended to 
 obey the divine command, though so disagree- 
 able to flesh and blood. 2. That her concern at 
 her base and unbecoming carriage to him was 
 sincere and unfeigned ; the effects show that her 
 sorrow was of a godly sort ; seeing it wrought 
 in her carefulness to obey his will, zeal for bis 
 honour and glory, fear and reverence of his 
 person, a vehement desire after the enjoyment 
 of his presence and company, and an indigna- 
 tion at her own sin and folly ; see 2 Cor. vii. 
 10, 11; her repentance appears to be true and 
 genuine, because it brought forth " fruits meet 
 for it." 3. That she did not stay to confer with 
 flesh and blood, but immediately arose, as soon 
 as touched by the hand of mighty grace: had 
 she done so, she would have argued thus with 
 herself, " yet a little sleep, a Ittle slumber, a little 
 folding of the hands to sleep," and then I will arise 
 and open to him ; no, for though she put him off 
 before with idle excuses, having consulted her own 
 carnal ease ; yet now, being, under the influence 
 of powerful grace, she cannot defer it any longer, 
 but without delay, rises to open to him. 4. 
 That when a soul, in such a case as hers, is 
 made sensible of it, it cannot rest easy upon a 
 bed of carnal security: it may, with David, for 
 a time be senseless, stupid, and unconcerned; 
 and with Jonah, lie fast asleep in the sides of 
 the ship, careless, thoughtless, and unconcerned ; 
 yet when awaked from hence, anguish and dis- 
 tress seize it ; and it cannot be easy without 
 some returning visits of love, some views of 
 Christ's person, and some enjoyment of his pre- 
 sence ; and therefore will arise and go out in 
 quest of him : and now no difficulties discourage 
 such a soul as none did the church ; when she 
 was upon her bed of ease, every little thing 
 was difficult to her; her language was that of 
 the sluggard's, " There is a lion in the way, a 
 lion is in the streets;" it was then a trouble to 
 her to put on her coat, and an intolerable hard- 
 ship to defile her feet ; but now neither the one 
 nor the other hinder her; but she rises, opens, 
 and ventures herself alone in the streets, runs 
 among the watchmen of the city, and keepers 
 of the walls, and from thence to the daughters 
 of Jerusalem, to inquire of her beloved. 5. It 
 also supposes that she thought Christ still at 
 the door ; though no sooner had he put in his 
 
VEK. 4.] 
 
 SOXG OF SONGS. 
 
 193 
 
 hand, but he was goue, being willing to let her 
 know, though he loved her, yet he reseated her 
 carriage to him : aud here we may observe that 
 God's children may be mistaken sometimes about 
 the presence of Christ ; sometimes he is present 
 with them, and they know it not, as Jacob said. 
 Gen. xxviii. 16, " Surely the Lord is in this 
 place, and I knew it not :" and at other times when 
 they are got into such careless, secure, aud un- 
 concerned frames of soul, like Samson, the Lord 
 is departed from them, and they wist not, that 
 is, know not, that the Lord is departed from them. 
 6. This shows the power of migiity and efficacious 
 grace, and that she was under the influence of 
 it ; though perhaps the Spirit was willing before, 
 yet the flesh was weak: though she might have 
 a will to open to Christ, yet how to perform 
 it .she knew not : though indeed her will seemed 
 to be very indifferent about it ; there appeared 
 a loathness in her, and a kind of unwillingness 
 to it ; but now she is made both able and " will- 
 ing in the day of his power," to arise and 
 open to him. 
 
 II. Having risen to open to Christ, she puts 
 her hand " upon the handles of the lock," to 
 draw it back, and let him in ; which in order, is 
 the third effect of Christ's " putting in his hand 
 by the hole of the door." Now though this is 
 not iu so many words expressed in the text, yet 
 it is manifestly implied ; for if her " hands drop- 
 ])ed with myrrh, and her fingers with sweet-smell- 
 ing myrrh npon the handles of the lock;" it then 
 supposes, that her hands and fingers must first 
 lay hold upon the lock-handles, which was also 
 absolutely necessary to do, iu order to open the 
 door. It will be proper here to consider, 1st. 
 What we are to understand by the lock, and the 
 handles of it. 2udly. What by her hands and 
 lingers, which laid hold on these handles to 
 draw back the lock, and in what sense they 
 might do it. 
 
 1st. It is needful to enquire what may be 
 meant by the lock, and the handles of it : aud as 
 by the door, I suppose is meant the heart of a 
 believer, so by the lock, which fastens and keeps 
 this door shut, may be meaut unbelief ; by which 
 as all by nature are locked aud shut up in the 
 state they are ; so believers sometimes by it are so 
 straitened, confined, and shut up in their souls, that 
 they cannot come forth in the free exercise of 
 faith, in which they are at other times found : 
 and the handles of this lock may be lukewarm- 
 uess and indifference of soul with regard to duty, 
 a sluggishness and loathness to come to it, which 
 oftentimes brings the soul at last to a neglect of 
 it ; for, first, persons grow indifferent about the 
 performance of duties, or attendance on ordin- 
 ances; do not care whether they perform them, 
 or attend on them, or no ; then they begin to 
 be " slothful in business, not serving the Lord," 
 with that fervency of Spirit \\hich they have 
 heretofore done ; and at last wholly neglect them ; 
 which brings them into a carnal, secure and un- 
 
 concerned frame of spirit; and all this strength- 
 ens unbelief, and keeps the door the closer shut 
 against Christ ; which seems to have been the 
 case of the church here, aud of that of Laodicea, 
 in Rev. iii., when Clirist stood at her door and 
 knocked. 
 
 2ndly. By her hands and fingers may be meant 
 her faith in its exercise and operation, attended 
 with the fruits thereof. Faith is usually repre- 
 sented in scripture as the hand of the soul by 
 which it receives Christ, as the Father's free 
 gift ; embraces him as the only Saviour : lays 
 hold upon, and retains him, as he stands in all 
 the endearing characters aud relations which he 
 appears iu to his own people. Now this faith is 
 not idle aud inactive, but " works by love " to 
 Christ and his people, to his ways ind ordinances ; 
 it has its fruits, and is attended with the per- 
 formance of good works, and will put the per- 
 son that is possessed of it, on the discharge of 
 his duty ; it put the church here upon attempt- 
 ing to draw back the lock of unbelief ; faith laid 
 its hands aud fingers upon the handles of it, and 
 used all its might, power, and diligence to do it : 
 but it may be asked. How could the church be 
 able, with all her faith, industry, and diligence, 
 to draw back this lock ? I answer, Faith cannot 
 do this of itself ; unbelief is a " sin which easily 
 besets us," but it is not so easily got rid of ; 
 it is a weight, that the hand of faith of itself, 
 cannot lift and lay aside ; the believer must say 
 even in the exercise of faith, with the poor man 
 iu the Gospel, Mark ix. 24, " Lord, I believe, 
 help thou mine unbelief;" this lock grows too 
 hard for faith to draw it back of itself ; but yet 
 faith's looking to, and dealing with Christ's per- 
 son, blood, and righteousness, much weakens 
 unbelief. When an unbelieving Thomas was in- 
 dulged with a sight of Christ's pierced hands and 
 feet, and was enabled to thrust his hand into 
 his side ; his unbelief immediately vanished 
 and disappeared, and he could say, " My Lord, 
 and my God :" it is certain, that the stronger 
 faith gr^ws, lukewarmness, indolence, and carnal 
 security decay ; and the soul is quickened, stirred 
 up, and put upon the performance of duty : and 
 what is it that a soul is not enabled to do in the 
 exercise of faith ? difficulties which are insuper- 
 able to carnal sense and reason, are got over by 
 faith ; read over the eleventh chapter of the 
 epistle to the Hebrews, aud you will see what 
 heroic acts have been performed by faith, though 
 the strength in which these things have been 
 performed, did not arise from the grace itself, 
 but from Christ, the object of it, whose " strength 
 is made in faith's weakness ;" for without him 
 we can do nothing, but his " grace is sufficient 
 to enable us to do all things." 
 
 Now before she proceeds to tell how she suc- 
 ceeded in this attempt: she gives au account of 
 a piece of sweet experience she met with, whilst 
 she was trying to draw back the lock; " my 
 hands," sajs she, " .dropped with myrrh, 
 
 <9 
 
194 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THK 
 
 [chap. V. 
 
 ami my fingers with sweet-smelliug myrrh, upon 
 the bandies of the lock." By myrrh, is meant 
 grace, in its aboundings and overflowings : but it 
 may be inquired, From whence this myrrh came, and 
 by whom it was brought ? If we understand it of the 
 Church's myrrh or grace, as brought here by herself, 
 as some think ;"* who may be represented as taking 
 up a pot of myrrh, intending with it to anoint 
 and refresh his head, which was wet with dew, 
 which she either unawares or else designedly broke ; 
 or else, being in a panic fcai", her hand shook, 
 and the myrrh ran over her hands and fingers ; 
 or rather, not having time to perfume her gar- 
 ments with it, as usual, see Psalm xlv. 8, she 
 dipped her fingers in a pot of myrrh, to in- 
 gratiate and render herself acceptable to her be- 
 loved ; supposing that he might be full of resent- 
 ment on the account of her carriage and beha- 
 viour towards him : and then taking it in this 
 sense, it will teach us these things following •, 1. 
 That her grace was now in exercise, it was flow- 
 ing, this oil of myrrh before was as it were 
 congealed ; but now it is become liquid ; it is upon 
 the flow, and flows in such abundance, that it 
 ran off her hands and fingers upou the handks of the 
 lock. 2. Her hands and fingers dropping with it, 
 show that these actions and good works of hers, 
 intended by her hands and fingers, being per- 
 formed in faith, were odorous and grateful to 
 Christ : so the prayers of the saints are called 
 odours, in Rev. v. 8 ; and some mean and small 
 services of the Philippians, are called an odour 
 of a sweet smell, Phil. iv. 18. 3. That when grace 
 is in exercise, duty is both easy and pleasant ; 
 Christ commands then arc not grievous, but his 
 " ways are ways of pleasantness, and his paths, 
 paths of peace :" before, nothing more unpleasant 
 tham to arise and open to him ; but now, nothing 
 more easy and delightful ; her " hands drop with 
 myrrh," &c. But I rather think, that the myrrh 
 or grace of Christ is here meant, which was 
 brought and left here by him ; when he " put in 
 his hand by the hole of the door," he then put 
 in this myrrh he had gathered, ver. 1 ; and left 
 it in the lock-hole ; which she found in such 
 abundance when she came to open, that her hands 
 and fingers dropped with it: the allusion seems tobe 
 to lovers shut out, who used to cover the tliresh- 
 hold of the doors with flowers, and auoiut the 
 door-posts with sweet smelling ointment.* Tak- 
 ing tlie words in this sense, we may observe that 
 grace is called so, 1. For the preeiousness of it ; 
 myn-h is a precious spice, and one of the prin- 
 cipal spices ; and this in the text is the best of 
 myrrh, there was a sort of myrrli called odoraria, 
 sweet-smelling :' the word translated " sweet- 
 smelling myrrh," signifies " passing or current 
 myrrh ;"« it being vendible or saleable, not in 
 thej^east damaged, but what will pass ; and so is 
 
 ^ Vid. Sanct. and Hishop Patrick in loc. 
 « At lachrymans exclusus amator — postemque 
 superbos unguit aiaarioiuo, Lucret. 1. 4. prope finem. 
 • Priu. Nat. Hist 1. V>. a. IG. e lay ITO 
 
 in the same sense current, as money iu said to be, 
 Gen. xxiii. 16; or else, it is called " passing 
 myrrh," because it diffuses its odour on every 
 side : so R. Solomoa Jarchi thinks : or, rather 
 because it is that myrrh which bleeds or weeps, 
 or drops from the tree of itself, which is always 
 esteemed the best myrrh : and this sets foith the 
 exceeding preeiousness of Christ's grace, which 
 is more valuable than all things else. 2. It 
 sets forth the abundance of it ; if there was such 
 an abundance of it brought by Christ, and left in 
 the lock-hole, so that it ran in such plenty over 
 her hands and fingers, as to drop from thence. 
 What an abundance ? what an overflow of it must 
 there be in himself, who is " full of grace and 
 truth ?" if there is a superabounding of grace in 
 those in whom sin has abounded. What an over- 
 flowing fulness of it must there be in him, in whom 
 is no sin, and who is the Fountain from whence all 
 grace flows, and is communicated to his people? 
 (3.) It is expressive of the odorousness of it : 
 there is such a sweet savour in the grace of Christ, 
 as it is in himself, that the love of the virgins is 
 drawn forth to him by it ; and it emits so fragrant 
 an odour, as it is in believers, that Christ him- 
 self is delighted with it; see Cant. i. 3, and iv. 
 10. 
 
 Moreover, seeing it appears that this myrrh was 
 brought unto and left in the lock-hole by Christ ; 
 it may be asked, for what purpose it was brought 
 and left there? which was, 1. To draw and 
 allure her heart unto him : the same grace that 
 draws a soul to Christ at first conversion, draws 
 it to him when it has declined and backslidden 
 from him ; Christ uses the same methods, and puts 
 forth the same grace at one time as at the other ; 
 he draws " with the cords of love, and bands of a 
 man." 2. To supple and soften her hard heart, 
 and make this rusty lock go easy; this oil of 
 myrrh being left there, removed the hardness of 
 her heart, the stiffness of her will, and the rusti- 
 ncss of her affections ; this melted her hard heart, 
 made her stubborn will pliable, set her affections 
 on the flow, her faith in exercise, and made the 
 lock of unbelief draw back more easy. 3. To 
 e.\ercise and stir up her grace; it is Christ's grace, 
 manifested and applied unto us that excites ours ; 
 it is his love " shed abroad in our hearts by his 
 Spirit," that raises ours: for " we love him, 
 because he first loved us." Now all these ends 
 were answered hereby ; it was this grace, this 
 myrrh, left in the handles of the lock, that fetched 
 her ofl' her bed, softened the iiardness of her heart 
 and affections to him, that removed the bars and 
 bolts that kept him out, and drew forth her 
 grace into exercise. 
 
 Again the church's hands and fingers being said 
 to drop with myrrh, which Christ had put into 
 the lock-hole, shows, 1. That all the grace, all 
 
 myrrham transeuntem, Pagninus, Montauus, &c. 
 lachrymantem, Bocliart. vid. Mercer, and Bishop 
 Patrick in loc. 
 
VER. 0.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 105 
 
 the myrrh, that a believer has, comes from Christ ; 
 it is from " his fulness we receive ^race for grace," 
 that is, all sorts of grace. 2. That a believer has 
 most reason to expect a larger measure of grace 
 from Christ, when he is in the way of his duty ; 
 whilst the church was sluggish and slothful, negli- ' 
 gent of her duty, and taking her ease upon her j 
 bed of security, there is no mention of the flow- ' 
 ings of this myrrh into her or upon her ; j 
 but now she is up, and in the way of her duty, ! 
 her " hands drop with myrrh, and her fingers with 
 sweet- smeUing myrrh :" not that our duties are | 
 deserving of any thiug at Christ's hands, much less 
 such large measures and overflowings of grace as i 
 these ; yet Christ has been graciously pleased, for 
 an encouragement, to grant tlie promise of his 
 presence, and the communications of his grace to j 
 us, when found in the way of our duty, though not 
 for the performance of it. How the church suc- 
 ceeded in this attempt of hers, in opening the door, 
 may be seen in the following words. 
 
 Verse 6. / opened to my beloved, but my be- 
 loved had withdrawn himself, and was gone ; 
 my soul failed when he spake : I sought him, 
 but 1 could not find him ; I called him, but he 
 gave me no answer. 
 
 In these words are, 
 
 I. A fourth and last effect of Christ's " putting 
 in his hand by the hole of the door ;" she opened 
 to him. 
 
 II. The wretched disappointment she had met 
 with ; he " had withdrawn himself, and was 
 gone." 
 
 III. "What effect this disappointment had upon 
 her ; her soul " failed when he spake." 
 
 IV. Her endeavours to find her lost spouse. 
 I. Here is a fourth and last effect of Christ's 
 
 " putting in his hand by the hole of the door," 
 which is the exertion of his mighty and efficaci- 
 ous grace, " I opened to my beloved." This was 
 what her beloved desired of her, and called for, 
 in ver. 2 ; and which was his principal end in 
 exerting the power of his grace. Now this open- 
 ing to him, is to be understood of the exercise of 
 her faith, by which her heart was enlarged and 
 dilated to receive Christ ; faith is the eye, the 
 ear, the mouth, and the hand of the soul ; faith's eye 
 being opened, sees the beauties and glories of 
 Christ's person, and spies wondrous things in his 
 gospel; its ear being open to discipline, listens 
 to what Christ says in his promises and com- 
 mands, and takes in the comfort of the one, and 
 carefully observes the other ; its mouth being 
 opened, speaks of the promises of Christ, the 
 glory of his person, office, and undertakings; and 
 its hand being opened, receives and embraces him, 
 opens the door, and lets him in. From this act 
 of the church, in opening to her beloved, may be 
 observed, 1. That Christ had not only wrought 
 in her a will, but had also given her a power to 
 open to him ; once she seemed to have but little 
 inclination ; her will did not seem so very free. 
 
 being overpowered with sleep and sloth ; and if 
 her spirit was willing, yet it appears manifest 
 that the flesh was weak; if she had a will to 
 open, how to do it she knew not ; but now, as by 
 her risicg off her bed, coming to the door, and 
 putting her hands and fingers upon the handles 
 of the lock, in order to draw it back, she showed 
 that Christ had wrought in her to will ; so by her 
 actual opening to him, she made it appear that 
 he had also wrought iu iier " to do of his good 
 pleasure." 2. That she being assisted in this 
 act by the mighty grace of Christ, is said to do 
 that which is sometimes ascribed to God himself; 
 thus in Acts xvi. 14, the Lord is said to open 
 the heart of Lydia -. it is true, there is a great 
 difference between the opening of a sinner's heart 
 at conversion, which is entirely shut against 
 Christ ; and the opening of a believer's, which is 
 in part only shut and closed through unbelief, 
 negligence, and carnal security : in the one, there 
 were no principles of grace, previous to the open- 
 ing of it ; hut iu the other there are, though they 
 lie dormant, and are not in exercise ; but yet a 
 believer, without the grace aud power of Christ, 
 can no more open his heart to him, when in such 
 a case, than he could at first conversion : this 
 work is attended with difSculties insuperable 
 without the strength of Clirist ; therefore, whilst 
 on her bed, she thought it impossible for her to 
 du it, and unreasonable in him to desire it ; till 
 he put in his hand, and left such an abundance of 
 the sweet-smeUing myrrh of his grace, by which 
 being assisted, she is said to do it. 3. That the 
 heart of a believer is only patent and open to the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, " I opened to my beloved ;" 
 though it is sometimes, in a great measure, 
 closed and shut unto him ; yet, when it is opened, 
 it is only opened to him ; he is the only object 
 of a believer's faith and love : the church here 
 did not open to strangers, only to her beloved, 
 ! being " espoused as a chaste virgin" to him ; there- 
 fore, in chap. iv. 12, she is said to be " a garden 
 enclosed, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed." 
 4. Her opening to Christ, supposes that she 
 thought Christ still at the door ; so she did when 
 she got off her bed to open to him; and so she did 
 when she put her hands upon the handles of the 
 lock ; and perhaps was more confirmed in her 
 thoughts, that he was still there, when she found 
 such an abundance of his sweet-smelling myrrh 
 in the lock, and upon the handles of it ; but she 
 was very much mistaken, as she afterwards 
 found. For, 
 
 II. Her " beloved had withdrawn himself, 
 and was gone ;" a very great disappointment in- 
 deed! she expected, that as soon as ever the 
 door was open, she should have seen him, and 
 that he would have received her in his arras, 
 and embraced her in his bosom ; but instead of 
 that, he was gone, and she could neither have any 
 sight, nor hear any tidings of him. Here it may 
 be inquired, 1st. What is meant by Christ's 
 withdrawing himself from his church and people ? 
 
 o 2 
 
lOG 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. V. 
 
 Sndly. Why he did now withdraw himself 
 from the ckurcli ? And, 3rdly. Why she makes 
 usu of two wonls to express his departure from 
 her, aad what they im[)ort ? 
 
 1st. It may be enquired what is meant by 
 Christ's withdrawing himself from his church 
 and people? And, 1. It is not to be understood 
 of hiru as the omnipresent God, who is every 
 where, and fills heaven and earth with his presence ; 
 for as there is no fleeing from it, so there is no 
 withdrawing of it, as David eays, Psalm cxxxix. 
 7, " Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, or whither 
 shall I ily from thy presence ?" there is no place 
 exempted from it, nor can be; he does not move 
 from place to place, nor from person to person ; 
 nor is he sometimes with a person, aud sometimes 
 not ; for if so, he would not be the omnipresent 
 God. Nor, 2. Is it to be understood of the 
 dissolution of a believer's covenant-interest in 
 Christ, and union to him ; a believer may losesight 
 of Christ for a time, but he can never lose his 
 interest in him; the relation between them can 
 uever cease ; the marriage-knot can never be 
 untied, nor the nnion-bonds be ever broken ; for 
 Christ has said, Ilosea ii. 19, " I will betroth 
 thee unto me for ever : " the union between Christ 
 and believers is in some measure like to that be- 
 tween the Father and the Son ; and I will ven- 
 ture to say, that the one may as soon be dissolv- 
 ed as the otiier; see John xvii. 23, 23. Nor,3.Is 
 it to be understood of a withdrawing of his love 
 and affection from them ; for though they may 
 sometimes think he has, yet he never does, uor 
 never will withdraw it; his love to them is as un- 
 changeable as himself; it is the " same yesterday, 
 to-day, and for ever ; " for " having loved his own, 
 which were in the world, he loved them to the 
 end ;" he has given his word, that though he, ' ■ for 
 a small moment forsakes them, yet with ever- 
 lasting kindness will he have mercy oa them ; " 
 and as if this was not enough, he joios his oath 
 to it, and svvears, tliat he" would not be wroth 
 with them, uor rebuke them; " and declares, that 
 his kindness and his covenant are as immoveable 
 as, nay, more than monntams and hills ; which, 
 one would tliink, is enough to banish all doubts 
 and fears from believers, and till them with as 
 firm a persuasion as the apostle Paul was pos- 
 sessed of, when he says, " I am persuaded that 
 neither life uor death, "&c.," shall be able to 
 separate us, from the love of God, which is in 
 Christ Jesus our Lord. " Bnt, 4. It is to be 
 understood of the withdrawing of the sensible 
 manifestations of his presence and love; and 
 this is what the church has experienced in all 
 ages ; for he is a God that " hideth his face 
 from the house of Jacob ; " and what particular 
 believers have met with, as is manifest from 
 David, Heman, and others. And this was what 
 the church wanted, even some sensible enjoy- 
 ments of Christ's presence and grace ; she had 
 his strengthening and supporting presence, which 
 
 enabled her to rise and open ; but she wanted 
 his comforting aud soul-rejoicing presence, and 
 sensible communion with him ; Christ's love is 
 always the same, but the sense of it in believers 
 is variable; the one is sometimes withdrawing, 
 the other never. 
 
 2ndly. It may seem a little strange, and almost 
 unaccountable, that Christ at this instant should 
 withdraw himself fron) his church ; seeing he had 
 so importunately desired her to arise and open to 
 him ; had used all methods to win upon her, and 
 by his grace had euabled her to do it ; and yet 
 now it is done, he withdraws himself and is gone: 
 and therefore it is proper to inquire why he 
 should do so; which -was perhaps, 1. To chas- 
 tise her for her former carriage to him : had he, 
 as soon as she had opened the door, shown him- 
 self to her, and received her with all tokens of 
 love and joy ; she would not have thought the 
 offence so great ; nor that he was so much pro- 
 voked by it, and did so highly resent it as he 
 did ; therefore to bring her to a sense of it, and 
 to correct her for it, by suticriug the loss of his 
 comjjany, he withdraws himself. 2. To try the 
 truth and strength of her grace : her grace was 
 nort- in exercise, as appears by her rising and 
 opening ; and now, the more to exercise it, and 
 prove the strength of it, he withdraws himself; 
 thus all our afflictions, temptations, and deser- 
 tions, are for the trial of our faith, and other 
 graces ; which being tried, appear " much more 
 precious than of gold that perisheth." 3. To iuflame 
 her love, and shar[)en her desires the more after 
 him;which effect his withdrawingfromher,in chap, 
 iii. 1—3, had upon her; and so it had here: 
 many such instances we have in Job, David, and 
 others ; who being without the presence of God, 
 have the more earnestly wished for, vehemently 
 thirsted, panted, and breathed after a re-enjoy- 
 ment of it ; see Job xxiii. 2, Psalm xliii. 1, 2, and 
 Ixiii. 1 : aud it is usually so, that the want of a 
 blessing, not only brings us under a conviction of 
 the worth of it, and so draws out our affections to 
 it, bnt also enlarges and increases our desires after 
 it. 4. To endear his presence the more, when she 
 came to enjoy it : when a soul has been destitute 
 :jf Christ's preseuce for a time, and come to enjoy 
 it again, O how sweet, ravishing, and delightful is 
 it to him ! and how much it is valued by him ; 
 the disciples were without Christ's bodily presence 
 but a few days : and when he appeared to them, 
 we are told, John xx. 20, that " then were the 
 disciples glad, when they saw the Lord ;" and 
 what expressions of joy, aud intimations of esteem 
 for Christ's presence, does the church give, iu 
 chap. iii. 4, when she had found her lost spouse ? 
 5. To keep her humble: had she immediately 
 enjoyed his preseuce upon her rising and opening 
 to him, she might have thought that she had, by 
 those actions of hers, deserved such a favour at 
 his hands ; therefore, to hide pride from her, and 
 to let her know the notiiingncss of all her doings, 
 
VER. 6.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 107 
 
 and that they fell abundantly short of meriting 
 such a blessing, he withdraws himself: our enjoy- 
 iiient»of Christ's presence, and the commuuications 
 of his love and grace to us, as much depend on 
 his free and sovereign will, as tlie first display 
 of his grace to us ; he gives these favours at plea- 
 sure, and that to whom, when, and where he 
 pleases. 6. To show her the odious nature of sin, 
 which was the cause of this ; and that she might, 
 through grace, be more upon her guard against it, 
 and be more cautious of provoking him to it 
 again : it was sin that was the cause of the angels 
 being turned out of heaven, the place of the divine 
 abode ; and of Adam's being driven out of Eden, 
 from the presence of the Lord God ; and though 
 sin cannot dissolve the u.iion that is between 
 Christ and a believer, nor destroy his covenant- 
 interest in him ; yet it is often the cause of God's 
 hiding his face, and Christ's withdrawing his 
 presence from him;" Your iniquities have sepa- 
 rated between you and vour God, and your sins 
 have hidden his face from yon," says the prophet 
 Isaiah, chap. lix. 2, to the people of Israel ; and 
 it was the church's unbecoming carringe to Christ, 
 which was the cause of his withdraiviug from her 
 Dovv ; and therefore to bring her to a sense of it, 
 and to see the odious nature thereof, he withdraws 
 himself; that when she enjoyed it again, she 
 raight be more careful not to provoke hini again, 
 by such steps as these : and such an effect it had 
 npoa her, in chap. iii. 4, 5, where she not only 
 held him fast herself, and would not led him go ; 
 but also charges the daughters of Jerusalem to 
 give him no molestation or disturbance. 
 
 3rdly. The clmrch makes use of two words 
 here to express Christ's departure from her, " My 
 beloved had withdrawn himself, and was goue ;" 
 which signify and import, 1. That this was done 
 suddeuly and secretly, unseen, at an unawares to 
 her, and unexpected by her ; so the word trans- 
 lated, " had withdrawn himself,"'' signifies a doing 
 it secretly ; he " turned himself about, and was 
 gone" in a moment ; he withdrew himself privately 
 froiE the door, and passed by the window, and 
 was gone ; so that she could not set eyes upon 
 him, nor hear any tidings of him. 2. That he 
 was gone at a very great distance in her appre- 
 hensions : so believers think sometimes, when 
 Christ has withdrawn himself from them, that he 
 is gone a great way off, is not within call, and 
 will never return more: see Psalm x. 1, and this 
 is thought by some,'' to be the import of the first 
 word ; and the other, being added to it, heightens 
 the sense. 3. Tiiat he was really gone : it was 
 not a mere imagination of hers, but it vva« cer- 
 tainly so ; whieh she found to her great grief and 
 sorrow. 4. The doubling of the words, or her 
 
 * Vid. K. Sol. Jarchium in loc. ' Vid Coc- 
 
 ceium in loc. R. David Kimchi in lib. Shorash. rad. 
 pDn and to this purpose Montanus and Pagnine 
 translate it ; the one renders it, circuierat.the other, 
 Terteret se. '' Vid. R. Aben Ezra and Brightman 
 
 using those two words without a copulative, 
 he " had withdrawn himself, was gone," which 
 she seems to speak iu the utmost haste and con- 
 fusion, represent the strength of her passion, the 
 greatness of her sorrow, what a wretched disap- 
 pointment she met with ; and as if she was wring- 
 ing her hands, and crying out, " He is gone, he 
 is goue, he is gone." Which brings us to 
 consider, 
 
 III. What effect this disappointment had upon 
 her; "my soul," says she, "failed when he 
 spoke," or went out ;' I was as one dead, I 
 immediately fell into a swoon, and was as one 
 whose life and soul departed. Some™ think that 
 the church in these words excuses herself from the 
 blame of not rising and opening to him sooner ; 
 as if she should say, I am not so much to be 
 blamed, nor has my beloved so much reason to be 
 provoked at, nor so highly to nssent my not 
 rising and opening sooner ; for as soon as ever I 
 heard his voice, saying, " Open to me, my sister, 
 my love, my dove," &c., it overcame my heart, 
 ray soul failed at these words of his ; I immediately 
 fell into a swoon, and lay as one lifeless and help- 
 less, and was not able to rise and open to him ; 
 but as soon as ever I came to my senses, and was 
 recovered a little oat of this fit, I arose and 
 opened to hira ; but it does not; appear from the 
 context, that she did fall into such a fit at his 
 calling to her, or was rendered noti compos men- 
 tis : for she was capable all the while of observing 
 all his words and ways ; how he carried himself to 
 her, and proceeded with her ; what steps he took, 
 and methods he used, till he had brought her to 
 arise and open. Therefore the words seem rather 
 to be expressive of that cDufusion of mind she 
 was thrown into, when she found he was gone ; 
 even as it is said of the queen of Sheba, that 
 " there was no more spirit in her ;" occasioned 
 through wonder and surprise iu beholding Solo- 
 mon's wisdom, and the order and management of 
 his house and servants, that she knew not what to 
 think or what to say : so the church' here being 
 surprised at Christ's absence, her soul fails her, 
 no spirit is left in her ; she knew not what to 
 think, say, or do : or else they are expressive of 
 the exceeding grief and sorrow tliat she was over- 
 whelmed with ; " my soul failed when he spoke," 
 or " at his word ;° that is, at the remembrance of 
 it :" ! now I call to mind how lovingly, kindly, 
 and teuderly he spoke to me, when he said, " Open 
 to me, my sister, my love," &c., yet, vile, ungrate- 
 ful wretch, as I am, I took no notice of it ; I put 
 him off with idle excuses, I kept my bed and 
 indulged myself in sloth and ease ; but now it 
 cuts me to the heart, it grieves me, I cannot bear 
 up under it ; when I remember his love, and my 
 
 in loc. > n«:?' €^rt>Oev, Sept. efnpxeTo, Symmachiis; 
 egressa est, Pagnimis, Montanus, Marchius. 
 
 ■» Vid. Sanct. in loc. " nail iv Xoyu> aina, 
 
 Sept. \a\»KT09 OUT* Symmachue in loquela ejus, 
 Marckius. 
 
198 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. V. 
 
 unkindness, I siuk, I faint, I die ; I cannot live 
 without his presence ; his absence is death unto 
 me ; my soul fails at his words of love and grace 
 which he spoke to me, and at his word of com- 
 maud which he enjoined me ; to which, being dis- 
 obedient, I have now lost his company, which 
 is intolerable to me. She seems to be much in 
 the same case that tho Psalmist was, when he 
 said. Psalm cxliii. 7, " Hear me speedily, 
 Lord, my spirit faileth : hide not thy face from 
 me, lest I be like unto them that go down into 
 the pit." 
 
 IV. Being somewhat recovered out of her 
 fainting fit, she rallied together all the spirit and 
 strength she had, and out she goes in search of 
 her lost spouse ; the methods she took, and how 
 she succeeded therein, are as follow : 
 
 1st. She sought him, namely, in the public 
 ordinances, " in the streets and broad ways of the 
 city," as she had done before, in chap. iii. 2, 
 and that with the same success ; " she sought him, 
 but found him not." The rature of seeking a lost 
 Christ, and how to be performed, as also why the 
 church succeeded no better, have been there 
 shown ; which will equally serve to explain and 
 illustrate this. 
 
 2ndly. She called him, to wit, by name, as she 
 went along the streets and broad ways ; that is, 
 she prayed unto him, that he would manifest 
 himself to her in his own ordinances ; and no 
 doubt but the method she took was right, and 
 may serve to instruct us, that we should not only 
 before we attended upon an ordinance, pray for 
 the presence of Christ in it; but also, when we 
 are attending, our souls should be breathing after, 
 and secretly begging for it. But how did she 
 succeed herein ? she " called him, but he gave 
 her no answer;" resolving still to chastise her 
 for her former ingratitude ; to try her faith, and 
 exercise her patience ; to inflame her love to him, 
 and increase her desires after communion with 
 him. But, 1. This seems contrary to those kind 
 promises ; " Ask, and it shall be given ; seek, 
 and ye shall find, &c., call upon me in the day 
 of trouble, and I will deliver thee," &c.; but she 
 asked, and it was not given to her what she 
 asked for ; she sought, but found not ; she called, 
 but no answer is returned : to which it may be 
 replied, that God does, and certainly will make 
 good his own promises, and fulfil the petitions of 
 bis people ; yet he does not always answer imme- 
 diately, nor just in that way which they are desi- 
 rous of : the church had his upholding presence, 
 though not sensible communion with him ; she 
 was so far answered, as to be " strengthened 
 with strength in her soul," to continue in her 
 search and inquiries after him ; though she had 
 not those manifestations of his grace and love, 
 which she was desirous of. 2. It is a very great 
 affliction to a believer, when he labours under 
 such apprehensions, that his prayers are not heard 
 and answered : the church mentions this among 
 
 her sore afflictions, in Lam. iii. 8, 44, that God 
 had " shut out her prayer," and had " covered 
 himself with a cloud, that her prayer should not 
 pass through ;" unconverted men, hypocrites, and 
 carnal professors, are not concerned about the 
 answer of their prayers ; it is enough to them to 
 perform these duties but believers are concerned 
 about the i-eturns of prayer, and are grieved to the 
 heart, as the church here was, when they cannot 
 observe any. 3. Christ here treats her just in 
 the same way in which she had treated him ; she 
 is paid in her own coin ; he had called to her, 
 but she disregarded him, and turned a deaf ear to 
 him, and returned him no answer, that deserved 
 the name of one ; she now calls to him, but he 
 disregards her, turns a deaf ear to her, and gives 
 her no answer , he treats her here, not in a way 
 of vindictive wrath and punishment, as he will do 
 the wicked at the last day ; see Pro v. i. 24 — 28 ; 
 but in a way of chastisement and correction. 
 What success she afterwards met with, will be 
 seen in the following verses. 
 
 Verse 7. The watchmen, that went abozit the 
 city, found me ; they smote me, they wounded 
 me ; the keepers of the tcalls took away my 
 veil from me. 
 
 The church in the former verse gives an account 
 of the wretched disappointment she met with, 
 when she opened the door to her beloved, who 
 had withdrawn himself, and was gone ; at which 
 she fell into a fainting fit, out of which, when she 
 was a little recovered, she resolved not to stay 
 at the door, lamenting the loss of her spouse, 
 but to go out in search of him, which she did, 
 but with no success ; and she does in these words 
 give an account of what she met with in the 
 adventure ; how she was taken up by the watch, 
 and evilly treated by them. Where we have to 
 consider, 
 
 I. Iler being found by " the watchmen that 
 went about the city, and keepers of the walls." 
 
 II. Their treatment of her, and carriage to her. 
 I. In this search of her beloved, she falls into 
 
 the hands of the watchmen that went about the 
 city, and the keepers of the walls thereof; who 
 were officers of the church, set for the defence of 
 it, and for the administration of those ordinances, 
 in which she sought her beloved; and the descrip- 
 tion of them, or these titles and characters which 
 they bear, may lead us to observe, 
 
 1st. That the church is a city, and no doubt 
 is called so, in allusion to the city of Jerusalem, 
 which was builded as a city that is compact to- 
 gether ; it was the metropolis ol the land of Judea, 
 where Solomon kept his court, was well fortified, 
 and delightfully situated ; and therefore the church 
 militant, as weU as the church triumphant, is 
 called by the same name ; which is the city of 
 God; of which the psalmist says. Psalm Ixxxvii. 
 3, " Glorious things are spoken ;" it is the place of 
 the residence of the King of kings where his 
 
•] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 190 
 
 honour dwells, where he keeps his court, and has I plished by Christ, " shall this song be sung in 
 
 tlie land of Judah, We have a strong t;ity." But 
 what is it which makes it so ? salvation will God 
 appoint for walls and bulwarks: and this song 
 will be sung more clearly in the latter day, 
 when the church shall call her walls, salvation, 
 and her gates, praise ; salvation wrought out by 
 Christ, is the church's protection from all ene- 
 mies ; hereby believers are sci-eened and secured 
 from sin and Satan, law, hell, and wrath to come ; 
 no enemy can destroy them, no condemnation 
 reach them, nor any wrath fall on them ; but 
 they shall he " saved in the Lord with an ever- 
 lasting salvation." 3. Ministers may be called 
 so, who are set for the defence of tlie gospel : so 
 the Lord told Jeremiah, chap. i. 18, that he had 
 made him a defeneed city, an iron pillar, and 
 
 his palace ; and therefore is called the city of the 
 great King, in whose palaces God is kuoA'n for a 
 refuge ; here he shows himself, here he may be 
 seen ; therefore she was in the right of it to seek 
 him here : in this city are all needful and de- 
 lightful accommodations ; it is beautiful for situ- 
 ation, a river of boundless love and grace runs 
 through it, whose streams supply, refresh, and 
 make glad the inhabitants of it ; here are the best 
 provisions to be had, which are called the good- 
 ness and fatness of God's house ; here are the 
 most delightful company, and agreeable conversa- 
 tion ; here souls have fellowship with the Father, 
 and with his Son Jesus Christ ; those who are 
 brought unto, and are made inhabitants of this 
 city of the living God, have communion with an 
 
 innumerable company of angels, and spirits of just brazen walls against tlie whole land ; though they 
 men made perfect by Christ's righteousness; in seem not to be intended here, because they are 
 
 this city are many special and peculiar privileges 
 and immunities, which the inhabitants of it enjoy ; 
 for being Christ's freemen, and freemen of this 
 city, they have a right to all the ordinances of 
 the gospel, and share in all the promises which 
 concern the grace and presence of Christ ; they 
 are under no obligation to any other laws but 
 those of Christ's, and are freed from the curses 
 and condemnation of the law of works; so that 
 to be a citizen of this city, and a fellow-citizen of 
 the saints, is no small privilege ; see Eph. ii. 19, 
 Rev. iii. 12; but of the church's being compared 
 to a city, see more on chap. iii. 2. 
 
 2ndly. Mention being made of the keepers of 
 the walls of this city, shows us, that this city 
 of God is a walled one ; it is a fortified place, 
 even as Jerusalem was, to which tbe allusion is 
 made, when the church of God is spoken of, as 
 in Psalm li. 18, and cxxii. 7 ; and it may be pro- 
 per to inquire what are the walls of the church, 
 which render it strong and impregnable. And, 1. 
 God himself is the wall of it, according to what he 
 himself says, Zech. ii. 5, " For I, saith the 
 Lord, will be a wall of fire round about it, and 
 will be the glory in the aiidst of her ;" he is not 
 only a wall that keeps the enemy from entrance 
 into the city, but a wall of fire that consumes 
 and destroys all that make near approaches to 
 it ; all the divine perfections are as so many walls, 
 which encompass and defend the church; espe- 
 cially that of Almighty power, by which saints are 
 kept as in a garrison," through faith unto salva- 
 tion : Jerusalem was fortified, not only by art, 
 but also by nature, not only with walls, but with 
 mountains ; and " as the mountains are round 
 about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his 
 people, from henceforth, even for ever," Psal. 
 cxxv. 2. 2. Salvation by Christ is the church's 
 wall, which render it strong and impregnable : 
 hence we read, in Isa. xxvi. 1, In that day, that 
 is, in the gospel day, when salvation is accom- 
 
 called the keepers of the walls, and not the walls 
 tlieniselves. Now the city of God being thus 
 walled and fortified, shows, (1.) That it would 
 otherwise be iu danger from enemies ; for the 
 church of Christ has many enemies, who ai-e 
 lively and strong, crafty and cunning, vigilant 
 and active, seeking all opportunities to get within, 
 and there make disturbance, and do mischief: 
 but this city is so well walled and firmly built, 
 that let Satan, with all his emissaries, use all their 
 power and cunning, and lay the closest siege 
 unto it, the gates of hell will never be able to 
 prevail against it. (2.) The great care which 
 God takes of his church and people ; for as birds 
 Hying or fluttering over and about their nest, in 
 order to preserve their young, when they are in 
 danger of being taken away from them ; " so 
 will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem ; defend- 
 ing also, he will deliver it ; and passing over 
 he will preserve it," as it is said iu Isa. xxxi. 5 ; 
 which care for their preservation, is manifestly 
 seen in his placing such walls about it. 
 
 Srdly. In this city are proper officers appoint- 
 ed and set to watch over and guard it ; and these 
 go under two titles or characters in the text. 1. 
 Tiiey are called " watchmen that went about the 
 city :" these are the ministers of the church, who 
 are called so both in the Old and New-Testament ; 
 because they ought to watch over themselves, their 
 doctrine and conversation, and to watch over 
 others, who are made their care and charge : the 
 business of watchmen is also to give the time of 
 night, to give notice of present or approaching 
 danger, either by fir«, or by thieves and robbers, 
 and to take up disorderly persons, and bring them 
 to correction : so the ministers of tlie gospel give 
 notice what time of day or night it is with the 
 churches of Christ ; they give notice to sinners 
 of tbe danger which they are in, whilst in a state 
 of nature ; and also what danger churches may be 
 in, through contentious persons and heretics, who 
 
 " Ts? ev Smanei opfptt/ievti^, praesidio Dei circumvallamur ; metaphora a castris vaUo and fossis undiqus 
 muuitis ut nulla liostiuin vi vel astutia expugnari possint, Furoeus in 1 Pet. i. o. 
 
200 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [cjrAr. 
 
 endeavour to sow the seeds of discord, error, and 
 heresy among them ; likewise their business is to 
 awake and arowse sleepy professors, who are in- 
 dulging themselves in carnal ease and security in 
 the streets of Zion ; and to admonish, reprove, and 
 rebuke all that staad in need thereof, and so brine 
 them under the notice and censure of the church. 
 These are said to go about the city, 1. To dis- 
 tinguish them from those upon the walls : those 
 that went about the city, were to take care of the 
 peace and safety of the city within ; the keepers 
 of the walls were to descry an enemy without, 
 observe his motions, repel him if able, and to 
 give notice to those within of danger from him, 
 the one was a running watch, the other a stand- 
 ing one. 2. To show the nature of their work, 
 ani4 their diligence in it : it was the business of 
 the keepers of the walls, to keep their stands, and 
 not stir from their places ; but the work of these 
 was to go from place to place, and see that all was 
 in peace and safety; but of these watchmen, see 
 more in chap. iii. 3. 3. These officers are called 
 " keepers of the walls ;" by which some? under- 
 stand angels, who encamp about, and protect the 
 people of God; others,'' civil magistrates, who 
 the apostle says, Rom. xiii. 3, 4, are not " ter- 
 rors to good works, but to the evil ;" and that 
 " he is the minister of God for good, and bear- 
 eth not the sword in vain :" but if these were 
 civil magistrates, they terrified the church in the 
 way of her duty, and discouraged her in it : nay, 
 turned the point of their swords against her, as 
 often the princes of this world do, being ignorant 
 of Christ and his church: but I rather think 
 church-officers arc here iuteuded, and that they 
 are the same with the watchmen, who went about 
 ihe city ; only they may be expressive of different 
 branches in the ministry, or of different talents 
 which ministers have, and are to use in the dis- 
 charge of their work : some, their work chiefly lies in 
 comforting and establishing the church in answer- 
 ing cases of conscience, and keeping peace and 
 order within ; and they have gifts suitable there- 
 unto; and these may be called watchmen that go 
 about the city : others, their work lies chiefly in 
 defending the gospel against the avowed enemies of 
 it ; these keep the outworks good, and repel the 
 enemy, whenever he makes an attack upon any 
 doctrine of the Gospel ; and these may be called 
 " the keepers or watchmen of the walls ;" and so 
 ministers are called in Isa. Ixii. 6. The Jews in 
 Shirashirim Rabba, and in Yalknt on the place, 
 tinderstand by these keepers, the tribe of Levi, the 
 keepers of the walls of the law. 
 
 But it may now be inquired, whether these were 
 the true ministers of Christ, or no : some' think 
 that they were : they are called watchmen, and 
 watchmen in the city, the church, though it is 
 true, false teachers may bear the same name as 
 
 I" Ambros. in Psal. cxviii. octon. 7. col. 933. 
 Psellus. and Tres Patres apucl Theodoret. in loc. 
 Foliot and R. Sol Jarchi in loc. i Theodoret. 
 
 in 8anct. in loc snd Diodat. in loe. 
 
 true ones, and be in office in the church as well 
 as they ; but what seems most to strengthen this 
 opinion, is, that they were about their work, and 
 in the discliarge of their office ; the watchmen 
 were going about the city, as they should do, and 
 the keepers of the walls were upon their stands, 
 as they ought to be : others' think that they 
 were not the true and faithful ministers of the 
 gospel; but such who are called " blind watch- 
 men," &c., in Isa. Ivi. 10, li, and that, 1. Be- 
 cause the church makes no inquiry of them, 
 nor any application to them, which she did in a 
 like case to the watchmen, in chap. iii. 3, and 
 therefore it seems to intimate, that she, not look- 
 ing upon them as ministers of Christ, had nothing 
 to say to them, but would have shunned them if 
 she could. 2. Because of their cruelty to her : 
 they are not so pitiful, compassionate, and tender, 
 as becomes the ministers to be to souls in such 
 cases ; they seem rather to be ravenous wolves, 
 than faithful shepherds or watchmen, and are 
 most, like those in Ezek. xxxiv. 2 — 21. Plato' 
 says, keepers of cities should be mild and gentle 
 towards their own, but to enemies rou^ii and 
 severe. 
 
 Now these found the church seeking and en- 
 quiring for her beloved : which shows, that she 
 was in the city, in the streets and broad ways of 
 it : she searched all over the city, where the 
 watchmen that went about it, found her ; and 
 escaping from them with blows and wounds, 
 finding that her beloved was not there, she makes 
 to the outparts of the city, perhaps designing to 
 go without the city in search of him, where she 
 fell into the hands of the keepers of the walls. 
 This finding of her, also appears to be accidental, 
 and at an unawares ; they were not seeking her, 
 nor was she enquiring after them ; it was on a 
 sudden that they found her ; and as soon as they 
 did find her, they fell upon her, and took her ap 
 for a stroller or night-walker ; and by their treat- 
 ment of her manifestly showed that they found 
 her, not as a friend, but as an enemy ; and there- 
 fore did not let her go safe, but with blows, 
 wounds, and the loss of her veil. Which brings us 
 to consider, 
 
 II. Their treatment of her, and carriage to her. 
 And, 
 
 1st. " The watchmen, that went about the 
 city, smote and wounded her ;" which, if we un- 
 derstand of the true ministers of the gospel 
 (though I rather think that others are intended) 
 must be meant, either of their upbraiding and re- 
 proaching her for her former niikinduess to Christ, 
 and negligence of her duty ; when they told her 
 and hit her in the teeth of her former sins and mis- 
 carriages, they smote and cut her to the heart, 
 opened the wound, and made it bleed afresh ; and 
 so, like Job's friends, proved miserable comforters, 
 
 ' Greg. Beda, Bernard. Aquin. in Sanct in loc, 
 Isidore, Foliot, Alcuin in loc. ' Ainsworth and 
 
 Mercer, in loc. • Vc I^e.^ibus, 1. 2. ft fios. 
 
VER. 
 
 S.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 201 
 
 who broke him in pieces with words both of re- 
 proof and reproach : tliey laid open her sins to her, 
 and sharply reproved her for them, when they 
 should have comforted her with the doctrines of 
 justification by Christ's righteonsness and pardon, 
 by his blood ; for Christ's own ministers may some- 
 times be mistaken in timing reproofs and correc- 
 tions ; or else, she being under the ministry of the 
 word, and hearing some sweet discourses concern- 
 ing Christ's person and grace, her heart was smit- 
 ten and wounded therewith, which made her 
 charge the daughters of Jerusalem, in the follow- 
 ing verse, that when they found her beloved, they 
 would tell him, that she was sick of, or wounded 
 with love. But if we understand it of false 
 teachers, which seems most agreeable; then by 
 those smitings and woundings, are meant, the 
 scandalous lives of such persons, the rents and 
 divisions they make, the false doctrines which 
 they preach ; and those human traditions, which, 
 with force, they impose opon the consciences of 
 men, being assisted by civil magistrates, whom 
 they stir up to make penal laws, and put them in 
 execution against the saints ; by all which means 
 they make the hearts of the righteous sad, and 
 wound the consciences of God's children. One 
 of the Greek versions is, " they scourged me,"" 
 whipped her till she was black and blue ; as the 
 Jews did the first Christians in their syna- 
 gogues. 
 
 2ndly. " The keepers of the walls took away her 
 veil from her :" veils were used by women in those 
 countries, sometimes for ornament, Isa. iii. 23; 
 sometimes as a token of modesty ; thus Rebekah, 
 when she found that Isaac was coming to meet her, 
 covered herself with a veil. Gen. xsiv. 65 ; and 
 sometimes as a token of subjection to the bus- i 
 band ; for which the apostle argues, that women 
 ought to be covered, 1 Cor. xi. 6 — 10; at mar- ! 
 riage, it was customary with the Grecians,'^' to give 
 a veil to the new-married bride ; the bridegroom, 
 with the Romans, used to give the bride a veil, 
 caihdjlctmmeum,^ from its being of a flame-colour, 
 either yellow or red, expressive of the blushing 
 and modesty of the new bride ;'' and the like cus- 
 tom might obtain with the Jews. Now for the 
 keepers to take away her veil from her, was to 
 strip her of ber ornaments, and expose her frail- 
 ties and infirmities, which ought to be covered ; it 
 was to disown her as the spouse of Christ, and to 
 represent her as a whorish and impudent woman ; 
 and, whereas she professed herself to be Christ's, 
 to serve him in -the way of his appointments ; they 
 endeavoured to " corrupt her from the simplicity 
 that is in Christ," and to draw her aside to a re- 
 ception of false doctrines, and to a compliance with 
 human traditions : and then more especially, may 
 they be said to take away her veil, when they 
 
 oppose and endeavour to subvert or remove the 
 doctrine of imputed righteousness by Christ; 
 Christ's righteousness is the believer's veil or 
 covering; this is " the wedding garment," ireot- 
 l3o\awi> vvfi^iKov, the nuptial robe, as Gregory 
 Nyssen' calls the veil here; and when persons 
 attempt to take away this doctrine, they do as 
 much as in them lies to take away the church's 
 veil. And now all this cruelty was exercised by 
 persons professing religion, under a mask of god- 
 liness ; by those who were ofiBcers in the church, 
 from whom siie might' have expected a quite 
 difl'erent treatment ; and indeed, who were more 
 bitter enemies to Christ and his apostles, than the 
 priests and Pharisees were ? and who have more 
 cruelly persecuted in after-ages, than those who 
 have professed Christianity! The church thus 
 escaping from the watchmen and keepers, with 
 blows, wounds, and the loss of her veil, meets 
 with the daughters of Jerusalem, to whom she 
 speaks in the following manner. 
 
 >■ EMwX>o-?r£jai' ^^.e, Aquila. " Homer. Iliad. 22. 
 
 T. 470. » Lntea demissos velaruut flammea 
 
 vnltus, Lucan. Pharsal 1. 2. v. SGI. Ubi tibi corycio 
 glomcrarem flanimea luto, Virgil. Cyris. Vid. IJarth. 
 
 \erse S. I chart; e you, daitgUers of Jeru- 
 salem, if ye find wy beloved, that ye tell him, 
 that I am sick of love. 
 
 The church having met with a disappointment, 
 as has been observed in ver. G, by her beloved's 
 withdrawing himself from her ; but resolving to 
 find him, if possible, she seeks for him in the pub- 
 lic ordinances ; where she is taken notice of by the 
 officers of the church, " the watchmen of the city, 
 and keepers of the walls;" who very much abuse 
 her, " smite, wound " her, and take away her veil 
 from her; by reason of which, she making a 
 hideous outcry iu the streets, the " daughters of 
 Jerusalem," the wise virgins, who were then sleep- 
 [ ing and slumbering on their beds, were awakened 
 and alarmed, and rose up to know what was the 
 matter; who being observed by the church, had 
 the charge in the text given unto them by her. 
 Iu which we have, 
 
 I. The persons whom she addresses, and in this 
 solemn manner adjures, " the daughters of Jeru- 
 salem." 
 
 II. The charge itself, which she gives them ; 
 which is, to tell her beloved, when found by them, 
 thut she was " sick of love." 
 
 III. The coudition of this charge ; " if ye find 
 my beloved." 
 
 IV. The manner in which this charge is given, 
 which is very solemn and serious. 
 
 I. The persons to whom she gives this charge ; 
 " the daughters of Jerusalem .-" by whom we are 
 not to understand tlie prophets, as the Targum 
 does ; though these were proper persons for the 
 church to make application to in her present con- 
 dition ; but having been so evilly treated by the 
 watchmen and keepers of the walls, she had but 
 
 ad Claudian. Fescen. ode 4. v. 4. and Plin. 1. 21. c. 
 8. y Vid. Chartar. de Imag. Deorum, p. 84, 
 
 89. and Kipping. Antiq. Rom. 1. 4. c. 2. p. 695, 696. 
 ' llomil. in Cant. 21. p. 651. 
 
202 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. V. 
 
 little encouragement to go to them : nor areaugels 
 here meant, as some " think ; though they are 
 "ministering spirits, sent to the heirs of salvation," 
 and are often useful to the saints on many ac ■ 
 counts ; yet it does not seem to be their business, 
 nor are they capable of assisting and relieving 
 souls in"such a case as this of the church's : nor 
 are " saints departed" meant, as some popish in- 
 terpreters '' imagine : as if the church desired their 
 prayers for her, who are incapable of giving her 
 any assistance ; but by them we are to understand 
 saints here on earth, the friends and companions 
 of the church, which belong to that Jerusalem 
 which "is free, and is'the mother of us all ;" 
 these were " fellow-citizens with the saints, and of 
 the household of God ;" perhaps were young con- 
 verts, as has been observed in other places of this 
 Song ; and it is certain, that they were believers 
 of the weaker sort ; their knowledge of Christ was 
 but small, though they had a great respect for the 
 church, and a desire of seeking Christ with her, 
 ver. 9, and chap. vi. 1. The church now making 
 application to these person in her disconsolate 
 condition, shows, 1. Her humility: that she is 
 willing to be assisted by mean Christians or weak 
 believers, who were much inferior to her in faith 
 and knowledge; it is the nature of grace, and the 
 tendency of such trying dispensations as these, in 
 which the church was, to make and keep souls 
 humble ; the more grace they have, the more hum- 
 ble they will be ; the greatest believer reckoned 
 himself the " least of saints, and the chief of 
 sinners," and is willing to be instructed and ad- 
 monished by the meanest saint ; see Psal. cxli. 5 ; 
 and is glad of the prayers and assistance of weak 
 believers, when in distress. 2. Her resolution 
 to use all means to find her beloved, as Job did, 
 chap, xxiii. 8, 9, she will leave no stone unturn- 
 ed, nor let slip any opportunity, where there was 
 any probability or possibility of finding him ; .she 
 had sought him; in public ordinances, but with 
 no success ; nay, had met with ill treatment 
 from church-officers ; yet she is not discouraged, 
 but is resolved to persist in her search of 
 him : she had spread her case before Christ in 
 prayer, and could get no answer ; and now 
 she betakes herself to the company of private 
 Christians, that by conference with them, and 
 through their prayers for her, she miglit be brought 
 to the enjoyment of what she was seeking after. 
 3. That communion and conversation with saints 
 is a very proper method to be taken by believers 
 in such cases ; conversing together about the things 
 of God, is very acceptable and well-pleasing to 
 him : it is said, Mai. iii. 16, of tlie saints, who 
 " spake often oneto another," that the Lord heark- 
 ened and heard, listened as it were unto it, and 
 took such notice'of it, that " a book of remem- 
 baace was written before him " for them ; he 
 did, as it were, take notes and minutes of what 
 (hey said and thought, and laid them up : as we 
 
 ■• Foliot in loc. and Psellus apud Theodoret in loc. 
 
 should spread our cases before God ; so it is 
 very proper, and often very useful, to spread our 
 case before one another ; and therefore there 
 should not be a " forsaking tlie assembling of our- 
 selves together, as the manner of some is ;" but so 
 much the more should we assemble together, as 
 our various wants and cases require. 4. That 
 when souls arc in distress, it is their duly and 
 interest to make application to others ; they 
 should not only pray for themselves, which should 
 be done in the first place, but they should also de- 
 sire the prayers of others for them ; for " the 
 effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth 
 much :" and it is no disgrace nor dishonour for a 
 person superior in office, gifts, and graces to 
 others, to desire their assistance by their pravers 
 for him at the throne of grace ; instances of this 
 we have, not only in the church here, but in that 
 great man of God, an instance of grace, the apostle 
 Paul, who frequently desired the prayers of meaner 
 saints for him ; see Eph. vi. 19, 2 Thess. iii. 1, 
 2. 5. That it is the duty of saints to be assist- 
 ing to each other in their distresses, as much as 
 in them lies ; by singing the praises of God to- 
 gether, by praying one with and for another, 
 and by conferring with each other about divine 
 things, and so building up one another on their 
 most holy faith : there ought to be a sympathiz- 
 ing spirit in the saints ; they should " bear one 
 another's burdens, and should mutually help each 
 other ; they should " weep with those that weep, 
 and rejoice with those that rejoice." But, 
 
 II. Let us consider the charge itself, which is 
 given to them by her ; and that is to tell her be- 
 loved, when they found him, that she was sick of 
 love. This does not suppose that he was ignorant 
 or unmindful of her present state ; he heard her, 
 though he would not answer ; he knew that she 
 was enquiring aft er him, and what hardships she 
 underwent in doing it ; and also, how much her 
 soul was filled with love to him, and longed for 
 the enjoyment of him : though he would not im- 
 mediately show himself, intending a little longer 
 to chastise her for her former can iage to him ; but 
 the word shows the ardency of her love to Christ, 
 and that she would have them declare this to him, 
 in their prayers for her, which she thought might be 
 a means to induce him to manifest himself to her ; 
 as also they show what familiarity souls may use at 
 the throne of grace, what freedom they may take 
 with Christ, when they come into his presence, 
 " tell him that 1 am sick of love." They may 
 tell him their own cases and the cases of others, as 
 one friend may tell another, or as a child may 
 tell its father ; they may go with boldness to him, 
 and spread their own and others' cases before him, 
 without fear of being chided or upbraided by him , 
 and indeed it is their duty to bear upon their 
 minds, at the throne of grace, not only their own 
 cases, and the cases of the church in general, as 
 the apostle Paul frequently did ; but also the cases 
 
 >> A'id. Sanct. in loc. 
 
VER. 8.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 203 
 
 of particular persons, whom they know to be in 
 distress ; therefore Christ taught his disciples to 
 pray after this manner, " Our Father, &c., and 
 forgive us our debts," &c., to show that they 
 should be concerned for others in prayer, as well 
 as for themselves. The words in the Hebrew test 
 may be rendered thus, " "What shall ye, or should 
 ye tell him ?"° as if she should say, Do not tell 
 him the blows and wounds that I have received 
 from the watchmen ! nor desire him to revenge 
 the injuries and affronts they have given me, I 
 freely forgive them ; nor am I so much concerned at 
 the sufferings that I undergo, as I am for the loss 
 of him : " What shall ye tell him ?" Tell him that 
 which lies most upon ray heart, under which I 
 shall sink and die, if he does not relieve me ; 
 " tell him that I am sick of love." Again, "What 
 shall ye tell him ? Tell him that which will be the 
 most acceptable and agreeable to him ; tell him 
 I love him so, that I cannot live without him : 
 she knew that he valued her love, and that his 
 heart would be ravished with it, from what be had 
 said, chap. iv. 9, 10 ; and therefore would have 
 this told him. Again, " What shall ye tell him ?" 
 What shall I say to you to tell him ? I have a 
 great many things to tell him of; but I will not 
 overburden your memories, but I will give you 
 my mind in a few words, in the most concise 
 manner, " tell him that I am sick of love ;" and 
 when I meet with him myself, I will tell him all 
 my mind ; but for the present, only tell him this. 
 But let us a little more particularly consider the 
 matter of this charge, or what the church would 
 have the daughters of Jerusalem tell Christ, when 
 they found him ; which is, that she was " sick of 
 love." And it will be proper to enquire, 
 
 1st. The causes of this sickness; which some- 
 times are, 1. A want of the views of pardoning 
 grace, under a sense of sin, which perhaps was the 
 case of the church here ; she had sinned against 
 Christ, in neglecting to arise and open to him ; 
 and she was now sensible of it, but wanted the 
 manifestations of pardon ; and was therefore in a 
 languishing and fainting condition on the account 
 of it ; and it is only this which will cure this 
 sickness : " The inhabitant shall not say, I am 
 sick." Why so ? " the people that dwell therein 
 shall be forgiven their iniquity ;" that is, they 
 shall have the manifestations of pardoning grace 
 to their souls, which shall cure them of their 
 sickness and maladies : which was what the 
 church here wanted. 2. The absence of Christ is 
 sometimes the cause of this sickness ; and this 
 also was the church's case : Christ had " with- 
 drawn himself from her and was gone," as in v. 
 6, and though she had diligently sought him, yet 
 she could not find him, nor hear anything of him ; 
 and this brought this sickness upon her. 3. An 
 eager longing after Christ's presence, and the dis- 
 coveries of his love, is another cause of it : when 
 
 a soul has sought Christ a long time in ordinances, 
 and cannot find him : has lived in the hope and 
 expectation of enjoying his presence time after 
 time, and yet is still at a loss for him, then comes 
 this sickness upon it ; for, as Solomon says, Prov. 
 xiii. 12, " hope deferred maketh the heart sick." 
 4. Sometimes the large disooveries of love which 
 believers have, cause a sickness, which may be 
 called a love-sickness ; and this is what the church 
 speaks of, in chap. ii. 5, " stay me with flagons, 
 comfort me with apples : for I am sick of love -." 
 she had been with Christ in his wine-cc;llar or 
 banqueting-house, and had as much of his love let 
 into her soul, as she could hold, nay, more ; she 
 was overpowered with it ; " his banner over " her 
 had been love. But this was not the church's 
 case here : her sickness here arises rather from the 
 aforesaid causes, and chiefly from a want of that 
 love which she had such large discoveries of there. 
 
 2udly. It may not be amiss to consider the na- 
 ture and properties of this sickness. And, 1. It 
 is not a sickness unto death ; none ever died of 
 this sickness ; Christ wiU never suffer any to die 
 with love for him : for he " loves them that love 
 him," and will cause them "to inherit substance ;" 
 to enjoy himself, the substance of all felicity ; and 
 to inherit eternal glory, which is the better and 
 the " more enduriug substance ;" where they 
 shall have sweet and uninterrupted communion 
 with him. Yet, 2. It is a very sore and painful 
 sickness ; like Hezekiah's, it is a pining one ; 
 and oftentimes wastes the body, as well as affects 
 the mind. The Septuagint render it, " for I am 
 wounded with love ;" which gave her a great deal 
 of pain and uneasiness ; for " love is as strong as 
 death." 3. It is an immedicable sickness without 
 the enjoyment of Christ, the object loved ; bodily 
 physicians cannot cure it ; these are in this case, 
 like Job's physicians, of no value ; merry com- 
 panions are of no service to remove it ; the en- 
 joyment of another beloved will not do ; the lan- 
 guage of a soul in such a case, is. None but 
 Christ, none but Christ ; give me Christ, or I 
 die ; I cannot live without him : this sickness can 
 only be cured by the object loved, and this infallibly 
 cures ; for, " as hope deferred maketh the heart 
 sick, so when the desire cometh it is a tree of life." 
 
 3rdly. We may now consider the evidences 
 of this love-sickness, or how it manifests itself -. 
 and, 1. There is in souls that labour under it, a 
 violent pulsation and panting of the heart after 
 Christ, even " as the heart panteth after the water- 
 brooks;" they are restless aud uneasy without him ; 
 their thoughts are continually running upon him ; 
 the desire of their souls, night and day, " is to 
 his name, and to the remembrance of him." 2. 
 They are prodigiously jealous of him and his love ; 
 and this is exceeding afflicting to them ; for 
 " jealousy is as cruel as the grave :" they are 
 exceedingly afraid that he does not love them, or 
 
 ' 17 TTin no ti UtrayXeiXnTe auTui, Sept. Quid indicaretis ei ? Junius ; Quid, narrabitis ei ? Pagninus, 
 Michaelis ; Quid, indicabitis. ci ? Montanus, Mereerus, Marckias, so Ainsworth. 
 
204 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF TlIE 
 
 [chap. V. 
 
 that he loves others better than them ; for, as the 
 poef* says, Res est solicili plena timoris amor. 3. 
 They' are very active and diligent, careful and in- 
 dustrious to gain his love ; they use all the methods 
 and stratagems they can devise ; are bold and re- 
 solute, are not discouraged at any difficulties, but 
 are willing to run all risks for the enjoyment of 
 him. 4. They love to hear his name mentioned, 
 and especially to be spoken well of; his name to 
 them is " as ointment poured forth," exceeding 
 grateful ; it attracts their love, " therefore do the 
 virgins love " him ; they love his ways, his ordin- 
 ancesand his doctrines, andcaunotbearto hear them 
 spoken against ; they love to look upon and con- 
 verse with his people, because they are like him, 
 and bear a resemblance to him. 
 
 III. The condition of this charge is, " if ye 
 find him ;" which shows, 1. That at present these 
 daughters of Jerusalem had not any sight of Christ, 
 nor communion with him ; and this appears also 
 manifestly from the following verse, where they 
 enquire of her concerning him. 2. That it was 
 possible that they might ilnd liim before she did ; 
 for Christ is sometimes " found of them that sought 
 him not," and is " made manifest unto them that 
 asked not after " him; she was enquiring after 
 Christ, but found him not ; and yet it was possible 
 that they might find him before her, who had not 
 been seeking after him ; also Christ may manifest 
 himself to poor, mean, and weak believers, when 
 he does, not to some that are superior to them in 
 faith, light, and knowledge ; he showed himself 
 after his resurrection to a poor woman, to Mary 
 Magdalene, out of whom he cast seven devils, before 
 he did to his disciple*. 3. That when they did 
 fiud Christ, and had liberty of access to his pre- 
 sence, that they would then spread her sorrowful 
 case before him, and use their interest with him, 
 to take pity and compassion on her, who was 
 " sick of love" for him ; she entreats them to do 
 such a favour for her, as Joseph requested of the 
 chief butler, when he should be restored to his 
 place ; says he. Gen. xl. 12, " But think on me, 
 when it shall be well with thee; and show kind- 
 ness, I pray thee, unto me ; and make mention of 
 me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house." 
 So the church would have these virgins, when it 
 was well with them, when they enjoyed the pre- 
 sence of Christ, to think on her and her sorrowful 
 ease, and make mention of it to him. 
 
 IV. This charge is delivered in a very solemn 
 manner -. " I adjure you,"* or " I put you to your 
 oath, I make y()U swear," as the word signifies, 
 that when you find him, you will tell him wiiat 
 I have said to you ; I have given you your oath to 
 do it ; and now as you will answer it before God, 
 in whose name and presence you have taken it, 
 that yon will carefully observe what I say to you, 
 and faithfully deliver the message; if you have 
 any regard to this solemn oath you have taken. 
 
 * Ovid. " ■'ni*3\Bn iofxitaa, Sept. adjure, Vulg. 
 
 Lat. Ooccciug, Pagninus, lleixerus, Junius : obtestor, 
 
 I or any love to me, I beg you will tell "him that I 
 am sick of love. She delivers herself in this 
 solemn manner, not only to show the strength of 
 her love to him, and that she was hearty and 
 sincere iu her search and enquiries after him ; but 
 also that she was serious in what she said to them, 
 aud would have them be serious, diligent, and faith- 
 ful in telling her case to Christ. The answer re- 
 turned by them, is as follows. 
 
 Verse 9. JP7/at is thy leloved more than another 
 beloved, thou fairest among women ? What 
 is thy beloved more than another beloved, that 
 thou dost so charge us ? 
 
 The church having solemnly adjured the daugh- 
 ters of Jerusalem, that when tliey found her be- 
 loved, they would tell him that she was sick of 
 love. In these words we have their reply to her, 
 which show what an opinion they had of her, and 
 what effect her words had upon them ; in whicii 
 may be observed, 
 
 I. The title aud character they give her ; " 
 thou fairest among women." 
 
 II. A question they propose to her ; " "What 
 is thy beloved more than another beloved ?" 
 
 III. This question repeated ; where the reason 
 of it must be considered. 
 
 IV. .What the occasion was of their putting 
 this question to her ; which was her solemn charge, 
 " that thou dost so charge us ?" 
 
 'I. The title or character which they give her, 
 the " fairest among women ;" which is expressive 
 of the exceeding greatness of her beauty ; she was 
 not only fair, hut the fairest, and that among 
 women, whose beauty is excelling ; she was the 
 fairest of any of her sex ; not as she was in her- 
 self, but as she is in Christ, justified by his righte- 
 ousness, washed in his blood, aud sanctified by 
 his Spirit ; aud being considered thus, she appear- 
 ed to these daughters, as indeed she really is, a 
 perfection of beauty : and they were not mistaken 
 herein, for Christ, who knew her perfectly well, 
 and from whom she received iier comeliness, gives 
 her the same character iu the very same words, in 
 chap. i. 8; but then this opinion, which they en- 
 tertained of her, though it entirely corresponds . 
 with that which Christ has entertaiued of her, yet 
 is extremely ditferent from that which the world 
 has embraced ; which shows, that these persons 
 were not of this world, but called by grace out of 
 it, seeing they had different sentiments of the 
 church ; the saints are by the world esteemed the 
 filth thereof, and the offscouring of all things ; 
 they are accounted by them the foolish, base, weak, 
 and contemptible things of the world ; nay, 
 even things that are not, as if they were mere 
 nonentities, and did not deserve the name of men or 
 beings ; aud indeed, as they see no beauty nor 
 comeliness in Christ, it is no wonder that they can 
 see none in the church; but these daughters of 
 
 'I'igurine version. 
 
VER. 9.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 205 
 
 Jerusalem could, for they judc^cd not according to 
 the outward appearance; the world only sees the out- 
 side of the people of God, which is oeuerally poor, 
 mean, and abject ; but these could penetrate into 
 the inside of the chnrch, and viewed her, who is 
 the king's daughter, as all glorious within, and 
 tliercforc called her the fairest among women; for 
 outwardly she was now black with sins, infirmities, 
 reproaches, and persecutions; yet, notwithstanding, 
 she is highly esteemed of by them ; for they had 
 made Moses' choice, having thought it more 
 eligible to suffer aSliction with the people of God, 
 than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, 
 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches 
 tlian the treasures in Egypt. Yonug converts, as 
 I suppose these daughters were, have generally a 
 great respect for old professors, for such that were 
 in Christ before them : these are the excellent in 
 the earth, in whom is all their delight ; they love 
 to see them, and take pleasure in their company 
 and conversation : and indeed, as love to the 
 brethren is made an evidence of passing from death 
 to life, by t!ie apostle John, 1 John iii. 14, so it 
 shows itself in young converts, as soon as any 
 thing else; for oftentimes, wiiere there is butasmall 
 knowledge of Christ, and acquaintance with him, 
 there is a great deal of love to Christ's people, 
 which was the case of these daughters here ; also 
 it may be supposed, that they give her this title 
 to assure her of the high esteem which they had 
 for her, and that opinion which they had of her, 
 that she might not think that they designed her 
 any hurt by asking the following question ; but 
 rather, seeing they had such a value for her, that 
 their design was to do her all the service, and be as 
 assisting to her in her search of her beloved as 
 tliey were al)le ; and no doubt also, but this opinion 
 ■which they had of her, made them listen to, and 
 regard the more what she afterwards says of her 
 beloved ; for they concluded, that he must be some 
 great and extraordinary person, that she, who was 
 the fairest among women, had made the object 
 of her choice and love ; they took it for granted 
 that one so fair, so wise and prudent as she was, 
 would not take notice of any person, nor lavish 
 and throw away her love upon every object ; and 
 this made them the more forward and eager 
 to put the question, which is now to be con- 
 sidered. 
 
 II. The question which they propose to her, is, 
 " What is thy beloved more than another be- 
 loved?" which is not put in a scornful, disdain- 
 ful, or profane way, as Pharaoh said to Moses, 
 when he demanded the dismission of tliC people of 
 Israel, " who is the Lord, that 1 should obey his 
 voice?" or as Rabshakeh to the men of Judah, in 
 that railing, profane speech of his, in 2 Kings 
 xviii. 33—35 ; the design and sense of which was. 
 What is the God of Israel more than the gods of 
 the nations ? but such was not this question here; 
 these persons were not the profane people of the 
 
 world ; they had a great esteem for the church, 
 and therefore it canuot be supposed that they would 
 insinuate any thiug in a scornful and reproachful 
 way of her beloved : nor did they propose this 
 question with a design to ensnare her, as the 
 Scribes and Pharisees frequently did to Christ ; 
 nor with a design to shift off any trouble from 
 themselves, which they might suppose would 
 arise from an observance of her solemn charge, 
 but rather ai'e willing to be assisting to her all 
 they could ; and therefore desire to have some 
 distinguishing characters of him, that they njight 
 not lose their labour in seeking, and, when they 
 found him, might perfectly know him; which, 
 when she had given, to their entire satisfaction, 
 they then desired to know whither he was gone, 
 which way he took when he left her, that they 
 might seek him with her, as is manifest from 
 chap. vi. 1 ; nor does this question suppose that 
 they were altogether ignorant of her beloved ; for 
 though their knowledge of Christ was small, yet 
 they were not entirely destitute of it ; and there- 
 fore, as one' well observes, they do not say, who, 
 but what is thy beloved, &c., and indeed it can- 
 not be reasonably thought, that they should be 
 entirely ignorant of him ; for she had, in chap. i. 
 5, given some account of herself to them ; that 
 though she was black in herself, yet comely in 
 another ; which is the reason why they here call 
 her the fairest among women ; and there is no 
 doubt but she also gave them some account of 
 him, from whom she received all her comeliness; 
 and in chap. ii. 7, and iii. 5, she charges them 
 very strictly, to give him, her love, no molestation 
 or disturbance ; which could not very well be, 
 without informing them who he was ; and ia 
 chap. iii. 11, she invites them to come forth and 
 see this glorious person who was her Lord and 
 Husband, in all his glory, on his coronation and 
 espousal-day ; to which invitation, they no doubt 
 complied, and therefore must have some know- 
 ledge of him. The design then of this question is, 
 that they might know him more and better; 
 which also is the desire of every gracious soul, 
 even of those who have made the greatest profici- 
 ency in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ ; 
 the apostle Paul perhaps kuew as much of Christ 
 as ever any mere man on earth did, and yet he 
 desired to know more of him and the power of his 
 resurrection ; for he valued the knowledge of him 
 above all things else : these daughters of Jerusa- 
 lem, though they knew but little, were willing to 
 know more of Christ ; as they had begun to 
 know, they desired to follow on to know him, and 
 make a greater improvement in this kind of learn- 
 ing ; and being sensible of the church's abilities, 
 desire her assistance, aud are willing to be in- 
 structed by her : also tiiose who know the most of 
 Christ, are frequently desirous of having his praises 
 and excellencies set forth by others ; for they can 
 never hear him enough extolled ; his name to 
 
 f Durh.ajn in loc. 
 
20G 
 
 AN EXI'OSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. V. 
 
 them is as ointment poured forth ; therefore they 
 love him, as did the virgins here ; who excited the 
 church hereunto, by putting this questiou, and so 
 had their ends answered : and perhaps likewise 
 they might have in view the trial of her faith in 
 Christ, her knowledge of him, and love to him in 
 her present state ; she was novr under his resent- 
 ments ; he had withdrawn himself from her, and 
 she was exposed to the scaud;il, reproach, and per- 
 secutions of her enemies ; and they were willing 
 to know how her faith stood now, whether she 
 loved him now as well as ever, and whether by his 
 absence she had not lost all just ideas of him ; 
 and in this she gives them full satisfaction in her 
 answer to them ; where she gives an exact account 
 of him, describes him from head to foot, and shows 
 the strength of her faith in him, and affections 
 for him, particularly in the close of it, verse 16 ; 
 also in this question they seem principally desirous 
 of knowing what those excellencies were which 
 were in him, that distinguished him from other 
 beloveds, and made him preferable to them. 
 Christ was the chiefest among ten thousands in 
 her esteem ; to all that believe he is precious ; 
 not only precious upon an equal footing with others, 
 but far more precious than all other things or per- 
 sons besides ; for there is none in heaven, nor any 
 upon earth, that saints desire besides him : there 
 are indeed a great many beloveds, but Christ is 
 preferable to them all ; and in what he is so, the 
 daughters of Jerusalem were willing to know. 
 
 1st. The world, with the riches and grandeur 
 of it, is the beloved of some persons. There ai-e 
 too many, both in the world and in the church, 
 that have their affections too much set on earthly 
 things ; who neglect their own souls, and the 
 cause and interest of Christ Jesus ; having Demas- 
 like, loved this present world : but, alas ! "What 
 is this world, or any thing in it, to be compared 
 to Christ, the believer's beloved? every thing, 
 even the best that is in the world, is fading, per- 
 ishing, and transitory ; many temptatious and 
 snares, foolish and hurtful iusts, does an immoderate 
 care for, and sinful love of this world, run per- 
 sons into ; therefore, says the apostle John, 1 
 John ii. 15, " love not the world, neither the 
 things that are in the world, " for tliey are not 
 to be mentioned with Christ ; he is infinitely pre- 
 ferable to them ; see Prov. iii. 13 — 15. 
 
 2ndly. The sinful lusts and pleasure of this life 
 are the beloveds of others. Every natural man 
 has his beloved lust or lusts ; and these he idolizes 
 and adores, falls down to, aud worships ; he makes 
 gods of them, as the apostle says, Phil. iii. 19, of 
 some, " whose god is their belly ;" aud it may be 
 said of all by nature, that they are " serving 
 divers lusts and pleasures," being lovers of them ; 
 who are never better pleased and more satisfied, 
 than when they are " fulfilling the desires of 
 the flesh and of the mind;" but these pleasures 
 are but short-lived; they afford no real satisfaction 
 now ; and, if grace prevent not, will end in bit- 
 
 terness and death: wherefore the worst of a be- 
 liever, even his afilictions, are better than these ; 
 and therefore he thiuks it more eligible " to suffer 
 affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy 
 the pleasure of sin for a season ;" aud if so, much 
 more preferable must Christ, an interest in him, 
 union to him, and communion with him, be to all 
 such beloveds as these. 
 
 3rdly. The praise and applause of men is another 
 beloved of some persons. This was the beloved 
 of the hypocritical Pharisees, who, in aU the parts 
 of their religion and devotion, sought the honour 
 of men, and not of God : as also of those who, 
 though they were convinced in their consciences 
 that Christ was the Messiah, and believed him to be 
 so, yet " did not confess him, for they loved the 
 praise of men more than the praise of God :" they 
 were afraid that their good names, characters, and 
 reputations should be blasted, as too many are 
 now : and therefore drop the doctrines of the gos- 
 pel, and desert the cause and interest of Christ 
 Jesus : but though " a good name is better than 
 precious ointment," it is not better than a precious 
 Jesus, whose " name is as ointment poured forth ;" 
 nor better than the precious doctrines of the gos- 
 pel ; it is much preferable to be nick-named, re- 
 proached, and vilified with Christ and his gospel, 
 than to have the best name, character, and repu- 
 tation in this world without them ; for what will 
 it avail a man, " though he hath gained all this, 
 when God taktth away his soul ?" 
 
 4thly. Near and dear relations are the only 
 beloveds of others, as parents, children, &c. 
 They set their affections so much on these, that 
 Christ has little or no share in them : now, says 
 Christ, Matt. x. 37, " he that loveth father or 
 mother more than me, is not worthy of me : and 
 he that loveth son or daughter more than mc, is 
 not worthy of me :" Christ is preferable to all 
 such beloveds, and indeed to any creature- enjoy- 
 ment whatever. 
 
 5thly. And lastly. Self is the beloved of 
 many ; nay, may not 1 say, too much the dearly- 
 beloved of us all? Self lies close to us, is near 
 and dear unto us ; and we too much deserve that 
 character, " lovers of ourselves, more than lovers 
 of God;" and yet Christ requires of us, that we 
 should deny this beloved self, sinful self, and part 
 with it for him ; nay even rigliteous self, our be- 
 loved righteousness, which we are naturally so 
 fond of, and which is so hard and difficult a work 
 to do ; and yet souls are enabled by divine grace 
 to do this, seeing a super-excellency in Christ and 
 his righteousness, as the apostle Paid did ; who, 
 though he had been so much in love with his own 
 righteousness ; it had been his darling, he valued 
 himself much upon it, and thought to have gained 
 much by it ; yet threw it all away as " loss aud 
 dung," and desired to be found in Christ, and in 
 his righteousness only ; that being far preferable 
 to his former beloved. 
 
 Thus Christ excels all other beloveds ; and he 
 
VER. 
 
 10.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 207 
 
 must needs do so, for, 1. He is fairer than all 
 others ; there is no such beauty to be found in 
 any beloved whatever as is iu him ; he is the 
 " brightness of his Father's glory, and the ex- 
 press image of his person." 2. He is wiser 
 than all others ; he is a perfection of wisdom, as 
 well as beauty ; " in him are hid all the treasures 
 of wisdom and knowledge." 3. He is richer 
 than all others ; he is possessed of " unsearchable 
 riches ;" riches which can never be told over, in 
 time, nor to all eternity ; he has riches of grace 
 and riches of glory; " yea, durable riches aud 
 righteousness." Now one, in whom all beauty, 
 wisdom, and riches meet, must needs be an ex- 
 cellent person, and appear preferable to all be- 
 loveds : Christ is such an one ; he has all the 
 accomplishments and perfections of the diviue and 
 human nature to make him so. 
 
 Agaiu, the daughters of Jerusalem putting such a 
 question as this to the church, shows, 1. Their re- 
 gard unto her, and compassion for her : the watch- 
 men aud keepers of the walls, as soon as ever they 
 found her, without asking any question, who she 
 was, where she came from, whith<ir she was going 
 or whom she was seeking ; I say, as soon as ever 
 they found her, they fall upon her, smite her, 
 wound her, and take away her veil from her; but 
 these persons showed more regard and com- 
 passion ; for, being willing to assist her in her 
 present case, if possible, they stand conferring 
 with lier. 2. It appears from hence, that 
 these were enquiring souls, which discover a work 
 of grace begun in them ; for no sooner are souls 
 awakened to see their lost state by nature, but 
 they are enquiring the way of salvation; and hav- 
 ing got some glimmering knowledge of Christ, 
 and salvation by him, they enquire still more after 
 liim, concerning his person, office, and grace ; 
 and having some impressions of his love on their 
 souls, enquire the nature of a church, and the or- 
 dinances of Christ therein ; they ask their way 
 to Zion with their faces thitherward. 3. It 
 is evident, from the question they proposed, that 
 they were docible and teachable : they were 
 willing to be instructed ; they were not haughty, 
 scornful, and above instruction ; they did not 
 think that they knew enough of Christ, and needed 
 to know no more, nor be instructed better : 
 but being conscious of their own ignorance, and 
 extremely desirous of being informed better, they 
 put this question to her. 
 
 III. This question is repeated by them ; 
 which shows the surprise that they were in at her 
 solemn charge, and the stir she made about her 
 beloved : and concluded from thence, that there 
 must be some peculiar excellencies in him, which 
 they had not been made acquainted with yet, and 
 therefore repeat the question ; as also to manifest 
 their seriousness in it, and that they were in good 
 earnest desirous of knowing Christ more and 
 better ; and likewise it is expressive of their 
 importuuateness to have ti speedy answer from 
 her. 
 
 IV. Here is also that wliich gave occasion to 
 them to put this question to her ; and that was 
 her strict and solemn charge in the former verse, 
 " that thou dost so charge us ;" that is, so aw- 
 fully and solemnly, so seriously and strictly, with 
 80 much warmth and vehemence : they were eye 
 and ear-witnesses to her sutferings at the hands of 
 the watchmen, and to her courage, constancy, and 
 undauutedaess therein ? they saw that she was 
 no ways discouraged by what she met with from 
 seeking her beloved ; but seemed rather by her 
 solemn charge to them to be more warm and zea- 
 lous, serious, diligent, and resolved to go on in 
 search of him ; and seeing all this, it put them 
 upon enquiring what he was, what peculiar ex- 
 cellencies were in him, and what distinguished 
 characters he might be known by. Thus the 
 warmth, zeal, and liveliness of some Christians, 
 have been the means of stirring up and quicken- 
 ing others to their duty ; nay, the suffermgs of 
 the saints, and their courage and boldness therein, 
 have not only filled beholders with wonder, but 
 have put their very enemies upon making enquiry 
 into the religion they had suffered for ; and to 
 ask, who and what that Christ was, for whom 
 they had undergone such severe tortures and pu- 
 nishments ; and this has been the means of the 
 conversion of thousands ; which gave rise to that 
 saying, " The blood of the martyrs is the seed of 
 the church :" and this is the gloss of R. Solo- 
 mon Jarchi on this text, namely : " Thus the na- 
 tions asked the Israelites, "What is your God more 
 than all gods, that ye are burnt and hanged for 
 him after this manner?" Next follows a glorious 
 description of Christ, the ehui-ch's beloved, iu 
 answer to this question of the daughters of Je- 
 rusalem. 
 
 Verse 10. 3Iy beloved is white arid rvddy, the 
 chiefest among ten thousand. 
 
 The church having, in ver. 8, given the daugh- 
 ters of Jerusalem a strict and solemn charge, that 
 when they found her beloved, they w^ould tell him 
 that she was sick of love, made them, in ver. 9, 
 very inquisitive after him ; being as it were un- 
 easy till they knew what he was, and wherein he 
 excelled ethers ; and therefore put this question 
 to her, " What is thy beloved more than another 
 beloved ?" to which an answer is returned by her, 
 in this and the following verses ; iu which she 
 first gives a more general description of him, and 
 then descends to particulars. The general de- 
 scription of him is in the words now under 
 consideration ; in which she describes him. 
 
 I. Positively, in regard to what he was 
 in himself, as to his favour and complexion : 
 " my beloved is white and ruddy." 
 
 II. Co.mparatively, as he may be considered 
 with regard to others ; " the chiefest among 
 ten thousand." 
 
 I. She describes him br his favour and com- 
 
203 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CIIAP. V. 
 
 plexion, "white and ruddy." Wbich some^^ un- 
 derstand of his two natures, humaa aud divine ; 
 who may be said to be white, as to his divine 
 nature ; " the ancient of days," the everlasting 
 God, is represented in Dan. vii. 9, as being 
 clothed with a " garment white as snow, aud the 
 hair of his head like tlie pure wool :" the de- 
 scription which John, 1 John i. 5, gives of the 
 Divine being, is, that he " is light, aud in him 
 is no darkness at all ;" which is thought'' to be 
 best represented by this colour, which is simjde, 
 and has no mixture aud composition in it, Christ 
 is " the light of the world;" he was known by 
 this character to the Old Testament saints; be 
 was prophesied of as the great light which should 
 lighten the Gentile world ; this was owned by 
 old Simeon, witnessed by John, and asserted by 
 himself : and then it is thought by these inter- 
 preters, that he may be said to be red or ruddy, 
 as to his human nature. The first man, who 
 was a type of Christ, aud " a iigure of him that 
 was to come," was called Adam, which signifies 
 red ; and perhaps he had his name from the Hebrew 
 word nmx, adamah, which signifies red earth^ 
 out of which he was formed. Gen. ii. 7 ; so Christ 
 is called " the last Adam," 1 Cor. xv. 45, be- 
 cause he " took part of the same flesh and blood, 
 the children " whom he loved, " are partakers 
 of." Now, according to this sense of the words, 
 her answer is this : Would you know who and 
 what my beloved is, and wherein he excels others ? 
 I will tell you, and be it known unto you, that he 
 is no mean, common, and ordinary person ; no, he 
 is a glorious and an extraordinary one ; his name 
 is N^B, pele, wonderful, a wonder, a miracle -. and 
 so is his person ; two natures meet in him ; he 
 is God and man in one person ; he is " the great 
 mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh ;" 
 and when you hear this, you will cease to wonder 
 why I so charge you, and why I love, value, and 
 esteem him above all others. 
 
 Again, others'* understand these words of Christ's 
 human nature only ; and that he may be said to 
 be white, because of the innocence, purity, and 
 holiness of his human nature ; which was not 
 tainted with original sin, as ours is, he is not de- 
 scended from Adam by ordinary generation ; but 
 was miraculously conceived in the womb of a 
 virgin by the power of the Holy Ghost, and there- 
 fore it is called " that holy thiug :" neither was 
 there any sinful action committed by him in all 
 his life; but both in nature aud practice he was 
 " holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sin- 
 ners ;" he never sinned iu thought, word, or deed, 
 though he " was made sin for us." Also, they 
 suppose, he may be said to be red or ruddy, on 
 the account of his sufl'erings iu this nature ; by 
 reason of which he may be represented, in Ts. 
 
 e Foliot and Ainsworth in loc Ambros. iu Psal. 
 cxviii. ooton. 5. col. 907. Theodoret. and Tres Petras 
 apud Ibid. •■ Color albus pra;cipue decorus Deo 
 
 est, Cicero de Legibus, I. 2. * Vid. Buxtorf. and 
 
 David d« Fomis in Le.x, in rad, tDl« and Josepli. 
 
 xiii. 1, 2, as being " red in his apparel," and as 
 being clothed with " dyed garments ;" for what 
 with the buffetings aud scourgings of his body, 
 the crowning his head with thorns, and piercing 
 his hands, feet, jind side, with the nails and spear, 
 the garment of the human nature was like " a 
 vesture dipped in blood:" tothis purposeis Alcuin's 
 note on the test, which is not to be despised ; he 
 is ivhite, says he, because without sin ; red, with 
 the blood of his sufferings ; " chosen out of tea 
 thousand," because he i^ the only mediator of God 
 and men. Now there cannot appear a more 
 beautiful and delightful sight, to those who desire 
 " to know nothing but Christ and him crucified," 
 than to see the just Jesus sufi'ering for unjust ones ; 
 him that " knew no sin, made sm for them ;" 
 afid the holy, harmless, innocent, and unspotted 
 lamb of God, shedding his blood for the vilest of 
 sinners ; according to this sense, the church's 
 answer is : Would you kuow what my beloved is, 
 and wherein he excels others ? I will tell you, he 
 is not black with original and actual sin, as 
 you and I are : for though you see him red with 
 sufl'erings ; yet he was " not cut off for himself, 
 but was wounded for our transgressions, aud bruised 
 for our iniquities :" for in his nature andactions 
 he is white, pure, and spotless : and such a mixture 
 of white and red, of innocence and sutlerings, 
 render him extremely amiable and lovely to me. 
 Or else. 
 
 As others' have observed, these words may be 
 understood of the diS'cx'ent administrations of mer- 
 cy and justice. Thus when Christ pai'dons sinners, 
 " though their sins be as scarlet," he makes them 
 '■' as white as snow ; and though they be red like 
 crimson, they become as wool;" and when he 
 justifies persons, he is said to clothe them in " fine 
 linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness 
 of the saints ;" aud when he promises glorification 
 to them, it is in such words as these, " they shall 
 walk with nie in white, for they are worthy ;" 
 and so glorified saints are represented, "clothed 
 with white robes, palms in their hands, and hal- 
 lelujahs in their ifiouths ;" for all which see Isa. 
 i. 18, llev. iii. 4, 5, aud vii. 9, 13, 14, and xix. 8 ; 
 and then when he is represented as taking ven- 
 geance ou his euemies, and executing wrath upon 
 liis foes, he is said to be " red iu his apparel," 
 and to be " clothed with a vesture dipped in 
 blood ;^' for so they understand Isa. Ixiii. 1, 2, 
 Rev. xix. 13 ; and it may be further observed, 
 that the wrath which the Lord ponreth forth upon 
 the " wicked of the earth," is represented by a 
 cup of red wine, expressing the fierceness and fia-y 
 of it ; " for in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, 
 and the wine is red," &c., Psalm Ixxv. 8. And 
 this agrees with the common notion of the Caba- 
 listic doctors, that when God appears in mercy 
 
 Antiq. 1. 1. c. I. s. 'I. ^ Hieron. Greg. Psellus, S. 
 Tliom. Boda, and Rupert, in Sanct. in loc. 
 
 1 Vid R. Abeu Ezra R. Alshech. and Ainswortlj 
 iu loc. and E. Sol. Jarchi iu ver. ifi. 
 
VER. 8.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 200 
 
 and kindness, then he may be said to be w/ii/^ ; 
 but when in wrath and anger, red ; of this fre- 
 quent mention is made in Zohar, and in other 
 Cabalistic books :™ according to this sense, it is as 
 if she should say. My beloved has mercy and grace 
 for his people, which he bestows in a sovereign 
 manner upon them ; and he has vengeance for his 
 adversaries, which he executes upon them ac- 
 cording to the strictest rules of justice ; and this 
 mixture of mercy and justice, of white and red, 
 renders him an extraordinary person : it makes 
 some to love him, and others to fear him. Or 
 else. 
 
 These words may be interpreted of Christ's 
 battles and victories, and may represent bim as a 
 mighty warrior, and a triumphant conqueror. 
 Thus in Rev. vi. 4, the warrior, who had "power 
 given him to take peace from the earth," is in- 
 troduced as riding upon " a red horse ;" and in 
 ver. 2, he that " went forth conquering and to 
 conquer," as riding upon " a white horse ;" thus 
 Christ, who is " the Lord of hosts, the man of 
 war," considered as fighting the Lord's battles, 
 may be said to be red or ruddy ; and as returning 
 from the field of battle, as a mighty conqueror, 
 having " spoiled principalities and powers," and 
 gotten an entire victory over all his and our enemies, 
 may be said to be white. And now this great 
 person, as if she should say, has done all this for 
 me, and " made me also more than a conqueror ;" 
 and this person is my beloved. 
 
 But passing these several senses, which perhaps 
 may be thought too nice and curious, though 
 agreeable to the analogy of faith, yet it may be, 
 \vill not bear so well here ; though I choose rather 
 to understand them of the beauty, glory, and ex- 
 cellency of Christ, as Mediator, without applying 
 particularly these colours of " white and ruddy," 
 to either nature, or to any particular actions pei'- 
 formed in either: and I cannot but think that 
 the church, in this description of Christ, has 
 some reference to the account that is given of 
 David, 1 Sam. xvi. 12, which is, that " he was 
 ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, 
 and goodly to look at;" David was an eminent 
 type of Christ ; of his line the Messiah came, 
 who is sometimes called David in scripture ; and 
 is both his " root aud offspring, the bright and the 
 Morning Star ;" and as described by David, is 
 " fairer than the children of men," being " white 
 and ruddy," which discovers the best temperature, 
 the most healthful constitution, and the com- 
 pletest beauty : as Mediator, he is a perfection of 
 beauty ; all divine perfections are in him ; the 
 glory of them all shine I'esplendently in his face 
 or person ; and they are all glorified in him and 
 by him, who is " the brightness of his Father's 
 glory, and the express image of his person." 
 There is also a mediatorial glory that he is pos- 
 sessed of, which is the result and consequence of 
 
 his work ; and which renders him exceeding fair 
 and beautiful in the eyes of believers now, and 
 is what they will, with wonder and pleasure, ever- 
 lastingly gaze upon in another world : likewise as 
 Mediator, all fulness of grace dwells in him ; and 
 as " full of grace and truth, his glory appears as 
 the glory of tiie only begotten of the Father." 
 
 Again, Christ as Mediator, is " white and 
 ruddy," a perfection of beauty in the eyes of 
 believers, as considered in all his offices of Prophet, 
 Priest, and King, and in all his relations, as Hus- 
 band, Father, Brother, and Friend, which he 
 bears and stands in to his people ; moreover he is 
 exceedingly beautiful in their esteem, in all that 
 he has done and sufi'ered for them ; but of this 
 beauty and fairness of Christ, see more on chap. 
 i. 15. 
 
 II. Christ is here described by the church 
 comparatively, as he may be considered with 
 with regard to others ; " the chiefest among ten 
 thousand." 
 
 The Septuagint render the words thus, "chosen 
 out of, or from ten thousand ;"° so Christ is both 
 by God and men ; he is chosen of God from 
 among ten thousand, as Man and Mediator : when 
 that large number of all the individuals of human 
 nature, which he resolved to create in time, came 
 up in his vast and eternal mind ; a certain number 
 of them he singled out for himself whom he meant 
 to make instances of his mighty grace and mercy, 
 and therefore ordained them to life and salvation ; 
 and out of this select company, which he had in 
 his eternal view, he chose the man Christ Jesus, 
 and singled out that single individuum of human 
 natm'c only, to be united to the eternal A070S, 
 logos, the second person in the glorious Trinity ; 
 and therefore he is said to " exalt one chosen out 
 of the people :" he chose this glorious person to 
 be the Saviour, Head, and Mediator of his elect 
 ones ; that Living Stone, which is disallowed and 
 rejected by some men, who would be accounted 
 builders, is " chosen of God and precious ;" he 
 has laid him as the foundation, and " made him 
 as the Head of the corner ;" he knew that he was 
 furnished with suitable abilities to be the sinner's 
 Saviour, therefore he " laid help upon one that 
 is mighty ;" he called him to the work, invested 
 him with the office of a Mediator, and appointed 
 him his " salvation to the ends of the earth ;" 
 and now, had all human beings been summoned 
 together to have chosen a saviour for themselves, 
 they could never have made a better choice than 
 God has made for them ; with this choice every 
 sensible sinner is well satisfied, and rejoices in it ; 
 and was it to be done again, would say, as the 
 Psalmist did, " He shall choose our inheritance 
 for us," Psalm xlvii. 4. 
 
 He is also chosen of men from among ten 
 thousand ; there is none among all the angels in 
 heaven, the large number of inhabitants that fill 
 
 ' Vid. Shirhashirim Rabba in loc. fol. 20. 1. 
 
 'EKXeXoxio-fiei/Of aito .fivpiaiiav, Sept. eleCtUS CX 
 
 millibus, Vulg. Lat. David de Pomis in Lexic, Heb. 
 fol. 18. 3, renders it magnificatus, electus. 
 
 V 
 
210 
 
 AX KXrOSlTJOX OF THE 
 
 [CIIAP, 
 
 the upper world : nor any among the vast crowds 
 of the sons of men, so desirable to sensible sinners 
 as he is ; they make choice of him only for their 
 Saviour ; for being sensible that in vain is salva- 
 tion hoped for any where else, they say of all the 
 works of their hands, even of the best their hands 
 ever wrought, " ye shall not save ns :" neither 
 will we any more give you such honour, nor have 
 such a dependance on you, as to say, " ye are our 
 gods ;" but Christ, and he only, shall be our sal- 
 vation ; and though he slay ns, yet will we trust 
 in him : they choose him for their Ruler and Go- 
 vernor, their Lord and King ; and though they 
 have formerly been under, and have submitted 
 to the government of others ; yet they now desire 
 to be his subjects and servants only, and to be 
 obedient to his laws and commands : they like- 
 wise fix on him as the alone object of their love, 
 whom they have the strongest affection for, and 
 desirous to keep the most inviolable chastity to ; 
 for though he is out of sight, he is not out of 
 mind, " wliom having not seen they love ;" nor 
 can he be outri vailed by any, being preferable in 
 their esteem to all others. 
 
 Moreover the Hebrew word may be rendered, a 
 " standard bearer,° or one standard among ten 
 thousand." The church of Christ here below is 
 in a militant state : she has many enemies to grap- 
 ple with, whicli cause fightings without, and fears 
 * within ; and though these enemies are mighty and 
 powerful, crafty and cunniug, yet in the name and 
 strength of her Lord, she sets up her banners, and 
 appears as terrible to them and as majestic to 
 others, " as an army with banners ;" and this 
 banner or standard, which is both her covering 
 and her comfort in the day of battle, is love, ac- 
 cording to chap. ii. 4. It is the love of Christ, 
 as a banner displayed, an ensign set np, and stand- 
 ard erected, wliich invites and engages so many 
 to enlist themselves in Christ's service ; and, when 
 enlisted, animates them to tight the Lord's battles 
 so courageously as they do: Christ, he is the 
 standard-bearer, and the great " Captain of our 
 salvation," being by God the Father given as a 
 Leader and Commander " to the people. Now 
 Christ being said to be " the standard-bearer 
 among ten thousand," may be understood of the 
 multitude, either of ministering angels,' who are 
 under him and at his command ; or of saints, who 
 are enlisted in his service, and ready to do his 
 pleasure ; he having set up his standard, and being 
 himself " an ensign to the people," multitudes 
 flock unto him, and fulfil the prophecy of him, as 
 the great Shiloh, to whom " tiie gathering of the 
 people should be :" herein lies the sjlory and ex- 
 cellency of Christ, that he has ten thousand, that 
 is a large number of choice and select ones under 
 his standard, such as there are not the like in all 
 
 ° nsaio '7UT vexillatus, ornatus vel elatus ut vex 
 illarius, Buxtorf. vexillatus niyriade, Merceru.s ; vex- 
 illatus a decern milljbus, Montaiius; vexillariusestc 
 myriads Junius; sub signis habens excrcitum deem 
 millium Tigurinc version. f Vid. Tar/ura, Aben 
 
 the world besides ; and bow stately and majestic 
 does Christ look, and what a uoble sight is it to 
 see him bearing the standard before such a com- 
 pany ! such a sight as this John had of him, at 
 the head of a vast multitude of those shining 
 ones, who were " clothed with white robes," and 
 had " palms iu their hands," having just obtained 
 a glorious victory over their enemies. Rev. vii. 
 9, 13, 14. Or else, the intent of the word is, 
 that Christ is a more escelleut standard-bearer 
 than all others -.i there may be ten thousand per- 
 sons who carry a flag, but none of them all are 
 to be compared with him, either for comeliness, 
 strength, or courage ; none have such a choice and 
 select company under them as he has ; neither do 
 any carry such a banner as he does, whose motto 
 is love ; and herein was he, who is " the lion of 
 the tribe of Judah," represented by that tribe, 
 wliich of all the tribes of Israel pitched their 
 standard first, and had the greatest number under 
 it ; see Numb. ii. 3, 4. 
 
 But these words by our translators are rendered, 
 " thechiefest among ten thousand ;" and the sense 
 of them is no ways opposed by the former versions ; 
 for if he is "chosen out of," and is " the standard- 
 bearer among ten thousand," then he must be the 
 ehiefest among them ; he is the chiefest among aU 
 the angels in heaven : for to " which of the angels 
 said he at any time. Thou art my son," &c. 
 He is the Son of God in a higher sense than 
 angels and men are ; angels are the sons of 
 God by creation, saints by adoption, but Christ is 
 the Son of God by an ineffable generation ; as 
 he is God, he is the Creator of angels, and to him 
 they pay homage and adoration ; they are his 
 servants and are at his command, whom he sends 
 forth as ministering spirits, to do his pleasure ; . 
 and though as man, in the state of his humilia- 
 tion and abasement here on earth in the days of 
 his flesh, he was " made a little lower than the 
 angels ;" yet now in the very same nature in 
 wliich he was abased below them, he is now ex- 
 alted above them at the Father's right hand ; 
 for " to which of the angels said he at any time. 
 Sit on my rigiit hand," &c. ; as Mediator, he has 
 " obtained a more excellent name than they ;" 
 for the name of saviour or mediator is given to 
 none of them ; and as such they are beholden to 
 him, though not to make peace and reconcilia- 
 tion for them, they having never sinned and in- 
 curred the divine displeasure ; yet they are obliged 
 unto him for confirming grace, to secure them 
 in that state in which they stand. He is also 
 the chiefest of all on eai'th, as well as of all iu 
 heaven ; in all things, and over all persons, he 
 has the pre-eminence ; he is the Head of saints, 
 their " everlasting Father," and tender Husband ; 
 he is the great Master of the family, and " the 
 
 Ezra.aiid ShirhashirimRabbainloc. i Intelliges 
 insignein prig decern mlllibus, ut ^ prae compara- 
 tionem designet, Mercerus in loc. Insignitus prse 
 myriade, Cocccius, Mayckius ; insignius pra decern 
 inillib«=, I'agninus. 
 
VKR. 
 
 11.] 
 
 SO\G OF SONGS. 
 
 211 
 
 firsl-bora among many brethren ;" he is the 
 King of saints, and Lord of the creation ; and 
 should be the chiefest, and have the chiefest place 
 in the desires of our hearts, in the contempla- 
 tions of our minds, the affections of our souls, 
 and in our ascriptions of glory ; for " he is the 
 chiefest among ten thousand." 
 
 Verse 11. His head is as the most fine gold ; his 
 locks are hushy, and black as a raven. 
 
 The church, having given a general description 
 of her beloved in the former verse, pursuant to 
 the request of the daughters of Jerusalem, does 
 in this enter into a more particular commenda- 
 tion of him, and continues unto the end of the 
 chapter : which commendation consists of ten 
 particulars, two of which are in these words , 
 
 I. She describes him by his head ; which, she 
 says, " is as the most fine gold." 
 
 II. By his locks; which "are bushy, and black 
 as a raven." 
 
 I. She describes " his head as the most fine 
 gold." Some think, that some ornameut of the 
 head is meant, as a diadem or crown of gold : 
 or else, the hair of the head ; which though after- 
 wards is said to be black, yet, being powdered 
 with gold dust, looked of the colour of gold, espe- 
 cially with the rays of the sun upon it : as did 
 the hair of Solomon's youths that attended him, 
 being thus decorated, as Josephus' relates ; and 
 which custom of powdering the hair with gold, 
 was used by some of the Roman emperors.' By 
 Christ's head may be meant, either, 
 
 1st. God the Father who is in scripture called 
 so : Thus the apostle says, in 1 Cor. xi. 3, " The 
 head of every man is Christ, and the head of the 
 woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God," 
 that is, God the Father; which is to be under- 
 stood of Christ as Man and Mediator ; for as he is 
 God, the Father is not his head ; he is not above 
 him,norsuperior to him in nature, power, or glory ; 
 for " being in the form of God, he thought it 
 no robbery to be equal with him." It is true, 
 the Father is the first person in Trinity ; but he 
 is not first in order of time, dignity, nor causality ; 
 some of the fathers and schoolmeu have indeed 
 said, that the Father, with respect to the other 
 two persons, '\%fons deitatis, principiuin, causa, 
 the fountain of the deity, beginning, and cause 
 thereof ; these phrases are better let alone than 
 used : but he may very properly be said to be 
 the head of Christ, as ]\Ian and Mediator; for as 
 he is man, he is God's creature, the work of his 
 hands, " a body hast thou prepared me ;" and so 
 subject to him, and under his power and govern- 
 ment ; and in this sense are those words of Christ 
 to be understood, where he says, John xiv. 28, 
 " My Father is greater than I ;". being his Crea- 
 tor, Lord, and Head, And, 1. Christ as Man and 
 
 ' Antiquit. 1, 8. c. 7. .=. .3. • Vid Bochart, 
 
 Hierozoic. par. 1. 1. 3. c. 9. col. 154. ' CHD 
 
 aurum insigne, aurum purgatissimum, "r; aurum soli- 
 
 Mediator, has his life from his Father; as he is 
 God, his life is original and undcrived; it is not 
 communicated to him from another : but his life, 
 as Man and Mediator, is given him ; he asked life 
 of his Father, in the everlasting covenant, both 
 for himself and for his people, and it was granted 
 to him ; and in this sense is that text to be un- 
 derstood, John v. 26, " As the Father hath life 
 in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have 
 life in himself ;" as we derive our life from Christ, 
 and have it maintained and supported by him : so 
 Christ, as Man and Mediator, has his life from his 
 Father, by whom also it is supported, he lives by 
 him ; " as the living Father hath sent me," says 
 Christ, John vi. 57, " and I live by the Father, 
 so he that eateth me shall live by me ;" and in 
 this sense is God the head of Christ ; he com- 
 municates life unto him, as Man and Mediator, 
 and continues it in him. 2. Christ, as Man and 
 Mediator, is subject to his Father, as the members 
 of the body are to the head : thus, as God's 
 " righteous servants" he was sent by him about 
 the great work of man's redemption, was obedient 
 to him, and carefully observed all the commands 
 which he enjoined him ; he still is, and will be to 
 all eternity subjectto his Father, a>i Man and Medi- 
 ator ; lor when all things shall be put under 
 the feet of Christ, as King of saints, then he, 
 " the Son, shall be subject to him that put all 
 things under him, that God may be all in all," 
 1 Cor. XV. 28. 3. Christ, as Man and I\Iediator, 
 was gnided and directed, taught and instructed by 
 his Father, what he should speak and what he 
 should do, as the great prophet in Israel, and Sa- 
 viour of the world ; and this gives light to those 
 scriptures, John v. 20, and viii. 28, and xii. 49, 
 50 ; and proves the Father to be the Head of 
 Christ. 4. Christ, as Man and Mediator, was 
 strengthened and supported in his work by his 
 Father as his Head ; this was promised him in the 
 everlasting covenant ; and was made good to him 
 " in an acceptable," suitable, and seasonable " time, 
 in the day of salvation ;" in the day he wrought 
 out the salvation of sinners ; which animated and 
 encouraged him in the view of all that he was to 
 go through ; see Isa. 1. 8 — 10; and proved him 
 to be the " Son of man," whom God made strong 
 for himself. Now this head of Christ " is as the 
 most fine gold ;" here are two words used in the 
 Hebrew text, which both signify gold ;' the one 
 signifies pure, fine, and shining ; the other, strong 
 and solid gold ; and may also be rendered, the 
 gold of Fez ;° from whence either the city of 
 Fez had its name ;"" or else, this gold had its 
 name from the land where it was in abundance ; 
 and perhaps is the name with the gold of Uphaz, 
 mentioned in Dan. x. 5, Jer. x. 9 ; and this being 
 the best and finest gold, the church uses it to set 
 off the glory and excellency of Christ's head : not 
 
 dum, Buxtorf. ° Vid. Ainsworth, Bishop Pa- 
 
 trick, and Sanctius in lou. «• Leo African. De- 
 
 scriptio. Africa;, 1. 3 p. 273. 
 
212 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CHAl'. V. 
 
 that we are to suppose, as the apostle observes, 
 Acts xvii. 29, that " the God-head is like to gold 
 and silver," &c., for no likeness and similitude 
 can be formed of the Divine Being ; and indeed 
 the church seems to be almost at a loss what to 
 compare this head to ; but gold being the richest, 
 most excellent, and durable metal, and the gold 
 of Fez being the best of any, she uses this to set 
 forth the glory of it by : and yet, as not being 
 satisfied, she says, it is as " the most fine gold ;" 
 if there is any better, it is like that ; or, as the 
 words may also be rendered, " his head is as gold 
 of gold ;* aud it is as if she should say, I would 
 compare it to gold, because I can think of nothing 
 better, richer, and more glorious ; but I cannot 
 find gold good enough to compare to it : this is 
 " the gold of gold ;" there is none such else- 
 where ; the whole universe cannot furnish us with 
 the like ; he that is my beloved's head, is " more 
 glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey," 
 yea, than all the golden mountains of Peru. Or 
 else, 
 
 2ndly. By Christ's head may be meant, the divine 
 nature in him \'f which is the head, the chie*", and 
 principal nature in Christ ; in which his highest 
 characters are written, and which puts a glory and 
 efl[icacy in all that he has done and suffered as 
 Mediator ; and it is this which supported him, and 
 enabled him to go through the great work of man's 
 Ealvation : all divine perfections are in Christ, and 
 these all shine resplendently in him, who is "the 
 brightness of his Father's glory, and the express 
 image of his person ;" this head is a head of pure, 
 fine, and shining gold ; " all the fulness of the 
 Godhead dwells bodily in him ; " and the glory of 
 it is very manifest and conspicuous. Or, 
 
 Srdly. By Christ's head may be meant, his 
 headship over his church, or his regal power and 
 government, which 1 rather incline to ; thus he is 
 represented, iu Psalm xxi. 3, as having "a crown 
 of pure gold" upon his head, denoting his royal 
 dignity and authority : so Nebuchadnezzar, or the 
 large and flourishing monarchy which he was ruler 
 of, is set forth by an head of gold, in Dan. ii. 32 
 — 38. And now Christ, as Lord of the church, 
 and King of saints, may be compared to " the 
 most fine gold," because his kingdom and govern- 
 ment is the most excelleut andglorious; it is man- 
 aged with the utmost wisdom and prudence, and 
 according to the strictest rules of justice and 
 equity ; his head is a golden one, and fit for the 
 work he is called to, for in it " are hid all the trea- 
 sures of wisdom and knowledge :" and therefore 
 he is the only wise and just, as well as the only 
 rich and powerful potentate in the universe : he 
 is " King of kings, and Lord of lords ;" all others 
 receive their crowns and kingdoms from him, and 
 are set up and put down by him at pleasure ; and 
 therefore it is by him that " kings reign, and 
 
 » Aurum auri, Mercerus. ^ Mercerus in loc. so 
 
 Theodoret. in loc. and Thorn. Eeda in Sanct. in loc. 
 
 Targum, Shirhaehlrim Kabba, Alshech, Yalkut 
 
 princes decree justice ;" all the wisdom and pru- 
 dence, justice and equity, which appear in any of 
 the governments of this world, are but faint re- 
 semblances of what of this nature appear in Christ's 
 government ■, he is the " head of gold," all the rest 
 are but like " brass, iron, and clay." 2. He is com- 
 pared to fine gold, because his kingdom is pure 
 and spiritual ; it is " not of this world ;" it con- 
 sists in nothing that is worldly, earthly, and car- 
 nal ; it is " not meat and drink, but rigliteousness, 
 peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." 3. Because 
 like gold, it is solid and substantial; it does not 
 consist in external pomp and gaudy shows, as the 
 kingdoms of this world, which yet are fading, tran- 
 sitory, and perishing ; but this, though it does 
 not come with observation, but looks mean and 
 abject in its outward appearances: yet is all ot 
 pure and solid gold, and will appear bright and 
 glorious, when the gilt of others is worn off and 
 gone. 4. It is compared to the most fine gold for 
 the richness of it ; Christ is the richest prince in 
 the world ; his riches are lasting and durable ; they 
 are unsearchable and incomprehensible ; his king- 
 dom is the richest o\\ earth, and the meanest subject 
 in it is a prince, nay, a king ; that may be much 
 more truly said of Christ's subjects, what the proud 
 Assyrian monarch said boastiugly of his princes, 
 " Are not my princes altogether kings?" Christ's 
 meanest subjects are so ; for lie has made them 
 "kings and priests unto God?"Kev. i. 6. 5. 
 Christ's kingdom may be compared to gold, because 
 it is lasting and durable : Christ's " throne is 
 for ever and ever ?" there will never be any end 
 of his government ; nor of the increase of it, and 
 of the peace and prosperity thereof; when all 
 other kingdoms are destroyed, and all other rule, 
 power, and authority put down, Christ's kingdom 
 will stand ; it will be more visibly set up, and ap- 
 pear more glorious, and so continue for ever. Thus 
 Christ, as Head of tiie church, and King of saints, 
 may be compared to the most fine gold ; which is 
 the first particular she instances in, by which he 
 may be known from others. The Jewish writers^ 
 by this head of fine gold, understand the law, 
 which is more to be desired than gold ; as they do 
 by tiie locks in the following clause, the several 
 letters, sections, doctrines, and senses of it. 
 
 II. She describes him by his locks, which, she 
 says, "are bushy and black as a raven." By 
 his locks may be meant, either, 
 
 1st. The thoughts," counsels, and purposes of 
 God, who is the Head of Christ ; which, 1. Like 
 the hairs of a man's head are innumerable : the 
 purposes of his heart concerning man's salvation ; 
 his thoughts of love, grace, and mercy towards 
 sinners, " cannot be reckoned up in order to him ; 
 they are more than can be numbered ; the sum 
 of them is so great," that they exceed the sand 
 upon the sea-shore. 2. Like bushy and black 
 
 and Jarchi in loc. Vajikra Rabba. parash. 19. 
 » Vid. Ainsworth and Sanctius in loc. 
 
VER. 11.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 21.: 
 
 locks, are intricate, dark, and obscure, unsearch- 
 able and incomprehensible ; God's thoughts and 
 purposes of distinguishing graces are out of our 
 reach, and beyond our comprehension ; and there- 
 fore are said to be " higher tlian our thoughts, 
 even as the heavens are higher than the earth :" 
 when we seriously consider that the great and 
 infinite Being should pitch his thoughts of love 
 from all eternity upon poor, sinful creatures ; 
 and upon some, and not all ; and resolve on their 
 everlasting salvation, and not on others ; it 
 obliges us to say, with the apostle, " O the depth 
 of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge 
 of God ! how unsearchable are his judgments, 
 and his ways past finding out!" Rom. xi. 33. 
 3. Yet these thoughts and purposes of God's heart, 
 so far as they are made known to us, are like bushy 
 and black locks of hair, very beautiful and delight- 
 ful : how glorious and beautiful is the draught, the 
 model and scheme of salvation, which was drawn 
 in the eternal mind ? with what exactness is it 
 managed ? what wisdom and grace appear in that 
 "fellowship of the mystery," which tlie gospel 
 leads us into an acquaintance with ? How pre- 
 cious are those thouglits of love which run through 
 all, as well as " how great is the sum of them ?" 
 Or, 
 
 2ndly. By these locks may be meant, the mul- 
 titude of believers,'' which grow upon Christ, as 
 the Head of the church ; and these may be com- 
 pared to hair for their number, their dependence 
 on Christ, and their reception of life and nourish- 
 ment from him, as has been observed on chap, 
 iv. 1 ; and these being called locks of hair, may 
 intend their being congregated in gospel-order, 
 their being united in faith and love, and their 
 walking together in all the ordinances of Christ ; 
 "endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in 
 the bond of peace." Now saints being thus 
 joined together in holy fellowship, having a strict 
 regard to Christ's truths and commands, do much 
 adorn the Head, Christ Jesus ; and are a lovely 
 and delightful sight to spectators; see Col. ii. 5. 
 And these locks are said to be, 1. Bushy; the 
 word may signify heaps f and so denotes the 
 multitude of believers that spring from, and have 
 their dependence on Christ, the Head : or it may 
 be rendered, thick,'' being well-set ; or pendulous,* 
 hanging down in a beautiful order : and this may 
 intend the ornament that believers are to Christ ; 
 " children's children are the crown of old men ;" 
 believers are " a crown of glory to Christ ;" they 
 are "a royal diadem in his hand," and upon his 
 head : or it may be translated, crisp or curled ;' 
 and so be expressive of the hardness and strength 
 
 ^ FoHot and Alcuin in loc. Greg. S. Thom. Beda, 
 and Carpath. in Sanct. in loc. So these locks are in- 
 terpreted of the disciples of the wise men, by R. Judah. 
 in Shirhashirim Rabba in loc. " c'^nST cumuli, 
 tumuli, Schindler. Lex. Pentaglott, fol. 1972. .so Tar- 
 gum, Abeu Ezra, Mercer, and Ainsworth.in loc. 
 
 ■• Mercer. • Jarchi, andl5ochart. Ilierozoic. 
 
 par. 2. 1. 2, c. 10. col. 199 and so the Syriac, Arabic, 
 
 of believers ; curled hair k being the strongest and 
 hardest : believers though weak in themselves, 
 yet are strong in Christ; not only to perform 
 duty, but to withstand enemies, and endure hard- 
 ness as good soldiers of Christ Jesus ; they are 
 " strengthened with all might in the inner man," 
 to fight the Lord's battles, are undaunted in their 
 spirits, and immoveable as a rock. 2. They are 
 said to be " black as a raven ;" saints are black 
 with original and actual sin, as they are also with 
 infirmities, reproaches, scandal, and persecution ; 
 they have mean thoughts of themselves ; and 
 though exalted on the Head, Christ, yet look upon 
 themselves as (he least of saints, and chief of 
 sinners: though I rather think, this does not 
 intend their blackness by sins, infirmities, &c., 
 nor their humble thoughts of themselves ; but 
 rather, their real beauty, which they have from 
 Christ, and that ornament and glory which they 
 are unto him. Or else, 
 
 3rdly, By these locks may be meant, Christ's 
 adiiiinistrat ions in the discharge of his kingly oSice : 
 and this seems to me to be the best sense ; for, as 
 by his head, is intended his regal power and go- 
 vernment ; so by his locks, the administrations of 
 it ; which though sometimes dark, intricate, and 
 obscure, being attended with severity to his ene- 
 mies, and so may be said to be bushy and black ; 
 yet being managed with the utmost wisdom and 
 prudence, and according to the strictest rules of 
 justice and equity, look very beautiful and comely, 
 and are admired and wondered at by all the saints ; 
 see Rev. xv. 3, 4. 
 
 Moreover in general these bushy and black 
 locks of Christ may denote, 1. The fulness of 
 wisdom which is in Christ ; curled hair is a sign 
 of an hot and dry brain, '' which produces acute- 
 ness and sharpness of wit : all wisdom is in Christ ; 
 he is the wisdom of God ; who has not only fulness 
 of it for himself, which is requisite to qualify him 
 for, and carry him through the work he is en- 
 gaged in ; but has also a fulness of it for the saints, 
 to whom " he is made of God wisdom as well as 
 righteousness." 2. His youthful strength, vigour, 
 and courage, of which his black hair is accounted 
 a sign in Rev. i. 14. Christ's hair is to be as 
 white as wool, as white as snow, to denote his 
 senile gravity ; that he is " the ancient of days," 
 who exists from everlasting to everlasting : but 
 here his locks are said to be black, to set forth 
 his juvenile vigour and strength, which is always 
 in its bloom, without any change or alteration : 
 he is the mighty God in his highest natui'e, and 
 " mighty to save," as Alediator ; he gave the 
 fullest proofs of his strength and courage in fuMU- 
 
 and Fithiopic versions ; and according to Castell, this 
 is the best sense of the word, vid. ejus Annot. in 
 Ethiop. vers. • Crispaturae capillorum, Buxtorf. 
 
 Marckius; crispisdiscriminibus, Junius : crispi, Coc- 
 ceius, Slontanug. « Ari.stot. de Generat. Animal. 
 1. 5. c. 3. ■■ Aristot. de Generat. Animal. 1. 
 
 ."). c. 3. 
 
214 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. V. 
 
 ing all the law required, in bearing all that justice 
 inflicted, and in conquering all his and our ene- 
 mies. 3. These black locks set forth the beauty 
 of Christ : black hair was accounted the most 
 beautiful, not only by the Jews but by the Ro- 
 mans ; as is manifest from what is said by many of 
 of the poets,' concerning both men and women : 
 it was very desirable to them ; insomuch that 
 those, whose hair was not naturally black, used 
 various ways and methods to make it so, and 
 among other things, both Pliny i- and vElianus ' 
 tell us, they used the eggs, brains, and blood of 
 ravens for that purpose. Now when Christ's 
 locks are said to be black as a raven, the mean- 
 ing is, that he looks exceeding beautiful, being 
 " fairer than Absalom," or any of the children of 
 men ; his black shining locks, hanging down in 
 a beautiful order from his head of gold, make him 
 look very stately and majestic : and as the black- 
 ness of the raven is a very fine black, and what 
 is natural to it, and not made by art ; so the beauty 
 of Christ is exceeding great, it is natural to him ; 
 it is not derived from another, as ours is from 
 him, but what is original, underived, and essential 
 to him, and this proves him to be the most excel- 
 lent beloved, and " the cbicfest among ten thou- 
 sand." 
 
 Verse 12. His eyes are as the eyes of doves, by 
 the rivers of water, washed with milk, and 
 fitly set. 
 This is the third instance of Christ's beauty, or 
 distiugnishing character of him, which the church 
 gives to the daughters of Jerusalem, whereby they 
 might know him from others; having described 
 him by his head and hair, she here describes him 
 by his eyes ; the order and method in which she 
 proceeds is very just and natural. By his. eyes 
 may be meant, eithei% 
 
 First. The gifts and graces of the Spirit which 
 are in Christ, as Man and Mediator ;'" who is re- 
 presented, in Rev. v. 6, as a lamb that had been 
 slain for the sins of men, with seven eyes, which 
 are said to be "the seven spirits of God ;" not that 
 there are seven personal, distinct, divine subsis- 
 tencies, which are called so : but the phrase in- 
 tends that variety, fulness, and perfection of the 
 gifts and graces of that one Spirit of God, who is 
 the third person in the blessed Trinity ; which 
 gifts and grace of his, being bestowed on Christ, 
 as Man and Mediator, furnished and qualified him 
 for his work; of which seven spirits or various 
 gifts of the Spirit, which he received for this pur- 
 pose, you may read in Isa. xi. 2 — 4. Now these 
 may be said to be " as the eyes of doves by the 
 rivers of water ;" because the Spirit of God did in 
 
 ' Spectandum nigris oculis nigioque capillo, Horat. 
 de Arte Poet. v. 37. Et Lycum nigris oculis nigroque 
 crine decorum, ib. Sermon. 1 1. ode 32. v. 11. Leda 
 fuit nigra conspicienda coma, Ovid. Amor. 1. 2. 
 eleg. 4. V. 42. !■ Lib. 29. c. 6. ' De Animal. 
 
 1. 1. c. 4S. m So Theodoret. and Tres Patres 
 
 apud Ibid. Thorn. Auuiu. Beda, and Kuptrt. in 
 Sauct in loc. 
 
 an eminent and public manner descend upon him, 
 as a dove, at the time of his baptism in the river 
 of Jordan : and they may also be said to be as 
 doves, or as the eyes of doves " washed with milk," 
 to express the purity and holiness of his nature, 
 sanctified thereby ; for, as Man and Mediator, he 
 was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from 
 sinners : likewise thej may be said to be as the 
 eyes of doves fitly set, or set in fulness, because 
 the Spirit was not given to him by measure, but 
 in fulness ; the whole fulness of the gifts and grace 
 of the Spirit is given to him ; and therefore he 
 appears " full of grace and truth," and from hence 
 they are communicated unto men. Or else. 
 
 Secondly. By his eyes may be meant the 
 church's teachers," or ministers of the Gospel ; 
 who, as they are the mouth by whom Christ 
 speaks, so they are his eyes, by whom he sees, pro- 
 vides for, and watches over his church and people ; 
 and therefore are called walchmen, whose business 
 is to watch for, and over the souls of men : these 
 are the eyes which give light unto, guide, and di- 
 rect the members of Christ's body ; who point out 
 unto them the way of salvation, and guide their 
 feet into the way of peace. Now these may be 
 said to be as the eyes of doves, on the account of those 
 dove-like gifts of the Spirit, by which tlicy are fitted 
 for their work, and made able ministers of the New 
 Testament ; also for their honesty, faithfulness, 
 aud simplicity in preaching the everlasting gospel ; 
 and likewise for that harmlessness and innocence, 
 which do and ought to appear in their lives and 
 conversations. These may also be said to be as 
 doves, or as the eyes of doves by the rivers of 
 water, which may intend the scriptures of truth ;° 
 for as doves delight to sit by rivers of water, so 
 do the ministers of the gospel delight to be read- 
 ing of, and meditating upon the scriptures, which 
 is their work and business : and from hence they 
 fetch the doctrines they preach to others ; they 
 speak according to the oracles of God ; and that 
 " not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth ; 
 but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, compar- 
 ing spiritual things with spiritual," 1 Cor. 
 ii. 13. Likewise they may be said to be as doves, 
 or as the eyes of doves washed with milk, because 
 of their light and knowledge in the gospel, which 
 is the sincere milk of the word ; whereby they are 
 made capable of feeding others with the jjlaiu aud 
 wholesome truths of the Gospel ; or else this 
 phrase may intend that pure and spotless conver- 
 sation, which they ought to lead as exampks to 
 others in faith and purity. They may also be 
 said to be fitly set; " for God hath set some in 
 the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, 
 thirdly teachers," &c., 1 Cor. xii. 28; this was the 
 
 " Isidore. Foliot, and Alcuin in loc. and Greg. 
 Nysscn. in Cant Ilomil. l.?. Ambros. in Ps. cxviii. 
 octon. 15. col. 1009. and Psellus apud Theodoret. in 
 loc. and Carpathius in Sanct. in loc. They are in- 
 terpreted of the Sanhedrin.by the I'argum and "ahw- 
 hashirim Rabba in loc. " The Jews, in Shirhashi- 
 rim Rabba and in Yalkut in loc. understand by 
 Ihcra the waters of the law. 
 
1:^.] 
 
 SfiNCx OF SOXGrS. 
 
 ^15 
 
 fit and beautiful order ia which the first ministers 
 of the Gospel were placed by God himself; and 
 indeed all the ministers of it are fitly set iu the 
 more eminent part of tlie body, the chmTh, to 
 overlook, direct, and be useful to tlie several mem- 
 bers of it. But these seem rather to be the eyes 
 of the church, than the eyes of Christ, which also 
 are compared to dove's eyes in chap. i. 15, and iv. 
 1, as has been there observed; and therefore I 
 choose rather. 
 
 Thirdly. To understand by these eyes, the om 
 uiscience of Christ : R. Abeu Ezra seems to un- 
 derstand them of God's omniscience ; for his com- 
 ment is that text in Prov. xvi. 3, " The eyes of the 
 Lord are iu every place." Christ is the omniscient 
 God ; every creature is made manifest in his sight, 
 all things are naked and open uuto the eyes of him 
 with whom we have to do ; who is the living Word; 
 and a critical Discerner of the thoughts and intents 
 of the heart : in the days of his flesh here oa earth 
 he needed not that any should testify of man ; for 
 he knew what was in man ; and gave convincing 
 proofs to the scribes and Pharisees, that he was 
 well acquainted with the secret thoughts of their 
 hearts: Peter bore a noble testimony to Christ's 
 omniscience, when he appealed to him, saying, 
 " Lord, thou knowest all things, thou kuowest that 
 I love thee." Aud indeed was he not the omni- 
 scient God, how could he be capable of acting as 
 the Head of his church, or as the Mediator between 
 God and man, or of judging the world at the last 
 day ? but then lie will give au incontestible proof 
 of this Diviue perfection being iu him; he will 
 let all the churches, and all the world know, that 
 he it is which searcheth the reins and hearts. 
 Now when these eyes of Christ's omniscience are 
 fixed on persons in a way of wrath aud anger, 
 they are said to be as flames of fire; especially 
 when fixed upon heretics, idolaters, false worship- 
 pers, or any of his and his church's enemies ; see 
 Eev. i. 14, aud ii. 18, 20-23, and six. 11, 12, 
 15 ; but when they are fixed in a way of special 
 love and grace upon his own people, they may be 
 said to be, 
 
 1st. As the eyes of doves, which are loving, 
 lovely, clear, and chaste. 1. Christ's eyes may be 
 said to be as doves, because of the lovingness of 
 them ; the eyes of doves are not fierce and furious, as 
 the eyes of some creatures are ; there are no fury in 
 Christ's eyes, as fixed upon his people : " The eye 
 of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them 
 that hope iu hismercy ;" that is, his eye is upou poor 
 trembling sinners, who come to the throne of grace 
 and prostrate themselves at his feet, humbly im- 
 ploring his grace and mercy, and venturing on 
 him as siuuers ready to perish ; his eye is upon 
 them all the while ; not to destroy them, and cut 
 them off from his sight, but to deliver their soul 
 from death, and to keep them aliv.e in famine : 
 his eyes are upon all his righteous ones ; not to 
 cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 
 
 which he threatens to the wicked, but to deliver 
 them out of all their troubles : his eyes are upou 
 all creatures, and all things, for they run to aud 
 fro throughout the whole earth ; but then it is lo 
 show himself strong iu the behalf of them, whose 
 heart is perfect towards him ; his eye of love is 
 always upon his people, to succour, relieve, pro- 
 tect, and defend them : his eye is upon them under 
 all their trials, temptations, desertions, sorrows, 
 aud afflictions ; his eye is upon them when in the 
 furna(ffe, to observe the exercise of their trace upon 
 him, their carriage lo him ; aud when tried, to 
 deliver out of it : for his eyes behold, and his eye- 
 lids try the children of men. 2. They may be 
 compared to dove's eyes, because they are lovely, 
 as well as loving ; aud it is for this reason he com- 
 pares the church's eyes to doves, in chap. i. 15, 
 and iv. 1. Every part of this descriptiou serves 
 to set ofi" the beauty and loveliness of Christ's 
 eyes ; tiiey are said to be " as the eyes of doves 
 by the rivers of water," because doves delight to 
 sit there ; where being pleased with the pui-e aud 
 purling streams, their eyes look more quick aud 
 lively, and so more beautiful and lovely. Also they 
 are said to be as doves, washed with milk, either 
 as milk-white doves, which look very pleasant 
 and delightful; or as doves washing themselves in 
 streams of water, look as clean as if they had been 
 washed in milk : likewise they are said to be as 
 the eyes of doves fitly set ; that is, neither too 
 much staring out,? nor too much sunk withiu ; 
 neither hollow-eyed or goggle-eyed, which are 
 both extreme deformities in the eye. 3. They 
 may be compared to dove's eyes, because of their 
 clearness aud perspicuity; Christ's eyes are so clear, 
 he is so sharp-sighted, that he can see all persons, 
 and things iu all places, at oue view ; for " the 
 eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the 
 evil and the good :" more especially his eyes be- 
 hold, aud he takes cognisance of his own people ; 
 these he knows by name, aud distinguishes them 
 iu his care aud affections from all others ; he sees 
 and knows all their wants perfectly well, is able 
 to supply them, and has a heart to do it ; aud 
 seeing that " aU things are naked and open unto 
 him, with whom they have to do at the throne of 
 grace," they are encouraged to come thither with 
 the greater boldness : lie sees aud knows all the 
 contrivances and designs of wicked men against 
 his people, though formed in the dark ; for the 
 darkness and the light are both alike to him ; his 
 eyes are so clear, sharp, and penetrating, that there 
 is no darkness, nor sliadow of death, where the 
 workers of iuiquity may hide themselves ; and this 
 makes much for the comfort of his people, as well 
 as serves to command and set ofi' the loveliness 
 aud excellency of hira. 4. They may be compared 
 to dove's eyes for their (aithfulness aud chastity : 
 Christ is faithful to God, who appointed him to 
 be the Mediator and Saviour of his people ; and to 
 that covenant of grace which he made with him ; 
 
 p Vid. .Jarchi in loc. 
 
216 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 in which he promised many things, which are fully 
 performed by him ; and he received many blessings 
 of grace for his people, which he is faithful to dis- 
 tribute unto them and bestow upon them: he 
 hath given meat to them that fear him, as 
 an indication that his eye is upon, and that he 
 will ever be mindful of his covenant; he has a re- 
 spect unto it, and therefore calls those by his grace, 
 and brings them to glory, who are interested in it : 
 also as the eye of the dove is only upon its own 
 mate, is faithful and chaste unto it, and "has no 
 regard to any other ; so Christ's eye of love is only 
 upon his church ; as she is his dove, so she is his 
 only one; hence he says, "my dove, my uudefiled, is 
 but one ;" and as he loves her above all others, 
 so he loves none but her with his special and pecu- 
 liar love in which he always rests and continues. 
 
 2ndly. Christ's eyes of love, as fixed on his 
 own people, are as the eyes of doves by the rivers 
 of water. Now this sets forth the loveliness and 
 beauty of Christ's eyes, as has been already observ- 
 ed ; the eyes of doves being more brisk, quick, and 
 lively, when sitting by rivers of water, where they 
 are delighted in and pleased with the clear and 
 running streams thereof : and may also lead us f o 
 observe these two things: 1. The fixedness and 
 constancy of Christ's eye of love being set upon 
 his own people : doves sitting by a river side, 
 keep their eyes fixed upon the purling streams ; 
 and in drinking, as Plinyi observes, do not re- 
 supinare colla, erect their necks, and lift up their 
 heads, but keeping their eyes fixed upon the water, 
 drink a large draught of it in the manner of 
 beasts ; Christ, being sweetly delighted with his 
 own people, has fixed his eye upon them, and 
 never removes it from them; he withdraweth 
 not his eyes from the righteous ; his eye was 
 upon them before time, continues so in time, and 
 will be so to all eternity ; for having loved his 
 own which were in the world, beloved them to 
 the end. 2. It may intend the object of Christ's 
 love : some of the Jewish writers,"' by the rivers 
 of water, would have their schools and syna- 
 gogues intended ; where the waters of the law flow, 
 the difiiculties of it are explained, and its proper 
 senses given ; but they may be much better under- 
 stood of gospel-churches, made up of righteous 
 persons ; who are justified by Christ's righteous- 
 ness, sanctified by his grace, sprinkled with the 
 clean water of the everlasting covenant, and who 
 have low, mean, and humble thoughts of them- 
 selves ; on such as these Christ's eye is fixed, and 
 to these he looks ; see Isa. Ixvi. 2 ; here the or- 
 dinances of the gospel are administered in their 
 purity, the waters of the sanctuary flow, the doc- 
 trines of grace are powerfully preached, and souls 
 hereby much delighted aud refreshed. 
 
 Srdly. These eyes of Christ are said to be as the 
 
 1 Lib. 10. c. 34. ' TargiimandR. SolT.Jarchi 
 
 m loc. • Alba Palestino Sancta colun ba Syro, 
 TibuUus. 1. 4. eleg. 7. . n^^Q ^3? ad pleni- 
 
 tudmem, Tigurine version, Bochartjuxta, Vatablus, 
 so some in Brightman ; juxta fluenta plenissima, 
 
 eyes of doves washed with milk ; and this is ex- 
 pressive both of the beauty and clearness of them, 
 as has been already observed : eyes, when washed, 
 are clearest, and so most lovely ; like milk-white 
 doves, which look the most beautiful, especially 
 when they have just washed themselves : respect 
 may be had to the colour of doves ; white doves 
 were had in esteem in Palestine and Syria.' And 
 this may also intend the purity of Christ's eyes, who 
 is of purer eyes than to behold evil, with any plea- 
 sure or approbation ; and likewise the meekness 
 and mildness of them : his eyes are not red and 
 furious, but look as if they had been washed with 
 milk, being full of mercy, pity, and compassion to 
 poor sinners ; his heart is full of it, and his actions, 
 as God-man and Mediator, give the strongest proofs 
 of his being a merciful as well a faithful lligh-priest. 
 4thly. These eyes are said to be fitly set, or 
 fitting by fulness ;« that is, by full channels of 
 water. Christ himself is as rivers of waters, which 
 denote the fulness and abundance of grace that is 
 in him ; and by these full fountains of grace, life, 
 and salvation, he sits, dwells, and abides ; and 
 thither he, " the Lamb in the midst of the throne," 
 leads his people. Or the words may be rendered, 
 " sitting in fulness ;"° and so it expresses the 
 loveliness and beauty of Christ's eyes, as has been 
 already observed ; his eyes were neither sunk too 
 low within, nor stood too much out, but exactly 
 filled their holes ; they were fitly set as diamonds 
 in a ring, or as precious stones in the breast-plate 
 of the high-priest, which exactly filled the cavities 
 which were made for them, and therefore were 
 called stones of fulness ; see Exod. xxv. 7, and 
 xxviii. 17, 20 ; so R. Solomon Jarchi and R. Aben 
 Ezra understand the words ; though they may be 
 better translated, " sitting upon fulness."" Christ's 
 eyes are set or sitting, 1. Upon the fulness of 
 this world : "the earth is the Lord's, aud the fulness 
 of it :" as he has a right unto it, so his eyes are 
 upon it; for " his eyes run to and fro throughout 
 the whole earth ;" they are in every place at one 
 and the same time, beholding at one view the 
 evil and the good, all their persons, and all their 
 actions ; his eye is upon that vast number of per- 
 sons and things that fill the whole universe, and 
 upon the large variety of actions performed there : 
 now this sets forth the exteusiveness of Christ's 
 omniscience, aud that general and universal know- 
 ledge he is possessed of; which sense is much 
 favoured by R. Sol. Jarchi's note on the words. 
 2. Christ's eyes were set, or sitting upon the ful- 
 ness of time, in which he was to come into the 
 world, aud perform the great work of redemption : 
 for as he was appointed to be the author of this 
 work, and the persons were pitched upon whom he 
 was to redeem, so the time was also fixed when he 
 was to do it ; and this is called " the fulness of 
 
 Vulgate Latin, so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic 
 versions. " Siti insitione. Junius and Tremelliu.s, 
 Piscator. " Super plenitudlnem, Montanus, 
 
 Mercerus. 
 
VER. 
 
 13.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 217 
 
 time," in Eph. i. 10, Gal. iv. 4 ; and now, from 
 the first making of the everlasting covenant, down 
 thronghout the whole Old Testament dispensation, 
 Christ's eye was fixed on this fulness : waiting, 
 watching, as it were ; longing till the time was 
 come, when he should appear in human nature, 
 and do the work which his heart was so much set 
 upon ; witness his mauy appearances in a human 
 form before his incarnation, and the frequent 
 notices he gave of -his near approach. 3. Christ's 
 eyes are set, or sitting upon his fulness, the church, 
 whom in the fulness of time he came into this 
 world to redeem ; the church is called so, in Eph. 
 i. 23 ; which " is his body, the fulness of him that 
 filleth all in all ;" and then is she, and will she 
 appear to be so, when alibis elect ones are called 
 by grace ; and these all filled with these gifts and 
 graces of the Spirit designed for them, by him 
 who is ascended to fill all things; and more especial- 
 ly when they are all grown up in proportion, unto 
 the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ ; 
 now Christ's eye is upon his church, and upon 
 every member of it, until all this is done: and 
 wiU be so when time shall be no- more. 4. His 
 eyes were, and still are set, or sitting upon the 
 fulness of the Gentiles, until that is brought in ; 
 his eye was upon them in the everlasting covenant; 
 therefore both he and his Father thought fit that 
 he should be not only the Redeemer of Israel, but a 
 light to the Gentiles also, and be God's salvation 
 unto the ends of the earth ; his eye was upon them 
 during the Old Testament dispensation ; and there- 
 fore gave out many promises and prophecies con- 
 cerning their calling ; his eye was upon them when 
 he died and suffered : and therefore he became a 
 propitiation, not for the Jews only, but also for 
 the Gentile world ; his eye was upon them when 
 he gave the commission to his disciples to preach 
 the Gospel ; and therefore bid them " go into all 
 the world, and preach it to every creature ;" which 
 he owned for the conversion of thousands ; and 
 his eye is still upon them, and wiU be so, until 
 all those other sheep are brought in which are 
 not of the Jewish fold. 5. His eyes are set, or 
 sitting, on his own personal fulness as God; for 
 " in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead 
 bodily :" his eye was upon this when he under- 
 took the work of redemption, and so it was when 
 he was actually concerned in it ; therefore he failed 
 not, neither was he discouraged ; this supported 
 him under it, and comfortably carried him through 
 it. 6. His eyes are set, or sitting upon his fulness 
 as i\Iediator ; which is a dispensative, communica- 
 tive fulness put into his hands, to be distributed 
 to his people ; and his eye is continually upon it, 
 to supply the wants of his people out of it, under 
 all their straits, difficulties, temptations, sorrows, 
 and afflictions ; and where Christ's eyes are fixed, 
 
 » V'n'5 maxillae ejus, Pagninus, Jlontanus, Mar- 
 chius, Michaelis. y Sanctius, Cocceius, Aiusworth, 
 Marckius, Michaelis. ' Sicut areola? aromatum 
 
 consitae a pigmentariis, V. L. similes sunt areolis 
 
 there should ours be; also ; we should be contin- 
 ually looking to, and be strong, not in ourselves, 
 but in " the grace which is in Christ Jesus." 
 
 Verse 13. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, 
 as sweet flowers; his lips like . lilies, dropping 
 sweet smelling myrrh. 
 
 In these words are the fourth and fifth particular 
 instances of Christ's beauty; for having described 
 him by his head, locks, and eyes, she here de- 
 scribes him by his cheeks and lips ; still keep- 
 ing in a beautiful and regular order in her de- 
 scription of him. And, 
 
 First. She describes him by his cheeks ; which, 
 she says, "are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers ;" 
 by which we are to understand, not the smooth 
 and naked cheeks, but with hair growing upon 
 them, which best suits with the metaphor of a 
 bed of spices ; for as aromatic plants and sweet- 
 smelling flowers bud out, and„ spring up from 
 a bed of spices, and make it look very beauti- 
 ful; so the hair of a man's beard puts itself 
 forth, and grows upon his cheeks, or jaws," as 
 the word may be rendered, and makes him look 
 very graceful and majestic; R. Aben Ezra un- 
 derstands by his cheeks, his beard; as also do 
 many Christian^ Interpretars.' And this was li- 
 terally true of Christ ; who was not " an infant 
 of days," but a man grown up, when he suffered 
 in the room and stead of sinners ; as is manifest 
 from his "giving his back to the smiters, and 
 his cheeks to those that plucked off the hair." The 
 cheeks rising, and being a little elevated, are fitly 
 described by beds in a garden ; or fragrant flowers, 
 or fruit trees, reared up in the form of towers, 
 as some render the word, or pyramids ; or by a 
 dish of sweetmeats placed in such a figure ; and 
 the hair of the cheeks or beard, are aptlv re- 
 presented by spices, rising up from a bed of 
 them ; and all denote the beauty, savour, and 
 majesty of Christ : or, as the Vulgate Latin ver- 
 sion, " as beds of spices set by confectioners ;"'■ 
 not as aromatic plants, set in rows by the gar- 
 dener ; but as the spices themselves, set in rows, 
 by the confectioner in vessels, or placed in such 
 a manner in his shop to be sold,^ which being 
 of various colours, especially red and white, the 
 cheeks, for colour and eminence, are compared 
 to them. And being taken in a mystical and 
 spiritual sense, may intend, either, 
 
 1st. Believers, who are the hair of Christ's 
 cheeks, as well as of his head ; these grow upon 
 him, receive their life and nourishment from him, 
 and are ornamental to him : these are as " a bed 
 of spices and sweet flowers:" for, being, "perfumed 
 with the myrrh and frankincense," of his grace, 
 they ascend upwards in the exercise of faith, hope, 
 
 aromatum and turribus seplasiaria; Offlcinae, Tigurine 
 version. • Vid. Fortunat. Schacc. Eleochrysm. 
 
 Sacr. 1. I.e. 18. p. 90. 
 
218 
 
 AN EXPOSI-:^ION OF THE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 and love, as " towers of perfumes,'' as the words 
 translated sweet flowers may be rendered ; they 
 are fruitful in themselves, like a spicy bed, 
 odoriferous to Christ ; and delightful to each 
 other. Or else, 
 
 2ndly. The graces of the Spirit which are in 
 Christ as Man and IMediator : these, lilie the hair 
 of a man's beard which grow upon his cheeks, 
 adorn the man Christ Jesus, and render hira 
 very lovely and graceful ; these grow in large 
 numbers on him ; he is " fuil of grace and 
 truth ;" and though there is a large communica- 
 tion of grace made daily to believers from this 
 fulness which is in Christ; yet it is no way 
 lessened thereby, even as the hair of a man's 
 beard, which the ofteuer cut, the thicker and 
 faster it grows. Now these lovely cheeks thus 
 adorned, may be said to be " as a bed of spices, 
 as sweet flowers," because of their beauty and loveli- 
 ness ; no spicy bed, set and filled with aromatic 
 plants and sweet-smelling flowers, can be more 
 lovely and delightful to the eye of sense, than 
 Christ, with all his grace, is to the eye of faith ; 
 the reason why he appears to a believer, " fairer 
 than the children of men," is, because grace, in 
 all its fulness, " is poured into his lips :" also 
 they may be compared to these, because of the 
 sweet odour of them; the elBuvias of the sweet 
 flowers and most fragrant spices growing in large 
 numbers, in beds of them, cannot be more grate- 
 ful to the smell, than the graces of Christ are 
 to believers; and therefore they are compared 
 to ointments, the savour of which cheers the 
 minds, and attracts the hearts of his people to 
 him : this oil of gladness being poured plenti- 
 fully on his head, runs down his beard, and so 
 to every part of his garments ; which makes 
 them all " smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia;" 
 and renders hira, and all that belong to him, 
 sweet, savoury, and delightful to his saints. Like- 
 wise they may be compared to " a bed of spices 
 and sweet flowers," because of the variety of 
 them ; as in an aromatic garden there are va- 
 rious beds, and in those beds various spices, 
 plants, and flowers ; so there is in Christ a 
 variety of the gifts and graces of the Spirit ; 
 there are diversities of gifts, and all sorts of grace, 
 which make up that fulness, from whence believers 
 receive grace for grace. Or else, 
 
 Srdly. This may be expressive of the manliness 
 and courage, prudence, gravity, and majesty of 
 Christ ; when the beard appears in men like " a 
 bed of spices," thick and well-grown; it is a 
 manifest indication that they are grown up to 
 the estate of men, and are at years of discre- 
 tion. Now Christ's manliness and courage ap- 
 peared in his boldly rel'uting the errors of the 
 Pharisees and Sadduces ; and in preaching fhe 
 everlasting gospel, though he often ran the risk 
 of his life in doing it ; and to the very last he 
 
 *" CnpIO mbl20 turriculie pigmentorum, Mer- 
 cerus ; turribus pigmentorum, Marckius ; condi- 
 
 bore a noble testimony to it, and " witnessed a 
 good confession" of it before many witnesses ; as 
 also he gave a manifest discovery of it at the time 
 of his being taken by his enemies ; as well as in 
 Pilate's hall, where he was smitten, buffeted, 
 scourged, mocked, and spit on ; and yet in the 
 midst of all, discovered the greatest undauutedness 
 and composure of mind; but never more than 
 while he was bearing his Father's wrath, and the 
 strokes of divine justice, grappling with his and 
 our euemies, and undergoing a painful and igno- 
 minious death: for under all this he failed not, 
 neither was he discouraged. His " cheeks being 
 as a bed of spices," show him to be endued with 
 manliness and courage, which he thus discovered ; 
 as they also show his prudence and gravity, which 
 he manifested in all his discourses, questions, and 
 answers ; for " in him are hid all the treasures of 
 wisdom and knowledge ;" for at twelve years of 
 age, when the lovely down scarce appeared upon 
 his cheeks, he discoursed with so much wisdom 
 and gravity, put such questions to the doctors, and 
 returned such answers to theirs, as tilled them 
 with wonder and surprise : and much more did he 
 so, when his " cheeks were as a bed of spices ;" 
 when he was grown up to man's estate, and was 
 entered upon his public ministry ; he spake with 
 so much wisdom and authority, that his auuience 
 was amazed at him ; he dealt so prudently, ac- 
 cording to the prophecy of him, that the subtle 
 Scribes and Pharisees did not care to meddle with 
 him ; for as they could not answer his questions, 
 so they dare not put any to him ; his enemies 
 themselves being witnesses, "never man spake 
 like him." Aud this prudence and gravity of his 
 appeared throughout the whole conduct of his 
 life ; his words were with power aud authority ; 
 his deportment was grave aud serious ; and his 
 walk and conversation, as it was in all holiness 
 and righteousness towards God, so it was in all 
 wisdom and pruUence towards men. 
 
 But if by cheeks, we understand that part of 
 the face as smooth and naked, without the addi- 
 tional consideration of hair upon them ; then by 
 them may be meant, either, 
 
 1st. The seriptui'esof truth. "^ The Targum under- 
 stands them of the two tables of stone, which were 
 written in ten lines, like the rows or beds of an 
 aromatic garden, productive of acute and delightl'ul 
 senses ; much to the same purpose does II. Solo- 
 mon Jarchi give the sense of them : but it seems 
 better to understand them of the whole word of 
 God, the scriptures both of the Old and New 
 Testament. These are as it were the cheeks or 
 face of Christ, which represent and set forth the 
 glory of his person, tiie virtue of his blood, the 
 excellency of his righteousness, and the riches of 
 his grace ; these may be said to be " as a bed of 
 spices, as sweet flowers," being in several distinct 
 plots or beds : for this garden of the scriptures 
 
 mentorum, Schmidt. Michaelis. " So Foliotauii 
 
 Tit. vers, in loc. aud Carpatliius in Situct m loc. 
 
VER. 
 
 i:j.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 219 
 
 was not thrown np at once, and formed in that 
 beautiful order iu which now it is ; but first one 
 spicy bed was made, and then another ; for " God 
 •dt sundry tiaies, and in divers manners, spake iu 
 times past unto the fathers by the prophets ;" 
 tliese beds are set with a variety of " exceeding 
 great and precious promises," and escelleat doc- 
 trines ; which the meditating soul, like the in- 
 dustrious bee, sucks much sweetuess from : all 
 those excellent ■spices, and sweet-smelling flowers 
 which grow here, have their different usefulness; for 
 " all scripture is given by inspiration ot God, and 
 is profitable for reproof, for correction, and for 
 instruction in righteousness," 2 Tim. iii. 16. 
 And as aromatic plants" and fragrant flowers are 
 delightful to the eye, sweet to the smell, and re- 
 freshing to the senses, so are these truths and 
 promises ; they are like " apples of gold in pictures 
 of silver "to the eye of faith; diffuse a delightful 
 odonr to the smell, give a savour of Christ's 
 knowledge, when and wherever explained ; and 
 being held iu the hand of faith, refresh all the 
 spiritual senses, and are " the joy and rejoicing of 
 the heart." Or else, 
 
 2ndly. By Christ's cheeks, may be meant his 
 presence with his people, ^nd the manifestation of 
 himself unto them in his word and ordinances. 
 Thus the presence of God is frequently called his 
 face iu scripture ; as when saints are said to seek 
 his face, or he is said to hide his face from them : 
 which are to be understood of God's withdrawiil^ 
 his presence from them, and their desire of enjoy- 
 ing it : thus Christ's presence with his people 
 may be set forth by his cheeks or face ; which, 
 \\hen they enjoy, they see him in his beauty, be- 
 hold him in his glory, and are ravished with liis 
 love : and this may be said to be " as a bed of 
 spices, as sweet flowers ;" for nothing is so desir- 
 able and delightful to. believers as this ; walking 
 in the light of Christ's countenance, is far prefer- 
 able to walking among beds of spices, where the 
 most fragrant plants and odoriferous flowers grow : 
 nothing that is earthly and sensual, with all its 
 affluence and pleasure, can so strike the carnal 
 senses, as the presence of Christ does the spiritual 
 ones. Or else, 
 
 3rdly. The cheeks being the seat of modesty, 
 bnshl'uluess, and blushing, may intend the humility 
 of Christ ; which appeared in his assumption of 
 our nature, and throughout the whole course of 
 his life, and more especially at his death : and this 
 is a very great ornament to him, and renders him 
 very delightful to his people. How lovely does 
 the meek and lowly Jesus look 1 how beautiful are 
 t^hose blushing cheeks of his, who, though he was 
 " equal with God, yet was found in fashion as a 
 man !" and though possessed of all divine per- 
 fections, and transceudeut excellencies, yet always 
 
 d In Hercul. Gall. • Lib. 21. c. a. Theophrast 
 
 apud Athen, Deiphnosophist. 1. 15. c. 8. p. 681. So 
 Tertullian speaks of both lilies, that is, the white and 
 red, De Corona, c. 14. ' Iu Mieu. .'iheviith, c. s. 
 
 spoke modestly of himself; and did not seek his 
 own, but his Father's glory, and the good of his 
 people. 
 
 Secondly, Which is indeed the fifth particular 
 instance of his beauty, she describes him by his 
 lips ; which, she says, " are like lilies, dropping 
 sweet-smelling myrrh :" lips being the instruments 
 of speech, and those compared to lilies, may be ex- 
 pressive of florid language and eloquence ; so 
 Lucian^ describes the Trojan orators as having a 
 lilian voice, that is, a florid and eloquent one. 
 And by lips may be meant the words of Christ ; 
 which are like lilies, 1. For purity ; " the words 
 of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a 
 furnace of earth purified seven times :" Christ's 
 words are free from all pollution and defilement, 
 from all scurrility and raillery, from all deceit 
 and hypocri.sy, and from all human mixtures 
 whatever ; and therefore his vi^ord is called " the 
 sincere milk of the word." 2. His lips are com- 
 pared to lilies for the beauty of them ; and I sup- 
 pose that not white lilies are here meant, but 
 purple or red lilies ; of which Pliny^ speaks, the 
 flower of which, ,he says, some call the rose lily ; 
 so Maimonides' speaks of red lilies, by which he 
 interprets TiTi, the rose : which, he says, have a 
 good smell, and of them it is said, his lips, like 
 lilies. Cant. v. 13, and also R. Alshech on the 
 text : the best of these grew in Syria, in Antioch, 
 and Laodicea ;B and these best suit with lips ; 
 for not white, but leu lips,*" are accounted the 
 most beautiful ; and therefore Christ compares 
 the church's lips to " a thread of scarlet," in chap, 
 iv. 3. There is a beauty and loveliness in all 
 Christ's words; they are pleasant ones; they are 
 gracious words, or words of grace, which drop 
 from his lips; and indeed how can his lips drop 
 any other ? his speech cannot be but always with 
 grace, and with gracefulness, when grace itself 
 is poured into his lips. 3. They may be com- 
 pared to lilies for the fineness, thinness, softness, 
 and delicateness of them: thinness, as well as 
 redness, adds a beauty to the lips : Christ's voice 
 was not heard, his lips did not move in setting 
 forth his own praises ; for he sought not his own, 
 but his Father's glory ; he did not speak for him- 
 self, but his words and actions spoke for him ; he 
 did as Solomon advised, Prov. sxvii. 2, " Let 
 another man praise thee, and not thme own mouth, 
 a stranger, and not thine own lips." 4. They 
 may be compared to lilies for the sweet odour of 
 them: Christ'slips drop " sweet-smelling myrrh;" 
 his words, his gospel, and the doctrines of it, dif- 
 fuse an agreeable savour ; to some they are " the 
 savour of life unto life;" and though they are 
 " the savour of death unto death " to others, 
 yet that does not arise from Christ's words in 
 themselves; but is owing to their being rejected. 
 
 6. Midrash Esther.fol. fil. 1. b Dioscorides in 
 
 Fortunat. Schacc. Eleochrysm Sacr. 1. I. c. 27. p. 
 134. so in Eygpt. Herodot. Euterpe, sive 1. 2. 9. 92. 
 *< Kosca, lubra. Martial, roscum os, Virgil. 
 
220 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. V. 
 
 slighted, and contemned by men. 5. They may 
 be compared to lilies for the glory and majesty of 
 them : Christ says that " Solomon in all his glory 
 was not arrayed like one of the lilies of the field ;" 
 Christ's words come with authority, and are 
 clothed with power ; " the voice of the Lord is 
 powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of majesty," 
 Psalm xxix. 4. 
 
 Again these lips of Christ are said to drop 
 " sweet-smelling myrrh;" for the construction is 
 not with lilies, but with lips ; for myrrh does not 
 drop 'from lilies, but may be said to do so from 
 Christ's lips ; though some' think, the allu- 
 sion is to the crowns, made of red or purple lilies, 
 worn at nuptial feasts, on which were poured oil 
 of myrrh, and so dropped from them ; but it is 
 from the lips and not lilies, the myrrh is said to 
 drop. And here we may consider, 1st. The 
 matter of those words which drop from Christ's 
 lips, which is said to be as " sweet-smelling myrrh." 
 2ndly. The manner of the delivery of them, which 
 is dropping. 
 
 1st. The matter of Christ's words is like " sweet- 
 smelling myrrh." 1. Grateful and acceptable as 
 such ; Christ's lips drop the " sweet-smelling 
 myrrh" of peace and reconciliation to rebellious 
 sinners, pardon to guilty ones, rest to those that 
 are burdened, comfort to the distressed, and life 
 to all his people; this he did in the days of his 
 flesh, and still continues to do by his ministering 
 servants ; who are his lips, by whom he speaks, 
 and are thought by some'' to be chiefly intended 
 here: and so will his lips drop " sweet-smelling 
 myrrh," the words of eternal life, when he shall 
 say, " come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the 
 kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of 
 the world." 2. His lips drop words, for matter 
 like " sweet-smelling myrrh," preserving from 
 rottenness, putrefaction, and corruption : Christ's 
 words preserve from the corruption of sin ; 
 his doctrines are " according to godliness ;" they 
 are so far from having a tendency to encourage 
 persons in sin, that they are the best antidote and 
 preservative against it : the doctrines of grace teach 
 us " to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts ;" they 
 are the means of implanting and maintaining princi- 
 ples opposite to them : they also'preserve from the 
 corruption of false doctrines, which are pernicious 
 to souls, and " eat as do a canker :" but Christ's 
 words are wholesome ones ; and those whose hearts 
 are established with them, are not " carried about 
 with divers and strange doctrines ;" nor are they 
 " tossed to and fro with every wind" of error, but 
 retain their stedfastness in Christ Jesus : likewise 
 wherever Christ's words come with power, they 
 preserve from going down to " the pit of corrup- 
 tion;" for Christ says, that whosoever " keeps 
 his sayings, shall never see death," that is, the 
 second death. 
 
 ' Schaccus. ut. supra, 1. 1. c. 28. p. 138, 139. 
 •' Arabros. in Ts cxviii. octon. 18. col. 10-)7. 
 rscllus apud Theodoret. id loo. Carpath. and Ku- 
 
 2ndly. The manner of the delivery of Christ's 
 words ; which, as the matter of them is grateful, 
 this is grateful, and is said to be dropping. 1. 
 Gradually, and not all at once : Christ did not 
 speak all at once to his disciples, but by little and 
 little, as they were able to bear it ; they had not 
 their light, knowledge, and comfort all at once ; 
 no more have saints now, nor must they expect 
 it ; we are first babes, then young men, and then 
 fathers in Christ. 2. Seasonably, at proper 
 times, as the wants and necessities of his people 
 require ; for " God hath given him the tongue ot 
 the learned, that he may know how to speak a 
 word in season to him that is weary," Isa. 1. 4. 
 
 3. Constantly; his lips dropped sweet- smelling 
 myrrh when on earth, and still drop it now he is 
 in heaven ; " see that ye refuse not hira that 
 speaketh ;" that now speaketh, continues to speak, 
 and will do so until all his people are gathered in. 
 
 4. Powerfully and efi"ectually ; though his words 
 do but drop, yet they drop with power; they 
 make and leave impressions where they drop ; 
 they work effectually in them that believe. 5. 
 Yet sweetly and gently ; not like hasty and sud- 
 den showers of rain, which beat down the grass 
 and corn ; but as rain that drops gently and 
 mildly, and so is acceptable to the earth, and 
 makes it fruitful -. " my doctrine shall drop as the 
 rain, my speech shall distil as the dew," &c., 
 Deut. xxxii. 2. Now this graceful and agreeable 
 mannei of his delivery, as well as the grateful 
 matter of his words, render him very acceptable 
 to his church, and show him to be a most excel- 
 lent Person, and " the Chiefest among ten thou- 
 sand ;" which is what she attempts to demon- 
 strate, in this description, to the daughters of 
 Jerusalem. The kisses of Christ's lips, or the 
 manifestations of his love, may be taken into the 
 sense of these words ; which are as delightful aa 
 sweet-smelling myrrh ; see chap. i. 2 ; and such a 
 sentiment is expressed in the same language by 
 others.' 
 
 Verse 14. His hands are as gold rings, set with 
 the beryl : his belly is as bright ivory, overlaid 
 with sapphires. 
 
 These words contain the sixth and seventh par- 
 ticular instances of Christ's beauty, or distinguish- 
 ing characters of him, whereby he might be 
 known from all other beloveds, and wherein he 
 was preferable to them. 
 
 I. She describes him by " his hands ;" which, 
 she says, " are as gold set with the beryl." 
 
 II. By " his belly or bowels ;" which, she 
 says, "is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires." 
 
 I. She sets forth the beauty and loveliness ot 
 his hands, by comparing them with " gold rings 
 set with the beryl ;" which is the sixth par- 
 ticular instanced in : it was usual in former 
 
 pert, in Sanct. in loo. ' Olent tua basia myrrham, 
 Martial. Epigr. I. 2. ep. 10. 
 
VER. 14.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 221 
 
 times, as now, for gold rings to be set with one 
 precious stone or another," and particulaily with 
 the bery]." And by his hands may be meant, 
 either, 
 
 1st. The munificence and liberality of Christ, 
 manifested in Ihe distributions of his grace to his 
 own people : all grace is in Christ's hands, being 
 put there by God the Father, as an instance of 
 his love to Christ, as Mediator, and his regard to 
 those whom he made his care and charge ; " the 
 Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things 
 into his hands," John iii. 35 ; all fulness of grace 
 is in Christ, of justifying, sanctifying, pardoning, 
 and adopting grace ; all the blessings and pro- 
 mises of the covenant are in his hands ; all fulness 
 of wisdom and strength, light and life, peace, 
 joy, and comfort, is with him; which is all lodged 
 in his hands, in order to be distributed to God's 
 chosen ones : Christ, as the ascended Lord and 
 King, "received gifts for meu," and as such, 
 gives them to them ; the daiiy experience of souls 
 testify it, for " of his fulness we all receive, and 
 gi'ace for grace." Christ does all this liberally, 
 and upbraideth not ; he does not do it with a 
 reflection on our unworthiness ; nor does he hit 
 us on the teeth of our manifold sins and trans- 
 gressions ; as he does not withhold the blessings 
 of grace from those they belong to ; so when he 
 gives, he does not do it grudgingly, but freely and 
 cheerfully ; not sparingly, but plenteously ; he 
 opeueth his hands wide, and largely communicates 
 to his people : all which he does wisely and pru- 
 dently, at such times and in such ways, as will 
 best suit with their wants and necessities ; for as 
 a " wise and faithful Steward" of God's grace, he 
 gives to every one " their portion of meat in due 
 season." And now these hands of Christ's, which 
 so faithfuUy and wisely, so liberally, freely, and 
 largely distribute the blessings of grace to the 
 saints, are as beautiful and lovely as hands adorned 
 with gold riugs, set with the most valuable pre- 
 cious stones: how glorious does he appear to the 
 eye of faith, " as exalted to be a Prince and a 
 Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel, and for- 
 giveness of sins," with his hands full of grace, 
 and a heart to give it ! how beautiful do both his 
 right and left hand look, in whose " right hand is 
 length of days," and in whose " left hand are 
 riches and honour !" Or else, 
 
 2ndly. By his hands may be meant his power 
 in working : Christ's hands have always been ac- 
 tive ; " my Father worketh hitherto, and I work ;" 
 that is, 1 have been working, and I continue to 
 do so. Those hands of Christ, which are said to 
 be " as gold rings," &c., laid the foundation of 
 the heavens and the earth, formed all things out 
 of nothing, reared up the beautiful structure of 
 the universe, and filled it with proper inhabitants ; 
 for " without him was not any thing made that 
 was made :" and in doing this his hands look 
 
 ■" Annuli gemmati, Liv. Hist. 1. 1. c. U. Gemma 
 ornat manus, Propert. 1. 3. eleg. 6. v. 12. Vid. Macrob. 
 
 like gold rings; there is a shine, a lustre ou 
 them ; the glory of the divine perfections appears 
 in them : " the heavens declare his glory, and the 
 firmament showeth his handy-work ;" these hands 
 also bear up and support the pillars of t'ae earth ; 
 and in this he appears to be the brightness of his 
 Father's glory, and the express image of his Per- 
 son, in that he upholds all things by the word of 
 his power : these hands likewise hold the reins of 
 government ; the government of the whole uni- 
 verse in general, as well as of the church in par- 
 ticular, is iu the hands and upon the shoulder of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ : but in nothing does 
 Christ's hands appear more beautiful and lovely, 
 like gold rings set with the beryl, than in grasp- 
 ing, holding, and retaining the saints ; who are 
 put into his hand by God the Father, where they 
 are safe and secure ; for out of his hands none can 
 pluck. How beautiful do the hands of Christ 
 look, in holding those bright stars, the ministers 
 of tlie gospel there ! for he " holdeth the seven 
 stars in his right-hand :" and more do they ap- 
 pear so, when we view all the saints there ; who 
 are so many gold rings, jewels, pearls, and pre- 
 cious stones in Christ's esteem. Or else, 
 
 3rdly. By his hands may be meant. Lis works 
 performed by his almighty power : his lips being 
 the instruments of speech, intend Christ's words 
 in the former verse ; so hands being the instru- 
 ments of action, may intend his works in this ; 
 such as the works of creation and providence, 
 which are all formed in a beautiful order, in a de- 
 lightful connection with, and an agreeable subor- 
 dination and subserviency to each other ; his 
 works of miracles here on earth, on aU which were 
 a shine of deity, and were a demonstration of his 
 being the true Messiah and Saviour of the world ; 
 and more especially his works of grace and re- 
 demption, which may be said to be " as gold rings 
 set with the beryl." 1. For the perfection of 
 them : the circular form is accounted the most 
 perfect, and therefore they are compared to gold 
 rings, which are of such a form ; Christ is a Rock, 
 and his work is perfect, and particularly that of 
 redemption ; he does none of his works by halves ; 
 and especially this, which he never left till he 
 could say, it is finished ; and so being made per- 
 fect himself through suS'erings,''having perfectly 
 fulfilled both the preceptive and penal parts of the 
 law, he became the complete author of eternal 
 salvation to all them that obey him. 2. For the 
 excellency and glory of them ; gold rings ate 
 valuable, beautiful, and ornamental : all Christ's 
 works of grace are glorious and honourable ; and 
 more especially this of redemption, in wiiich the 
 glory of all the three Persons, and the glory of 
 all the divine perfections, is manifestly displayed, 
 and eternally secured ; " his glory is great in thy 
 salvation," Psalm xxi. 5. 3. For the variety of 
 them ; gold rings, in the plural number, are here 
 
 Saturnal. 1. 7. c. 13. ° Et See litum digito be- 
 
 ryllum adederat igni:-. Propert. 1. 4. eleg. 7. v. % 
 
990 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap, 
 
 mentioned : Christ's works of grace are many and 
 various, they are more than can be reckoned up; 
 and even in the work of redemption, there is an 
 admirable variety ; many are the things which he 
 has wrought out, brought in, and procured by his 
 precious blood ; such as a justifying righteous- 
 ness, pardon of sin, peace, and Reconciliation, 
 liberty of access to God, deliverance from all ene- 
 mies, sin, Satan, hell, and death, &c. 4. Christ's 
 hands in working out redemption, may be said to 
 be as gold rings set with the beryl : this is one 
 of the precious stones in the high priest's breast- 
 plate, mentioned in Exod. xxviii. 20 ; and is one 
 of the pearl foundations of the new Jerusalem, 
 Rev. sxi. 20 ; the appearance of the wheels in 
 Eaekiel's vision, is said to be like it, Ezek. i. 16; 
 and the body of that great person who appeared 
 to Daniel, chap. x. 6, is said to be as this stone : 
 so that it is no wonder that Christ's hands 
 should be said to be as gold rings set with it. 
 
 The Hebrew word Tarshish, here used, is some- 
 times the name of a person, and at other times 
 the name of a place, and is used sometimes to 
 signify the sea ; and naturalists" tell us, that the 
 best beryl is that which most resembles the co- 
 lour of the sea ; thus all the three Targums on 
 Exod. xxviii. 20, call it NCT QllD, crum yamma, 
 from its being of a sea colour : and Junius and 
 Tremellius here render it, beri/llus tkallassius, the 
 sea-coloured beryl : this stone is found in India; 
 and being carried about by persons, is said? to 
 inspire them with courage to help them to con- 
 quer their enemies, and to put an end to strifes 
 and controversies. Christ, whose hands are said 
 to be as gold rings set with beryl, iu working out 
 man's redemption, discovered the utmost courage, 
 resolution, and magnanimity of mind ; when he 
 was bearing his Father's wrath, suffering the se- 
 vere strokes of justice, and grappling with all 
 his and our enemies ; when he was deserted by 
 his friends, forsaken by his God, and insulted by 
 his enemies, he failed not, neither was he discou- 
 raged ; when he saw that there was none to give 
 him the least assistance, his own arm brought sal- 
 vation to him ; he stood the field, fought the 
 battle alone, got an entire victory over aU ene- 
 mies, sin, Satan, and the world ; saved us out of 
 the hands of them all, and put an end to that 
 grand controversy between God and us, occasioned 
 by sin ; he repaired ihat breach, made up that 
 distance, and reconciled those two contending 
 parties, by making peace between them, through 
 the blood of his cross. 5. Some think that the 
 chrysolite is here meant, as Ainsworth and others; 
 which is a precious stone of a golden colour.i 
 from whence it has its name; it is mentioned in 
 Rev. xxi. 20, and is said' to be good against me- 
 
 " Plin. 1. 37. c. 5. Solin. c. G.5. Ruaeus de Gemmis, 
 1. 2. c. 8. De Boot. Hist. Gemm. 1. 2. c. 70. BtpuWs 
 iXavKnv \i0ov, Dions. Perieg. v. 1012. p Albertus 
 
 JIagnus, 1. 2. tract. 2. c. 2. de Rebus Metal. Ruspus, 1. 
 2.0.8. 1 Plia.l. 37.C.9. 11. ' Albertus Magnus 
 
 lancholy, fear, and folly, and to fill the mind with 
 courage, cheerfulness, and wisdom ; which, being 
 applied to Christ's hands in working out redemp- 
 tion, may show that Christ not only performed 
 this work with courage, but with cheerfulness, 
 and also with the utmost wisdom : his wisdom 
 appears in all the works of his hands, as the Psal- 
 mist says, Psalm civ. 24, " Lord, how manifold 
 are thy works, in wisdom hast thou made them 
 all !" but in none more than in this of redemp- 
 tion, wherein he hath abounded towards us iu all 
 wisdom and prudence ; . this was so well con- 
 trived, and so fully effected, that all the divine 
 perfections are glori lied in it ; he has herein se- 
 cured the glory of justice and holiness, as well 
 as given the greatest display of his grace and 
 mercy ; he has satisfied a broken law, and des- 
 troyed sin, and yet saved the sinner ; herein ap- 
 pears the manifold wisdom of God ; there is 
 such a variety of it, and such a glory in it, that 
 angels are amazed at it, and desire to look into 
 it. Christ, as the great Redemer, is not only 
 the power, but also the wisdom of God; for in 
 him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and 
 knowledge ; of which he gave the fullest proof 
 when he was concerned in this work. 6. 
 Others think that the hyacinth or jacinth is here 
 intended : Pagnine renders it, " full of precious 
 stones, like hyacinth ;" the Vulgate Latin and 
 Tigurine versions render it the same way, this 
 is likewise mentioned in Rev. xxi. 20 ; it is of 
 a violet or purple colour, for which reason the 
 flower so called has its name ;' also it is said' 
 to be good against the bitings of venomous 
 beasts ; and being worn on the finger, and put 
 about the neck, keeps strangers safe, and ren- 
 ders them grateful to their host : the bluish 
 and purple colour of this stone, and its rnby 
 veins, which some say it has, may represent a 
 crucified and bleeding Christ ; when his precious 
 hands, which are as gold rings, wrought out 
 man's salvation ; by whose blue wounds and 
 purple streams of blood, souls have a cure for 
 every disease ; and particularly for those wounds 
 which their sins, those scorpions within, and Sa- 
 tan, that old serpent without, have made iu 
 them ; for by his stripes we are healed ; it is the 
 precious blood of Christ, and spotless righteous- 
 ness, and glorious redemj)tion wrought out there- 
 by, which being applied by the Spirit, and laid 
 hold on by faith, preserve souls safe from all 
 enemies and evils, as sin, Salan, law, hell, and 
 wrath ; and which only render them grateful 
 and acceptable to God ; for saints are only ac- 
 cepted iu the beloved 00 the foot of redemption, 
 and upon the account of his justifying righteous- 
 ness; for the Lord is well pleased for his righte- 
 
 1. 2. tract. 2. c. 3. de Rebus Sletal. Ruaeusde Gemmis, 
 1. 2. c. 7. • Plin. 1. 37. c. 9. Solin. c. 43. 
 
 < Fernel. Method. Medend. 1. 5. c. 21. Albertus 
 Magnus, 1. 2. ract. 2. c. 8. de Rebus Metal. 
 
14. 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 223 
 
 ousness sake, because be bath magnified tbe law, 
 and made it bonourable, Isa. xlii. 21. 7- Otbers 
 have thought that the sardonyx is iutended, as 
 Cocceins; this is an Arabian gem, and one of 
 the principal ones ; it is a composition of the 
 sardius and onjx stones," as appears from the 
 name; it is of a white and ruddy colour, and 
 much resembles the nail of a man's hand, set in 
 flesh, both for colour and smoothness; and it 
 used to be set in rings, and worn on the hand ; 
 hence a hand adorned with one, is called sar- 
 clnni/chafa manns ;"' and a ring set with this 
 stone, was called sardoiujche -^ this is also men- 
 tioned in Rev. xxi. 20, and may represent the 
 glorious Deity, innocent humanity, and bloody 
 snfferings of Christ, whose hands have obtained 
 eternal redemption for us ; it was necessary that 
 he should die, in order to satisfy for our sins, 
 which he could not have done, had he had any 
 sin of his own ; neither would tbe sufferings of 
 this innocent person have been suflScicnt, had he 
 been a mere creature, and not truly God : it is 
 by the precious blood of Christ that we are re- 
 deemed, and by the blood of Christ, as of a Lamb 
 without spot and blemish ; and vi'hat made this 
 blood powerful and efficacious to such a purpose, 
 is the influence of the divine nature : and all these 
 three may be observed in one verse, Heb. is. 14. 
 
 II. She describes him by his belly, which, she 
 says, is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. 
 The generality of ancient interpreters ^ understand 
 by heJhj, the human nature of Christ, which is 
 expressed by this part, because of the frailty and 
 weakness of it : Christ's human nature, though 
 not attended with sinful, yet with all sinless in- 
 firmities ; he was encompassed with them ■ and 
 was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs ; 
 and yet, like ivory, was firm, constant, and im- 
 moveable in sufferings, being supported and 
 strengthened by the divine nature, he appeared to 
 be the man of God's right hand, the son of man 
 whom he made strong for himself; and, like bright 
 and white ivory, pure, holy, innocent, and spotless ; 
 and now like bright and white ivory overlaid with 
 sapphires, being gloiMfied and eyalted at God's 
 right hand. Ivory is used to express the beauty 
 of persons; see chap. vii. 7; so the beauty of 
 ^neas is described by it ;' even by such as has 
 been in the hands of a workman, smoothed and 
 polished by him, and so become bright, as here 
 called: the sapphii'e is used to express the glory 
 and majesty of the Divine Being, in Exod. xxiv. 
 10. 
 
 The Septuagint render it thus, " his belly is an 
 ivory box upon a sapphire stone,"" and this 
 serves very well to represeut the body, and may very 
 aptly be applied to the human nature of Christ, in 
 
 " Plin. I. 37. c. 1, 6. Solin. c. 46. Ruaeus de Gem- 
 mis, 1.2. c. .5. " Martial. Epigr. 1. 2. ep. 25. 
 
 " Juvenal Satyr. 7. v. 144. I'ersii. Satyr, i. v. 16. 
 
 y Isidore. Foliot, and Alcuin in loc. and ovnnes in 
 Sanct. in loc. ^ Quale manus addunt ebori 
 
 decus, Virgil ^Eneid. 1. 1. » KoiX<a aina ■nvt.i.ov 
 
 which " the fulness of the Godhead dwells ?" and 
 displays its glory : but the words may be better 
 rendered, " his bowels are as bright ivory," &c. ; 
 so the same word is translated in ver. 4, and may 
 express the love, grace, mercy, pity, and compas- 
 sion of Christ to poor souls ; which may be com- 
 pared to bright ivory. 1. For the valuableness 
 and excellency of it : the ivory is the tooth of the 
 elephant, and is very valuable; Solomon made 
 himself a throne of it, and overlaid it with gold ; 
 that is, studded it, and enamelled it with gold, as 
 this is said to be sapphires: nothing is so valuable 
 as Christ's love ; the brightest ivory, the richest 
 jewels, most precious stones, and excellent sap- 
 phires, are not to be compared to it ; his " loving 
 kindness is better than life," or all the things 
 which render life comfortable and delightful. 2. 
 For the purity, sincerity, and chastity of it ; there 
 is no spot, stain, or blemish of hypocrisy and de- 
 ceit in it ; but like pure bright ivory, is without 
 the least sully or tarnish : nor is there any reason 
 for jealousy of it ; both the ivory and the sapphire 
 are observed to be preservatives of chastity ; and 
 though God's children are often jealous of Christ's 
 love, yet they have no reason for it ; for as he 
 loves them above all others, so he loves none but 
 them iu that way ; and he " rests in his love " to- 
 wards them, and is the " same yesterday, to day, 
 and for ever." 3. For the firmness, constancy, 
 and durableness of it ; ivory is firm and lasting ; 
 Christ's love is so ; it is from everlasting to ever- 
 lasting, always the same, never varies, and will 
 continue so for ever ; for " having loved his own 
 which were in the world, he loved them unto the 
 end." 4. For its reviving, refreshing, and strengthen- 
 ingnature; ivory, to which Christ's bowelsare here 
 compared, is said *= to, be a great streugtheucr 
 of the bowels and inward parts : Christ's love 
 being shed abroad in our hearts, revives our 
 fainting souls, puts new strength iuto our graces, 
 and makes us not ashamed or confounded, even in 
 a day of trouble. 5. It is like bright ivory " over- 
 laid with sapphires ;" that is, either covered with 
 them, as the word signifies, or rather enamelled with 
 them : of this precious stone frequent mention is 
 made in scripture ; it is used to express the glory 
 of God, Exod. xxiv. 10, and the throne of his 
 majesty is said to be as the appearance of it, Ezek. 
 i. 26, the beauty of the Nazarites is represented 
 by it. Lam. iv. 7, and the glory of the church in 
 the latter day, Isa. liv. 1 1 ; it was one of the pre- 
 cious gems in the high-priest's breast-plate ; and 
 one ot the foundations of the New Jernsalem : 
 some of the Jewish writers ■* say, that the two 
 tables on which the law was engraven was made 
 of this ; it is a very clear and transparent gem,^ 
 of a coerulean or sky colour, shining with golden 
 
 eXei^airrtroi/ ewr \i6a <ru7r<^eipa, Sept. ^ '*3?0 vis- 
 
 cera ejus, Marckias, Michaelis. " Fernel', lle- 
 
 tliod. 1. .5. c. 21, 23. "i Targum Jon. 
 
 in Exod. xxxi. 18. Targum in Cant. i. U. andR. Sol. 
 Jarchi in Exod. xxxiv. 1. « Plin. 1. 37. c 9. 
 
 Euaus de Gemmis, 1.2.0.2. Dionys. I'erieg. v. 1 105. 
 
224 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. V. 
 
 specks ; it is said ' to help those that are bitteu 
 with scorpions, to defend the heart from tlie in- 
 fection of poison, and to cure intestine ulcers : 
 this may all serve to set forth the glory and ex- 
 cellency of Christ's love ; it is this oil of love, 
 grace, and mercy, which being poured in by the 
 good Samaritan, heals the wounds that sin has 
 made, and preserves from the dreadful effects of 
 its poison and venom. Albertus Magnus s says, 
 that the sapphire creates peace and concord, and 
 renders the mind pure and devout to God ; but 
 whether this be true or no, it is certain that the 
 love of Christ, discovered to a poor distressed sin- 
 ner, produces calmness and serenity of mind, cre- 
 ates " a peace which passeth all understanding ;" 
 removes that enmity, and weakens the remains of 
 it, which is naturally in the heart of man against 
 God, Christ, his gospel, people, ways, and ordin- 
 ances ; there is nothing attracts our love to Christ 
 as this does ; " we love him because he first loved 
 us :" nor is there any thing that more engages 
 our hearts in acts of obedience fo him than this ; 
 it is this which lays us under obligation, con- 
 strains us to, and enforces on us a regard to all 
 his commands and ordinances, and makes us most 
 cheerful in our observance of them. 
 
 But there are some interpreters'" who think 
 that not any part of the body is here described, as 
 the belly or bowels, but rather that some covering 
 of those parts is intended ; and indeed it does not 
 seem so agreeable with the rules of decency, nor 
 consistent with the spouse's modesty, to describe 
 her beloved by those naked parts to the daughters 
 of Jerusalem ; any more than i( does 'with the 
 scope of the place, which is to give some distin- 
 guishing marks and characters of him to them, 
 that they might know him from another ; but 
 these parts being out of sight, and not exposed to 
 public view, a description of them could be of no 
 service to them in this respect ; nor indeed does 
 what is said serve so much to commend the belly, 
 as it does some covering of it ; R. Aben Ezra 
 thinks the girdle about the loins is here meant ; 
 and if so, it may intend eitller Christ's royal 
 girdle, which is a girdle of righteodsness and 
 ■ faithfulness ; all his regal administrations being 
 performed, as well according to the strictest rules 
 of justice and equity, as with the utmost wisdom 
 and prudence ; or else, his priestly girdle, which 
 is called a golden one. Rev. i. 13, and is no doubt 
 an allusion to what the high-priest wore ; or else, 
 the covering intended may respect the embroidered 
 coat of the high- priest, which covered his whole 
 body ; whose embroidery were holes or incisures, 
 in which, as Jarchi' says, were put jewels and 
 precious stones ; and so as the church described 
 Christ as a prince before, she is thought to describe 
 
 'Fernel.Method. Medend.1.5. c. 21. Euaeus, ibid. 
 
 B Lib. 2. tract. 2. c. 17. de Rebus Metal Kuseus de 
 Gemmis, 1. 2. c. 2. i" Lyra, Soto Major, Sanctius, 
 and Bishop Patrick in loc. ' In Exod. xxviii. 
 
 4. "= See a discourse of mine, called Levi's Urim 
 
 him here as a priest ; or rather, the ephod with 
 the breast-plate is here alluded to, in which were 
 twelve precious stones, and, among the rest, the 
 sapphire, on which were engraven the names of 
 the twelve tribes of Israel ; and it i» certain, 
 that the Targum on this place has reference to 
 it ; for it mentions the stones one by one, with 
 the several names of the tribes engraven on 
 them : and this may represent Christ, as the great 
 high-priest, bearing all his elect ones upon his 
 heart in heaven, having entered there in their 
 name to appear and plead for them, and to take 
 possession of glory for them in their stead, until 
 they are brought into the actual enjoyment of 
 it themselves.'' 
 
 Verse 15. His legs are as pillars of marble, set 
 upon sockets of fine gold : his countenance '\s 
 as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. 
 
 These words contain the eighth and ninth parti- 
 cular instances of Christ's beauty, given by the 
 church to the daughters of Jerusalem, or distin- 
 guishing characters of him, whereby they might 
 know and discern him from all others. And, 
 
 I. She describes him by " his legs," which, she 
 says, " are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets 
 of fine gold." 
 
 IT. By " his countenance ;" which, she says, is, 
 1st. " As Lebanon." 2ndly. " Excellent as the 
 cedars." 
 
 I. She describes him by his legs ; which she 
 says, " are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets 
 of fine gold ;" which is the eighth particular of 
 this glorious description of Christ. The word 
 translated legs, may as well be rendered thighs ; 
 which may very well be compared to marble pil- 
 lars, both for form and colour; especially when 
 we consider, that it does not appear that the 
 ancient Jews did in common wear any thing upon 
 their thighs and legs, but only sandals upon their 
 feet : or perhaps, by thighs may be meant, the 
 femoralia,' or garments on the thighs, which were 
 worn by the priests when they ministered in holy 
 things. I have observed that some interpreters 
 think, that some garment of the high-priest, either 
 his girdle, or his embroidered coat, or the ephod, 
 with the breast-plate, is intended by the belly, in 
 the latter part of the preceding verse ; so that as 
 Christ was described as a prince before, he is now 
 described as a priest ; which description may be 
 still carried on here. These femoralia, or garments 
 for the thighs, were made of fine liuen, Exod. 
 xxviii. 42; and so are very aptly represented by 
 white marble ; they are also said to be made of 
 fine twisted linen, Exod. xxxix. 28, which the 
 Jewish Rabbins™ say, was of thread six times 
 doubled ; and therefore these breeches must sit 
 
 and Thummim found with Christ, p. 34. 35. 
 
 ' Bishop Patrick in loc. ■" Vid. R. D. Kimchi, 
 
 in lib. Shorash, rad. -ijflj Maimon. Cele Haniikdash, 
 c. 8. s. 14. and Jarchi m Exod. xxvi. 1. 
 
VEK. 15.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 225 
 
 very full ami stiff, like pillars of uuirble : and this 
 may set forth the pure auJ spotless righleoiisaess 
 of Christ, whieh is called, in llev. xix. 8, " fine 
 linen, clean and white ;" it is tliis which covers our 
 nakedness, hides the impurities of our nature, and 
 renders us acceptable unto God. iloreover, below 
 these breeches of the priest, was the hem of the 
 holy robe, round about whieh were set pome- 
 granates aud golden bells ; which perhaps may be 
 meant by the " sockets of tine gold," on whieh 
 (hose pillars of marble were set; and may intend 
 the glory and excellency of the righteousness of 
 oui- great high-priest, Christ Jesus. 
 
 jVloreover, in this description, the church seems 
 to take in thighs, legs, and feet ; his thighs and 
 legs are compared to pillars of marble, aud that 
 very aptly ; his feet are intended by " the sockets 
 of fine gold ;" which either respects the sandals 
 bound about the feet with golden ribands ; or 
 the custom of some who used to adorn their shoes 
 with gold and precious stones -." and that nothing 
 may be wanting to set off her beloved as the most 
 excellent, she represents him as having such san- 
 dals or shoes upon his feet ; golden sandals on his 
 suow-white marble feet and legs f for white mar- 
 ble is meant, such as Parian marble, so Aquila 
 and Theodotion render it ; or shoes gilt iu the 
 upper part, as noblemen in Spain wore, as Lyra 
 on the place observes. And now Christ's legs 
 being said to be " as pillars of marble," &c., may 
 denote, 
 
 1st. The strength and power of Christ to bear 
 up aud support what is or has been laid upon him ; 
 much of a man's strength is in his legs ; these are 
 by Solomon called " the strong men," Eccl. xii. 
 3, and are the pillars and support of the body ; 
 which, when they begin to bow themselves, it is 
 an indication that this earthly tabernacle is ready 
 to be dissolved ; Christ is the Rock of ages, in 
 whom is everlasting strength ; his legs are as 
 pillars of marble, set upon sockets of line gold, 
 firm aud immoveable, lasting and durable. 1. To 
 bear the weight of the whole universe ;P the earth, 
 with all the inhabitants thereof, would soon be 
 dissolved, did not he bear up the pillars of it ; as 
 he made all things, so lie upholds all things by 
 the word of his power; both worlds, with all the 
 created inhabitants of it, have their depeudanceon 
 him, and are upheld by him : for as " he is be- 
 fore all things, so by him do all things consist." 
 2. To bear the whole weight of the covenant of 
 grace ; it was the business of the Levites to bear 
 the ark of the covenant ; but Christ is the cove- 
 nant itself ; he is so both materially and funda- 
 mentally; he is the matter, sum, aud substance of 
 it ; he is the basis aud foundation of it ; all the 
 blessings of it are upon him ; aud all the promises 
 
 "> This is mentioned by Pliny, 1. 9. c. 35. and 1. 37. 
 c. 2. ° Perque caput ducti lapidcs, per colla, man- 
 usque, and pedibus niveis fulserunt aurea vincla, 
 Manilius de Margariti.3 1. 5. Littora marmores ped- 
 ibus signanda puellK, Ovid. Amor. 1. 2. ek-g. 11. v. 
 15. p SeveralJewisli writers, by the pillars 
 
 of it arc in him, yea and anieu ; it is this which 
 makes the covenant of grace, with all its bles- 
 sings and mercies, sure, aud renders it preferable 
 to the covenant of works because it is " estab- 
 lished upon better promises ;" which jiromises arc 
 upon a better foundation, aud that is the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. 3. To bear all the persons of the 
 elect ; as the legs of a man bear and support the 
 whole body, so Christ's legs, which are as pillars 
 of marble, bear uj) aud support his whole body, 
 the church ; thus Christ bore and represeuted the 
 persons of the elect in the everlasting covenant, 
 aud received all grace for them ; and so he did 
 when he hung upon the cross, when he died and 
 rose again ; and so he does now he is iu heaven, 
 even as Aaron bore the names of the children of 
 Israel upon his breast-plate, for a memorial be- 
 fore the Lord. 4. To bear all their sins and trans- 
 gressions ; so A aron bore the iniquity of the holy 
 things of the children of Israel ; and so did the 
 scape-goat bear upon him their iniquities unto a 
 land not inhabited ; and therein were both types 
 of Christ, who was manifested in our nature for 
 this purpose ; on whom God the Father laid the 
 iniquity of us all, and who actually bore it in his 
 own body on the tree ; and by so doing, made 
 satisfaction for it. 5. To bear all the punishment 
 due to sin ; sin being laid on him, he, as the 
 sinner's Surety, bore the whole weight of his Fa- 
 ther's displeasure for it ; he had uot the least abate- 
 ment of his wrath, but suffered the severest strokes 
 of his justice ; and yet he failed not, neither was 
 he discouraged, or was not broken ; it was 
 enough to have broken the strength of men and 
 angels : but he stood up under it, " his ligs being 
 as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of tine gold;" 
 when God banished Cain from his presence, as aa 
 indication of his displeasure for his sin, he cried 
 out, " My punishmeutis greater than lean bear;" 
 and indeed, who can stand in his " sight when 
 once he is angry ?" and yet, what was this to 
 what Christ bore in the room aud stead of the 
 elect ? 6. " His legs are as pillars of marble," 
 &c., to bear the whole care and government of 
 his church ; the government of the church iu ge- 
 neral is upon his shoulder; and indeed no other 
 shoulder is capable of it but his, who is " the 
 mishty God, the everlasting Father, and Prince 
 of Peace :" it may be said of him, iu a much 
 more eminent sense, what Paul said of himself, 
 2 Cor. xi. 28, that " the care of all the churches 
 was upon him ;" the care of every particular be- 
 liever, as well as of the church in general, is upon 
 Christ : for they cast their care upon him, who 
 careth for them. 7. They are so, aud need be 
 so, to bear all the burdens of his people : there 
 was a complaint of the Jews in Nehemiah's time. 
 
 of marble, understand the six day's work of creation 
 (though the Targum interprets them of the righteou.'^) 
 on which the world is founded ; and by the sockets 
 of gold, the doctrines of the law, Shirhashirun fjabba 
 in loc. Bemidbar Babba, parash. lO.VajikraKabba, 
 parash. 25. 
 
226 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 fCiiAP. V. 
 
 Neh. iv. 10, that the strength of the bearer of 
 burdens was decayed, but this cannot be made of 
 Christ, who is the bearer of his peoples' burdens ; 
 for " his legs are as pillars of marble," &c., he 
 he has said. Psalm Iv. 22, " Cast thy burden 
 upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee ;" he h:\h 
 both willingness and ability, a heart and a hand 
 to do it. 8. To bear up his people under aU their 
 afflictions, trials, and temptations: " in all their 
 afflictions he is afflicted ; he supports and upholds 
 them with the right hand of his righteousness ; he 
 suffers " no temptation" to befal them, but what 
 he gives strength proportionate to it, " that they 
 may be able to bear it;" he comfortably carries 
 them through all the difficulties of life, and will 
 not leave them till he has brought them to glory ; 
 for even " to hoary hairs" he will carry them; 
 he has made, and he will bear them. 9. To bear 
 them up and keep them from falling : lie is able 
 to do it, and he will do it; he is that " sure 
 foundation," on which their souls being built, 
 " the gates of hell" cannot prevail against them; 
 and though they may be attended with many 
 failings a!id infirmities, yea, with many slips and 
 falls, yet they shall never fall totally and fiually ; 
 for he " upholdeth them with his hand." 10. 
 His legs are as " pillars of marble," &c., to bear 
 " all the glory of his Fatlicrs's house ;" for as he 
 " builds the temple," it is proper that he should 
 " bear the glory :" Adam had a great deal of 
 glory put upon him, in being made after God's 
 image and likeness, and in being the representative 
 of, and a federal head unto all his posterity ; but 
 " being in honour," did not abide long ; the crown 
 was too heavy for him, it soon fell from his head, 
 he being a mutable creature ; but Christ is " the 
 same yesterday, to-day, and for ever ;" and will 
 for ever continue to bear the glory of the God- 
 man and Mediator, which no mere creature is 
 capable of, being no ways able to effect the work. 
 And now, when we consider all these things, 
 Christ's legs had need he, as indeed they are, " as 
 pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold." 
 2ndly. By Christ's legs may be meant, his 
 ways and paths,'' which he has trodden in ; for as 
 legs are for the support of the body, so they are 
 likewise the instruments of walking ; and may 
 intend, either, 1. Christ's ways of love, grace, and 
 mercy in the covenant ; " whose goings forth" in 
 it were " from of old, from everlasting ;" these 
 vere, like " pillars of marble," firm and constant : 
 his " counsels of old are faithfulness and truth," 
 and like such, " set upon sockets of fine gold," 
 glorious and excellent ; the steps which were then 
 taken, the iBeasures and methods that were theu 
 concerted, were all to advance the glory of the 
 three Divine Persons, as well as to bring about 
 and secure the salvation of sinners. Or, 2. The 
 path of the incarnation which he trod in, as never 
 any did before or since : it was a wondrous stoop, 
 a surprising instance of his mighty grace, that he 
 
 should come down from heaven, and converse with 
 mortals on earth iu our nature; and the manner 
 in which this was done is no less amazing, as well 
 as it is an indication of his love to his people, to 
 be a partaker of the same flesh and blood with 
 them. Or, 3. His walk and conversation hereon 
 earth, which, like " pillars of marble," was 
 always upright, even and constant: he never went 
 away, or stepped aside from the path of righte- 
 ousness and holiness ; but always acted in a per- 
 fect conformity to the law of God, which he made 
 the rule of his obedience ; and upon the whole of 
 his conduct and conversation, there appeared a 
 beauty, glory, and lustre ; so that his legs looked 
 like " marble pillars set upon sockets of fine gold." 
 Or else, 4. His walks in his churches, which are 
 his " golden candlesticks ;" among whom he 
 delights to be, and to whom his presence is very 
 beautiful and glorious, delightful and desirable. 
 Or, 5. His providential dispensations to his people, 
 which are sometimes " past finding out ;" for his 
 " way is in the sea, and his path in the great 
 waters," so that his " footsteps are not known ;" 
 he seems sometimes to come forth against his 
 people in a way of anger and displeasure ; and 
 then " his feet are like unto fine brass, as if they 
 burned in a furnace," as they are represented in 
 Rev. i. 15. But yet these are, 1. Like pillars, 
 straight and upright , for he " is righteous in all 
 his ways, and holy in all his works ;" and though 
 wicked men, and sometimes God's own children, 
 through peevishness, impatience, and unbelief, may 
 say that " the Lord's way is not equal," yet his is 
 always equal, and theirs unequal. And, 2. Like 
 " pillars of marble," are firm and constant ; for 
 " he is iu one mind, and who can turn him ?" and 
 " what his soul desireth, even that he doeth." 
 And, 3. They are like such pillars, " set upon 
 sockets of fine gold ;" the basis and foundation of 
 them are his eternal purposes and decrees ; for he 
 " worketh all things after the counsel of his own 
 will :" and this will all appear exceeding beauti- 
 ful and glorious, when the book of purposes, and 
 the book of providences are opened, aud saints 
 behold that delightful harmony and agreement 
 which is between them ; theu will they sing the 
 song of Moses and the Lamb, saying, " Just and 
 true are thy ways, thou King of saints, who shall 
 not fear thee ?" &c., " for thy judgments are made 
 manifest," Rev. xv. 3, 4. 
 
 3rdly. These legs may set forth the power of 
 Christ, iu treading under aud trampling upon all 
 his and our eneu)ies ; so his legs wei-e like " pillars 
 of marble," &c., when he hung upon the cross, 
 who then trampled upon and triumphed over sin, 
 Satan, and the world ; and so they are now he is 
 in heaven, " for he must reign until he hath put 
 all his enemies under his feet :" Christ's legs and 
 feet, in the government of his church, aud in the 
 subduing of his enemies, arc not like the legs and 
 feet of Nebuchadnezzar's image, in Dan. ii. 33, 
 
 1 Ho St Thomas and Beda in Sanct. in loc. 
 
VER. 10.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 227 
 
 whose legs are said to be " of iron," and " his 
 feet, part of iron and part of clay," which were 
 easily demolished and destroyed; but Christ's 
 kingdom being a more glorious, durable, and last- 
 ing one, yea, an everlasting one, as in ver. 44, 
 therefore his legs are here compared to " pillars 
 of marble," and his feet to " sockets of fine 
 gold ;" his hrad and his feet are both of fine 
 gold, which shows that his kingdom is glorious 
 and excellent, and preferable to all others ; 
 and because Christ's legs and feet are such, 
 hence the saints are "more than conquerors," and 
 shall have all enemies trodden under their feet. 
 
 4th]y. Some"" by these legs understand Christ's 
 apostles, and the ministers of the gospel : who 
 bear the name of Christ, carry his gospel, run to 
 and fro, and diffuse " the savour of his knowledge 
 in every place;" are pillars in his house, are 
 instruments to support and strengthen hisinterest ; 
 and are marble ones, constant and immoveable in 
 their work, cannot be diverted from it, either by 
 the frowns or flatteries of the world : and in the 
 discharge of their work, are very beautiful ; " how 
 beautiful are the feet of him that bringeth good 
 tidings 1" and what makes their feet so beautiful ? 
 because they are as it were shod with gold; they 
 are " shod with the preparation of the gospel of 
 peace," with the golden truths of the gospel ; and 
 this makes them look like " pillars of marble set 
 upon sockets of fine gold." 
 
 II. She describes him by " his countenance ;" 
 or " his appearance,"' look, or aspect ; which is 
 the ninth particular instanced in : by this is 
 meant, not his countenance or look by which he 
 beholds others ; but that by which he is visible 
 to, and beheld by others, and which recommends 
 him to them; as his graud and majestic form, 
 his tall stature, his graceful mien and deportment, 
 and stately walk. And this she says, is, 
 
 First. As Lebanon ; which intends, either, 
 
 1st. The mountain of Lebanon ; which was a 
 large and goodly mountain, abounding with fruit- 
 ful and fragrant trees, situated on the north side 
 of the land of Canaan : to which Christ may be 
 compared, 1 . For the height of it : Christ, as 
 God, " is over all, blessed for ever ;" as God-man 
 and Mediator, he has " a name given him above 
 every name ; he is higher than the kings of the 
 earth," or than all the angels in heaven ; he is of 
 a more excellent nature, and has " obtained a 
 more excellent name than they." 2. For plea- 
 santness ; Lebanon is called by Moses, that goodly 
 mountaiu which before his death he had a great 
 desire to see ; Christ's countenance, form, or per- 
 sonage, is more glorious and excellent that Leba- 
 non, or any other mountain whatever ; he is 
 " the brightness of his Father's glory, and the 
 express Image of his Person." 3. For the fruit- 
 fulness of it; Lpbanon was a fruitful mountain 
 for vines and cedars : on Christ all those " trees 
 
 ■ Foliot in loc. and Ambros. in Ps. cxviii. octon. 5. 
 col. 914. and Carpathius in Sanct. in loc. 
 
 of righteousness " grow, which are the Lord's 
 planting ; from him they receive their life and 
 nourishment, their verdure and fruitfnlness ; and 
 by him they are supplied with all needful grace ; 
 for in him all fulness of it dwells. 4. For the 
 fragrancy of it ; hence we read that the saints' 
 smell is as Lebanon, Hosea xiv. 6 ; the trees and 
 plants which grew there, were very odoriferous, 
 and diffused a grateful smell to passers-by : 
 Christ's Person, grace, righteonsness, sacrifice, 
 and all that belong to him, are exceeding savoury 
 to believers; and hence it is, that he is in this 
 song compared to spikenard, myrrh, camphire, 
 the rose and the lily, &c. J,yra interprets this, 
 not of the mountain of Lebanon, but of the 
 aromatic tree, lebanah, or frankincense ; so 
 Theodoret. 
 
 2ndly. It may be meant of the forest of Leba- 
 non. Some think, that she has a regard in this 
 part of the description to the attire of the high- 
 priest, in whose garments were curiously wrou!iht 
 the figures of animals, trees, and flowers ; so that 
 when he had his robes on him, he might be 
 thought in some measure to resemble a forest, 
 and particularly this of Lebanon, which was 
 esteemed the most excellent ; and so may be ex- 
 pressive of the glory aud excellency of Christ, as 
 our great High- priest, so fai- exceeds Aaron aud 
 all his sons. Or else, 
 
 3rdly. It may be meant of the temple, which is 
 sometimes called Lebanon, as in Zech. xi. 1 ; and 
 it may be very well called so, because it was 
 chiefly made of the wood of Lebanon : aud Christ 
 may be very well compared unto it, for the state- 
 liness aud magnificence of it ; as well because 
 that all that belonged to it, or were performed in 
 it, were eminently typical of him, and did glo- 
 riously prefigure him ; and hence he calls his body 
 the temple, in John ii. 19. 
 
 Secondly. She says, that his countenance is, 
 or " he is excellent or choice as the cedars " which 
 grow on Lebanon ; and her meaning is, that as 
 the cedars in Lebanon were the choicest, and 
 were preferable to all other trees, so was Christ 
 her beloved to her : saints are compared to cedars ; 
 see Psal. xcii. 12, and Numb. xxiv. 5, 6 ; but 
 Christ is the chief cedar, the choicest of all the 
 cedars; in him these are planted and' take root, 
 and by him they are made fruitful ; to these sort 
 of trees Christ may be compared, for their tall- 
 ness, stateliness, fragrancy, and durableness ; but 
 these and all other things falling short to express 
 his beauty, and set off his greatness, she concludes 
 the description in the following words. 
 
 Verse 16. Former part. His mouth is most 
 sweet : yea, he is altogether lovely. 
 
 In these words we have, 
 
 I. The tenth and last particular instance of 
 Christ's beauty, or distinguishing character of 
 
 ' IDNIQ ^'^"s oKTS. Sept. species ejus, Vulg. Lat. 
 adspectus ejus, Montanus, Michaelis, &c. 
 
 Q 2 
 
V2S 
 
 AN P:x.rOSIT10N OF THE 
 
 LCIIAP. V. 
 
 him, whereby he niielit be known from all other 
 beloveds ; " his mouth is most sweet," or 
 " sweetnesses." 
 
 II. A comprehensive summary of all his ex- 
 cellencies and glories ; " yea, he is altogether 
 lovely." 
 
 I. She here describes him by his mouth, whicli, 
 she says, is most sweet ;" yea, sweetness itself, 
 and that in the highest degree of it ; sweetnesses, 
 as the word may be rendered."' And by Christ's 
 moulh here may be meant, either, 
 
 Isf. The words of his mouth.* In this sense 
 is the word used, in Prov. v. 3, and viii. 7 : 
 and by them may be meant, the " doctrines of 
 the gospel;" which are " the gracious words that 
 proceed out of Christ's mouth ; and are sweet to 
 a believer's taste, administer spiritual refresh- 
 ment to his soul, and are preferred by him to his 
 " necessary food -." likewise the " precious pro- 
 mises " of it are the words of Christ's mouth ; 
 which, if ever spoken to any purpose to a believer, 
 they are spoken by Christ; and when they are so, 
 they are exceeding sweet, and fill the so\il with 
 an unspeakable satisfaction. The kind invitations 
 of the Gospel also are not to be excluded, such 
 as Isaiah Iv. 1, Matthew xi. 28, Rev. xxii. 
 17 ; which manifestly speak out the love and 
 grace of Christ to sinners ; and when applied with 
 power by the blessed Spirit, are eicseding sweet, 
 comfoi table, and refresliiug to the consciences of 
 distressed sinners. ]\Iorcover the comforts which 
 Christ speaks to his people, either by his Spirit 
 or by his ministers, may be included here ; as 
 well as his commands, which also are the words 
 of his moulh, which he has enjoined us the obser- 
 vation of, and which are no ways grievous, but 
 joyous to a believer ; especially when he has the 
 presence of Christ, the discoveries of his love, 
 and is under the influences of the Spirit of grace, 
 whilst he is engaged in acts of obedience to 
 them : these " statutes and judgments of the 
 Lord," as they are right and just in themselves, 
 so they are to believers " more to be desired than 
 gold, yea, than fine gold ; sweeter also than tlie 
 honey or the honey-comb ;" for such is the grace 
 of Christ, that what he has made the believer's 
 duty, he also has made his privilege ; and hence 
 it is, that all wisdom's ways are " ways of plea- 
 santness " to him, and the words of Christ's mouth 
 are carefully regarded by him. Or, 
 
 2ndly. The kisses of Christ's mouth may be 
 here iatended, or the sensible manifestations of 
 his love and grace to souls, which are what the 
 church earnestly desired, in chap. i. 2 ; than which 
 nothing can be more delightful to the sainis: 
 these give them more pleasure and satisfaction 
 than all the things this world can afford; but 
 both these seem t» be intended before, namely, 
 the words of his mouth by his lips, and the mani- 
 
 " So this phrase is used of lovers by Solon, in 
 Plutarch, in Erotica, p. 751. and in Apnlrli Apolog. 
 p. Vji. &c. Theoorit Idyll. 8. v. 82. " Q'rnt3D 
 
 festa*ions of his love by his checks ; and there- 
 fore perhaps something different from these is de- 
 signed here. And, 
 
 3rdly. Some^ think, that Christ's voice in his 
 ministers is here meant ; this is not omitted in 
 that glorious description of Christ which John 
 gives, in Rev. i., and which bears some resemblance 
 to this, and is there said to be as the sound of 
 many waters : now if it is not intended here, it 
 does not appear in this whole description ; and 
 whether the word be translated, " the throat, 
 mouth," or " roof of the mouth," as it may be 
 either, they are all the iustruments of the voice, 
 and so may be expressive of it : moreover, nothing 
 is more common with lovers, than to admire each 
 other's voice ; Christ was taken with the church's 
 voice, and therefore desired to hear it, in chap, 
 ii. 14, saying, " Let me hear thy voice — for 
 sweet is thy voice ;" and no wonder then that 
 the church should admire Christ's voice, and that 
 it should make such sweet music in her ears, as 
 it seems from hence it did -. his mouth or voice 
 is most sweet ; I am charmed with it, and so 
 would you, ye daughters of Jerusalem, did ye 
 but hear it. 
 
 The voice of the law is harsh and unpleasant ; 
 it pronounces guilty curses and condemns; it is a 
 voice of wiath and terror; it is a soulcuttilig 
 and soul-killing one ; it is a voice of words, and 
 of words that are not grateful ; and therefore 
 those who had once heard it, entreated that it 
 might not be spoken to them any more: but the 
 voice of Christ in the Gospel is exceeding sw^et, 
 delightful, and alluring ; and no wonder it is so, 
 for it is a voice of love, grace, and mercy ; it 
 speaks peace and pardon, and brings the agreeable 
 news of life and salvation by Christ to lost sin- 
 ners ; it is also the voice of the church's beloved, 
 of him whom she loves with all her heart and 
 soul, and therefore must needs be sweet unto her ; 
 it is what she is well acquainted with, perfectly 
 knows, aud can distinguish from a stranger's ; 
 nor is she ever more delighted than when under 
 the sound of it; hence, in chap. viii. 13, she 
 says, as it is commonly understood, " O thou 
 that dwellest in the gardens ? where the com- 
 panions hearken to thy voice," and are charmed 
 and ravished with those warbling notes of thine, 
 cause me also to hear it ; for no concert of music 
 whatever is equal to it. 
 
 4thly. The word translated mouth, may be 
 rendered taste, as it is in chap. ii. 3 ; or rather, 
 " the palate or roof of the mouth," which is the 
 instrument of tasting, as it is in chap. vii. 9 ; 
 and as the roof of the church's mouth is there 
 commended by Christ, why may not the roof of 
 Christ's mouth be here commended by the church? 
 Christ has a palate or taste, that, as Job says, 
 chap. vi. 30, can discern perverse things ; dis- 
 
 •lulcedines, Pagninus. Montanus, Marckius, Jlichae- 
 lis. " So the Targuni iind 11. Solomon Jarchi in 
 
 loc. y Greg Nysstu. in Cant. Honi'l. 14. 
 
VER. 16.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 229 
 
 tinguish between the precious and the vile, knows 
 the difference between the good and b;id, and can 
 tell what food is best for his people, and what a 
 portion of it is necessary for them ; and there- 
 fore gives to every one of them their portion of 
 meat in due season : he has a taste that disre- 
 lishes all carnal and earthly things, even in his 
 own people, as well as others ; that savours no- 
 thing but what is spiritual ; a believer being a 
 compound of flesh and spirit, the spiritual part 
 of him savours the things of the spirit, and the 
 carnal part the things of the flesh, but Christ 
 having uo flesh, no Carual part in him, savours no- 
 thing but the things of the Spirit ; hence he pro- 
 vides no food for his people but what is wholesome 
 in itself, and savoury to them ; and they may very 
 safely eat of it, when Christ, whose taste is most 
 sweet, has prepared it for them, set it before them, 
 and bid them welcome ; uay more, he himself sits at 
 the table, and sups with them, and they with him. 
 And, " his taste is most sweet," that is the taste 
 of him is so ; " Come, taste and see," says the 
 Psalmist, Psal. xxxiv. 8, " that the Lord is good ;" 
 and every regenerate soul finds him so : Christ and 
 all of Christ is sweet to a believer's taste, his person, 
 grace, and righteousness ; what he is in himself, and 
 what he has done for his people, are all so ; and 
 hence the church could say, in chap. ii. 3, by 
 good experience, his fruit was sweet unto my taste. 
 Or else, 
 
 5thly, and lastly. By Christ's mouth may be 
 meant, the breath of his mouth :' which being 
 most sweet, wonderfully recommends him to the 
 church's love and afl'ection. Job's breath was 
 strange to his wife; but Christ's is sweet to his 
 people, nay, sweetness itself; and by it we may 
 understand, either, 1. The expressions of Christ's 
 love to his people : wicked men breathe out 
 threatenings, cruelty, ruin, and destruction to 
 God's children ; but Christ breathes out nothing 
 but love, grace, and mercy : fury is not in him, 
 but mercy is ; for vvith the Lord is mercy, and 
 with him is plenteous redemption ; it is true, " the 
 breath of the Lord is like a stream of brimstone," 
 even an overflowing stream to destroy the wicked, 
 for with' the breath of his lips shall he slay them ; 
 but it is like an overflowing stream of love, grace, 
 and mercy, which abounds and superabouiids 
 towards his people in their everlasting salvation. 
 Or, 2. It may be understood of Christ's media- 
 tion: the prayers of believers are called their 
 hrealldyig, in ' Lam. iii. 56. Christ's prayers, 
 mediation, and intercession, upon the account of 
 his people, may bear the same name. Now this 
 is most sv^eet, and is therefore compared to in- 
 cense; it is sweet and acceptable unto God, and 
 what sweetens and perfumes the saints' sacrifices 
 of prayer and praise ; and hence it is, that the 
 prayers of the saints are called odours ; see Rev. 
 V. 8, and viii. 3, 4. Though, 3. A late writer' 
 
 So Sanctius in loc. 
 
 ' Bishop Patrick in loij. 
 B,\»i twt0i<fjLia. Sei;t. totus ipse 
 
 thinks, that this may as well be referred to 
 Christ's breathing upon his apostles, when he bid 
 them receive the Holy Ghost : which was one of 
 the finishing actions of his life on earth, as this is 
 the finishing part of his description here : and 
 indeed, Christ's breathing the gifts and graces of 
 his Holy Spirit upon his apostles then, and upon 
 his churches and ministers in all ages since, he 
 having the fulness of it with him, renders him 
 exceeding amiable and lovely to them. 
 
 II. She sums up the vihole character, and 
 closes the description of him, in saying, " Yea, he 
 is altogether lovely ; or, he is all desire,"'' as the 
 Septuagint read it ; or, " all desires," as it is in 
 the Hebrew text : he is exceeding desirable to 
 believers ; there is none in heaven or in earth 
 they desire besides him ; and one of the characters 
 which he was known by, under the Old-Testament, 
 was, "the desire of all nations." And now what 
 makes him so desirable to the church and to all 
 believers, are. The divine excellencies and per- 
 fections which appear in his person ; for, " in 
 him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead 
 bodily:" there is no perfection or excellency in the 
 Deity, but what may be found in Christ; and if 
 so, there can be nothing that is excellent in any 
 creature, either in heaven or earth, but what is 
 eminently so in him ; and therefore, he must 
 needs be a desirable person. 2. The mediatorial 
 qualifications he is possessed of; he has a fulness 
 of the gifts and graces of the Spirit in him, 
 which qualify him as Man and Jlediator for his 
 oSice ; he has a fulness and fitness for it, and a ful- 
 ness of abilities to carry him through it ; which 
 render him a suitable and a desirable High-priest 
 unto us. 3. The fulness of grace, life, and sal- 
 vation in him. makes him altogether desirable to 
 souls; when they can see nothing in themselves, 
 and all in Christ, an emptiness in the creature, 
 and a fulness in him ; that it is in vain to expect 
 salvation elsewhere ; but that there is enough iu 
 him to answer all their wants, present, and future ; 
 every thing that will make them comfortable here, 
 and happy hereafter ; how can he be otherwise 
 than exceeding desirable to them ? 4. His agree- 
 able carriage and deportment towards souls ren- 
 der him so ; which is so wise and prudent, so 
 loving, tender, and compassionate, so meek and 
 humble, so courteous and affable, and attended 
 with such an air of familiarity ; that it at once 
 fixes our eyes upon him, attracts our affections to 
 him, aud makes him all desires uuto us. 5. The 
 names and titles which he bears : he has a name 
 that is above every name, which awes and com- 
 mands our fear, being full of majesty ; and he 
 has a name wiiich draws our love, being full of 
 sweetness, which is that sweet and precious name 
 Jesus; which is as ointment poured forth, and 
 therefore do the virgins love him ; and so are all 
 those names which are given him, in Isa. ix. 6. 
 
 de ideria, Mercerus, Moutanus, Marckius ; totus 
 (Itsiderabi^is, Vnlg. Lat. version, Cecteius. 
 
230 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [OIIAP. V. 
 
 6. The characters he bears, and the relations he 
 stands in to his people, make him exceeding desi- 
 rable to thera ; and indeed, how can he be other- 
 wise than so unto thera, when he stands in the 
 relations, and bears the characters of a tender 
 Husband, an indulgent Father, a loving Brother, 
 and a faithful Friend ? He is all things to them,'^ 
 even all in all. 
 
 Again, if we read the words as they are trans- 
 lated in our bibles, " he is altogether lovely," 
 we may observe, 1. That Christ, and all of Christ 
 is lovely to believers ; he is so in his person, in 
 all his offices, in his people, and in his ordinan- 
 ces ; nay, the worst of Christ, or what may seem 
 tlie most scaring and frightful to others, is lovely 
 to the saints ; as the cross of Christ, reproaches 
 and sufferings on his account; for though they 
 are not lovely in themselves, yet they are for his 
 saiie ; and are therefore preferred by believers to 
 the pleasures of sin, and profits of this world ; 
 see Heb. xi. 25, 26. 2. That there is a perfect 
 lovelicess in Christ, every thing in him is lovely, 
 and there is nothing lovely but what is in him ; 
 he is comprehensively so : if the church is a per- 
 fection of beauty, and is perfectly comely, "through 
 the comeliness " which Christ has put upon her ; 
 he must needs be so from whom she has it, even 
 " altogether lovely." 3. That he is so to all: 
 he is lovely to his Father, as he is his own Son, 
 the dear Son of his love ; and as he is Man and 
 Mediator, engaged in our cause, as having assumed 
 our nature, and obtained eternal redemption for 
 US' he is so to all the holy angels, many of whom 
 (fcsceuded at his incarnation, and sang bis praise, 
 ministered to him in his state of humiliation, at- 
 tended on him when tempted in the wilderness, 
 and when iu his agonies in the garden ; and gazed 
 with wonder and delight upon his glorious person, 
 as they accompanied him in his ascension to glory: 
 hence this is said to be one branch of the *' great 
 raysteiy of godliness," that God, who was " mani- 
 fest in the flesh, was seeri of angels," and ap- 
 peared lovely to them : and so he is to all the 
 saints, for '' to them that believe, he is precious ;" 
 and indeed he is so to all but Christless sinners, 
 who see no beauty, form, nor comeliness in him, 
 wherefore they should desire him. 4. As Christ 
 is lovely in himself, and lovely to all others, so 
 it is he that makes all the saiuts lovely to God : 
 there is nothing in tliem, nor done by them, that 
 can make them grateful to him ; they are only 
 accepted with him " in the beloved ;" he is 
 pleased with Christ and his righteousness, and 
 with them as considered therein : He must needs 
 be lovely, yea, " altogether lovely," that makes 
 all the saints lovely too. 
 
 Now the church having given such an ample 
 description of her beloved to the daughters of Je- 
 rusalem, they might from henceforward cease to 
 wonder, why she, who was " the fairest among 
 
 women," was so deeply fallen in love with Christ ; 
 why she made such a stir about him, was so much 
 concernedat hisabsence,wasso diligent in herseareh 
 of him, and gave them so strict a charge con- 
 cerning him : as well as they need not now be 
 any longer at a loss to know who and what he 
 was, he having given such distingnishiug charac- 
 ters of him : and having done this, she closes all 
 with claiming an interest in him, and appro- 
 priates him to her own soul, in the latter part of 
 this verse ; she having a clear sight of him, and 
 her faith more strengthened in him. 
 
 Verse 16. Latter part. — This is my beloved, and 
 this is my friend, dauyhters of Jertisalem. 
 
 The church having given a large description of 
 Christ, in the preceding verses, to the satisfaction 
 of the enquiring daughters of Jerusalem ; closes the 
 account of him with a comfortable appropriation 
 of him to her own soul, and a holy boastiug of 
 him before others ; which she does, by consideriug 
 him under those two characters : 
 
 I. A.s her beloved. 
 
 II. As her friend. 
 
 I. She points him out to the daughters of Jeru- 
 salem, and distinguishes him from all other be- 
 loveds ; and boasts of him iu the views of her iu • 
 terest in him, under the character of her beloved : 
 which shows, 1. That her love and affection to 
 him were strong and ardent, such as many waters 
 could not quench nor any thing separate from ; 
 though she was forsaken by him, and had suffered 
 much from the watchmen and keepers of the wall 
 for the sake of him ; she had sought him with a 
 great deal of care and diligence to little purpose ; 
 she had called aloud, and with great importunity 
 herself, and had made use of the interest of others 
 with him, and yet could not prevail upon him to 
 show himself ; she could neither see him, nor 
 hear him, nor get any tidings of him : yet not- 
 withstanding all this, he is her beloved still. 3. 
 It bespeaks the strength of her faith in him ; for 
 notvvithstauJiug the sense of sins and infirmities, 
 which she now had, the desertions, temptations, 
 sufferings, &c., which she was attended with, yet 
 she could say, " This is my beloved ;" this is the 
 trial of faith, and herein lies the glory and excel- 
 lency of it, when a soul can believe in the dark, 
 or as Abraham did, believe "in hope against hope ;" 
 herein the church acted in some conformity to 
 Christ, her Head ; who, when upon the cross, iu 
 the agonies of death, deserted by his friends, ami 
 forsaken by his God, yet nevertheless could say," 
 " ]My God, my God, why Last thou forsaken me ?'' 
 3. This shows that Christ only was her beloved ; 
 that she had singled him out from all others ; and 
 that he was in her esteem preferable to all others : 
 there is none among all the angels in heaven, nor 
 any among all the sons of men on earth, neither, is 
 thereany creature-enjoyment whatever, comparable 
 
 ' Omnia Casar erat, Lucan. Tharsal. 1. 3. v, 
 
 PatcrcUlUS, 1. 2 Kai av\n,.\tia \uyulli to ttuh tvTii. u 
 
 108. id ununi dixero, quam illc omnibus omnia I'uent 
 nu. Ecclesiast. c. '43. 2y. 
 
.11. lli.J 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 2S1 
 
 to Iiim , and it is as if she sliould say, Let others 
 take their beloveds to themselves, the idols of their 
 ovvu hearts, their carnal lusts, and sensual pleasures, 
 whom they have chosen; for my part, I ingenuously 
 confess that this exceUeut person, whom I have 
 just now described unto you, is only " my be- 
 loved ;" him I have chosen, and I desire no other ; 
 and now I leave you to judge whether there is any 
 comparison between him and others.'' But having 
 met with his character already in this song, I shall 
 not any longer insist on it now ; but proceed, 
 
 II. To consider the other character which she 
 gives of him ; " this is my friend."^ There is a 
 mutual friendship between Christ and believers ; 
 he calls them his friends in v. 1 of this chapter, 
 as the church calls him in this ; and it is worthy 
 of observation, that tlie very same characters of 
 beloved and friend, which Christgivesto his church 
 there, are given to him by his own church here; 
 it being usual for them in this song to take up 
 each other's words, and return thesi. This cha- 
 racter of a friend, undoubtedly suits well with 
 Christ ; in opening of which, I shall endeavour, 
 First. To give some instances aud proofs of Christ's 
 friendship to his people. Secondly. To show the 
 transcendent excellency of this friend. Aud 
 Thirdly. Consider in what manner the church here 
 delivers herself. 
 
 First. It will be proper to give some instances 
 of Christ's friendship to his church and people ; 
 from whence it will manifestly appear, that he 
 justly deserves such a character. And, 1. His 
 engaging as a Surety for them, is a manifest in- 
 dication of it ; when our cause was desperate he 
 ensaged in it : when justice was ready to give the 
 blow our transgressions deserved, he interposed 
 and averted it, and took it upon himself; when he 
 knew that we should run through all our stock, 
 aud become bankrupts, he became our Bondsman, 
 and engaged to pay the whole debt : when he saw 
 that we should fall into the depths of sin and 
 misery, he undertook to bring us out of them, 
 cleanse us from all sin, clothe us with his righte- 
 ousness, and safely conduct us to glory ; aud must 
 not all this be esteemed a proof of Christ's friend- 
 ship to us ? 2. His dying for us is another ; this 
 is the greatest act of friendship among men, for 
 one man to die for another ; " Greater love hath 
 no man than this," says Christ, John xv. 13, 
 " that a man lay down his life for his friends ;" 
 but Christ has given a greater instance of friend- 
 ship than this, in that he has laid down his life for 
 liis enemies ; for " when we were enemies, we 
 were reconciled to God by the death of his Son;" 
 O matchless love ! unparalleled friendship ! 3. He 
 has paid all our debts ; our sins are called so in 
 scripture ; and a large score of them we h^ve run ; 
 we owe " tea thousand talents," and have not one 
 farthing to pay; and to prison we must have 
 
 ° Suus rex reginje placet, Plautas in Sticho, act. 1 . 
 
 SC. 2. V. 76. « «2J-( Pip Kat ouToc nXeaioi/ na, Sept. 
 
 and ipse est amicus, meus, Vulg. Lat. version ; and 
 
 gone, wliere we should have lain until we had 
 paid " the uttermost farthing," had not Christ en- 
 gaged to do it ; which he has actually done, by 
 making satisfaction to law and justice ; on the 
 account of which, God the Father has cancelled 
 the bond, crossed the debt-book, and discharged 
 both sinner and surety : it was an act of friend- 
 ship now to be bound for us, but still a greater 
 to pay the whole debt. 4. He has purchased our 
 persons, and procured all thiugs needful for us ; 
 we are " not our own," but " are bought with a 
 price ;" which price is not " corruptible things, 
 as silver and gold," but the " precious blood " 
 of Christ Jesus, which he has shed for the ran- 
 som of us : for a king to give a large sum of money 
 for the ransom of any of his subjects out of 
 Algiers, or any other place of slavery, is an in- 
 stance of his beneficeuce, humanity, aud friendship 
 to them ; but was he to give himself a ransom for 
 them, it would be an unheard-of one ; but Christ 
 has done this for his people, and thereby redeemed 
 them from the slavery of the law, sin, Satan, and 
 the world ; and not only this, but has washed 
 them from their sins " in his own blood," strip- 
 ped them of their " filthy garments," and clothed 
 them with " change of raimeut :" nay, has pro- 
 cured an inheritance for them, of which he now 
 gives them the pledge and earnest, and ere long 
 will put them into the full possession of it : and 
 now, to do all this for persons who are entirely 
 undeserving of it, is an instance of friendship in- 
 deed ! 5. Not only so, but he is alsj gone to 
 glory, to take possession of it in our name, room, 
 and stead ; that so we may not be under any fear 
 of losing it, nor of being by any means deprived 
 of it : and in so doing, acts the part of a loving 
 brother, a trusty co-heir, and faithful friend; a3 
 well as he is gone thither also to prepare a place 
 for us, that it may be ready for us, when we, by 
 his Spirit and grace, are made ready for that. 9. 
 His acting the pait of an Intercessor and Advo- 
 cate for us with the Father, is another instance of 
 his friendship : " he appears in the presence of 
 God for us," presents our services aud petitions to 
 him: pleads for every blessing we stand in need 
 of, for converting, pardoning, adoption, sanctifying, 
 and glorifying grace, and answers all Satan's charges 
 aud accusations : and in so doing, shows himself 
 friendly to us. 7. He suijplies all our wants : he 
 has all grace treasured up in his person for this 
 purpose, aud he does not withhold it from his 
 people : but at proper times, cheerfully and free- 
 ly distributes it, according as their wants aud 
 necessities require : and this he does, not merely 
 for their importunities sake, but because they are 
 his friends : when disconsolate, he comforts them ; 
 when tempted, he succours them ; when distressed 
 he relieves them ; when hungry, he feeds them ; 
 wheu sick and wounded, he heals them, and dis- 
 
 iste socius mens, Montanus, Mercerus; and is est 
 meus censors, Tigurine version. 
 
232 
 
 AN lOKPOSlTION OF Till': 
 
 [chap, VI. 
 
 charges all iLe good offices of a friend unto (hem. 
 8. He shows his friendship to us, and raniiitains 
 it by the kind and comfortable visits which he 
 makes to us ; for though he may absent himself 
 for some timp, yet ho will not leave us comfort- 
 less, but will come and see us, and visit us with 
 his salvation : which is such an astonishing piece 
 of friendship, tliat we have reason to say as the 
 Psalmist, Psalm viii. 4, " What is man that thou 
 art mindful of him ? and the son of man that 
 thou visitest him ?" 9. Whenever he pays those 
 visits, it is with such an air of freedom and fami- 
 liarity, as renders them exceeding delightful, and 
 justly entitles him to this character : it was his free, 
 courteous, and affable deportment to men in the 
 days of his flesh, which occasioned tiie Pharisees, 
 by way of reproach, to call him " a friend of pub- 
 licans and sinners;" and so free and familiar are 
 his converses with his people in a spiritual way ; 
 he talks with them, as one friend may with an- 
 other; lie walks with them, nay, he sits down at 
 table with them, sups with them, and they with 
 him. 10. He shows himself to be a friend unto 
 them, and that he looks upon them to be his friends, 
 by disclosing the secrets of his grace unto them ; 
 hence says he to his disciples, John 5V. 15, " I 
 call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not 
 what his lord doeth ; but I have called you friends, 
 for all things that 1 have heard of my Father, 
 I have made known untoyou," he layin his Father's 
 bosom, and so was privy to all his secret thoughts, 
 counsels, purposes, and decrees, and makes a dis- 
 covery of them to us, so far as is needful to ad- 
 vance our good and his glory ; for " the secret of 
 the Lord is with them that fear him ; and he will 
 show them his covenant," Psalm xxv. 14. 
 
 And lastly, his friendship appears in the good 
 and wholesome counsel which he gives unto us : 
 which being taken, is always useful, and infallibly 
 succeeds, being given with the utmost wisdom 
 and the greatest faithfulness ; of which see an in- 
 .stance in Rev. iii. 18. Nay, his reproofs for sm, 
 as wtll as his advice in distress, are exceeding 
 friendly, and ought to be taken so ; for, as the 
 wise man says, Prov. xxvii. 5, 6, " Open rebuke 
 is better than secret love ; faithful are the wounds 
 of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceit- 
 ful." Thus much may suffice for some instances 
 and proofs of Christ's iriendsliip to his church and 
 people. I come now. 
 
 Secondly. To show tlie transcendent excellency 
 of this friend ; " this is my friend :" he is a non- 
 such ; there is none like him, nor to be compared 
 with him ; for, 1. He is a " friend that sticketh 
 closer than a brother -." which may be expressive 
 of that near union there is between Christ and be- 
 lievers ; they are as if but one suul actuated them ; 
 and indeed but one Spirit does, which is in Christ 
 without measure, and in believers in measure; 
 for "he tliat is joined unto tiie Lord is one Spi- 
 rit :" Christ stands in a nearer relation than that 
 of a brother to his churcji ; he is her Head and 
 
 Husband, her Bosom-friend ; she is " Hesh of his 
 flesh, and bone of his bone ;" tliongh all these 
 relations fall short of fully expressing the near- 
 ness, strictness, and indissolubleness of this 
 union. Or else, this character may intend that 
 sympathy and affection, which Christ bears to his 
 people, in all their afHictious, sorrows, sufferings, 
 temptations, desertions, sins, and infirmities ; as 
 well as signify his close adherence to our cause ; 
 who having once undertaken it, never left it till he 
 had completed what he had engaged to do ; all 
 which shows the transcendent excellency of this 
 friend. 2. He is a constant frijend, one that 
 " loves at all times ;" he was a friend to .us, when 
 we were enemies to him ; and merely by his love 
 and acts of friendship to us, he overcame us, slew 
 the enmity of our natures, and of enemies made ns 
 friends ; and continues to be a friend to us in all 
 the adversities and afflictions of life : when men 
 are in prosperity, they have usually many friends ; 
 but when the day of adversity comes upon them, 
 they soon forsake them : but Christ does not 
 treat his people so ; he is a friend to them in adver- 
 sity, as well as in prosperity; he knows their souls 
 then, when nobody else will ; he owns them for 
 his own, and treats them as his friends, and so he 
 will continue to do, even until death ; and at that 
 time will not fail to show himself friendly to them, 
 no more than he will at the day of judgment, 
 when he will priblicly own them, before angels 
 and men, to be his friends ; set " the crown of 
 righteousness " upon their heads, and give them 
 an admittance into his Father's kingdom and 
 glory. 3. He is a faithful Friend ; we may safely 
 tell him all the secrets of our hearts, he will not 
 betray us ; we may trust him with our all, he will 
 never fail us ; and though the prophet says, Mic. 
 vii. 5, "Trust not in a friend, and put not con- 
 fidence in a guide ;" yet we may safely trust in 
 this our friend, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will be 
 our almighty God, and our trusty and faithful 
 hieud and " guide, even unto death." 4. He is 
 E rich friend, such an one is often useful and 
 needful ; a man may have a friend that has a 
 heart to help him, but not in a capacity ; but 
 Christ, as he is heartily vfilling to help us, so he 
 has an ability to doit; he is possessed of" un- 
 searchable riches, " and these he distributes among 
 his friends ; for it is from those " riches in glory " 
 which are in Christ's hands, that all the wants of 
 his people are supplied. 5. He is an everlasting 
 friend : a man may have a friend, but this friend 
 may die, and then all his dependence on him is 
 gone ; but Christ ever lives, and ever lives to be 
 a friend unto his people ; death parts the best 
 friends, and puts them into an incapacity of serv- 
 ing each other ; but there is no fear or danger of 
 this in Christ, over whom death shall no more 
 have the dominion. 6. He is an unchangeable 
 friend ; he is always the same, " yesterday, to-day, 
 and for ever :" sometimes little things " separate 
 chief friends," but nothing can separate Christ 
 
VER. 
 
 1.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 233 
 
 and believers ; his mind never changes, his affec- 
 tions never cool, nor are the communications of 
 friendship ever cut ofF ; his ears are not open to 
 every idle story, nor is he tempted to break off 
 friendship with his people, by their uukiuduess 
 and ingratitude unto him. But, 
 
 Thirdly. A little to consider the manner in 
 which the cliurch delivers herself in these words; 
 which appears to be, 1. In the strength of faith; 
 she could comfortably appropriate Christ to her- 
 self, under each of the characters here mention- 
 ed; and though she had not the sensible mani- 
 festations of Christ's love to her, which she was 
 desirous of, and had not those visible instances 
 of his friendship she had formerly experienced, 
 yet she did not doubt but that he was both her 
 beloved and her friend. 2. She seems to speak in 
 an exulting and rejoicing manner ; her soul was 
 filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory, as an 
 effect of her faith in an unseen Jesus ; and indeed 
 she had all the reason in the world to rejoice in 
 the views of her interest in such a beloved, and 
 in such a friend, whom she had before described. 
 8. She seems also to speak in a kind of boast- 
 ing manner " This is my beloved, and this is my 
 friend :" and indeed believers may do so; for though 
 they may not glory in themselves, nor in any 
 thing done by thern, yet they may in Christ, and 
 what he has done for them : and so the Psalmist 
 David did, Psal. xxxiv. "2, who says, " My soul 
 shall make her boast of the Lord :" and thus the 
 church did here before the daughters of Jerusalem, 
 and what effect this whole discourse of hers had 
 upon tiiem, may be seen in the following words. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The discourse between the church and the daughters 
 of Jerusalem is continued in this chapter ; they in- 
 quire whither her beloved was gone in order to seek 
 
 ■ liim with her, ver. 1 ; she tells them where he was 
 gone, and for what purpose he went thither, and 
 what he was doing there, and claims and asserts 
 her interest in him, ver. 2, 3. Then follows a com- 
 mendation of the church by Christ ; who admires 
 her beauty, and describes her by her eyes, hair, 
 &c., ver. 4 — 7 ; and prefers her to all others ; being 
 a singular and choice one to him, and being praised 
 by others, ver. 8 — 10 ; and next he gives an account 
 of his going into his garden, and of his design in 
 it, and of what happened to him there, ver. 11, 
 12. And the chapter is concluded with a charge 
 to the Shulamite to turn herself, that she might 
 be looked upon ; which occasions a question, to 
 whicli an answer is returned, ver. 13. 
 
 Verse 1. Whilher is thy beloved gone, thou, 
 fairest among women ? Whither is thy beloved 
 turned aside ? that we may seek him with thee. 
 
 The church having answered the former question 
 of the daughters of Jerusalem to their satisfaction, 
 by giving them an ample account of her beloved, 
 what he was ; they proceed to another question, 
 and ask, whither he was gone, which wc have in 
 this verse. In which may be cousidercd, 
 
 I. The title or apfellation they give her, or 
 their manner of addressing her, " thou fairest 
 among women." 
 
 II. A question proposed by tliem to her, which 
 is also repeated; " Whither is thy beloved gone? 
 whither is thy beloved turned aside ?" 
 
 III. The end of their asking this question ; 
 " that we may seek him with thee ?" 
 
 I. The title or appellation which they give her, 
 is, the " fairest among women ;" which is, no 
 doubt, designed to express the exceeding greatness 
 of her beauty ; women being the fairest of human 
 race, and she the fairest of all that sex ; she was 
 in their eye the " perfection of beauty," and there- 
 fore they give her this character ; and they were 
 not mistaken in it, for Ciirist gives her the very 
 same encomium, and that in the same words, in 
 chap. i. 8. But now we must not understand 
 this of her, as considered in herself ; neither did 
 the daughters of Jerusalem so understand it, who 
 had been better informed from her own mouth ; 
 for she had told them, that she was black in her- 
 self, though comely in Christ : nor is it to be 
 understood of her outward appearance in the 
 world : for under that consideration she appears 
 also black with reproaches, scandals, persecutions, 
 and afflictions : buc this character suits her as she 
 is considered in Christ, her Head ; as justified by 
 his righteousness, washed in his blood, and sanctifi- 
 ed by his Spirit. It may also be observed, that 
 these persons continued in their esteem of her ; 
 for the same character they give her here, they 
 gave her when they proposed the first question 
 to her, in chap. v. 9, nay, perhaps their esteem of 
 her, and value for her, might rise higher than 
 heretofore, they having a clearer knowledge of 
 Christ than they had before ; for as our knowledge 
 of Christ aud love to him increase, so do our love 
 unto, and our esteem for his people : and it is 
 very probable, that the beauty and loveliness which 
 they saw in her, drew their pity and com- 
 passion towards her ; so as to take notice of her 
 case, condole her misfortunes in the loss of so 
 excellent a person, and offer their service to 
 assist her in the search of him. Likewise, no 
 doubt but the veneration and esteem which 
 they had for her person, made them more 
 carefully attend to what she said concerning 
 her beloved : for thus it is with persons under 
 the preaching of the gospel; if they come ])re- 
 judiced against the person who ministers, they 
 take but little notice of what is said, unless it 
 be to calumniate and reproach, and so reap but 
 little advantage from it ; when, on the other 
 hand, if persons come, not only unprejudiced 
 against, but having a veneration and respect for 
 the minister of the gospel, they generally give 
 the greater heed unto, and are most likely to profit 
 l)y his ministrations. 
 
 Moreover, the daughters might make use of this 
 title or appellation in their addresses, to assure her 
 that thev were serious aud in good earnest in asking 
 
234 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VI. 
 
 this question, as well as in the former ; and that it 
 was not to indulge a vain curiosity in themselves, 
 nor designed for her disadvantage, but rather the 
 contrary. 
 
 II. Here is a question put by them ; " Whither 
 is thy beloved gone ?"' Which way did he take ? 
 what course did he steer, on which hand did he 
 turn, when he withdrew from thy door ? which 
 question is repeated, though another word** is 
 used, yet to the same purpose " Whither is thy 
 beloved turned aiide ?" Which way did he look ? 
 which way did he turn his face when he turned 
 it from thee? Now, 1. The putting of this 
 question, and not insisting any longer upon 
 the former, or upon the explication of any 
 branch of her answer to it, supposes that they were 
 entirely satisfied with it ; therefore the question is 
 not now, who or what her beloved was, for they 
 knew that full well from the description she had 
 given of him ; but now the question is, " Whither 
 is he gone ?" This may teach us, that when younger 
 Christians have any doubts, scruples, cases of con- 
 science, or questions relating to faith or experieuce ; 
 to the person, office, and grace of Christ, or to 
 any part of the great mystery of godliness, to be 
 resolved, they should make their application to 
 elder ones : this method these young converts, or 
 daughters of Jerusalem, took here ; which God 
 was pleased to bless and succeed, for their increase 
 in light and knowledge, and for the stirring up of 
 their affections and desires after the Lord Jesus: 
 and may serve to encourage the private conferences 
 and conversations of the saiuts with each other : 
 which, when carried on in an agreeable manner, 
 when filled with spiritual discourses, and taken up 
 with asking and answering proper questions 
 ♦ relating to faith or experience, are highly well 
 pleasing to God, and tend much to the edifying of 
 one another : this may also serve as a direction 
 to ministers to insist chiefly upon the glories and 
 excellencies of Christ ; for this is the way of preach- 
 ing which God owns and blesses, for the conver- 
 sion of sinners, aud consolation of saints ; the 
 church's insisting on this subject, was made of 
 great use to these persons, to draw out their love 
 to Christ, and to make farther enquiries after him. 
 2. It may be observed from this question, that 
 when Christ is known, who he is, and what he is ; 
 the next question is, where he is, and how he may 
 be come at ? whilst persons are insensible of their 
 wretched state by nature, they see no need of 
 Christ; and A^hilst they are ignorant of him, they 
 have no value for him, nor desire after him ; ignoii 
 nulla cupido ; there is no desire after an unknown 
 thing ; an unknown Christ is an undesired 
 Christ; the reason why souls, in a state of 
 nature, seek not after God is, because they 
 have no understanding of him : " there is 
 
 ' "j'jn nji* TK uTTtiXflei/, Sept. quo abiit, Vulg. Lat. 
 version, Montauus, Tigurine version, Junius; quo 
 ivit, Mtrcc'ius; fjuorsumivit, Cocceius. ''n:D nJN 
 TTB a ffc/jAsitei/, Sept. quo declinavit, Vulg. Lat. ver 
 
 none that understandeth," says the apostle' 
 Eom. iii. 11, " there is none that sceketh 
 after God :" the same reason holds here, with re- 
 spect to Christ ; for, whilst souls remain strangers 
 to the beauties and glories of Christ's person, they 
 will have no value for him, nor make any enquiry 
 after him ; but as for those that know the Lord 
 they will " follow on to know him," and make 
 use of all means appointed for that purpose , for the 
 more a soul kno\<'s of Christ, the more it desires 
 to know ; mere speculative notions of his person, 
 without knowledge of interest in him, commu- 
 nion with him, will not satisfy them ; an ac- 
 count of him by hearsay, though exceeding ravish- 
 ing and delightful to them, is not enough without 
 seemg him; for where Christ's worth is ouce 
 known, there is no contentment without the en- 
 joyment of him ; when he is once discovered as 
 " the pearl of price," the soul is willing to run 
 all risks, endure all hardships, part with every 
 thing that is near and dear, so ic may be possessed 
 of him : its language is. Give me Christ, or I die ; 
 ten thousand worlds, if I had them, for an interest 
 in this glorious person : this seems to be the case 
 of the daughters of Jerusalem here. 3. There- 
 petition of this question, shows that they were 
 serious and in good earnest, and did not speak 
 sarcastically :^ and that they were impatient uutil 
 they received an answer ; " Whither is thy be- 
 loved gone? whither is thy beloved turned aside ?" 
 prithee give us an answer speedily, keep us not in 
 suspense ; thou hast given us such a character of 
 his person, that we long to see him, and are un- 
 easy until thou givest us some notice of the place 
 whither he is retired, that we may, along with 
 thee, be searching after him. 4. There may be some 
 knowledge of Christ, love to him, and desires af- 
 ter him, when there is but little faith in him that 
 is discernible ; all the graces of the Spirit are im- 
 planted at one and the same time, but they do not 
 all appear at once in their actings upon Christ; 
 love and affection to Christ, and desires after him, 
 appear before faith does : so they did in these per- 
 sons : they had got some farther knowledge of 
 Christ from the church's description of him ; were 
 filled with greater love and affection to him, and 
 had more ardent desires after him, and yet had 
 but little faith in him ; for they could not say, 
 that he was their beloved ; and therefore as one'* 
 well observes, they do not say, where is otir be- 
 loved gone, but where is thi/ beloved gone ? 5. 
 It appears that they were willing to take the least 
 hints, nay even conjectures, that if it was possible 
 they might improve them towards finding him, 
 " Whither is thy beloved gone ?" Canst thou not 
 give us some hints of it ! canst thou not guess 
 which way he took? which shows how intent they 
 were of using all means, so that they might but 
 
 sion, Pagninus ; quo respexit, Montauus : quo sc 
 vertit, Junius, Mercerus. Tigurine vei-f^ion ; quorsuni 
 fle.xit, Cocceius. ■= So R. Sol. Jarchi in loc. 
 
 * Durliam in loc. 
 
VER. 2.] 
 
 SOXG OF SONGS. 
 
 235 
 
 find him ; let it be which way it would, they 
 were resolved to pursue it ; could they but have 
 the least notice of it, whether it was to the right 
 hand or left, backwards or forwards. 6. Their 
 putting this question to her, shows that she was, 
 or at least that they thought she was, capable of 
 giving them some directions, though she was at 
 tlie same time destitute of his presence; audit 
 seems she was, by the answer she gives thera in 
 tiie following verse. The church knew where 
 Christ usually retired, and granted his gracious 
 presence to his people ; and though he was not 
 willing at present to show himself to her, yet she 
 did not know but he might to them, and therefore 
 directs them : nay, sometimes believers are ca- 
 pable of advising and directing others, when they 
 caunot take advice themselves. 
 
 III. The end they propose in asking this ques- 
 tion, is, that they might seek him with her : 
 which may be considered as a motive to prevail 
 upon her to comply with their request ; for this 
 shows that they were serious and in good earnest ; 
 that their end was not mere speculation, but 
 practice, which indeed ought to be the end of 
 all our enquiries ; that it was their purpose and 
 resolution to seek him ; they had agreed and re- 
 solved among themselves to do it ; for so the 
 words may be read, " and we will seek him with 
 thee "^ and if thou wilt tell us which way he weut, 
 it will lay us under an obligation to make good 
 our resolution : nay, it shows also that it was her 
 good they had in view, as much as their own ; 
 and self-interest goes a great way ; so that, put all 
 together, it is no wonder that she readily, and 
 without any hesitation, answers the question. 
 Now this being the frame of soul that these 
 daughters of Jerusalem were brought into through 
 her discourse concerning Christ ; and seeking 
 Christ being the thing which they had in view, 
 and were desirous of being directed in ; may lead 
 us to observe the following things. 1. That the 
 end of setting forth the excellencies of Christ, 
 whether in private conversation, or in the public 
 ministry, is to set souls a seeking after him ; for 
 this purpose the ministers of the gospel insist 
 upon the glories of Christ's person, the excellency 
 of his righteousness, the efficacy of his blood, and 
 the fulness of his grace ; it was with this view 
 that the church took so much pains, and spent so 
 much time, in discoursing concerning this excelleut 
 person, her beloved, which had its answerable 
 success. 2. It is very discouraging to seek Christ, 
 and not know where he is ; it is true, the church 
 knew where Christ nsed to retire, when he 
 withdrew himself, and therefore knew where to 
 seek him, in hopes of finding him; but the 
 daughters of Jerusalem were unacquainted there- 
 with ; and therefore it was very proper for them 
 to put such a question, previous to their seeking 
 
 " noj? 13®p331 "'" flTticrojuei' avjov fiera aa, .Sept. 
 and quieremus eum tecum, Vulgate Latin version, 
 Moutuuus, (Jocceius, Mci-cerus, Marokiut* ; ut ijua;- 
 
 him. 3. This should be the principal thing we 
 should have in view in all religious duties, seeking 
 and seeing Jesus ; this is that one thing that 
 should be uppermost in our hearts and desires, 
 wheu concerned in the duties of hearing, reading, 
 praying, meditating, and conferring, that we may 
 " behold the king in his beauty." 4. Our seeking 
 Christ should be jointly and together ; we should 
 seek him, not separately, but with the church : 
 though this does not exclude our seeking him 
 alone, in our closets and in our families ; yet there 
 is a social part of worship that we should be con- 
 cerned in jointly ; in which we are to worship the 
 Lord with one shoulder and one consent, and " not 
 forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as 
 the manner of some " too often is. 5. We should 
 seek Christ in his ordinances, and where his 
 church seeks him : we cannot expect the presence 
 of Christ, when we run away from his cliurch and 
 ordinances, or when we seek him elsewhere ; we 
 should seek him with the church, and where the 
 church seeks. 6. Their saying that they would 
 seek him with her, was no doubt to encourage her 
 in hopes of finding ; they do as good as desire her 
 not to be cast down at his departure ; for they 
 hoped he was not gone far, and that he would be 
 found again, and at the same time promise her all 
 the assistance they were capable of giving ; though 
 there is also reason to believe, that they were in 
 hopes of sharing with her in so valuable a bless- 
 ing; and indeed it was but reasonable, that if they 
 bore part with her in the fatigue of the search, 
 they should also participate with her in the enjoy- 
 ment of the blessing ; which no doubt she was 
 willing to, and therefore immediately gives the 
 following answer. 
 
 Verse 2. 3fy beloved is gone down into his gar- 
 den, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gar- 
 dens, and to gather lilies. 
 
 These words contain the church's answer to the 
 second question of the daughters of Jerusalem ; 
 they had -asked her what her beloved was more 
 than others ; she told them : they then proceed 
 to ask, whither he was gone ; to which she here 
 replies. In which may be considered, 
 
 I. The place whither she says he was gone ; 
 " my beloved is gone down into his garden, to the 
 beds of spices." 
 
 II. The end of his going down, or what his 
 business and employmeut was wheu there ; which 
 was twofold : 1st. " To feed in the garden." 
 2ntlly. " To gather lilies." 
 
 I. The place whither she says he was gone, 
 " into his garden ;" and more particularly, " to 
 the beds of spices." And, 
 
 1st. It may be enquired what was meant by his 
 garden, into which he was gone down. Some' 
 understand it of the heaveuly paradise, whither 
 
 remus eum tecum, Junius ; ut tecum perquiramus 
 eum, Tigurine version, agreeable to our version. 
 ' Piscutor and Diodat. in loc. 
 
2;jG 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VI. 
 
 Christ wa3 gone to sliare tlie everlasting joys 
 thereof, and converse with angels and saints; who 
 may be said to be the " trees of righteousness," 
 those s])icy plants and precious flowers whicli are 
 planted there ; and in the midst of which stands 
 " the tree of life," Christ Jesus, the glory of the 
 whole garden ; and into this, (Christ's lilies, when 
 fully ripe, are transplanted by him. Tliis sense is 
 favoured by R. Aben Ezra's gloss upon the text, 
 who says, " This is he who ascended on high," to 
 feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies, " because 
 he dwelleth with the angels, who are the righteous 
 ones." But if the words design Christ's ascen- 
 sion into heaven, they should ra(her have expressed 
 thus; "my beloved is gone up into his garden," 
 than as they are, " my beloved is gone down into 
 his garden :" therefore I rather think, that the 
 church of Christ here on earth is meant ; which 
 is as a garden separated by Christ from this 
 world, whose indosure is sovereign and distin- 
 guishing grace ; in which are various trees, plants, 
 and spices, set and planted there by Christ him- 
 self, and where he takes his walks and pleasure ; 
 but iu what sense the church may be compared to 
 a garden, see more on chap. iv. 12. 
 
 2ndly. It may be observed, that this garden is 
 said to he his ; and so it may very well ; for of 
 all others he has chosen this to be his garden ; 
 he asked it of his Father for this purpose, and he 
 gave it to him ; he has also purchased it by his 
 own blood, and distinguished it by his own 
 grace; he takes the care of it, waters it, and 
 watches over it; it is he that hath brought 
 it to its present perfection, and will bring it to 
 a far greater ; so that Christ retires and takes 
 his walks here, not as one either upon trespass 
 or sufferance, and by the leave of others ; but 
 as having an undoubted right and title to it, and 
 as being sovereign Lord and owner of it ; but of 
 this, see more on chap. iv. 16. 
 
 Srdly. Christ is said to be gone down into 
 his garden : which perhaps may be an allusion 
 to Solomon's gardens, which lay lower than his 
 palace : and it is probable that tliosc stairs, which 
 went down from the city of David, the palace- 
 royal of the kings of Judah, were made to go 
 down into the king's gardens, of both which you 
 read iu Neh. ii. 15 ; and so " the garden of nuts," 
 in ver. 11, seems to be in the valley, or the al- 
 lusion may be to what Solomon himself was wont 
 to do, as JosephusK relates ; who used to go very 
 early in the morning, iu great pomp, to Elham, 
 about two miles from Jerusalem, a pleasant place, 
 abounding with gardens and flows of water, which 
 might lie lower thau Jerusalem. And in the 
 spiritual or mystical sense, may point out, 1. The 
 low estate of Christ's church here on earth : the 
 saints are compared to myrtle-trees ; and these 
 are said, Zcch. i. S, to be " in the bottom," that 
 is, in a low estate, being depressed with many 
 sorrows, afllietions, and perscculious ; they are 
 
 doves, but " doves of the vallies," mourning under 
 a sense of their iniquities, being burdened with 
 the weight of sin ; and they are not only in a 
 low estate, but also low and humble in their own 
 eyes : and with such Christ delights to dwell ; 
 he often goes down into his garden to those 
 humble souls, pays them a visit, grants them his 
 presence, and bestows larger measures of his 
 grace upon them. 2. It is also expressive of 
 Christ's condescension in doing this : it was a 
 wonderful stoop, and an amazing instance of his 
 condescension, to come down from heaven, clothe 
 himself with our nature, and converse with sin- 
 ful mortals here on earth ; for a king to come 
 from his royal palace, and enter into the cottage 
 of a beggar, and to eat, drink, and lodge there 
 for a time, would not express so much humility 
 and condescension as this does ; and next to this 
 is his granting his presence to his churches, and 
 to particular believers here on earth ; so that 
 we have reason to say, when we consider tho 
 greatness of his IMajesty, and our vileness, sinful- 
 ness, and unworthiness, vvith Judas, not Iscariot, 
 " How is it. Lord, that thou wilt manifest thyself 
 to us, and not unto the world?" John xiv. 22. 
 And if, 
 
 4thly. It should be asked, how she could tell 
 the daughters of Jerusalem where her beloved 
 was, when she was at a loss for him, and in the 
 search of him herself? it may be answered, 1. 
 That though she had sought him, and found him 
 not; though lie was not pleased to manifest him- 
 self to her at that present time; yet having had 
 large experiences of these things, she knew where 
 Christ usually was, and would be found of his 
 people; therefore she directs them where formerly 
 she had, though now She could not find him, in 
 hopes that they might. Or, 2. It may be sup- 
 posed that the case was altered with her, that 
 she was no longer at a loss for him ; but having 
 sought him, had found him, or at least had gotten 
 seme intelligence of him; which she no sooner 
 had, but she informs them of it. Or, 3. Their 
 inquiring whither he was gone, jnight bring to 
 her remembrance what she had formerly heard 
 him say, in chap. v. I, "I am come into my 
 garden, my sister, my spouse," &c. ; but falling 
 asleep immediately, entirely forgot it ; until her 
 memory was refreshed by the enquiries of these 
 persons. Thus you see that weaker Christians 
 may be useful to stronger ones ; and even the 
 very questions they put for information-sake, 
 may prove the quickening of believers, and be 
 the means of increasing light and knowledge, or 
 at least of reviving past exjierienccs. But, 
 
 5thly. It may be observed, that she not only 
 says that he was gone down to his garden, but 
 that he w as gone down " to the beds of spices :" 
 by which I understand particular believers, who 
 are so many beds in Chiist's garden ; in which 
 arc planted those precious spices, the graces of 
 
 8 Autiquitat. 1. 8. c. 7. s. 3. 
 
VEE. 2.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 IZ7 
 
 tlic Spirit, which, for rareness, exeellency, and 
 IVagraiicy, are eallcJ so : ami tiicse more especi- 
 ally intend growing, thriving, and flourishingsouls; 
 lively believers, whose " spices flow out," whose 
 grace is in exercise ; such Christ has a particular 
 regard unto, and delights to be with. 
 
 II. She declares the end of his going down 
 into his garden, or what it is he employs himself 
 about wlieri there. And, 
 
 1st. She says, it was " to feed in the gardens." 
 By gardens, I understand particular congregated 
 cliurchcs ;*■ lor though there is but one " general 
 assembly and church of the first-born, which are 
 written iu heaven ;" which is redeemed by Christ's 
 blood, and will be presented "a glorious church, 
 without spot or wriukle, or any such thing," and 
 therefore before called a garden, in the singular 
 number ; yet there are many distinct and parti- 
 cular churches ; such as those of Rome, Corinth, 
 Galatia, Ephcsus, Colosse, Philippi, Thessalonica, 
 and the seven churches of Asia, were ; which 
 were as so many distinct gardens, or plots of 
 earth, that the cue garden was subdivided into. 
 And by feeding here, is meant, either, 1. His 
 feeding himself;' which is to be understood of 
 that pleasure and delight which Christ takes in 
 being among his saints, and seeing their graces 
 exercised upon iheir proper object ; for as believers 
 feed themselves by exercising their grace on 
 Christ, so he feeds or delights himsell' in observ- 
 ing this; this is his meat and drink ; this is his 
 supping with them, as the otiiei: is their supping 
 with him ; and this Christ is invited to, in chap, 
 iv. 16, to which he complies, in chap. v. 1. Or 
 else, 2. It may be understood of his feeding 
 his flock, as R. Sol. Jarchi observes ; for " he 
 feeds his flock like a shepherd," though in such 
 places as other shepherds do not ; he feeds them 
 in the gardens, which are unusual to feed sheep 
 in ; commons or enclosed grounds, and not gar- 
 dens, being the most usual places for that purpose : 
 and she makes mention of gardens, in the plural 
 number, to show that Clirist is not tied to one 
 particular church, but feeds in all his churches, 
 in all his gardens ; where he feeds his people with 
 himself, who is " the Bread of Life, the hidden 
 manna ; whose flesh is meat indeed, and whose 
 blood is drink indeed : O precious food ! delicious 
 fare ! he feeds them by and with his ordiuauces. 
 
 refreshes them , he feeds them also by his minis- 
 ters, who are his under-shepherds, to whom he 
 has given a commission and also ability, to feed 
 his people " with knowledge and with understand- 
 ing :" and so he does likewise by his Spirit ; who 
 takes the things of Christ and sheds it in us ; 
 and the promises of Christ, and applies them to us ; 
 for which reason he is called " the Spirit of pro- 
 mise." And now this may serve to direct poor 
 hungry souls where to go for food, and where to 
 expect it, even in Christ's gardens, in his churches 
 and in his ordinances, where he himself feeds. 
 
 2ndly. Another end of his going down into his 
 garden, is " to gather lilies or roses, as the Tar- 
 gum renders it ; to crop them with the hand ;'' 
 lilies are liable to be cropped ; hence Horace ^ 
 calls the lily, breve liliu?n, the short-lived lily : 
 by which may be meant, either the good works 
 of the saints, which he is well pleased vvith, and 
 takes notice of ; insomuch that he writes them 
 down in " the book of his remembrance," as R. 
 Solomon Jarchi observes ; for he " is not uh- 
 righteous to forget their work, and labour of love, 
 but will reward them in a way of grace : or else, 
 by them is meant, the sweet-snielling graces of 
 his own Spirit, growing iu his churches, as Ains- 
 worth thinks, with which he is wonderfully de- 
 lighted : or rather, the persons of the elect, and 
 members of his church, who may be compared to 
 lilies, for the glory, splendour, and beauty in his 
 righteousness ; of which see chap. ii. 3. 
 
 Now there was, 1. A gathering of these lilies 
 at Christ's death : as all the sius of the elect were 
 collected together and were laid on Christ, when 
 he hung upon the cross ; so all their persons were 
 collected and gathered together in one Head, Christ 
 Jesus; they all met in his person, and were re- 
 presented by him ; for this purpose Christ came 
 4owa from heaven, took our nature, and suffered 
 in it : see John si. 51, 52, Eph. i. 10. 2. There 
 is a gathering of these lilies in effectual calling 
 through the ministry of the word, by the mighty 
 power of divine grace : and this work Christ is 
 daily concerned in, in his church, and will be 
 until all his elect are gathered in. 3. There is a 
 gathering of them into church-communion, which 
 is also Christ's work ; who takes " one of a city, 
 and two of a family," and brings them to Zion; 
 and in doing this, he shows his regard to the good 
 
 which are those " breasts of consolation " which | of souls, and at the same time "glorifies the house 
 
 convey much strength and nourishment to them ; 
 those green pastures into which he leads them, 
 and " the fatness of his house " with which iie 
 feeds them ; and particularly the Lord's Supper is 
 that " feast of fat things," by which he sweetly 
 
 >> The Jews, in Shirhashirim Rabba in loc. by 
 gardens understand their schools and synagogues ; 
 as do also K. Sol. .Jarchi and Alshech in loc. The 
 wliole is expoaiideil in the Talmud thus. My be- 
 loved, this is the hcly blessed God ; is gone down 
 into his garden, this is the world; to the beds of 
 spices, these are the Israelites; to feed in thefjardens, 
 these are the nations of the world ; and to gather 
 
 of his glory ;" see Isa. Ix. 7, 8. 4. There is a 
 gathering into nearer communion with himself, 
 which he often docs after great desertions ; see 
 Isa. liv. 7. 5. This may be expressive of that 
 great delight and pleasure which Christ takes in 
 
 lilies, these are the righteous that spring up among 
 them, T. Hieros. I'.oracot, fol. 5. 2, 3. Vid. Yalkut 
 in loc. ■ Ut ubi pascatur in hortis, Yuig. Lat. 
 
 version, Munster, Mercerus. '' Ewioa Aeipia 
 
 Ktpffoi. Theocrit. Idyll. 19. v. 32. Aut Candida lilia 
 carpit, Ovid. Metamorpli. 1. 5. fab. 6. Liliaque alba 
 legit, and Fasti. 1. 4. ' Carniin. I. 1. ode 3G. v. 16. 
 
23S 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THK 
 
 [chap. 
 
 his people : no man can take more delight in 
 plucking fruit, or gathering flowers in a garden, 
 than Christ does in his own people, and in his 
 own grace in them; see Cant. v. 1. 6. This may 
 he meant of their heing gathered by death ; so 
 Abraham and Isaac, when they died, are said to 
 be " gathered unto their fathers," Gen. xv. 8, 
 and XXXV. 29. Christ comes into his garden, 
 the church, sometimes to plant new lilies, and 
 sometimes to crop and gather old ones, when they 
 are fully ripe ; not to destroy them, but to remove 
 them into his Paradise above ; and at the last day, 
 by the means of angels, he will gather in all his elect 
 ones from the four winds, as wheat into his barn, 
 and as lilies into his garden ; see Matt. iii. 7, 
 and xiii. 48, and xxiv. 31. This sense of the 
 word is given by several Jewish writers."" And 
 now, lest any should think that this was a mere 
 surmise, conjecture, and imagination of hers : or 
 if any should call in question her knowledge in 
 this matter, she declares in the following verse, 
 that she was not only well acquainted with him, 
 but was nearly related to him ; and therefore was 
 capable of informing any person where he was, 
 and what he was about. 
 
 Verse 3. I am my beloved's, and. my beloved is 
 mine ; he feedeth among the lilies. 
 
 That these words are expressive of that mutual 
 interest and property which Christ and his church 
 have in each other, of that strict and inseparable 
 union that there is between them, and also of that 
 mutual affection and complacency which they have 
 to and in each other, as well as of her knowledge 
 and assurance of her interest in Christ, has been 
 shown in chap. ii. 16 ; but it may be farther ob- 
 served, that the order of the words is here inver- 
 ted; that whereas in chap. ii. 16, the order of 
 the words is this, " My beloved is mine, and I am^ 
 his;" from whence has been observed, that Christ 
 is first ours, and then we are his, which is an un- 
 doubted truth : for Christ first gives himself to 
 us, before we are capable of giving ourselves to 
 him ; but that which was first there is here last, 
 and what was last is first ; for the first says, " I am 
 my beloved's,"andthen "mybelovedismiue:" from 
 whence it may be observed, that though Christ is 
 first ours in fact, yet our being his, may come 
 first to our knowledge, may be first in discovery ; 
 that is to say, that we may know that he has 
 called us by his grace, and enabled us thereby to give 
 up ourselves to him : so that we can say. Lord, we 
 are thine, thou hast conquered our souls by 
 thy grace, and hast taken possession of us, which 
 thou wouldest never have done, had we not been 
 thine ; and from this work of grace upon our 
 souls, we conclude that thou art ours. Thus the 
 cause may be known by the effect ; and our in- 
 terest in Christ, by the displays of Christ's grace 
 to us, and in us ; likewise, if we consider the words 
 as connected with her former carriage and beha- 
 
 viour to Christ, and what she had met with from 
 him, they will lead ns to observe ; that all the 
 infirmities, sins^ and miscarriages of God's people, 
 do not destroy their union with, and interest in 
 Christ Jesus : she had treated him very rudely, 
 when he, in the most moving manner, and with 
 the most tender language, entreated her to arise and 
 let him in ; she put him off with idle excuses, which 
 he so much resented, as to absent himself from her, 
 and left her to seek him in vain, and to be abused by 
 the watchmen and keepers of the walls ; and though 
 he thus visited her transgressions with this rod of 
 correction, his own absence, for this is so to God's 
 children; and with those stripes and blows which 
 she received from the watchmen ; yet he did not 
 take away his loving-kindness from her, nor break 
 his covenaut with her ; and she was satisfied of 
 this, and therefore could say, notwithstanding all 
 this, " I am my beloved's, and my beloved is 
 mine;" and if, with R. Aben Ezra, we connect 
 the words with the preceding verse, there will ap- 
 pear a beauty and glory in them, " My beloved is 
 gone down into his garden," &c. It is true, 
 he is so ; but though he is gone, and I am 
 left alone, he is departed from me, and when he 
 will return, I cannot tell; perhaps I may never 
 see his face more here on earth, in a way of sen- 
 sible communion and fellowship with him, as I 
 have heretofore done, though I hope I shall; yet 
 if I never do, I am satisfied as to my covenant-in- 
 terest in him, and union to him ; I know that I 
 am my beloved's, and that my beloved is mine ; 
 here lies the glory and excellency of faith, thus 
 to believe in an unseen Christ : though it may be 
 as the Targum intimates, that she had now the 
 presence of Christ, the glorious Shekinah, with 
 her; he had once more shown himself to her, and, 
 upon the sight of iiira, she says, as Thomas did, 
 my Lord, and my God : but however, whether she 
 had or had not the visible tokens of Christ's pre- 
 seuce,her faith was certainly in exercise upon him, 
 nay; she had not only faith, but the joy of faith ; 
 she not only knew her interest in Christ, as her 
 salvation, but also had the joys of this salvation, 
 restored to her. And again it may be observed, 
 that though she excludes all other beloveds from 
 having any share in her affections, or from being 
 in competition with him ; yet by saying what she 
 does, she does not exclude others, particularly the 
 daughters of Jerusalem, from having an interest in 
 him as well as she, as R. Sol. Jarchi thinks ; who 
 paraphrases the words thus, " I am my beloved's, 
 and ye are not his, and therefore shall not build 
 with us," and then explains it by Ezra iv. 3 ; but 
 though the church knew that a whole Christ was 
 hers, yet she knew that he was others also ; and 
 vpould therefore never say so to the daughters ot 
 Jerusalem, to discourage them in seeking of him. 
 Moreover she adds, as in chap, ii., " he feedeth 
 among the lilies:" which may be considered, ei- 
 ther as an apostrophe to him, " thou that feed- 
 
 Zohar in Gen. fol. 44. 3. Bereshitli Rabba, parash. 62. Shirhashirim Eabba, and Alshech in loc. 
 
VER. 
 
 4.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 230 
 
 est amons; the lilies ;" or as descriptive both of 
 him and of the place where he was ; that others 
 might readily know where her beloved was ; and 
 where he was to be found : but of this we have 
 spoken, on chap, ii. 16, and shall not here repeat 
 it ; only observe, that Christ having been a long 
 time absent from his church, and would not 
 make himself known, nor speak one word a great 
 wliile, at last breaks silence, and, like another 
 Joseph, cannot refrain himself any longer from 
 her ; but must make himself knovvn to her, and 
 bursls out with words of love and joy, in the fol- 
 lowing commendatious of her. 
 
 Verse 4. Thou art beautiful, my love, as 
 Tirzah ; comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an 
 army with banners. 
 
 Thesk are the words of Christ ; who having ab- 
 sented himself from his church for a considerable 
 time, to show his resentment of her former car- 
 riage to him, now manifests himself unto her, 
 and declares that he has the same love and affec- 
 tion for her as ever he had, and therefore addresses 
 her with this title or character, "G my love !" 
 nay, that she was as beautiful and comely in his 
 eye as ever she was, notwithstanding all her 
 failings and infirmities ; which beauty of hers he 
 describes first more genei'ally in this verse, and 
 then more particularly in the following ones. In 
 this general description of her beauty are three 
 parts : 
 
 I. He says, " that she is as beautiful as Tirzah." 
 
 II. " Comely as Jerusalem." 
 
 III. " Terrible as an army with banners." 
 
 I. He declares her to be as " beautiful as Tir- 
 zah." Tke Septuagint do not take it to be the 
 proper name of a place, as we, with R. Aben 
 Ezra, do, and therefore translate the word, and 
 render it thus, ws euSo/cia, as good-will, 
 or good-pleasure ; which may be expressive of 
 the sweetness of her temper and disposition, 
 which is heightened by using the abstract ; she 
 was all over good-will and good-nature, not only 
 sweet, but sweetness itself, as she says of him, in 
 chap. V. 16. Moreover, this may be spoken of 
 her, as she is the object of God's good-will and 
 pleasure ; and so she appears to be, as chosen in 
 Christ by him, to be a partaker of grace and glory 
 with him ; which was not done upon the foot of 
 works, but by an act of his sovereign good-will 
 and pleasure, who, " will have mercy on whom 
 tie will have mercy :" also, as she is redeemed by 
 Christ : in which there was such a discovery of 
 " the exceeding riches of God's grace," such an 
 appearance of his " good-will to men," that the 
 angels could not but take notice of it, when they 
 celebrated with a song the birth of an incarnate 
 Saviour, Luke ii. 14 ; likewise, as called and 
 sanctified by the blessed Spirit of grace, who 
 " worketh in us both to will and to do of his 
 good pleasure." And now if we thus consider 
 
 the church as the object of God's good-wtU and 
 pleasure, iu those several instances of it, she will 
 appear beautiful and lovely. Or else, this may be 
 said of her, as she is filled with good-will to God, 
 to Christ, his people, gospel, worship, ways, and 
 ordinances : the church and all true believers in 
 Christ bear a good- will to God; they " love him 
 because he first loved them," not only for what he 
 is unto them, and what he has done for them, but 
 also for what he is in himself; for he is in his 
 own nature, in his own perfections, amiable and 
 lovely : they bear a good will to Christ, he is al- 
 together lovely to them ; they have none in 
 heaven but him, nor is there any on earth they 
 desire besides him ; every thing that belongs to 
 him is exceeding precious to them ; " his name is 
 as ointment poured forth, therefore do the 
 virgins love him;" they bear a good-will to his 
 people, who have his image cnstamped upon 
 them, and to his gospel, which they prefer to 
 their necessary food ; and to his worship, ways, 
 and ordinances ; they love the habitation of his 
 house ; his tabernacles are amiable ; his ways are 
 ways of pleasantness ; his commands are not 
 grievous, but exceeding delightful to them. Now 
 if we consider the church as being of this sweet 
 and loving disposition, which is wrought, influ- 
 enced, and maintained by divine grace, how beau- 
 tiful does she appear ! 
 
 Again, the word Tirzah comes from a root 
 which signifies to be grateful, or to be accepted ; 
 and so R. Solomon Jarchi paraphrases the words, 
 " Thou art beautiful, O my love, seeing that thou 
 art acceptable to me;" and so he says it is ex- 
 plained in an ancient book of theirs, called Siphre :" 
 and if we take the words in this sense, they set 
 forth the beauty and glory of the church, as she 
 stands before God, " accepted in Christ, the 
 beloved." God is well pleased with Christ, and 
 with the church in him ; he is well pleased for his 
 righteousness sake, and with her as she appears in 
 that ; for so considered, she is a complete beautj, 
 fair, and without spot, lovely to look upon, de- 
 lightfid to Christ, and acceptable to God. 
 
 The Targura paraphrases the words thus, " How 
 beautiful art thou, my love, in the time it is thy 
 will to do my pleasure. Our righteousu esses are 
 indeed as filthy rags, and we ourselves as an un- 
 clean thing;" yet when we are made " willing ia 
 the day of God's power," to act according to his 
 will, and that in faith, from a principle of lo»e, 
 and with an eye to his glory, it is accepted by 
 him, the same way as our persons are. 
 
 But I see no reason why we should not take the 
 word as the proper name of a place ; seeing it is 
 certain that there was such a city as Tirzah, in 
 the land of Judea, which was a very pleasant and 
 delightful place, as its name manifestly shows ; 
 for which reason, no doubt, it was made choice of 
 by one of the ancient kings of Canaan, to be the 
 place of his residence ; see Josh. xii. 24 ; as it was 
 
 " It is explained the same way in Shirhashirim Jiabba in loc. 
 
240 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CIIAP. VI. 
 
 afterwa;'ds by Jeroboam aud his successors, until 
 Ziinri's time : who, when the city was taken, 
 burnt the king's honse with fire. Now either for 
 its pleasant buildings, or beautiful situation, or 
 some such thing, the church is here compared 
 unto it, being arrayed with Christ's righteousness, 
 and adorned with the graces of his Spirit. But, 
 II. Lest this should not be sufficient to com- 
 mend her beauty, he says also, that she is as 
 " comely as Jerusalem ;" which was not only the 
 chief city iu Judea's land, but, as Pliny" says, 
 was the most famous of all the cities in the east; 
 nay, more, it was " the joy of the whole earth :" 
 the church goes under this name, both in the Old 
 and New Testament ; for which, see the follow- 
 ing texts, Isa. xl. 2, and lii. 1, Gal. iv. 25,26, 
 Heb. xii. 22, Rev. xxi. 2. Now she may be said 
 to be " comely as Jerusalem," for the following 
 reasons. 1. Jerusalem was a well-built city, its 
 houses were closely joined together, aud its streets 
 uniform ; hence the Psalniist says. Psalm cxxii. 3, 
 " Jerusalem is builded as a city .that is compact 
 together :" so the church of Christ, and the mem- 
 bers of it, as they are built upon the same foun- 
 dation, and are closely joined to the same Head, 
 Christ ; so they are strictly united one to another, 
 and are like " a building .fitly framed together," or 
 like a human body that is " litly joined together, 
 and compacted by that which every joint suppli- 
 eth ;" all the members being set in their proper 
 places, in a just symmetry with, and subserviency 
 to each other; see Eph. ii. 20, 2], and iv. 16. 2. 
 Jerusalem was.nuc ouly the metropolis of Judea, 
 but was the chief city in all the world, as has been 
 observed: and this may set forth the super-excel- 
 lency, glory, and comeliness of the church, above 
 all the world besides ; which will more manifestly 
 appear, when the mountain of the Lord's house 
 shall be established in the top of the mountains, 
 and be exalted above the hills, and God's Jerusa- 
 lem be a praise in the earth ;" see Isa. ii. 2, and 
 Ixii. 7. 3. It was a very .beautiful city ;P it had 
 many beautiful structures in it, particularly the 
 temple, which was the finest building that ever 
 was seen in the world ; it was also very beautiful 
 for situation, as well as for buildings, and there- 
 fore was called the perfection of beauty ; as the 
 church also is, being beautified with the garments 
 of Christ's salvation. 4. It was a very rich and 
 opulent city ; especially in Solomon's time, who 
 " made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones ;" in 
 the church, not only the unsearchable riches of 
 Christ, are preached, but also the immense riches 
 of divine grace and mercy are expended upon the 
 members of it ; so that every inhabitant of this 
 Jerusalem is a king and a prince. How rich must 
 that city be, all whose inhabitants are kings and 
 princes ? such are the saints, the members of 
 Christ's church, who are made by Christ kings 
 and priests to his Father. 5. It was not ouly 
 the place of the residence of the kings of David's 
 
 " Lib, V. c. 14. 
 
 p It is highly coiiimcnded for 
 
 line, where they had their palaces, and kept their 
 courts ; but also, what made it more glonous and 
 comely than all the rest, it was " the city of the 
 great king;" even of him who is the King of 
 kings, who was set up by his Father, as king over 
 his holy hill of Zion : so the church is Christ's 
 palace, where he keeps his court, grants his 
 presence, shows himself, and entertains his friends 
 as courtiers ; it is his rest, his habitation, where 
 he dwells aud delights to be, having chosen it for 
 that purpose. 6. What liiade Jerusalem also ex- 
 ceeding comely, was, tliat the worship of God was 
 kept up there: here was the temple; here sacri- 
 fices were offered up ; hither the tribes went up to 
 worship ; aud therefore is called the city of our 
 solemnities: Christ's cliurch is the place of wor- 
 ship where saints assemble together, where God is 
 reverenced and adored by them ; where the sa- 
 crifice of prayer aud praise are offered up ; where 
 the word of God is preached, aud his ordinances 
 administered, to the comfort of his saints, and to 
 the glory of his name. 7. Jerusalem, as it was 
 beautiful in its inward buildings, so it was like- 
 wise in its outward fortifications, which were both 
 natural and artificial ; it had not only many towers 
 and bulwarks, which were its artificial fortifica- 
 tions, but had also mountains around it, which 
 were natural ones ; aud for this reason the church 
 and people of God are compared to it, in Psalm 
 cxxv. 2, " As the mountains are round about 
 Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, 
 from henceforth, even for ever :" God himself is a 
 wall of fire around his church ; Christ is a strong 
 tower iu the midst of it, and salvation has God 
 appointed for walls and bulwarks about it. 8. Je- 
 rusalem was a free city, as is Jerusalem, which is 
 the mother of us all ; it had many privileges and 
 immunities, as has also the church of Christ, and 
 all the members of it ; all who are " fellow-citi- 
 zens of the saints, and of the household of God," 
 are all Christ's freemen, and enjoy the liberty of 
 the gospel, and can never lose their freedoms, nor 
 be deprived of them ; tbey shall never be arrested 
 by divine justice, uor come into condemnation, 
 nor be reduced to a state of bondage. 
 
 III. He also says of her, that she was " terrible 
 as an army with banners." This comparison 
 manifestly shows, that it was not any single per- 
 son that is intended in this song ; not Pharaoh's 
 daughter, nor any single inhabitant of Jerusalem ; 
 but a considerable company of persons, a collective 
 body, such as the church of Christ is ; for a single 
 person cannot well be compared to an army with 
 banners. Now this shows that the church of 
 Christ on earth is militant ; she is in a warfare 
 state, aud has many enemies to fight with, as sin, 
 Satan, aud the world ; she has enemies within 
 and enemies without ; " a great fight of afllictions" 
 to endure, and " the good fight of faith to fight," 
 after wliich she is to receive eternal life : the 
 use of banuers, has bcQU taken notice of, on chap. 
 
 its beauty, in T. Bab. Kiddushin. foL 49, 2.. 
 
VER. 
 
 5.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 241 
 
 ii. 4s. Moreover, this comparison may lead ns to 
 observe, that the church was as an array in good 
 order, well-disciplined, having proper officers and 
 good armour : Christ is the chief general ; the 
 ministers of the gospel are the under-otScers ; tlie 
 banner is love ; and the armour they are accoutred 
 with, what you read of in Eph. vi.; nay, not only 
 so, but that she was in a posture of defence, ready 
 to fight, whenever the enemy should attack her -. 
 she appeared like an army, having its general at 
 the head of it, its colours flying, drums beating, 
 and sword in hand ; and being so, she was terrible 
 to her enemies, sin, Satan, and the world. 
 
 Now the terribleness of the church of Christ, 
 here spoken of, may be understood, either, 1. Of 
 that awe which godly persons have over the wicked ; 
 the good examples and pious conversations of the 
 saints often distress the conscience, and strike an 
 awe upon the minds of the ungodly; they are 
 deterred sometimes by them from evil practices, 
 especially when in the presence of them, and are 
 awed by them from doing them any hurt ; thus 
 Herod feared John the Baptist, because he was a 
 holy man, Mark vi. 20. Or, 2. Of the invinci- 
 blcness of the saints, when united together ; when 
 they are at peace one with another, and have no 
 discord and mutiny among themselves, but keep 
 close to each other, and endeavour " to keep the 
 unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," they 
 are like an army in battle-array, that cannot easily 
 be broken in upon by the enemy. Or, 3. Of her 
 constancy and undauntedness in seeking of him ; 
 and it is as if he should say, When I parted from 
 thee, what difficulties didst thou meet with ? How 
 wast thou abused by the watchmen and keepers 
 of the walls ? who smote and wounded thee, and 
 took away thy veil from thee ; and yet thou wast 
 not discouraged, but still went on in search of nie, 
 marching like an army with banners, bearing down 
 all before thee, surmounting all difficulties until 
 thoa hadst obtained what thou soughtest for. Or, 
 4. Perhaps Christ may say so of her, as regard- 
 ing himself: who had felt the power of her arms, 
 and was conquered by her ; like another Jacob, 
 she " had power with God, and prevailed." Her 
 love to Christ was so great, her faith so strong, 
 she so diligent in her search, and so importunate 
 in her desires, that he could not withstand her ; 
 and therefore, as one that had found her to be 
 " terrible as an army with banners," says, in the 
 following words, 
 
 Verse 5. Former part. Turn away thine eyes 
 from me, for they have overcome me. 
 
 In this and the two following verses, Christ gives 
 a more particular account of the church's beauty, 
 and begins with her eyes in these words ; for 
 though they are delivered in such a manner as 
 they be, yet they serve to commend that particular 
 part of her, here mentioned ; which is never taken 
 notice of by Christ in this song but with com- 
 
 mendation ; see chap. i. 15, and iv. 1, 9, and vii. 
 4. And in these words may be observed, 
 
 I. Something that is enjoined the church by 
 Christ ; which is, to " turn away her eyes from 
 him." 
 
 n. The reason of it ; " for they have overcome 
 me." 
 
 I. Here is an injunction laid upon the church 
 by Christ, to turn away her eyes from him ; in 
 which may be inquired, 1st. What is meant bv 
 her ejes. 2udly. What by turning them away 
 from him. 
 
 1st. By her eyes may be meant, as has been ob- 
 served on chap. i. 15, the ministers of the gospel, 
 who are that to Christ's body, the church, as eyes 
 are to a human body ; they are placed in a more 
 eminent part of it ; their business is to watch, 
 inspect, and overlook the several members of the 
 body, and therefore are called watchmen and over- 
 seers ; they pry, search, and penetrate into gospel 
 truths, and discover them to others ; they guide 
 and direct those who are under their watch and 
 care, " teaching them to observe all things" which 
 Christ has commanded them. The Targum, by 
 eyes, understands the Rabbins, and wise men of 
 the great congregation : and R. Aben Ezra, by the 
 turning of them away, the removal or ceasing ef 
 prophecy in the second temple. Or else, by eyes 
 may be meant, the enlightened eyes of the church's 
 understanding ; the eyes of her faith, love, and 
 knowledge ; that eye of faith which looked upon 
 Christ in the dark, and was the evidence of an 
 unseen Jesus to her ; so that she could say, " I 
 am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine :" this 
 eye of faith, I say, had pierced the heart of Christ, 
 won it,andgotten an entire conquest over it; which 
 obliged him to say these words, " Turn away thine 
 eyes from me," &c. That love which she had 
 shown unto him, though absent from her, dis- 
 covered in a variety of expressions to the daugh- 
 ters of Jerusalem, appeared exceeding fair and 
 beautiful to him ; her strong and constant affec- 
 tions to him, being attended with solid judgment, 
 and an exact knowledge of his person and grace, 
 took much with his heart, struck the passions of 
 his soul, which showed and gave themselves vent 
 in such expressions as these. And these eyes of 
 faith and love, I take to be principally intended 
 here. But, 
 
 2ndly. It may be inquired what is also meant 
 by turning away these eyes from him. Some 
 read the words thus, "Turn about thine eyes 
 over against me ;" so Ainsworth : and this is 
 favoured by the Targum or Chaldee paraphrase 
 upon the text ; and so indeed the word signifies, 
 to turn, to, as well as to turn from. And this, 
 1. Suits well with the mind and will of Christ: 
 which is, that his church and all believers should 
 be continually looking to him for life and salva- 
 tion, righteousness and strength, peace and par- 
 don, joy and comfort ; and in short, for every 
 needful supply of grace, until they are brought 
 
242 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VI. 
 
 safe to glory -. his language is, " Look uato me, 
 and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth ; for 
 I am God, and there is none else," I.sa. xlv. 22. 
 2. It suits with the experience of God's children ; 
 who often have their eyes taken off from Christ, 
 and set either upon their own righteousness, their 
 duties, and their frames ; or else upon creature- 
 enjoyments, the transitory and perisliing things 
 of this world ; and therefore have need to be called 
 off from them, to look to him -. and perhaps this 
 was the case of the church here ; she had had her 
 eyes intently fixed on Christ for some time, and 
 now on a sudden they are diverted from him, 
 and therefore he gives her this exhortation, to 
 turn them again to him. Which shows, 3. That 
 he, was well pleased and exceedingly delighted 
 with them : faith is a precious grace ; it is so in 
 its own nature, and in the actings of it upon the 
 Person of Christ ; it is a precious grace to be- 
 lievers, being very useful to them in dealing with 
 Christ, and receiving from him ; and it is also 
 precious to Christ, seeing it brings all the glory 
 back to him : how much Christ is delighted with 
 both these eyes of faith and love, may be seen in 
 chap. iv. 9, 10. 4. TJiis version, or reading of 
 the words, may lead us to observe, that Christ 
 would have us not to take side-looks only of him, 
 but full views ; " turu about thine eyes over 
 against me," right over against me ; look me full 
 iu the face : it is true, Christ's countenance is as 
 the sun, when it shineth in its full strength ; 
 which we, in this imperfect state, cannot so fully 
 and directly look at; yet there is a vast difference 
 between faith's looking at Christ at one time 
 and at another: sometimes we have only a glance, 
 a side-look at Christ ; at other times, faith, with 
 open face, beholds, " as in a glass, the glory of 
 the Lord :" our eyes, as Solomon directs, Prov. 
 iv. 25, " look right on, and our eye-lids look 
 straight before us ;" and this is what Christ would 
 have his church do here. 5. It gives us an in- 
 timation, that we should look, all around Christ, 
 and take as it were a survey of his Person, aud 
 the glories and excellencies of it ; turn about 
 thine eyes ; look all around me, view me from 
 head to foot, on all sides : it is true, thou hast 
 been viewing me, as if he should say, aud giving 
 an excellent description of me ; but turn thine 
 eyes about me again and again, thou wilt find 
 more glories still, fresher beauties, and be able to 
 make new discoveries of my Person and grace. 
 6. This being the first time of their meeting to- 
 gether, after she had so shamefully and basely 
 treated him ; she might be filled with so much 
 shame and confusion at the thoughts of it, that 
 she could not lift up her eyes, and look him in 
 the face; which agrees .with the experience of 
 the Psalmist, when he said, Psal. xl. 12, "Mine 
 iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am 
 not able to look up." And this now being her 
 condition, Christ speaks these words to her, for 
 
 her encouragement, turn thine eyes unto me ; 
 look up with a holy and humble confidence to me, 
 for thine iniquity is done away. 
 
 But then, if we consider the words as our 
 translators have rendered them, we are not to 
 understand them, either, 1. As a reprehension of 
 her curiosity, in prying and searching into the 
 glory and greatness of his Majesty, which is the 
 sense that some") give of the words ; for though 
 Christ, as God Almighty, cannot be found out to 
 perfection; nor can we comprehend bis Person 
 and grace as God-man iu this imperfect life ; nor 
 see him as he is, which is reserved to another 
 and more perfect one ; yet this does not forbid 
 our search and inquiries, in order to obtain a 
 more perfect knowledge of him ; though a check 
 should be given, and a restraint laid upon all vain 
 curiosity : but this does not appear to be the case 
 of the church here ; Christ was not displeased 
 with her, nor had he absented himself from her 
 on such an account as this, but because of her 
 slothfuluess aud negligence in duty ; besides, it 
 does not appear likely that Christ, wiien he is 
 extolling aud commending his church in such a 
 manner, should give so severe a rebuke unto her. 
 
 2. Nor were these eyes of hers carnal aud sinful, 
 haughty and lifted up, or wanton and unchaste, 
 and therefore disagreeable to him ; no, her eyes 
 are said to be doves eyes within her locks, modest, 
 humble, and chaste ; which are well-pleasing to 
 him, and are always commeuued by him. Nor, 
 
 3. Are we to understand the words as if Christ 
 did not approve of her looking to him by faith; 
 for there is nothing more grateful to him ; faith 
 always meets with a kind reception from him, 
 and is always commended by him : souls need not 
 fear its being accounted a piece of boldness or 
 presumption in them to believe in Christ, for he 
 gives all encouragement to it ; " Ye believe iu 
 God," says he, " believe also in me," John xiv. 1. 
 But, 4. It is expressive of the exceeding great 
 passion of love he was in with her ; he could 
 stand it out no longer, but must acknowledge he 
 was overcome by her, and therefore bids her turn 
 away her eyes from him ; not through any dis- 
 like, but as having his heart overpowered with 
 love by them : the expression is designed to sig- 
 nify the exceeding greatness of Christ's love to 
 the church, as well as her surpassing beauty. 
 Uuless, 5. We would rather understand it as his 
 will, that she should cease petitioning to him, 
 seeing lie had granted her request ; thus, lifting 
 up tlie eyes to God, signifies jjrayer to liim , see 
 2 Chron. xx. 12, Psal. cxxiii. 1 ; and if we take 
 it in this sense here, it is as if he should say, 
 thou hast been lifting up thine eyes to me, and 
 petitioning me, tliat thou mightest have some 
 discoveries of my grace, enjoyment of my pre- 
 sence, and communion with my Person ; and now 
 thou mayest turn away thine eyes Irom me, or 
 cease petitioning ; for thou hast the thing thou 
 
 9 Foliot and Alcuin in loc. Thom. and Beda iu Sanct. in loc. 
 
VER. 5, 6, 7.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 243 
 
 hast been praying and looking up to me for. 
 II. The reason of Christ's saying so to his 
 church, or bidding her " turn away her eyes from 
 him," is because they had overcome him. These 
 words are very differently rendered. 1. Some read 
 them thus, " for they have lifted me up," so Ains- 
 worth ; or, " that they might lift me up,"' so 
 •Junius ; that is, make me cheerful, comfort, and 
 encourage me : there is a near union between 
 Christ and his church, from whence arises a very 
 great sympathy ; he has a fellow-feeling with his 
 people in all their afflictions, both inward and out- 
 ward, temporal and spiritual ; when they are 
 afflicted, he is afflicted ; when tliey are cast down, 
 he is as it were cast down with them ; and when 
 they are cheerful, he is so too ; he " weeps with 
 them that weep, and rejoices with them that 
 rejoice :" the chnrch being in a comfortable 
 frame, and in the exercise of faith and love 
 upon him, he is as it were cheered by it, and 
 rejoiced at it ; but this must be understood 
 only as expressive of that near sympathy there 
 is between them, and not as implying weakness 
 or alteration in him, who is subject to no change. 
 2. Others read the words thus, " for they 
 have strengthened me ;"' and so our transla- 
 tors have rendered the word, in Psalm cxxxviii. 3, 
 and then the sense is, they have strengthened my 
 desire towards thee, and confirmed me in it, as K. 
 David Kimchi' observes ; and it is as if he should 
 say. It is true, as I am thine, and thou art mine, 
 I always had a desire towards thee, and to thy 
 company ; and it is not long since I signified it to 
 thee ; but since thine eyes have been so intently 
 fixed on me, thy faith and love have been so exer- 
 cised upon me, methinks ray desire towards thee is 
 strengthened and increased ; but this must be 
 understood as expressive of that great reward which 
 Christ had to her, and be taken with the same 
 caution as before. 3. Others," as R. Sol. Jarchi, 
 read the words thus, " for they have made me 
 proud ;" the word is rendered, " to behave one's 
 self proudly," in Isa. iii. 5, by our translators: 
 Christ, as I may so say, is proud of his people, 
 whom the Father has given him, and he has 
 purchased with his own blood ; he takes a kind of 
 pride as well as pleasure in them ; he is proud of 
 that beauty which he himself has put upon them, 
 and of those graces which he has wrought in them, 
 and especially that of faith, when it is in exercise. 
 What notice did he take of the centurion's faith ? 
 and in a kind of boasting manner, as being proud 
 of it, say to his followers, " 1 have not found so 
 great faith, no, not Israel :" here is an instance of 
 faith for you, such an one as is not to be matched 
 in Israel. 4. Others^ read them thus, " they 
 have made me fierce;" not with anger and 
 indignation, but with love ; for there is a power, 
 
 ' Ut illi efferant me, Junius ; illi enim me extu- 
 lerunt, Mercerus. ■ »33>nin corroborant me, 
 
 Marckfus. • In lib. Shorash. racl. " Me super- 
 biorem faciunt. Tig. version, Piscator. &c. 
 
 " Ipsi reddiderunt efferura me, Montanus; ii 
 
 a force, a fierceness in love, as well as in wrath ; 
 " love is strong as death ;" it is so not only in 
 Christ's people towards him, but more especially 
 in him towards them ; his affections are very strong 
 towards them, and are sometimes let out with a 
 greater force upon them than at other times, as 
 they seem to be here. 5. R. Aben Ezra* renders 
 them thus, " they are stronger than me," or, 
 " they have taken away my strength ;" so that I am 
 as one that is dead, and have no life and spirit in 
 me ; these sparkling eyes of thine have transported 
 me into a kind of extasy, that I am scarce myself: 
 and to this purpose the Septuagint render it, 
 " they have made me to fly away -"^ that is, out 
 of myself ; which agrees with our version, " they 
 have overcome me," I am not master of myself; 
 the sense is the same with chap. iv. 9. Now this 
 shows us, (1) The power of faith ; which not only 
 " subdues kingdoms, stops the mouths of lions, 
 and puts to flight the armies of the aliens," but 
 conquers God himself. (2.) This is owing very 
 much to the importunity of it, which is increased 
 by seeming denials : faith will not let Christ alone, 
 nor let him go, nor will it cease petitioning, till it 
 has got the blessing ; and the repulses it meets 
 with, do but increase its importunity ; see Gen. 
 xxxii. 26, Exod. xxxii. 9, 10, Matt. xv. 24—28. 
 (3.) Christ's being overcome by the church, does 
 not imply any weakness in him ; but is a discovery 
 of his astonishing, condescending love and grace, 
 that he should be willing to be held, as it were a 
 captive, by a poor sinful creature ; that He should 
 be willing to be overcome by us, who has con- 
 quered all our enemies, sin, Satan, hell, and death 
 for us, is surprising and amazing ; and perhaps on 
 this account, as well as upon some others, we may 
 be said to be " more than conquerors," because 
 we are the conquerors of him who has -con- 
 quered all. 
 
 Verse 5. Latter part — T/ii/ hair is as a flock of 
 goats that appear from Gilead. 
 
 Verse 6. Thy tepth are as a flock of sheep, winch 
 go up from the washing, whereof every one 
 beareth twins, and there is not one barren 
 among them. 
 
 Verse 7. -ds apiece of pomegranate are thy tem- 
 ples within thy locks. 
 
 These commendations of the church's beauty are 
 delivered in the same words in chap. iv. 1 — 3, but 
 the repetition of them here is not vain and idle, 
 but may be for the following reasons : 1. To show 
 the reality and certainly of her beauty ; that it 
 was no imaginary beauty, but a real one : so 
 things are sometimes repeated, for the confirmation 
 of them. 2. To- put her in mind of it, that she 
 
 ferocire fecerunt me, Cocceius. » Fortiores 
 
 fuerunt me, Pagninus, Mercerus. y ^ kve^mequiaav 
 
 fi€, Sept. ijjsi me avelare feoerunt, Vulg. Lat. ver- 
 sion. 
 
 R 2 
 
244 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VI. 
 
 might value it, ami herself upon it, as coaiin 
 from Christ ; who had made her perfectly comely, 
 through the comeliness which he had put upon 
 her. 3. To assure her that her beauty was still 
 the same, and that he had the same opinion of it 
 as ever he had, netwithstanding all her failings 
 and infirmities ; and therefore expresses it in the 
 very same words he had used before her backslid- 
 ings from him. 4. To manifest the unchangeable- 
 ness of his love towards her ; that he is " Jesus, 
 the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever ;" that is 
 " the Lord that changes not, and therefore the 
 sons of Jacob are not consumed." But having ex- 
 plained these words in chap, iv., I shall not con- 
 sider them any farther here ; but only just observe 
 some variations and differences between them, 
 though they are not indeed very material. In 
 ver. 5, the word mount is omitted, which may be 
 supplied from chap. iv. 1. lu ver. 6, the word 
 sheep is expressed, which is understood in chap. iv. 
 2, as are the words even shorn omitted here, 
 though expressed there. In ver. 7 is wholly 
 omitted that part of the description which concerns 
 the beauty of the church's lips and speech ; though 
 it is added at the end of the sixth verse by the 
 Septuagint ; but is not in the Hebrew copies ; 
 neither is it taken notice of by the Targum on 
 the place : nay, the Masora on chap. iv. 3, re- 
 marks some words as only used in that place, and 
 therefore this was not repeated here in the copies 
 then in use. 
 
 Verse 8. Tl^ere are threescore queens and four- 
 score concubines; and virgins without nmn- 
 her. 
 
 Verse 9. My dove, my undefiled, is but one ; she 
 is the ouly one of her mother ; she is the choice 
 one of her that bare her : the daughters saio 
 her, and blessed her ; yea, the queens and the 
 concubines, and they praised her. 
 
 Christ having commended the church's beauty, 
 both in general ani in particular instances, as she 
 might ba considered by herself, without respect 
 to others, in the preceding verses ; now commends 
 her, as she might stand related to, or be com- 
 pared with others. And, 
 
 I. The persons with whom she stands compared, 
 and to whom she appears jjreferable, are " queens, 
 concubines, and virgins without number." 
 
 II. The things in which she appears to be 
 preferable to them, are, First, That she " is but 
 one." Secondly, " The only one of her mother." 
 Thirdly, " The choice cue of her that bare her." 
 And then, 
 
 III. Her beauty is commended by the notice 
 the " daughters, queens, and concubines " took of 
 it ; who, as soon as ever " they saw her, blessed 
 and praised her." 
 
 » Q'OjVd quidam vocem compositam volunt ex 
 ;7D divjeit, and riTDN uxor, quasi uxor divisa vel 
 dimidia, Buxtorf. secundaria uxores, Michaelis. 
 
 * Vid. Jarcliium in Gen. xxy. 6. Schindler. Lex. 
 
 I. The persons with whom she stands compared, 
 and appears preferable to, are, " the threescore 
 queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins 
 without number," mentioned in ver. 8, which 
 words may be considered, either as au assertion 
 tliat there are so many, a certain number being 
 put for an uncertain one; or else, as a supposition, 
 though there may be so many, yet " my undefiled 
 is but one," &c. Queens are those who were the 
 principal wives of kings, who brought portions 
 with them ; whose children inherited, aud they 
 themselves with their royal husbands, bad the 
 management of affairs. Concubines are secondary 
 wives, or half wives, as the word^ may be ren- 
 dered ; they were such who brought no portions 
 with them ;" and though they were admitted to the 
 fellowship of the bed, yet their children did not 
 inherit, but had ouly some gifts given to them ; 
 nor had they themselves any share in the govern- 
 ment of the house, but rather acted like servants 
 under the other ; such were Hagar, Zilpah, Bilhah, 
 &c. " The virgins without number," are un- 
 married persons ; these were the /naids of honour, 
 who waited and attended upon the queens. Now 
 there are in the words au allusion either to the 
 custom and practice of kings and great persons, 
 who had more wives than one, had many concu- 
 bines, and a large number of virgins to attend 
 upon them ; aud this was not only the practice 
 of Heathen, but also of Jewish princes, as David 
 and Solomon ; which latter, more especially, had 
 a large number ; and it is thought that a regard 
 is had more particularly to his queens and con- 
 cubines in this text ; for which reason some have 
 thought that this book was written before he gave 
 so great a loose to his lusts, as we find he did ; for 
 we are told, 1 Kings xi. 3, that he had " seven 
 hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred con- 
 cubines." Or else, the allusion is to a nuptial so- 
 lemnity, and the ceremony of introducing the bride 
 into the bridegroom's house, who used to be at- 
 tended with a large number of persons of distinc- 
 tion : so four times sixty virgins are said to attend 
 the nuptials of Menelaus and Helena :** see Psal. 
 xlv., between which and this song there is a very 
 great resemblance ; and perhaps that was the plan 
 of this : there the queen is represented as standing 
 in " gold of Ophir," which answers to Christ's 
 church and bride here, and means the same there : 
 also " king's daughters," which answer to the 
 queens here, are said to be among her " honour- 
 able women" who were attendants on her; and 
 the " virgins, her companions," are said to " fol- 
 low her," when she was introduced into the king's 
 presence. 
 
 Now by these "threescore queens, fourscore 
 concubines, and virgins without number," may be 
 meant, either, 
 
 1st. The several kingdoms and nations of the 
 
 Pentaglot. fol. 1508. David de Pomis, Lex. Heb. fol. 
 
 143. 1. and Kimchi lib. Shorash. in voce '<U3'?''D. 
 '• Theocrit. Idyll. 18. v. 'H. 
 
VEK. 9,] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 2ir) 
 
 world : and by queens may be meant those king- 
 doms and countrieSj which are more large, rich, 
 and flourishing ; by concubines, those which are 
 inferior to them, either in largeness, riches, or 
 nunibers : and by virgins, the vast multitude of 
 inhabitants which fill them : and then the sense 
 is this : though there are many large, rich, and 
 populous nations in the world ; yet my church is 
 preferable to them all : these all put together, can- 
 not equal her ; for " as the lily is among thorns," 
 and is preferable to them : " so my love is among 
 the daughters," the nations of the world, and is 
 preferable to them all. Or, 
 
 2ndly. By them may be meant false churches, 
 who pretend to be the true spouse of Christ, but 
 are not so : by queens may be meant, those who 
 boast themselves of their riches and numbers, and 
 would be esteemed on that account the true bride 
 of Christ ; as the church of Kome, who " saith 
 in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow ;" 
 and yet is an harlot, nay, " the mother of harlots." 
 By concubines such who are inferior in wealth and 
 numbers, but equally corrupt in principles, and 
 which make the same pretensions the others do ; 
 such are the Arian, Socinian, &c., churches : and 
 by " virgins without number," the large multitude 
 of poor, weak, and ignorant people, who are seduced 
 and carried aside by them. But now Christ's 
 church, though it does not make so great a figure 
 in the world ; nor does it appear in so much ex- 
 ternal pomp and splendor ; nor has it the riches 
 and numbers that these may have ; yet in (Christ's 
 esteem is preferable to them all. Though, 
 
 3rdly. Others'^ think, that the several sorts of 
 preachers in the church are here intended : and that 
 by queens, are meant ministers of the first rank ; 
 who are faithful to Christ and his Gospel, and are 
 instrumental in bringing forth many souls unto 
 him : and by concubines, such who " corrupt the 
 word of God, and handle it deceitfully :" who are 
 " false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming 
 themselves into the apostles of Christ :" who seek 
 not Christ but themselves : not his honour, bat 
 their ovvn applause : and by virgins, such who, 
 though regenerated, yet at present are not fit for 
 the ministry, but are training up for it in the 
 several churches or schools of learning : and may 
 be such, whom the apostle calls novices : 9io( a 
 novice, i/eo(pvTov, a young tender plant ; one that 
 is newly planted in Christianity, and has arrived 
 to some knowledge of the Gospel, but as ye; uot 
 fit for the office of a bishop. But, 
 
 4thly. The words seem rather to be understood 
 of the several degrees of believers.'' By queens, 
 may be meant believers of the highest form ; such 
 whom Christ has honoured with greater gifts and 
 larger measures of grace ; in whose hearts and 
 lives grace reigns more gloriously than in others ; 
 and who have a greater nearness to Christ, and 
 more communion with him than others have : and 
 
 « Alcuin in loc. Thorn, and Bade in Sanct. ia loc. 
 ^ So Durham in loc. and Nyssen. ilomil. \h. 
 
 by concubines, believers of an inferior sort, who 
 are of a more servile and legal spirit, have more 
 of" a spirit of bondage than thespiritof adoption;" 
 but yet these have fellowship and communion with 
 Christ at times ; and by virgins, young converts, 
 new-born babes, that have not so much experience 
 as either of the former : so that this distribution 
 of believers unto " queens, concubines, and vir- 
 gins," seems to suit with the division of them into 
 " fathers, young men, and children," which is 
 made, 1 John ii. 13, 14 ; and what seems to 
 strengthen this sense of the words, is their blessing 
 and pr.Hising the bride in the following verse. In 
 an ancient tract of the Jews, called Midrash 
 Hanneelam,^ the queens, in the next verse, are 
 said to be the fathers or patriarchs ; the concu- 
 bines, the proselytes of righteousness ; and the 
 daughters, the daughters of Jerusalem. Now 
 Christ's church, considered as a collective body, 
 is preferable to single believers, even to the 
 greatest of them : and it is also well observed by 
 one,' that there are more concubines than queens, 
 and more virgins than either of tiiem ; for there 
 are more weak believers and babes in Christ, than 
 there are strong ones ; those of the highest rank 
 and form are very rare ; there are but few to be 
 found in comparison of the other ; but Christ's 
 bride comprehends them all, and is preferable to 
 them : which is the next thing to be considered. 
 
 II. Christ, in ver. 9, commends his chm-ch 
 above all those queens, concubines, and virgins ; 
 he gives her (wo excellent titles, which show her to 
 be superior to others ; the first of which, " my 
 dove," has been explained in chap. ii. 14 ; ,and the 
 other, " my undefiled," in chap. v. 2, and there- 
 fore need no farther explanation here. The things 
 in which she appears to be pieferable to all these 
 fore-mentioned persons, are. 
 
 First. That she is hut one, and they are many ; 
 which may be expressive, 1. Of the church's 
 fewness in number; who, if compared with the 
 nations of the world, which is the first sense given 
 of the former words, she is but like one to sixty 
 or eighty, nay to an innumerable multitude ; there 
 are but few that are chosen, though many are ex- 
 ternally called : Christ's church is a remnant, ac- 
 cording to the election of grace ; it is but one of 
 a city, and two of a family that Christ brings to 
 Zion ; they are but a little flock, to whom the 
 heavenly kingdom is bequeathed. 2. Of the 
 church's unity in herself. (1.) She is but one body 
 as there are various members in a human body ; 
 and yet but one body ; so likewise is the church, 
 though consisting of many believers ; as there are 
 many sheep and lambs in a flock, and yet but one 
 flock, under the care of one shepherd ; many beds 
 in a garden, and a variety of spices, flowers, herbs, 
 and plants in these beds, and yet but one garden ; 
 even so, though there are many particular congre- 
 gated churches, and in those churches many be- 
 
 Theodoret. in loc. Psellus and Tres Patres in ib. 
 • in Zohar inGen. fol. 77. I. ' Durham in loe. 
 
246 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VI. 
 
 lievers, yet there is but one " general assembly and 
 cliurch of the first-born, which are written in 
 heaven." (2.) She has but one Spirit, which ac- 
 tuates, and influences tiiis body, the same Spirit 
 tiiat dwells in the head, Christ dwells in his body 
 the church ; and the same that dwells in the body 
 dwells in every member of it ; for though there 
 are diversities of gifts, and various graces, yet 
 there is but one Spirit who distributes them to 
 the several members, for their use and profit. (3.) 
 She has but one Head and Husband, Lord 
 and Saviour : she has but one Head, to whom she 
 holds, and from whom she receives life and non- 
 rishment, and so increases with the increase of 
 God ; but one Husband, whom she owns and ac- 
 knowledges as such, and to whom she is " es- 
 poused as a cliaste virgin ;" but one Lord, under 
 whose government she is, and to whom alone she 
 yields obedience: and but one Mediator, that she 
 regards, and makes use of, and that is, " the man 
 Christ Jesus." (4.) Though the church consists of 
 many members; yet being but one body united 
 to one Head, and acturted by one and the same 
 Spirit, they enjoy the same privileges ; they are 
 built upon one and the same foundation, Christ ; 
 they are washed in the same blood ; they wear 
 the same righteousness, and receive from the same 
 fulness, " grace for grace." (5.) They make a pro- 
 fession of one and the same faith ; for as there is 
 but one Lord, so there is but one faith ; the doctrine 
 of grace is invariable, it is like the author of it, "the 
 sameyesterday, to-day, and for ever ;" there never 
 was another gospel, nor never will be ; the faith 
 which thechurch now professes, is what was "once de- 
 livered to the saints," to be kept by them; and which 
 they, standing fast in one spirit, should strive for 
 the purity of; which cannot be, unless they are 
 " perfectly joined together ia the same mind, and in 
 the same judgment." (6.) They are one in worship : 
 the object of worship is one and the same : and so is 
 the Spirit who assists them in it, as well as the 
 form of it; for as there is but one Lord,andone faith, 
 so there is but one baptism : whose subjects and 
 mode of administration should continue the same, 
 without any variation, until the end of time ; and 
 but one Lord's supper : and so it may be said of 
 every other ordinance, and of every part of re- 
 ligious worship ; for saints, as they worship one 
 and the same God, under the influences of one 
 and the same Spirit, and in the same way ; so 
 likewise should they, with one consent, which 
 they cannot be said to do, when an ordinance is 
 administered by some one way, and by some 
 another. (7.) They are one in affections, or at 
 least ought to be ; their chief business should be 
 to "keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of 
 peace," and that from the aforesaid considera- 
 tion : for this is one end of their calling, the 
 glory of their profession, and a distinguishing 
 
 ' N'n ma munda ipsa genitrici sure, Montanus ; 
 piira est genitrici suae, Cocceius, Mercerus; puram 
 illam apud genetricem suam, Junius. '' Dinon 
 
 character of their being the disciples aud church 
 of Christ. 3. This may be also expressive of her 
 being the only spouse and bride of Christ : " my 
 dove, my undefiled, is but one ;" that is, though 
 other priuces may have their sixty queens and 
 eighty concubines, and an innumerable company 
 of virgins to wait upon them, yet I have but one, 
 and am well satisfied with her; I desire none but 
 her ; my one is preferable to their many ; as 
 she says, " I am my beloved's :" that is, I only 
 am his, he has none beside me, and " his desire 
 is towards me," and to none else. 
 
 Secondly. He says, that " she is the only one 
 of her mother." By her mother is meant " Je- 
 rusalem, which is above, which is the mother of 
 us all;" and by her being " the only one of her 
 mother," we are to understand that she had no 
 other but her : for though we read, in chap. i. 6, 
 of " her mother's children," yet we are to under- 
 stand them of carnal professors ; who had the 
 name, but cot the nature of children ; were not 
 true sons of the church, were bastards, and not 
 sons. Or else the meaning is, that she was to 
 him as a mother's only child ; no mother could 
 more tenderly love an only child, than he did her : 
 so that it may be expressive of that strong affec- 
 tion and tender passion which he bore to her. 
 
 Thirdly. He says, that " she is the choice one 
 of her that bare her," which is a penphiasis of 
 her mother; and her being the " choice one of 
 her," shows how much she was valued aud es- 
 teemed by her ; of all her mother's children, she 
 was loved the best. Moreover, the word may be 
 translated, " the pure or clean one :"^ and so she 
 is as clothed with that " fine linen, clean and 
 white, which is the righteousness of the saints," 
 as washed in Christ's blood, which " cleauseth 
 from all sin ;" as sanctified by the Spirit, purified 
 by faith, and sprinkled with clean water, the grace 
 of the everlasting covenant ; also, as she was free 
 from the pollution of error and false worship ; 
 was of an unspotted conversation ; and was now, 
 or at least had been lately, in the furnace of 
 affliction, where Christ had purified her, and made 
 her white and clean. 
 
 III. Christ commends her beauty, by ob- 
 serving what notice the daughters, queens, aud 
 concubines took of it, and how much they praised 
 and commended her for it : " The daughters saw 
 her, and blessed her, the queens and the concu- 
 bines, and they praised her :" it may seem strange 
 that concubines should praise a queen ; but it 
 was not unusual in the eastern countries; with 
 the Persians, as the queen admitted of many con- 
 cubines, by the order of her lord the king ; so the 
 queen was had in great vcnei'ation, and even 
 adored by the concubines.'' Which may be un- 
 derstood, 1. 01 the great esteem which the 
 church had or should have in the world, and that 
 
 in Persicis apud Atliensei Deipnosophist. 1. 13, c. 1. 
 p. 4.=)6. 
 
 I 
 
10.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 247 
 
 from tlie great meu of it ; which will appear 
 more, visibly in the latter day, when those pro- 
 phecies shall be fulfilled, of which we read in Isa. 
 xlix. 23, and h. 3, 10, 11, when kings shall be 
 her nursing fathers, and queens her nursing mo- 
 thers ; and God's Jerusalem, the church, shall be 
 the praise of the whole earth. Or, 2. Of the 
 ^great value and esteem which professors, and es- 
 pecially young converts, have of the church ; in 
 whose eyes she is " the fairest among women :" 
 who, as soon as ever they saw her, were ravished 
 with her beauty, loved her, and wished themselves 
 as happy as she : for, 3. They blessed her ; that 
 is, accounted her happy ; as well they might, 
 seeing she was " blessed with all spiritual blessings 
 in Christ ;" and indeed whether we consider the 
 saints, either as to their entertainment in God's 
 house, or their employment there, it may be said 
 of them what the queen of Sheba said of Solo- 
 mon's servants, 1 Kings x. 8, " Happy are thy 
 men, happy are these thy servants which stand 
 continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom." 
 And, 4. They wished all happiness to her, and 
 prayed for it, which also may be the sense of the 
 words, " they blessed her ;" see Psalm cxxix. 8 ; 
 they prayed for the peace of Jerusalem, which 
 was their duty ; and in doing which, they show 
 their atFection to the church : nay, 5. They not 
 only thought well of her, and wished well to her; 
 but they also praised her, that is, they spoke well 
 of her, and highly commended her beauty : so 
 that Christ was not alone in his opinion of her ; 
 for others thought her to be an accomplished 
 beauty, as well as he : and this, as it serves to 
 commend her beauty, so its being taken notice of 
 by Christ, shows how much he was pleased with 
 it, for as those that touch his people, " touch the 
 apple of his eye :" and whatsoever is spoken 
 against them, he takes as spoken against him- 
 self ; so, whenever they are praised and spoken 
 well of, he is well pleased with it. 
 
 Verse 10. Who is she that looketh forth as the 
 morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, 
 and terrible as an army with banners ? 
 
 These are either the words of Christ, commend- 
 ing and wondering at the beauty of his church, 
 aud confirming the daughters' praises of her ; 
 which shows that they were neither wrong, nor 
 were they alone in their opinion of her ; for she 
 was an astonishing beauty in the eyes of him, who 
 seeth not as man seeth, neither judges after the 
 outward appearance : or else, they are the words 
 of the daughters of Jerusalem continued; and 
 this I rather incline to, for the following reasons : 
 1. The connection between this aud the prece- 
 ding verse is very easy ; especially if we supply- 
 the word saying, as it is sometimes done, as in 
 Jer. xxxi. 3, aud so read the words thus : " the 
 daughters saw her, and blessed her ; the queens 
 and the concubines, and they praised her," saying, 
 " Who is she that looketh forth as the morn- 
 
 ing?" &c. 2. This gives a ready answer to 
 such a qnestion that she might be asked, Wh.at was 
 it the daughters, queens, and concubines said of 
 her, when they gave her commendations, declared 
 her the happy person, and sung her praises ? why, 
 it was this, " Who is she that looketh forth as 
 the morning?" &c. 3. It confirms what Christ 
 had said of her, in ver. 4, that she was " terrible 
 as an army with banners ;" that they had just 
 the same opinion of her as he had, aud therefore 
 used the same words : but if they were supposed 
 to be the words of Christ, it would make a mani- 
 fest tautology, which is scarce to be allowed of in 
 the same commendation. 4. It best agrees with 
 other parts of this song, which appear to be the 
 words of the daughters of Jerusalem, as chap, 
 iii. 6, and viii. 5. 5. The Targura, or Chaldee 
 paraphrase upon this text, takes them to be the 
 words of the people or nations of the world, 
 which, in this paraphrase, are sometimes under- 
 stood by the daughters of Jerusalem. Aud though 
 the words are interrogatory, yet they are not the 
 effect of ignorance, but of wonder and surprise. 
 These daughters were not ignorant of the church ; 
 they knew who she was, but veere surprised at 
 her glory and beauty : the way of speaking is 
 much like that in Isa. Ixiii. 1, " Who is he that 
 Cometh from Edom," &c. Having now con- 
 sidered whose words they are, I shall in the next 
 place consider the words themselves, and the 
 meaning of them : and they may be expressive. 
 
 First. Of the state and condition of the church 
 in the several ages of the world ; especially in 
 those three remarkable ones, that before the law, 
 that under the law, and this under the gospel. 
 There is a manifest gradation in the text ; and this 
 appears in the church, in those several periods : 
 in which there was an increase of her faith, light, 
 knowledge, and glory. Aud, 
 
 1st. The state of the church before the law 
 was given, from Adam to Moses, may be intended 
 in the first expression, " \\ ho is she that looketh 
 forth as the morning ?" And here give me leave 
 to observe, 1. That Adam's sia brought not only 
 a night of darkness upon his own soul, but also 
 upon all the world besides : man, who in his first 
 creation was endued with light aud knowledge, 
 is now become a poor, dark creature, by the fall ; 
 nay, in darkness itself: he is born aud brought up 
 in darkness, and walks on in it, not knowing 
 whither he goes, until he is called by divine grace ; 
 when he appears to be a child of the day, and 
 not of night, nor of darkness. 2. The first dis- 
 play of grace to fallen man, which was in the 
 garden, after the night of darkness had invaded 
 his soul, was like the dawn of the morning ; when 
 the seed of the woman, the glorious Messiah, 
 was made known to Adam : as who should break 
 the head of the serpent, and so- redeem him, 
 and those of his fallen race, whom God had set 
 apart for himself: this struck the light of joy and 
 comfort into his soul ; those dark aud dreadful 
 
248 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VI. 
 
 apprehensions he had of things, in a great mea- 
 sure then vanished and disappeared ; this break- 
 ing up of covenant grace unto him, was like the 
 break of day, or like the first appearance of a 
 glorious morning ; and as for Satan, whose works 
 are works of darkness, and cannot bear the light ; 
 like a beast of prey he leered off, and lurked into 
 his den, when this morning light thus first broke 
 out : this was tlie first appearance and revelation 
 of grace to fallen man. 3. This light of grace, 
 which now began to show itself, like the morning 
 light, increased yet more and more : there were 
 greater breakings forth of it afterwards ; not only 
 to Adam himself, who was taught by God the 
 way of sacrificing, and therein to look by faith'tothe 
 great sacrifice, Christ, who was to be offered 
 up for the sin of man ; but also to succeeding 
 patriarchs, particularly to Noah, who found grace 
 in the eyes of the Lord, became a preacher of 
 righteousness ; and that not of moral righteous- 
 ness only, but also of evangelical, even the righte- 
 ousness which is by faith : but more especially 
 to Abraham, to whom it was promised, that the 
 Messiah should be of his seed, and iu that seed 
 all nations be blessed ; there was so great a discovery 
 of grace made unto him, that the gospel is said to 
 be preached unto him : and then to his grandson 
 Jacob, there was a greater discovery made ; for 
 not only the Messiah was revealed unto him as 
 God's salvation, which he says he waited for, and 
 that he should be of Abrahara's seed ; but also 
 more particularly, that he should spring from the 
 tribe of Judah : the time of his coming is pointed 
 out by him, as well as the glory and magnificence 
 which should attend him, by a mighty confluence 
 of people to him, in that famous prophecy of his. 
 Gen. xlix. 10 ; thus the morning-light of the gos- 
 pel went on apace, and increased exceedingly. 
 But, 4. Though here was light broken forth, and 
 that increasing, yet it was but small, in compari- 
 son of what appeared iu after ages : the first dis- 
 play of grace seems rather to be by way of threat- 
 ening to Satan, than by way of promise to fallen 
 man ; and though it was made known to our 
 first parents, that the Messiah should be the 
 seed of the woman ; yet perhaps it was not so 
 clearly revealed, till Isaiah's time, that he should 
 be born of a virgin ; which might be the reason 
 that our mother Eve was so mistaken in the birth 
 of her first son, as to imagine that she had got 
 the Messiah; for so those words, in Gen. iv. 1, 
 according to some, may be read, " I have gotton 
 a man,' the Lord ;" and Jonathan Ben TJzziel, 
 ia his Targum on the place, paraphrases it thus, 
 " I have got the man, the angel of the Lord ;" 
 but she could never have thought so, had she 
 known that he was to be born of a virgin. More- 
 
 ' Vid. Eeuchlin. Cabbal. 1. 1. p. 739. >■ Vid. 
 
 Targum in Cant. i. 1. ' Luna distat a sole, cujus 
 lumine collustrari putatur, Cicero de Divinatione, I. 
 2. c. 43. ■" Tanto lormosis forrnosior omnibus ilia 
 est, Ovid. Leander Heroni, v. 73. Pulchrior tanto tua 
 forma lueet, Scneeje Hippolytus. act. 2. chorus, v. 
 
 over, the greatness of his person, his several 
 offices, of Prophet, Priest, and King ; the nature, 
 efficacy, and end of his sufferings ; his resurrection, 
 ascension, and session at the Father's right hand ; 
 are more clearly spoken of by David, in his book 
 of Psalms, and by Isaiah, in his prophecy, than 
 were before ; and no doubt but there was more 
 light in the church, in David's, Solomon's, and 
 more especially in Isaiah's time, than there had 
 been in ages preceding. But yet, 5. Those dis- 
 coveries of grace, which were made before the 
 law was given, like the cheerful morning, brought 
 joy and comfort along with them, particularly to 
 Adam ; who stood trembling, expecting every 
 moment to have the awful sentence of wrath pro- 
 nounced, and the severe stroke of justice given; 
 when on a sudden grace appears, a Saviour is 
 revealed; and the darkness of guilt and horror 
 which filled his soul disappears, and in the room 
 of it an universal joy and pleasure diffuses itself. 
 The" Jews'' tell us of ten songs that are sung in the 
 world; and the first, they say, was that which 
 Adam sung when the Lord pardoned his iniquity ; 
 and indeed he had a great deal of reason for it. 
 Nay, it was not only joy to Adam ; but also to all 
 the angels in heaven, who stood astonished and 
 surprised to see all human nature lost at once, 
 and that to all appearance irrecoverably ; but whilst 
 they were waiting to see what the issue of things 
 would be, a glorious display of grace is made ; 
 the way of salvation, by the incarnate Son of God, 
 is opened ; which caused these bright seraphs to 
 clap their wings, and these morning stars to sing 
 together, " Glory to God in the highest :" for if 
 they rejoice at the conversion of a single sinner, 
 much more would they at the tidings of salvation 
 to Adam, and to so many of his race ; and so all 
 after- discoveries of grace, to succeeding patriarchs, 
 were more or less attended with joy and pleasure ; 
 it is particularly remarked of Abraham, John viii. 
 •56, that he saw Christ's day, and was glad. 
 
 2ndly. The state of the church under the law, 
 may be represented under the second expression, 
 " fair as the moon ;" which, though it receives its 
 light from the sun,l yet splendour and brightness 
 are ascribed to it, Job xxxi. 26, and by other wri- 
 ters,™ it is represented as fair and beautiful ; and 
 the beautiful form of persons is expressed by it." 
 Such was the nature of divine worship under that 
 dispensation, that, it may very aptly be set forth 
 by this phrase ; and I cannot but be of opinion, 
 that the ceremonial law is intended by the moon, 
 which is said to be under the church's feet, in 
 Rev. vii. 1, for though it was abolished by the 
 death of Christ, yet it was kept up and maintained 
 by many of the Jews, even of those that believed ; 
 so that it was one of the greatest diflSculties that 
 
 740. Aurea luna, Ovid. Metamorph. 1. 10. fab. 9. 
 
 •" Vid. Barthii Animadv. ad Claudian. de Nupt. 
 Honor, v. 2. 3. So particularly the beauty of Hero is 
 described by the white- checked, rising mom, Museus 
 de Hero, &c. v. 67. 
 
 1 
 
VER. 10.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 249 
 
 the Christian church had to grapple with ; for 
 though it was under the feet of Christ, yet it was 
 a long time before it was under the feet of 
 the church ; and a wonder it was when it was 
 accomplished; for persons are natui'ally fond 
 ef ceremonies ; and many had rather part 
 with a doctrine, or an ordiuance of the Gos- 
 pel, than with an idle ceremony, or an old cus- 
 tom, though never so ridiculous; and this was in 
 a great measure the case of the Jews ; " Thou 
 seest, brother," says James to Paul, Acts xxi. 20, 
 " how many thousands of Jews there are which 
 believe, and they are all zealous of the law." Now 
 the ceremonial law may be very aptly represented 
 by the moon; for, 1. It consisted much in the 
 observation of new moons ; its solemn feasts were 
 governed by them ; see 2 Chron. viii. 12, 13, Isa. 
 i. 13, 14, Amos viii. 5, Col. ii. 16. 2. There 
 was some light in it, and it gave light to the 
 saints in the night of the Jewish darkness ; it 
 pointed out Christ unto them ; and was their 
 schoolmaster, to teach and lead them to him. But, 
 3. Like the moon, it was the lesser light, that 
 which ruled by night, and not by day : the light 
 it gave was inferior to that which saints have un- 
 der the Gospel-dispensation. 4. As the moon has 
 its spots, so had this its imperfections ; had it 
 been faultless, there had been no need of a new 
 dispensation, to have succeeded; but God had pro- 
 vided some better thing for us. New Testament 
 saints, that they, the Old Testament saints, without 
 us should not be made perfect : for this law could 
 not make them so ; it could neither perfectly sanc- 
 tify, nor justify, nor expiate sin. 5. Like the 
 moon, was variable and changeable : it is done 
 away ; this middle wall of partition is broken 
 down : this hand-writing of ordinances is blotted 
 out ; it is not only like the moon in the wane, 
 waxen old, but is also entirely vanished away. 
 But now, notwithstanding all this, the church, as 
 considered in her observance of the ceremonial law, 
 was fair ; there was a beauty in that kind of wor- 
 ship ; the laws of it, being the ordinances and in- 
 stitutions of God, and when performed in faith, 
 and according to the will of Gud, were amiable 
 and lovely. But, 
 
 3rdly. The state of the church under the 
 gospel-dispensation, may be said to be " clear as 
 the sun :" for now the glorious " Sun of righteous- 
 ness" is riseu, that great " light of the world" 
 has appeared, and made " that day," which, by 
 way of emphasis, is so often spoken of in the 
 books of the prophets ; now the shadows are fled, 
 and gone, Christ, the substance, being come ; 
 
 of the Lord, and are changed " into it. Some 
 Jewish writers" interpret this of the coming of 
 the Messiah, and redemption by him, before whom 
 darkness will flee away. 
 
 Moreover, as there is one glory of the moon, and 
 another glory of the sun, and that of the sun far 
 exceeds that of the moon ; so the glory of the 
 Gospel dispensation far exceeds that of the legal 
 one : if the church was then " fair as the moon," 
 she must be now " clear as the sun." The excel- 
 ling glory of the gospel dispensation is set in a 
 true light by the apostle, in 2 Cor. iii. 7 — 10. 
 Now, 
 
 4thly. The church, in all these several periods, 
 whether she be considered before the law, or under 
 the law, or under the Gospel, is " terrible as an 
 army with banners ;" the church was always mili- 
 tant in all ages of the world ; and as she never 
 wanted enemies to fight with, so she never wanted 
 a leader, and a commander to march before her ; 
 nor proper officers to keep her in order: nor suit- 
 able armour to put on and use ; nor did she ever 
 fail of victory, but was always " more than a con- 
 queror through him that loved her;" and so was 
 like a well ordered or well-disciplined army, ter- 
 rible to her enemies. 
 
 Secondly. The state of the Christian church, 
 from the times of Christ and his apostles, until his 
 second coming and presentation of her to himself 
 in glory, may be here represented. And, 
 
 1st. The primitive church, or that iu the age of 
 the apostles, may beiinteudedby the first expression ; 
 " Who is she that looketh forth as the morning ?" 
 for then the morning of the Gospel light broke, 
 and swiftly and suddenly spread itself over the 
 nations of the world ; it produced joy and gladness 
 wherever it came ; and moved on irresistibly, 
 maugre all the opposition that was made against 
 it ; and could no more be stopped in its progress, 
 than the morning-light can. 
 
 2ndly. The state of the church, in some after 
 ages, may be set forth by the next phrase, " fair 
 as the moon," it being variable and changeable ; 
 and like the moon, had different phases and ap- 
 pearaoces ; sometimes lying under sore trials and 
 grievous persecutions, and at other times enjoying 
 rest and peace ; sometimes retaining the doctrines 
 and ordinances of the Gospel in their power and 
 purity, at other times overrun with errors and 
 heresies. 
 
 3rdly. The church being said to be " clear as 
 the sun," may either be descriptive of her state 
 and condition in Constautine's time, when she was 
 " clothed with the sun ;" was in a great deal of 
 
 jreater light, and more knowledge, with clearer | splendour and glory ; had the moon, the ceremo- 
 
 faith, are the saints possessed of than they were 
 under the law ; " the least in the kingdom of hea- 
 ven, is greater than John the Baptist :" now saints, 
 not with faces veiled, but with open face ; not 
 through cloudy shadows and cloudy sacrifices ; but 
 as iu a clear, transparent " glass, behold the glory 
 
 nial law, " under her feet," and " a crown of twelve 
 stars upon her head," the glorious doctrine of the 
 twelve apostles ; and were as terrible to her ad- 
 versaries " as an army with banners :" or else, 
 the state of the church in tjie latter-day-glory ; 
 when " the light of the moon shall be as the light 
 
 Vid. Yalkut in ioc. 
 
250 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VI 
 
 of the sun,' and the light of the sun shall be seven- 
 fold:" or else, as glorified in heaven, enjoying 
 consummate happiness with Christ in the kingdom 
 of his Father ; where " the righteous shine forth 
 as the sun," and are out of the reach of all their 
 enemies. 
 
 Thirdly. These words may also be expressive of 
 the state and condition of particular believers, 
 who, in their first conversion, may be said to 
 " look forth as the morning ;" their light and 
 knowledge being but small, and their faith weak ; 
 but yet like the morning-light, iucreasing ; for 
 " the path of the just is as the shining light, which 
 shines more and more unto the perfect day :" as 
 also her being compared to the morning, may in- 
 tend the beauty P and glory of believers, both in 
 their faith and walk ; " she looks forth as the 
 morning :" the look of faith is exceeding beautiful 
 in Christ's eye ; see chap, iv, 9 ; or, " goes forth 
 as the rising raoru,"i as the Vulgate Latin reads 
 it ; that is, her talk and conversation is exceeding 
 comely. Moreover, believers, as to their sanctifica- 
 tion, may be said to be " fair as the moon," which 
 has its spots in it ; and what light it has, it derives 
 from the sun : so the sanctification of believers is 
 imperfect, and all the light, grace, and holiness 
 they have come from the Sun of righteousness ; 
 bnt then as to their justification, they are clear 
 as the sun, all fair, and no spot in them ; and in 
 their faith and conversation are terrible to their 
 enemies, as an army with banners. 
 
 Verse 11. I went down into the garden of nuts, 
 to see the fruits of the valley, and to see 
 whether the vine flourished, and the pomegra- 
 nates budded. 
 
 These are either the words of the church, or of 
 Christ. Some' take them to be the words of the 
 church, who not finding Christ on earth, sought 
 him in the heavenly paradise, which they under- 
 stand by this nut garden ; and by her going down 
 into it, the lively exercise of her faith on the un- 
 seen joys and glories of it, in looking to them, 
 seeking of them, and pressing after them : though 
 others,' who also understand them as the words of 
 the church ; think that they represent her as giving 
 a reason why, upon his departure from her, she 
 went not only into the city, but also into the fields, 
 and that in the niglit-season, which might not 
 appear so reputable to one of her sex : therefore 
 
 p So of Helena, in Theocrit. Idyll 18. v. 2fi. it is 
 
 said, Aai? avTeKKoiau Ka\ov htttj>at\ie ■npoamirov, that she 
 
 showed her beautiful face as the rising morn. 
 
 1 Homer often describes the moruiug by her rosy 
 fingers, poio&aK-rvXo'i iiuif, Iliad. 1. v. 477. and passim ; 
 so Theocritus, poSoTrtix""! Idyll- 2. and as clothed with 
 a saffron garment, j/wt upouoireTrXof, Iliad. 8. v. 1. and 
 19. v. 1. so, aurora lutea, Virgil. iEneid. 1. 7. v. 26. 
 and as beautiful and divine, Iliad. IS. v. 255. and 
 fair-haired, Odyss. 5, v. 390. and as on a golden 
 throne, and comely, Odyss. 15. v. 56, 250. A shining 
 brightness is ascribed to it, Nitor aurorae, Lucret. 1. 
 4. V. 542. Kubescebat aurora, Virgil. jEneid. 1. 3. v. 
 521. ' Diodat. in loc. ' Theodoret. iu loc. 
 
 to wipe off all reproach, and remove all suspicion 
 of evil designs in her, as well as to inform him how 
 she had employed herself during his abseuce, she 
 tells him that she went into the nut-garden, to 
 inspect the fruits of it, and to see in what case 
 the vines and pomegranates were. Though 1 
 rather think that they are the words of Christ 
 declaring to his church where he went, and what 
 he employed himself about, when he departed from 
 her ; and that he was not even then altogether 
 unmindful of her ; but narrowly looked into the 
 state and case of her, and her members, when she 
 thought he was at a distance from her ; and this 
 agrees with what Christ had said, in chap. v. 1, 
 " I am come into my garden," &c., and also con- 
 firms what she had said, v. 2, of this chapter, 
 " My beloved is gone down into his garden," &c. 
 Besides, it best suits with him, who is the owner 
 of the garden, to look after the fruits of it, and to 
 see in what case it stands : moreover, this was the 
 usual place of Christ's residence. Taking them 
 then to be the words of Christ, there are two 
 things to be considered. 
 
 I. What is meant by this " garden of uuts," 
 into which, Christ says, he " went down." 
 
 II. The end of his going there ; which is 
 threefold. • 1st. " To see the fruits of the valley." 
 2ndly. " To see whether the vine flourished." 
 3rdly. Whether " the pomegranates budded." 
 
 I. I shall inquire what is meant by this 
 " garden of nuts," into w'iiich Christ is said to 
 go. Some Jewish' interpreters understand by it, 
 the second temple, which was built by the com- 
 mandment of Cyrus king of Persia , but it seems 
 better to understand it of the church of Christ, 
 which is compared to a garden, iu chap. iv. 12, 
 and for what reasons has been there shown : and 
 Christ being said to go down into it, may be au 
 allusion to Solomon's gardens, which lay low, 
 and required a descent unto them from his palace ; 
 and this not only is expressive of the state and 
 condition of Christ's church, but also of his con- 
 descension in visiting it, as has been observed ou 
 ver. 2. Now this garden here, is said to be a 
 " garden of nuts ;" a garden where nut-trees only 
 grew ; for the ancients had places appropriated to 
 such trees," and with propriety might be called 
 nut-gardens; though, by what follows, there 
 seem to be vmes and pomegranates, and other 
 fruits, as well as nuts, in this garden ; nuts might 
 be the principal tree, whence it had its name. 
 
 and Tres Patres in lb. So Athanasius Synops. Sacr. 
 Script. 1. 16. interprets it of Jerusalem, the church, 
 who observing the faith of the children, and the 
 philanthropy of the Word, says this; and by the gar- 
 den of nuts, he understands the scriptures, which are 
 hard without, but spiritual within ; and the Ethiopic 
 version renders the words. My beloved is gone down, 
 &c. « Targum and R. Sol. Jarchi in loc. Lyra 
 
 interprets it of the temple of Solomon : but the 
 Cabalistic doctors interpret it of nialcuth, or the 
 congregation of Israel, Lexic. Cuba!, p. 24, 240. 
 >■ Quicquid nobile ponticis, nuuncetis Statii Sylva. 
 1. 1. ode 6. v. 12. 
 
VER. 
 
 11.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 251 
 
 The words are by some™ translated, " the pruned 
 a;arc'eas," or "the gardens of pruning or ^hearing:" 
 deriving the word from a root, which signifies to 
 cut or sheer ; and so signifies that it is a garden 
 well-dressed, and pruned, and kept in good order : 
 and so indeed is Ciirist's church ; and therefore 
 is opposite to, and different from the field and 
 vineyard of the sluggard, Prov. xxiv. 30, 31, 
 which was neither in good order, without nor 
 within ; without, its stone-wall, its fence, was 
 broken down; and within, it was all overrun with 
 thorns and nettles : but Christ's garden is in a 
 much better case ; for, 1. It is well fenced with 
 sovereign, powerful, and distinguishing grace ; 
 nay, God himself is "a wall of fire" about it, 
 and has appointed " salvation for walls and bul- 
 warks " all around it ; so that it is strongly en- 
 closed, and well secured from the " boar out of 
 the wood " wasting it, and from " the wild beast 
 of the field " devouring it. 2. It is well planted ; 
 it is not an empty garden within, but is well 
 stored with plants of all sorts, and those the most 
 excellent, as appears from chap. iv. 13, 14, it is 
 filled with "trees of righteousness," which are 
 laden with the fruit thereof, and therefore are 
 very valuable. 3. It is well pruned ; for as 
 Christ is the vine, the principal plant in this 
 garden, on which all others grow, and fi"om 
 whence they receive their life and nourishment ; 
 so Christ's " Father is the Husbandman, the 
 Vine-dresser, the Keeper of the garden, and he 
 keeps the plants in good order ;" for " every 
 branch that beareth not fruit," he lops it off, 
 and taketh it away; and "every branch that 
 beareth fruit, he purgeth," or pruneth it, " that 
 it may bring forth more fruit," John xv. 1, 2. 4. 
 It is well watered ; as the Lord is the keeper of it, 
 so he " waters it every moment" with refreshiug 
 dews and delightful showers of divine love and 
 grace ; there is a fountain in the midst of it to 
 water all the beds, and this is Christ himself; 
 who therefore, in chap. iv. 15, is called the 
 " fountain of gardens ;" who also is the " well of 
 living waters ;" and whose grace is as " streams 
 from Lebanon :" so that every particular believer, 
 every plant here, is " like a watered garden, and 
 like a spring of water whose waters fail not." 
 5. It is well weeded ; there are tares growing up in 
 Christ's field, and weeds in his garden, such as 
 hypocrites and carnal professors ; and Christ 
 sometimes weeds his gai'den of many of these ; and 
 that by causing the sun of persecution to arise 
 upon them, which scorches and burns them up, 
 they not having root in themselves ; he sometimes 
 takes his fan in his baud, and with it purges his 
 floor of the chaff, and clears his churches of such 
 sort of persons as these ; but this he will do more 
 
 " Ad hortos putatos, Junius and Tremellius ; ton- 
 sionis, Piscator; hortum putationis, Marckius. 
 
 ^ pjK n::i ^x ^'f x-'mov Kapua?, Sept. in hortum 
 nucum, Vulg. Latin version; ad hortum nucum.Coc- 
 ceius, Tigurine,vci-sion ; in hortum nucis, Mercerus ; 
 ad hortum nucis, Moutanus. ? Sparge marite nuces, 
 
 effectually at the last day, wheu he shall send his 
 angels to " gather out of his kingdom all things 
 that offend, and them that do iniquity," Matt, 
 xiii. 41. 
 
 Moreover, by these well-dressed or pruned 
 gardens may be meant, those particular churches 
 of Christ, which are regularly formed, are in good 
 order, and are well disciplined ; whose members 
 are lively in the exercise of their faith, walk agree- 
 ably in their lives and conversations ; are zealous 
 for the truths of the gospel, and for the maintaining 
 the ordinances of it in their purity ; and are not 
 remiss in dealing with offenders, whether they be 
 immoral in their lives, or erroneous in their prin- 
 ciples, such were, in a great measure, the churches 
 of Ephesus and Colosse, see Rev. ii. 3, Col. ii. 5, 
 and with such churches Christ delights to be : and 
 these may expect his presence. 
 
 But the word,^ though only used in this place, 
 is by Jewish writers generally rendered a tiul ; and 
 so it is by the Septuagint, as well as by our trans- 
 lators and others ; this is very properly taken 
 notice of in this love-poem : it being usual for 
 new-married persons to get nuts, and throw tliem 
 among children to make pastime ; and to signify, 
 among other things, that they now renounced 
 childish things.^ And by the garden, is meant 
 the church of Christ, as has been observed before ; 
 and by the nuts which grow in this garden, from 
 whence it has the name of a nut-garden, aee 
 meant believers ; who may be called so, for the 
 following reasons: 1. Because though they are 
 mean and abject without, yet are glorious aud val- 
 uable within : the " king's daughter is all glori- 
 ous ;" the inside of a believer, like that of the nut, 
 is the best part of him ; the outward appearance 
 of saints is but mean, aud the world judging ac- 
 cording to that, not capable of seeing any farther, 
 look upon them as the ofl'scouring of all things : 
 but Christ, who knows their iuside as well as 
 their outside, knows what they are by his grace, 
 as well as vvhat they are by nature, that though 
 they are black in themselves, yet are comely in 
 him ; he reckons them the excellent in the earth, 
 in whom is all his delight. 2. Because of their 
 several coverings : in the nut there are the husk 
 and shell, and besides these, an inward covering : 
 believers have several coverings ; they have ttie 
 robe of Christ's righteousness to cover them, 
 which may answer the shell of the nut ; being 
 lasting and durable, will abide for ever, and will 
 bring the soul that is enwrapped in it safe to 
 glory : there is also " the new man," or garment 
 of sanctification, which is put on by the believer ; 
 aud this may answer the inward covering of the 
 nut, as being more thin and tender, weak and im- 
 perfect ; and then there is likewise the outward 
 
 &c. Virgil. Bucolic, eclog. 8. v. 30. Da nuces pueris, 
 CatuUi Julia; Epithalam. ep. 59. v. 131. Et. nucibus 
 relictis, Persii Satyr. 1. v. 10. Vid. Plin. 1. 17. c. 22. 
 Cliartar. de Imag. Deorum, p. 87. and Kipping. 
 Antiq. Horn. 1. 4. c. 2. p. 697. 
 
252 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VI. 
 
 garment of a gospel-conversation ; and this may 
 answer the husk of the nut, as being the coarser 
 and more imperfect covering, which, continually 
 needs washing in Christ's blood. 3. Because of 
 their hardiness in enduring afflictions ; they wade 
 through a sea of troubles iu this world, before they 
 enter the kingdom; and this they do with becom- 
 ing cheerfulness, patience, courage, and magnani- 
 mity of mind ; they " are troubled on every side, 
 yet not distressed ; are perplexed, but not in des- 
 pair ; persecuted, but not forsaken ; cast down, 
 but not destroyed," 2 Cor. iv. 8, 9, and that be- 
 cause they are supported under all these trials and 
 exercises, and carried above them by a superior 
 power. 4. Because of their hiddeuness ; the best 
 part of the nut is hidden ; the saints are hid from 
 everlasting, in the bosom of the Father, in the 
 hands of the Son, and in the everlasting covenant 
 of grace ; until they are made openly to appear 
 to be the people of God, by powerful and effica 
 cious grace in conversion, and therefore are called 
 God's " hidden ones ;" and after conversion they 
 are hidden from the men of the world ; the work of 
 grace upon their souls is hid from them, and there- 
 fore called " the hidden man of the heart ;" their 
 joys and comforts are hidden from them, and so in- 
 deed is their whole life of grace here, as well as 
 their life and glory hereafter : for though they are 
 " the sons of God, yet it does not appear" so fully 
 to themselves, much less to the men of the world, 
 " what they shall be." 5. Because of the safety 
 and security both of their persons and their 
 graces: nuts, in the greatest showers of rain, 
 have only their outside washed the more, but 
 their iuside remains untouched, and is no ways 
 hurt ; so saints are safe and secure, notwithstand- 
 ing all the floods, storms, and tempests of tempta- 
 tions, persecutions, and afflictions , being built 
 upon the rock, Christ Jesus, and hid in him, the 
 ark of the covenant ; the inward principle of grace 
 in them cannot be lost ; that hidden seed is in- 
 corruptible, and will abide so for ever. 6. Nuts 
 often grow in clusters ; which may not only denote 
 the multitude of believers, and their close adherence 
 to Christ, his gospel, cause, and interest ; but also 
 their unity among themselves : and as it is a very 
 pleasant and delightful sight to see nuts gi"ow in 
 clusters ; so it is much more to see " brethren 
 dwell together in unity." 7- Saints being com- 
 pared to nuts, and to those of the best sort which 
 grow iu gardens, shows, that they have not only 
 the shell of an outward profession, but also the 
 kernel of true grace ; some have only " the form 
 of godliness, but deny the power thereof ;" profess 
 to know God in words, but iu works deny him ; 
 have a name to live, but yet are dead ; but such 
 are not these who are here compared to nuts. 
 8. Their being compared to nuts, may denote 
 
 » Vid. T. Bab. Chagigah, Ibl. 15. 2. and Shir- 
 hashirim Eabba in loc. • Vid. R. Aben 
 
 Ezra in loc. who also applies the words to the Israel- 
 ties. '' Diodat. and Ainsworth in loc. Niix. 
 
 their preservation from the pollutions of the 
 world, though iu the midst of them ; as a nut, 
 though it may fall into the mire and dirt, yet the 
 inside is no ways defiled therewith ; so R. Solomon 
 Jarchi, out of the Midrashes,^ explains these 
 words of the impollution of the works of the Is- 
 raelites, when they were in captivity among the 
 nations of the world. 9. The kernel of the nut 
 does not appear," until the shell be broken -. the 
 graces of God's children generally show themselves 
 most when they are under afflictions : for " tri- 
 bulation worketh patience, and patience experience, 
 and experience hope ;" that is, makes those graces 
 to appear more in their lively exercise ; even as 
 spice smells most wheu beaten iu a mortar : more- 
 over, this rich treasure of divine grace, which is 
 put into our " earthen vessels," will not be so 
 clearly seen, until these vessels are broken in 
 pieces ; nor will the soul appear so beautiful and 
 glorious, being clothed with Christ's righteousness, 
 and adorned with the graces of his Spirit, as when 
 it is dislodged from " the earthly house of its 
 tabernacle," and is joined with the " spirits of 
 just men made perfect." 10. Some*" think, that 
 not the common nuts, but the fruit, which we call 
 nutmegs, are here intended ; but such nuts grew 
 not in those parts : rather, walnuts are meant, 
 which the Arabs call ffauz or ffeuz, which is the 
 same word that is here used ; as walnuts were in 
 great esteem in the eastern countries, among the 
 gardens Solomon had, Ecel. ii. 7 ; one might be 
 appropriated to these : and at Etham, about two 
 miles from Jerusalem, Solomon had gardens, into 
 which he had used to go early in a morning, as 
 Josephus' relates : pistacia-uuts were well known 
 in Syria,'' which joined to Judea, and which 
 might have a part in this garden ; nuts grew in 
 Judea, of which Josephus^ makes mention, as in 
 great plenty ; and they are reckoned among the 
 best fruits of the land of Canaan, Gen. xliii. 11, 
 and if nutmegs were designed, they might be ex- 
 pressive of the fragrancy aud sweet odour of the 
 saints, as they are clothed with Christ's garments, 
 which " smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia;" and 
 as they are perfumed with " his ointments," 
 which is exceeding savoury. But, 
 
 II. Let us consider the end of Christ's going 
 down into this garden of nuts ; which is, 
 
 1st. " To see the fruits of the valley." By 
 fruits, are meant the graces of the Spirit ; the 
 growth, actings, and exercises of which, Christ 
 went down to take notice of: and these are said 
 to be the " fruits of the valley," because they grow 
 upon humble souls, with whom Christ delights 
 to be, and ou whom he bestows more grace ; 
 though it is a wonderful instance of his grace and 
 condescension to vouchsafe a regard to such poor, 
 low, mean, and worthless creatures : see Isa. Ivii. 
 
 odorata, nux myristica, Buxtorf. Talmud. Lexic, 
 col. 21. ' Antiquitat. 1. 8, c. 7. s. 3. "• Plin. 
 
 Nat. Hist. 1. 13. c. 5. Athenaei Deiphosophist. 1. H. 
 c. 17. p. 049. « De Bello Jud. 1. 3. c. 9. s. 8. 
 
VER. 
 
 12.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 25c 
 
 15, and Ixvi. 1, 2. Some interpreters translate 
 the words, " the shoots or fruits of the hrook or 
 river ;"' agreeable enough to the Hebrew word,? 
 which signifies a torrent, as well as a valley : and 
 80 are expressive of the fertile soil in which be- 
 lievers are planted, and which is the occasion of 
 their fruitfulness ; see Psalm i. 3. 
 
 2ndly. " To see whether the vine flonrished." 
 In what sense particular churches or believers 
 in Christ may be compared to vines, has been 
 shown on chap. ii. 13, who may be said to flourish, 
 when they increase in number, gifts, and grace, 
 and become fruitful in every good word and work, 
 which Christ much looks after in his churches 
 and in particular persons. 
 
 3rdly. To "feee whether " the pomegranates 
 budded." By pomegranates are meant believers ; 
 see chap. iv. 13, and by their budding, the be- 
 ginnings or first puttings forth of grace in them; 
 which Christ takes much notice of, and is highly 
 well pleased with. And from all this may be ob- 
 served, 1. The particular care and notice which 
 Christ takes of his plants ; he misses none, but 
 goes from one to another ; observes them all in 
 what case they are, takes notice of the meanest, 
 as well as the greatest ; the fruits of the valley, 
 as well as the vines and pomegranates. 2.. That 
 Christ is well pleased with the fruitfulness of 
 them ; he has been at a great deal of labour and 
 expense to make them so; for this purpose he 
 has made, planted, dunged, and watered this gar- 
 den ; and now it must be some pleasure to him, 
 to " see of the travail of his soul, and to have the 
 pleasure of the Lord prosper in his hands;" for 
 as herein is his Father glorified, so herein is 
 he well pleased, that his people " bring forth 
 much frnit;" see John xv. 8, Col. i. 10. 3. 
 That he particularly takes notice of the first ap- 
 pearances and buddings of grace in young con- 
 verts ; these he has a tender regard for, and takes 
 more than ordinary care of; see chap. ii. 13, Isa. 
 xl. 11, and slii. 3. 4. That Christ has plants of 
 various sorts and different growths in his garden ; 
 some vines, some pomegranates, and some nut- 
 trees : all have gifts and grace differing one from 
 another; some have ripe fruit upon them, others 
 are blossoming, and some arebut just b>idding forth. 
 5. Yet they are all fruit-bearing trees in Christ's 
 garden : there are none else mentioned here ; and 
 there are none in it, which are of his planting, but 
 what are fruitful. Seeing then that Christ does 
 so narrowly inspect the plants and trees in his 
 garden, and expects fruit from every one of them ; 
 how much should we be concerned to be " filled 
 with the fruits of righteousness !" lest when he 
 comes into his garden, and finds no fruit upon 
 us, neither in the blossom nor in the bud, he 
 
 ' bnjn '3X3 niNlb '^f'" «" ■Yevvt^nacri T8 X6i/iappH, Sept. 
 
 •6«ii/ Tov Kapirov -viav xeiMoppoK, Al. Interp. apud. Flam. 
 Nobil. Not. in Var. Lect. Sept. Interp. Ut spectarum 
 virentes plantas ad torrentem. Tig. Version, gr =jn3 
 vallis torrens per vallem dicurrens, Buxtorf. 
 
 should give orders to cut us down for cumber- 
 ground ; Luke xii. 6, 7. 
 
 Verse 12. Or ever I was aware, my soul made 
 me like the chariots of Amminadib, 
 
 These are either the words of the church, or else 
 the words of Christ : if we consider them as the 
 words of the church, then they may be expressive, 
 either, 
 
 1st. Of that rapture which her soul was in, ia 
 the views of those heavenly joys, which, some"* 
 think, she had been taking notice of, and medita- 
 ting upon in the former verse ; which, whilst she 
 was doing, " or ever she was aware," her soul 
 took wing, and fled as swiftly in thought' towards 
 those happy regions, as ever the chariots of Am- 
 minadib ran : she seems to be in much such an 
 extasy as the apostle Paul was, 2 Cor. xii. 
 2—4, when he was " caught up into the third 
 heaven, and heard unspeakable words, which it is 
 not lawful for a man to utter ;" who then knew 
 not whether he was " in the body " or " out of 
 the body," and therefore in his account of it leaves 
 it as a thing only known to God ; so she here 
 says, " or ever I was aware," or, as it is in the 
 Hebrew text " I knew not ;""" that is, scarce where 
 I was, or, whither I was going ; or whither I was 
 in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell ; 
 so sudden was the snatch, so surprising the rap- 
 ture, that I cannot tell what better to compare it 
 to, than the swift run of Amminadib's chariots. Or, 
 
 2ndly. Of her ignorance where Christ was, and 
 yet her diligence in seeking of him ; " I knew not " 
 that is, where my beloved was : he departed from 
 me, and was absent a considerable time, and 1 
 could hear no tidings of him ; it is true, 1 had 
 heard him say that he was come into his garden ; 
 but, alas ! through my drowsiness and sleep I had 
 entirely forgotten it, until discoursing with the 
 daughters of Jerusalem about him, it came fresh 
 into my mind ; but even then, when I knew not 
 where he was, " my soul made me like the chariots 
 of Amminadib ;" I ran about here and there in 
 search ot him until I found him, as swiftly as 
 ever his chariots did ; see chap. iii. 1, 2, and v. 
 6—9. Or else, 
 
 3rdly. Of that prodigious haste she made, as 
 soon as ever she knew where he was ; and it is 
 as if she should say. As soon as ever I understood 
 that my beloved was gone down into his garden, 
 to take a view of the trees and plants which grow 
 there, and of the fruits of it ; immediately, on a 
 sudden, as it were at unawares, such was the 
 strength of my love and affection to him, that I 
 moved as swiftly after him as if I had been in one 
 of the chariots of Amminadib. Or, 
 
 4thly. Of her courage and resolution in sur- 
 
 ^ Diodat. in loo. ' Nihil celerius mente, Cicero. 
 
 "■ 'n5T n"? *•« «')'<"'' Sept. UK ot&a, Symmachus; nescivi, 
 Vulg. Lat. version, Mercerus ; nescio quid rei sit, 
 Tigurine version ; non novi, Montanus; me neseien- 
 tem, Cocceius. 
 
254 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VI. 
 
 mounting all difSculties for the sake of bim ; love 
 makes persons bold and daring : " perfect love," 
 as the apostle says, 1 John iv. 18, " casts out 
 fear :" and so it did in her ; for she feared no- 
 thing that might befal her, and what did, did not 
 discourage her ; for though she was abused by the 
 watchmen, and unveiled by the kei^pers of the 
 walls, yet she drove on as briskly and as courage- 
 ously as ever Amminadib drove on his chariots 
 in the field of battle. Or, 
 
 5thly. They may be expressive of the modesty 
 and humility of the church, in not thinking that 
 such praises as those which had been given her, 
 both by Christ and by the virgins in the prece- 
 ding verses, belonged to her ; " I knew not ;" I 
 did not think, being conscious to myself of my 
 own imperfections, that such commendation be- 
 longed to me; but finding that they did, my soul 
 made the greater haste to answer those charac- 
 ters, and to enjoy the company of him whom I 
 dearly love; and therefore she takes her leave 
 of the virgins, her companions, who had hitherto 
 accompanied her in the search of her beloved, that 
 she might be alone with him ; which occasioned 
 them to say, in the following words " Return, 
 return, Shularoite, return, return, that we may 
 look upon thee." Though 1 rather think, that these 
 are the words of Christ, as those in ver. 11 also are, 
 who having gone down into his garden, to observe 
 the fruitfulness of the trees and plants of it, de- 
 clares in these words in what case he found them, 
 or rather, in what he did not ; " I knew not," 
 or I did not perceive them to be in a fruitful 
 and flourishing condition : and to this purpose 
 Junius and Treraellius read the words, Nondum 
 percipientem hcec, " Not yet perceiving these 
 things ;" that is, the vines to flourish, or the 
 pomegranates to bud : therefore his soul put him 
 npon using speedy methods to bring his garden 
 and the plants of it, into a more fruitful condition. 
 From whence we may observe, 1. That some- 
 times there may be but little fruitfulness appear- 
 ing in the churches of Christ : faith may be very 
 low, as to its actings and exercise ; the life and 
 power of godliness, may be much decayed ; there 
 may be but little warmth, zeal, and activity for 
 Christ, his gospel, cause, and interest; the ministry 
 of the word may meet with but small success ; so 
 that there may be no pomegranates budding, as 
 well as no vines flourishing. But, 2. Christ will 
 not always leave his churches in such a condition, 
 but will make haste unto them, and bring them 
 into a more fruitful state ; he will come and re- 
 vive his work upon the hearts of his people, and 
 make them fruitful in every good word and work, 
 he will bless the ministry of the word, not ouly 
 for comfort and edification, so as his vines shall 
 flourish, but also for conversion, so that the pome- 
 granates shall bud forth. And, 3. It may be ob- 
 served, that it is Christ's presence that makes 
 churches fruitful : as his absence causes a winter- 
 season, both with churches and particular believers, 
 
 so his presence is as the returning spring which 
 renews the face of the earth, causes the flowers to 
 appear above ground ; the pomegranates to bud, 
 and the vines to put forth their tender grapes ; he 
 is that " Suu of righteousness, " by whose warm 
 and quickening beams of light aud love, souls 
 "grow up as calves of the stall." 
 
 Moreover, these words may be expressive of that 
 transport of love, with which Christ was filled 
 towards his church, which caused him so speedily 
 to return to her, as is here intimated ; " or ever I 
 was aware," that is, on a sudden, and in a sur- 
 prising manner, my love and affection to my 
 church broke out and discovered itself; which 
 powerfully moved aud inclined me to make speedy 
 haste unto her, and afford her all the assistance I 
 could, as well as grant her my presence, which 
 she was so desirous of: not that we are to sup- 
 pose that any thing comes to Christ at unawares, 
 or is done inadvertently by him ; but this he says 
 to show the strength of his love, and iu what a 
 sudden and surprising manner it brake forth 
 towards his church aud people. And in these 
 words may be considered these three things : 
 
 I. What it was that put him upon this speedy 
 return to his church ; " my soul made me," &c. 
 
 II. In what manner this was effected, or what 
 his soul made him to his church, iu his return to 
 her ; it made him " like the chariots of Ammina- 
 dib." 
 
 III. Whose chariots these are which Christ's 
 soul made him like unto, or set him upon ; or 
 rather, who the persons are to whom his soi;l 
 made him as chariots. 
 
 I. In these words we have an account of what 
 it was that moved him to, or put him upon this 
 speedy return to his church ; which was not any 
 worth or worthiness, love or loveliness in her ; 
 it was not her grace, nor the exercise of it, con- 
 sidered in themselves, but his own soul that 
 moved him to it; that is, that love and aff'ection 
 which he bore in his own heart towards her ; it was 
 this that moved him first to undertake her cause, 
 assume her nature, and die in her room and stead ; 
 aud it is this which causes him to manifest him- 
 self in a way of grace, and pay those love-visits to 
 her, which he frequently does. 
 
 II. The manner in which this was efi"ected, or 
 what his soul made him to his church and people, 
 may be here also observed ; it made him " like 
 the chariots of Amminadib." 1. Like these 
 chariots he moved swiftly to her : Christ is a 
 " present help" to his people iu their time of 
 need ; he helps them, " and that right early ;" he 
 makes haste, and delays not to afford them his as- 
 sistance ; for which reason he is said to be as " a 
 roe or a young hart, leaping upon the mountains, 
 and skipping upon the hills," iu chap. ii. 8, 9. 
 2. He is like chariots to support, bear up, aud 
 carry his people ; he takes them up in his chariots 
 of salvation, and carries them through all the 
 troubles and difficulties of this life, safe to glory. 
 
VER. 
 
 12.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 255 
 
 as he himself declares he will, iu Isa. xlvi. 3, 4. 
 3. He is as chariots to them, to protect and de- 
 fend them from their enemies. That wliich 
 chariots and horses are to others, that is Christ to 
 them, and much more so ; whilst " some trust in 
 chariots, and others in horses, they trust iu the 
 name of the Lord their God ; who comes with his 
 chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger 
 with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire," Isa. 
 Ixvi. 15. 4. It may denote the majesty and glory 
 in which he visited her ; which, as it was an in- 
 stance of his condescension, so it was putting an 
 honour upon her ; that one so great as he, who is 
 the King of kings, and Lord of lords, should visit 
 one so poor and mean as she. 
 
 III. It may also be considered whose chariots 
 these are which Christ's soul made him like unto, 
 or who the persons are to whom his soul made 
 him as chariots. Some take Amminadib here to 
 be the proper name of a person ;I who perhaps was 
 one of Solomon's chariot-drivers, and was famous 
 in that way ; was an artist in it, and who. Jehu- 
 like, drove on swiftly, and furiously ; and there- 
 fore ( hrist, speedily returning to his church, com- 
 pares himself thereunto. Though I rather think, 
 witii R. Aben Exra, Jarchi, and others, that it 
 should be considered as two words, thus, ammi, 
 which signifies my people, and nadib, willing or 
 princely; and so the words may be rendered, "the 
 chariots of my willing or princely people."'" And 
 this may be understood, either, 
 
 1st. Of angels, who are Christ's willing people ; 
 who are always ready to do his pleasure, obey his 
 orders, and execute his commands with the utmost 
 cheerfulness and alacrity imaginable ; see Psalm 
 ciii. 20, 21 ; and therefore, one of the petitions in 
 that prayer, which Christ directed his disciples to, 
 is, that God's will might " be done on earth, as it 
 is in heaven." These are also the chariots of the 
 Lord, as is manifest from Psalm Ixviii. 17, "The 
 chariots of the Lord are twenty thousand, even 
 thousands of angels. " These are made use of by 
 him in a provideutial way, to execute his will, 
 and do his pleasure : see Zech. vi. 1 — 5, and so 
 they are in a way of grace ; they are made use of 
 by him to carry messages of grace to his people; 
 for they are " all ministering spirits, sent forth to 
 minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." 
 These are his chariots, which he sends out to bring 
 his children home ; in these Elijah was conducted, 
 body and soul to glory ; for the chariots and horses 
 of fire, which carried him thither, were no other 
 than angels, who appeared in such a form ; by 
 whom also Lazarus was carried into Abraham's 
 bosom ; and perhaps Christ might here make use 
 of the ministry of angels, and lide in these chariots 
 iu this discovery of himself to his church. Or else, 
 
 2ndly. It may be meant of the ministers of 
 Christ ; who preach Christ and his gospel freely ; 
 
 ' yiJ 'Q3? m331?0 ap/ixara 'A/iirada'/S, Sept. quadrigas 
 Aminadab, Vulg. Lat. version; currus Aminadib, 
 Tigurine version. ■» Quadrigje populi mei muni- 
 
 fici, Montanus; qaaUrigse populi mei spoutauei, Pag- 
 
 " Jot by constraint, but willingly ; not for filthy 
 lucre, but of a ready mind." These may be called 
 the chariots of the Lord ; as Elijah, in 2 Kings ii. 
 12, is called the " chariot and horsemen of 
 Israel :" and they may be called so, because they 
 bear the name of Christ, and carry and spread 
 his gospel throughout the world, and are his 
 chariots to bring home souls unto him, as the 
 trophies of his grace ; see Isa. Ixvi. 20 ; and in 
 which Christ frequently rides and shows himself 
 unto his people. Though, 
 
 3rdly. I should rather think, that the people of 
 Christ themselves are here intended, whom Christ 
 is as chariots to ; for so I think the words may 
 very well be rendered, " or ever I was aware, my 
 soul made me as chariots to my willing or princely 
 people;" and so it points out the persons who 
 shared in this instance of his grace : and these are 
 said, in Psalm ex. 3, to be " a willing people in 
 the day of his power ;" and they may be called 
 so, 1. Because they are made willing to part with 
 sin. This God requires, but man is naturally loth 
 to do it ; for sin is a sweet morsel in his mouth ; 
 " he hides it under his tongue, he spares and 
 forsakes it not, but keeps it still within his month;" 
 but when tiie Spirit of God convinces him of the 
 exceeding sinfulness of it, then what was before 
 sweet, is now bitter ; and what was delightful is 
 now odious ; and what his soul adored, it now 
 abhors, and says, as in Hos. xiv. 8, with Ephraim, 
 " What have I to do any more with idols ?" 2. 
 Because they are made willing to part with sinful 
 companions. This is what God calls his people to ; 
 but is a thing that is not so easily complied with, 
 until by mighty grace they are made willing to it ; 
 for it is no other than a forsaking a man's own 
 people, and his father's house ; besides a great deal 
 of reproach is cast upon them for so doins -. for 
 " he that departs from evil, maketh himself a 
 prey ;" but when the Spirit of God convinces the 
 soul of the necessity of parting with such company, 
 and the danger of continuing iu it ; it is not only 
 willing to do it, but also laments that it has been 
 so long in it, saying, as in Psalm cxx. 5, 6, "Woe 
 is me that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in 
 the tents of Kedar !" 3. Because they are made 
 willing to part with their own righteousness ; not 
 in point of obedience, but iu point of dependence ; 
 not as ornamental to the Christian, but as consti- 
 tutive of him ; not as it glorifies God, but as it 
 is made use of as a plea with him, either for grace 
 here, or glory hereafter : again, not as it is a 
 guard or fence against the reproaches of men, but 
 as matter of boasting before God; not as it is 
 agreeable to God's law, but as it is opposite to 
 God's revealed method of justifying sinners by his 
 Son's righteousness : but this, man is not naturally 
 willing to ; it goes against him to part with it, 
 because t his is most asireeatle to nature ; it is his 
 
 ninus: curribus populi mei ingenui, Junius : curribus 
 populi mei voluutarii, Cocceius, Piscator, Marckius, 
 Michaelis. 
 
256 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VI. 
 
 own offspring, the effect of great labour and toil, 
 and what affords matter of boasting to him ; but 
 when the Spirit of God convinces him of the 
 weakness and insuflBciency of it, and shows him 
 the glory and fulness of Christ's righteousness ; 
 he then desires with the apostle Paul, Phil. iii. 9, 
 to be " found in him, not having on his own 
 righteousness, which is of the law, but that which 
 is through the faith of Christ." 4. Because they 
 are willing to be saved alone by Christ: man is 
 naturally for bringing his own works, either as 
 the sole cause of, or as partners with Christ, in 
 salvation-work ; but when souls are made to see 
 the imperfection of these, and that salvation is 
 only by Christ, and in no other, their language is, 
 " Ashur shall not save us ;" we desire to be saved 
 no other way than by Christ ; and therefore they 
 say, with Job, chap. xiii. 15, 16,'" though he slay 
 us, yet will we trust in him ; he also shall be our 
 Salvation." 5. Because they are as willing to serve 
 Christ as they are to be saved by him ; and this, 
 not from fear of punishment, but from a principle 
 of love ; the love of Christ constrains them to it ; 
 nor do they perform it in a servile mercenary way, 
 but freely ; not as a task, but as a pleasure : for 
 to them wisdom's " ways are ways of pleasantness, 
 and her paths are paths of peace." 6. Because 
 they are willing to bear the cross of Christ ; this 
 Christ requires of them, and this they readily and 
 voluntarily submit unto : Christ's cross is to them 
 preferable to crowns and kingdoms : with Moses, 
 Heb. xi. 25, 26, they choose " rather to suffer 
 affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy 
 the pleasures of sin for a season." Now to such 
 a free and willmg people as these Christ makes 
 himself as chariots. 
 
 But again the word may be rendered, " my 
 princely people ;" and such are the people of 
 Christ ; see Psalm cxiii. 7, 8, they are all princes, 
 being the sons of a king ; they are all heirs to a 
 kingdom, have a crown of life, righteousness, and 
 glory laid up for them, and a throne of glory 
 prepared for them to inherit ; they wear princely 
 robes, enjoy princely fare, and have a princely equi- 
 page; the angels of the Lord attend them continually 
 as their lifeguard. So the church is said to be a 
 prince's daughter, in chap. vii. 1, and to her Christ 
 here makeshimselfaschariots,andtakes her up along 
 with him, that she might enjoy his delightful 
 company, which she had so long sought after, and 
 so much desired ; which occasioned the daughters 
 of Jerusalem, who had hitherto accompanied her 
 in the search of him, to say, in the following 
 words : 
 
 Verse 13. Return, return, SJmlamite, return, 
 return, that we may look upon thee : What 
 will ye see in the Shulamite ? As it were the 
 company of two armies. 
 
 These words consist of two parts : 
 
 ° So E. Aben Ezra in loc. and R. David Kimchi, 
 
 in lib. Thorash. rad. q";^ give the sense of the word. 
 
 • Vid. Durham in loc. and Menochium de Repub. 
 
 I. A call, either of Christ, or of the daughters 
 of Jerusalem, to the church, to return, that they 
 might have a full view of her. 
 
 II. A reply to that call, which is made by pro- 
 posing a question, and returning an answer to it. 
 
 I. Here is a call, either of Christ, or of the 
 daugliters, to the church, to return, that they 
 might have a full view of her : in which may be 
 considered, 
 
 First. The name she is called by, or the title 
 and appellation which is given to her, Shulamite. 
 Secondly. What she is called upon to do; and 
 that is, to return, which is repeated over and over. 
 Thirdly. The end of it, which is, that they might 
 " look upon her." 
 
 First. The name she bears, or the title and ap- 
 plication which is given her, is, Shulamite ; and 
 she may be called so, for the following reasons : 
 
 1st. Because she was an inhabitant of Salem or 
 Jerusalem :° as the woman with whom Elisha 
 lodged, is called a Shunamite from her dwelling 
 in Shunem ; so the church is here called a Shula- 
 mite or a Jerusalemite, from her dwelling in Salem 
 or Jerusalem : Jerusalem was formerly called 
 Salem ; so it was in Melchizedek's time, as is 
 thought, who was king of that place ; which 
 ancient name of it is mentioned by the Psalmist, 
 in Psalm Ixxvi. 2, " in Salem also is his 
 tabernacle." And now it is no wonder that 
 the church, or any particular believer, should 
 be called a Shulamite, seeing the church, both 
 in the Old and New Testament, frequently 
 bears the name of Jerusalem; so that to be a 
 Shulamite, is to be a " fellow-citizen of the 
 saints, and of the household of God," and to share 
 in all the privileges and immunities thereof, as 
 they do ; who, besides the company of angels, 
 and conversation of saints, enjoy the presence of 
 Father, Son, and Spirit ; and share in all the 
 blessings of the everlasting covenant ; for to the 
 Shulamites, these natives of Zion, or inhabitants 
 of Jerusalem, do these properly belong ; see Isa. 
 xxxiii. 24, Zech. xiii. 1. 
 
 2ndly. Because she was the wife of the true 
 Solomon, Christ Jesus. This is thought by some," 
 to be the same with Solomon, having a feminine 
 termination, which suits well with her: and as it 
 is a common thing for the wife to have the same 
 name with the husband ; so it is no unusual thing 
 for the church to be called by the same name as 
 Christ is. Is he the Solomon ; she is the Shula- 
 mite. Is he Jehovah our righteousness ? this is 
 also the name wherewith she is called : see Jer. 
 xxii. 6, compared vrith chap, xxxiii. 16 ; hence it 
 is that she shares in all the blessings he is pos- 
 sessed of, and in every thing he has a property in : 
 for Christ being hers, all that he has is hers. 
 
 3rdly. The wordf from whence this is derived, 
 signiBes both perfection and peace ; so that she 
 may be called the Shulamite, from that perfection 
 
 Heb. 1. 3. c. 21. n. 14. p 'c^id compleri, perflci ; 
 
 pacem heabere vel colere, Buxtorf. 
 
VEE. 13.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 2r^7 
 
 aud peace which she enjoys in and through Christ. 
 1. She may be called so from that perfection, 
 which she is or shall be posses3ed of; " Return, 
 return, Shularnite ;" or, " thou perfect one," 
 who art an accomplished beauty, being the per- 
 fection of it : whose renown is gone forth among 
 the heathen for it ; for thy beauty is perfect, 
 through the comeliness which the Lord hath put 
 upon thee. Now the church may be said to be 
 a Shularnite, a perfect one, these several ways : 
 (1.) Not as she is in herself, but as she is in 
 Christ ; as she is in herself, she is black, but as 
 she is in Christ, she is comely ; as she is in her- 
 self, she is imperfect, but as she is in him, she is 
 complete ; as she is in herself, she is full of spots, 
 but as she is in him, " she is all fair, and with- 
 out spot." (2,) She is perfect ; not as considered 
 in her own righteousness, but as considered in 
 Christ's; as she is considered in her own, she is 
 imperfect, that being so ; which she frankly ac- 
 knowledges, saying, Isa. Lxiv. G, " we are all as 
 an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as 
 filthy rags ;" but as she is considered in Christ's 
 righteousness, she is perfect, being completely 
 justified, acquitted, and discharged thereby from 
 all sin ; and so may be justly reckoned among the 
 number "of the spirits of just men made perfect." 
 (3.) She may be said to be perfect : not absolutely 
 as in herself, but comparatively, with regard to 
 others -. so saints may be said to be perfect, when 
 compared either with themselves before conversion, 
 or with hypocrites and carnal professors, or with 
 the profane men of the world ; so Job, though he 
 may be said to be " a perfect and an upright man," 
 on the account of his having Christ's righteous- 
 ness upon him, aud the truth of grace within 
 him ; yet he may also be said to be so, as being 
 compai'ed with the men of that generation in which 
 he lived ; and therefore the Lord says of him, 
 " there is none like him in the earth, a perfect 
 and an upright man." (4.) She may be said to 
 be perfect, with a perfection of parts, but not of 
 degrees ; it is true, the believer has a complete 
 sanctiiication in Christ, but not in himself; more- 
 over, every part, power, and faculty of the soul, 
 may be sanctified, but not wholly, or to that 
 degree as it shall be : the new creature is formed 
 in all its parts, but it is not yet grown up to be 
 " a perfect man in Christ ;" it is not adult, it is 
 as yet in its nonage, in its infancy. (5.) She 
 may be called the Shularnite, or " the perfect 
 one," not as she is now, but as she shall be here- 
 after ; for though saints " are now the sons of 
 
 is called, in Eph. i. 23, which then she may be 
 said to be, when all the elect are called by grace, 
 and not one member of the body is missing ; aud 
 when all these members are filled with all the 
 gifts and graces of the Spirit in their measure, and 
 are all grown up to a just proportion in the 
 body. 2. She may be called the Shulamite,"! 
 from that peace which she does or shall enjoy in 
 and through Christ. (1.) She may be called so 
 from that peace which she has through Christ : 
 who is her peace, and has made peace for her 
 through the " blood of his cross," and thereby 
 has reconciled lier unto God : so that being now 
 " justified by faith" in his blood and righteous- 
 ness, she has " peace with God, through our 
 Lord Jesus Christ." (2.) From that peace which 
 she has from Christ ; who gives unto her such a 
 peace as the world can neither give nor take away : 
 " Peace I leave with yon," says Christ, John xiv. 
 27, " my peace I give unto you, not as the world 
 giveth, give I unto you ;" which is such an one 
 as the believer can experience, even in the midst 
 of the world's frowns, troubles, and persecutions : 
 this is a peace which " passeth all understand- 
 ing ;" and which is spoken only by the blood of 
 Jesus, that " speaketh better things than that of 
 Abel ;" and which the God of peace gives to men, 
 by leading their faith to the person, blood, and 
 righteousness of Christ. (3.) From that peace 
 which she does or should enjoy in her members -. 
 who ought to endeavour " to keep the unity of 
 the spirit in the bond of peace ;" which they will 
 do, if " the peace of God rules in their hearts," 
 as it should do ; for hereunto are they called. 
 (4.) From that peace which she is entitled to, and 
 shall enjoy hereafter; for though this world is 
 a world of trouble to the believer, yet he is 
 no sooner out of it, but " he enters into 
 peace ;" and into such an one as will never be 
 interrupted and broke in upon, either by sin, 
 Satan, or the world ; for " mark but the upright 
 and perfect man," the true Shulamite, " for the 
 end of that man is peace." But, 
 
 Secondly, let us now consider what is said unto 
 this Shulamite; and that is, " return, return-." 
 which, if we understand as the words of Christ, 
 may be expressive, either, ] . Of the spiritual re- 
 turn of his church and people to him after sin 
 and backslidings ; which sense is favoured by the 
 Targum or Chaldee paraphrase upon this place ; 
 and also suits with the former state and condition 
 of the church, who was fallen into a piteous frame 
 of spirit, was sleepy and drowsy, negligent of her 
 
 God, it does not yet appear what they shall be;" i duty, and slighting Christ, for which reason he de- 
 theyarenowin some measure like toChri3t,butthea , parted from her : but now returning himself, invites 
 
 they shall be perfectly like unto him ; they have 
 now spots upon them, but then they shall be 
 without " spot or wrinkle, or any such thing ;" 
 they will then appear to be complete in Christ, 
 and to be " the fullness of him," as the church 
 
 her to return also to him: which shows the exceeding 
 greatness of his love unto her, aud tenderness for 
 her; aud therefore to aL'svver all objections and 
 remove all discouragements, he not only speaks 
 to her in such loving and endearing language ; but 
 
 t Eirencousa, Aquilla; this is interpreted of a nation that both makes and enjoys peace, in Shirhash- 
 irim Rabba in loc. and in Bereshith Kabba, purash. 60. 
 
258 
 
 AX EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VII. 
 
 also repeats the call over and over, to sliow liow 
 earnestly desirous he was of it, as well as the haste 
 and speed he would have her make ia it ; see Jer. 
 iii. 1—12, Hosea siv. 1 — 4. Or, 2. Of the 
 conversion of the Jevvs.' The name by which the 
 church is here called, may more especially intend 
 the Jewish church ; and the words, " return, re- 
 turn," aptly represent the present state of the 
 Jews, who are in a state of bliudness, impenitence, 
 and unbelief; and have not only veils over their 
 heads, but also over their hearts, when the law of 
 Moses is read and expounded among them ; they 
 have their backs turned upon God, and their 
 hearts set against the true Messiah, Christ Jesus : 
 moreover, tlieir conversiou is expressed both in 
 the Old and New Testament, by a turning or re- 
 turning unto the Lord : see Hosea iii. 5, 2 Cor. 
 iii. 16 ; aud the repetition of these words, " return, 
 return," not only shows the power aud haste in 
 which this shall be accomplished ; for then shall 
 that propliecy be fulfilled, which is meutioned with 
 so much wonder and surprize, in Isa. Ixvi. 8, 
 " AYho hath heard such a thing ? Who hath seen 
 such things ? Shall the earth be made to bring 
 forth in one day ? or shall a nation be born at 
 once?" but also their being repeated four times,' 
 may denote the collection of the Jews, at the time 
 of their conversion, from the four corners of the 
 earth : see Isa. xi. 12. I rather think, that these 
 are the words of the daughters of Jerusalem, who, 
 perceiving that the church was going away from 
 them, call after her to return from them ; they 
 first meet with her in the time of her beloved's 
 absence from her, and had accompanied her in 
 her search after him hitherto ; but not having met 
 with her beloved, who had made himself unto her 
 as " the chariots of Amminadib," she takes her 
 leave of them, and in all haste goes along witli 
 him ; which they observing, call to her after this 
 manner ; or else, these daughters having observed 
 how the church, through modesty and shamefaced- 
 ness, being conscious of her former treatment of 
 Christ, liuug down her head, and hid her face, as 
 blushing and being ashamed to lookup, being now 
 in his presence, they call to her to turn, as some' 
 render the word ; that is, to turn her face, that 
 they might behold the beauty and glory of it. 
 Which leads us to consider. 
 
 Thirdly. The end of this call, which is, that 
 they might " look upon her :" and if we take 
 them to be the words of Christ, then the we are 
 cither the Trinity of Persons, Father, Son, and 
 Spirit ; who are all well pleased with returning 
 sinners, look upon them with delight and plea- 
 sure, and grant them communion and fellowship 
 with them : or else, Christ and his angels, who, 
 together with Christ, not only rejoice at the con- 
 
 ' Vid. K. Aben Ezra and Brightman in loc. and 
 Carpzov. Critica Sacra, par. 3. p. 904. ■ in Shir- 
 hashirim Rabba and Rereshith Rabba, ubi supra, it 
 isinterpreted of the four kingdoms the Jews had been 
 carried captive into. ' Verbum Heb. 31^ sub, pro 
 quo, A'ulgatus, reverterc, etiaiii couvertere siguificat ; 
 
 version of profane sinners, but also at the return 
 of backsliding ones : or else, he and the daughters, 
 her companions ;* who, as well as he, were in 
 love with her, and with wonder gazed at her. 
 Though they seem rather to he the words of the 
 daughters themselves ; who" here express their 
 desire of seeing her, and therefore call to her to 
 return unto them :" they had heard very great 
 commendations of the church's beauty, in the pre- 
 ceding verses, which had excited desires more 
 narrowly to look upon, and take ^ fuller view of 
 her, than hitherto they hadj done : as also, that 
 they might again enjoy her company and conver- 
 sation, which had been so useful 'and instructive 
 to them ; and which, they might imagine, would 
 be more so, seeing she had so lately met with 
 Christ, and had some fresh experiences of his 
 love to her. So much for the first part of the 
 words. 
 
 II. Here is a reply made to this call of 
 Christ, or of the virgins to the church, to return ; 
 which is done, 1st. By proposing a question, 
 " What will ye see in the Shulamite?" 2ndly. 
 By returning an answer to it, " as it were the 
 company of two armies." 
 
 1st. i\ reply is made, by proposing this ques- 
 tion, "What will ye see in the Shulamite?" 
 which is done either by Christ, who was best 
 able to answer it ; and this he does, not as being 
 ignorant of what was to be seen in his church, 
 nor with a design to lessen his church's glory and 
 excellency ; but rather to heighten it, and to 
 animate and excite the desires and affections of 
 these virgins more strongly towards her : or else 
 this question is put by the virgins, one to ano- 
 ther ; some of them wished for her return, aud 
 others asked what they would see, or what they 
 expected to see in her. Though I rather think, 
 it is put by the church herself; who, perceiving 
 that the daughters were so very importunate 
 with her to return to them, that they might look 
 upon her : ask what they could expect to see^in 
 her, who was in herself aud in lier own opinion, 
 such a poor, mean, and unworthy creature; not 
 fit to be looked upon, there being nothing in her 
 that was 'extraordinary, or indeed valuable, or 
 worth seeing. 
 
 2ndly. An answer is returned unto this ques- 
 tion, thus, " As it were the company of two 
 armies ;" which is either given by Christ as au 
 answer to his own, or to the daughters' question, 
 aud that with a design to set forth the glory and 
 majesty of the church : should it be asked, as if 
 he should say, What is to be seen in my church ? 
 1 answer, a great deal of glory ; for though she 
 is militant, yet she is " terrible as an army with 
 banners ;" nay, there is as much stateliness and 
 
 and ita vertunt LXX. (epistrephe) and legit Ambros. 
 libro de Isaac, cap. 8. and Hieranyraus in Epistola 
 ad Algasiam, Sanctius in loc. Though it ought to 
 beobserved, that the Hebrew word is not i^ic but iji^jj 
 which is Sanctius's mistake. " Vid. Sanctium 
 
 in loc. 
 
VER. 1.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 259 
 
 majesty to be seen in her, as in two armies set in 
 battle array ; or else, they are the answer of the 
 virgins, one to another, declaring what they ex- 
 pected to see in Christ's spouse ; and that is, 
 either such a glorious and joyful meeting between 
 Christ and his church, as is often between great 
 persons, which is frequently attended with sing- 
 iag and dancing ; for the word translated comimnif^ 
 sigiiilies a company of those who dance and sing ; 
 and therefore is rendered by the Septuagint, 
 Xopoi, choirs ; an instance of which spiritual joy, 
 signified by such metaphors, see in Psal. Ixviii. 
 24, 25, or as an army at the reception of their 
 prince, for the sake of greater honour and ma- 
 jesty, divides itself into bands : or else, it was an 
 angelic glory which they expected to see in her, 
 or to see her face as the angel of the Lord ; which 
 would be as delightful and refreshing a sight unto 
 them, as that was which Jacob had, when he had 
 just parted with Laban, and was in danger from 
 his brother Esau ; who. Gen. xxxii. 1, 3, saw the 
 angels of God as t'.vo bands, the one to go before, 
 and the other behind him ; and therefore he called 
 the]name of the place Mahayiaim, which signifies 
 two hosts or two armies, and is the same word 
 that is here used ; and to this history the allusion 
 seems to be here made : or else, by this company 
 of two armies, which these virgins expected to 
 see, and were desirous of seeing in the church, 
 may be meant, the union of Jews and Gentiles in 
 one body : which will be efi'ected in the latter 
 day ; and when it is, it will be a glorious and de- 
 lightful sight. Though I rather thinlr, that both 
 the question and the answer are the church's; 
 who first asks what they could expect to see in 
 her ; and then replies, that nothing could be seen 
 in her, but as it were the company of two armies ; 
 that is, flesh'and spirit, grace and sin, which were 
 continually warring against, and opposing each 
 other ; see Rom. vii. 23, Gal. v. 17, and this 
 surely could be no pleasant or desirable sight, as 
 she thought to them : but notwithstanding she 
 had such a mean opinion of herself, yet very large 
 and noble commendations are given of her in 
 the following chapter, which till up the greatest 
 part of it ; and thus it bezins : 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 In this chapter Christ gives a fresh commendation 
 of the beauty of his church, in a different order and 
 method than before : beginning with her feet, and 
 so rising gradually upwards to thehairof her head, 
 and to the roof of her mouth, ver. 1.— 9. And then 
 the church asserts her interest in him ; and declares 
 his desire towards her, ver. 10 ; and Invites him to 
 go with her into the fields, villages, and vineyards ; 
 and offers various reasons, by wliich she urges him 
 to a compliance with her invitation, ver. 11 — 13. 
 
 Verse 1. How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, 
 
 princess daughter ' the joints of thy thighs are 
 like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning 
 workman. 
 These are either the words of the daughters of 
 Jerusalem, who having desired the church to return 
 unto them, in the latter part of the preceding 
 chapter, that they might take a view of those in- 
 comparable and astonishing beauties, for which she 
 had been commended ; to which request she com- 
 plyiug, they now with wonder look upon her, and 
 give those large commendations of her, which are 
 in this and some following verses: and what seems 
 still more to strengthen this sense of the words, 
 Christ is spoken of in verse 5, as a distinct per- 
 son, both from the person who is described, and 
 also from the persons by whom the description is 
 made. Though I rather think, that they are the 
 words of Christ ; who, observing his church think 
 so meanly, and speak so modestly of herself, enters 
 afresh upon the commendation of her beauties ; 
 to the end, that all her discouragements might be 
 removed, her objections answered, and she be fully 
 assured that she was as beautiful in his eyes, and 
 as much the object of his love as ever she was, 
 notwithstanding her unkind treatment of him, 
 and behaviour to him. Moreover, it may be ob- 
 served, that the title, which is given the church, 
 in verse 6, does not suit well to come out of any 
 other's mouth but Christ's, whose love peculiarly 
 she is : nor indeed would it appear so proper to 
 any as to Christ, to give such commendations of 
 the church as here are given. And it is also worthy 
 of our notice, that the order in which Christ pro- 
 ceeds here, in the description of the beauty of 
 church, is not only different from that method 
 which she took in setting forth liis glory, in chap, 
 v., but also from that which he himself took, when 
 upon tlie same subject, in chapters iv. vi. ; for as 
 he there began with the hair of her head, her lips, 
 teeth, cheeks, and temples, and so proeeeded down- 
 wards ; he here begins with her feet and rises 
 upwards : which may be, 1. To show that he 
 takes notice of and has a value for the meanest 
 members of his mystical body, the church ; betakes 
 notice of her feet, which, though they have the 
 lowest place in the body, yet are not without their 
 usefulness ; " for the head cannot say to the feet, 
 I have no need of you;" and as they are not 
 without their usefulness, so neither are they 
 without Christ's notice ; who has a real value, and 
 has made provisions of grace for them, as well as 
 for the other members of his body, and therefore 
 appears in a garment down to the feet ; which 
 garment of his justifying righteousness, covers the 
 feet and toes, as well as the other parts of the 
 body : nay, Christ not ouly takes notice of, and has 
 a value for the meanest saints, but also for their 
 meanest performances ; he hears and despises not 
 the prayers of his destitute ones : he bottles up 
 
 " D'jnon n''nQ3 "f xop<" tiov n-ape/u/SoXoui-, Sept. nisi choros castrorum, Vulgate Latin version ; velut 
 Chorum castrorum, Mercerus, Montanus, Cocceius ; quae similis est choreas castrorum, Tigurine version ; 
 velut Chorum machanaimoruni. Junius. Vid. R. Aben. Ezra in loc. 
 
2G0 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VII. 
 
 their tears, and forgets not their labour of love 
 towards his saints : such as visiting them when 
 sick, feeding them wheu hungry, and clothing them 
 when naked, nay, even the giving them a cup of 
 cold water in the name of a disciple; all which 
 he looks upon as done to himself, and will re- 
 member, and speak of them when they have for- 
 gotten them, and at a time when they little thought 
 to have heard of them. 2. It may be also to lead 
 the church, together with the daughters of Jeru- 
 salem, gradually, by little and little, into the glory 
 atid beauty which she received from him ; and so 
 bring them to consider what glory and beauty he 
 must be possessed of, from whom she received all 
 hers ; for if her feet with shoes were so beautiful, 
 what must the other parts of her body be, which 
 were still more gloriously adorned ! and if she in 
 all her parts was so glorious ; what must he be 
 who made her so ! H. He takes notice lirst of her 
 feet, because she was now upon the return unto 
 him after lier backslidings from him, wbicli was 
 exceeding jirateful to liim : the returning prodigal 
 was not more welcome to his father ; who, seeing 
 liitn afar off, ran and fell upon his neck, and 
 kissed him ; than a poor backsliding sinner is to 
 Christ Jesus. 2. He inverts his former order and 
 method, to show that the manifestations of his 
 lore are not always alike; he sometimes takes one 
 way, and sometimes another; and whether a 
 believer is considered either one way or another, 
 he is always beautiful in Christ, and in his eyes. 
 But let us now consider the words themselves; in 
 which may be observed, 
 
 I-. The noble and excellent title which is given 
 her ; " O prince's daughter !" 
 
 II. The commendations of her ; which are, 
 1st. Of her feet, and these are said to be 
 " beautiful \.ith shoes." 2udly. Of " the joints 
 of her thighs ;" which are said to be " as jewels, 
 the work of the hands of a cunning workman." 
 
 I. Here is a new and noble title given to her, 
 " prince's daughter 1" Christ finds new names 
 and titles for his spouse ; and that not only to 
 set forth her excellency the more, but also to ex- 
 press the largeness of his love and affection to her ; 
 who may be well called a prince's daughter, as she 
 is the king's daughter in Psal. xlv. 13, and that 
 because she is the daughter of the King of kings, 
 and Lord of lords: and so she is, 1. By covenant 
 grace, which makes her so ; for God has in co- 
 venant made over himself unto his people, and 
 declared that he will be their Father, and they 
 shall be his sons and daughters; for even thus 
 saith the Lord Almighty : and now that same 
 grace, which has taken them into that relation, 
 will make it appear manifestly that they are so, 
 by bestowing all that grace which is laid up in 
 covenant for them, and all that glory which is 
 there provided for them. 2. By birth, or by the 
 grace of regeneration : the church of Christ is a 
 priuce's daughter by birth, being born again, 
 
 " not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor 
 of the will of man, but of God ;" the original 
 and descent of the children of God is not base, 
 mean, and low, but high and noble : those that 
 are born again, are born &yo0ey, from above, as 
 that word may be rendered ; they are born heirs 
 to an inheritance, that is not of this world, whicli 
 is fading and perishing, but to one that is incor- 
 ruptible, undefilcd, and which fadeth not away, 
 reserved in heaven for them : and as they are 
 born, so they are brought up as the sons and 
 daughters of kings and princes ; they are bro\ight 
 up in the king's palace; they feed at his table, 
 and participate of all his royal dainties ; their 
 clothing shows them to be such, which is all of 
 wrought gold, as does also their equipage and 
 retinue : who besides the virgins or maids of 
 honour to wait npou them, have also a guard of 
 angels continually to attend them. 3. By adop- 
 ting grace : angels are the sous of God by crea- 
 tion ; but saints by adoption : they are predes- 
 tinated to it ; and by the Spirit of God, who is 
 the Spirit of adoption, are put into the possession 
 of it, and reap the benefits, and enjoy the com- 
 fort of it, through his witnessing with their spirits, 
 that they are the children of God ; which is such 
 a surprising instance of God's grace, that all who 
 share in this privilege have reason to say, with 
 the apostle John, 1 John iii. 1, " Behold what 
 manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon 
 us, that we should be called the sous of God. 
 4. By marriage : The church is mrrriedto Christ, 
 the eternal Son of God ; whose titles are, " The 
 Prince of peace, and the Prince of the kings of 
 the earth :" so that she is both a prince's daugh- 
 ter, and a prince's wife ; and is the former, by 
 becoming the latter ; she is espoused as a chaste 
 virgin to Christ, who is the only Son of the king, 
 eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God. 
 
 Moreover, the words may be rendered, " O 
 noble, or princely daughter !"* that is, who art 
 of a noble and princely spirit: and this is, (1.) 
 A. free spirit, in opposition to a servile one : 
 and so the word is translated, in Psalm li. 12, 
 " Uphold me with a free [or princely] Spirit :" 
 and such a spirit believers have, being freed 
 from the servitude of sin and Satan ; and being 
 delivered from a spirit of bondage to a law of 
 works, serve the Lord with all cheerfulness and 
 readiness, being made a willing people in the 
 day of his power. 2. To be of a princely spirit, 
 is to be of a free, noble, generous, bountiful, and 
 liberal spirit : and such a spirit saints have, 
 not only in distributing their temporal things 
 to the necessities of the poor, but also in com- 
 municating their spiritual things to the mutual 
 comfort and edification of each other ; so the word 
 is rendered in Isa. xxxii. 5, 8. 
 
 II. Having considered the title, it will be 
 now proper to take notice of the commendations 
 given her: 1st. Of her feet, which are said fo 
 
 * 2"\i m puella nobilis, Castalio ; principalis, nobilis and ingeriuu vago, so. filia. so tome in Jlichaelis. 
 
VER. 
 
 1-] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 2i'.l 
 
 be beautiful with shoes. Sadly. Of the joints 
 of her thighs, which are said to be " as jewels, 
 the work of the hands of a cunaing workman." 
 Is4. Her feet with shoes are here commended : 
 it is no unusual thing to describe the comeliness 
 of women by their feet, and the ornaments of 
 them ; so Hebe is described by Homer,'' as 
 having beautiful feet ; and Juno, by h^er golden 
 shoes : particular care was taken of, and pro- 
 vision made for the shoes of queens and prin- 
 cesses in the eastern countries ; Herodotus'^ 
 relates, that the city of Anthylla was given pecu- 
 liarly to the wife of the king of Egypt, to pro- 
 vide her with shoes : the Targum here is, purple 
 shoes ; and those of a red, scarlet, or purple 
 colour, were in esteem with the Jews, Ezek. xvi. 
 10, and with the Tyrian virgins, their neigh- 
 bours i^ and also with the Romans,^ with whom 
 likewise white shoes^ were much in use. By these 
 feet with shoes may be meant, either, 1. The 
 ministers of the Gospel.^f whose feet being shod 
 with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, are ex- 
 ceeding beautiful, according to Isa. lii. 7, " How 
 beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him 
 that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace," 
 &c. These are the church's feet, which run to 
 and fro in the world, whereby the knowledge of 
 Christ and his Gospel is increased ; which vvas 
 eminently true of the apostles and first mini- 
 sters of the Gospel, who swiftly ran over the 
 Gentile world ; and wherever they came, diffused 
 the savour of Christ's knowledge, and were in- 
 strumentiU in the conversion of thousands of 
 souls ; for their sound went into all the earth, 
 and their words unto the ends of the world. Aud 
 now these feet being said to be beautiful with 
 shoes, may denote, (1.) The promptitude and 
 readiness of Christ's ministers to preach the 
 Gospel: as the people of Israel, having their 
 shoes upon their feet, when they eat the passover, 
 just when they departed out of Egypt, showed 
 their readiness for their journey ; so these feet 
 of tlie church, having shoes on, show the readi- 
 ness of the ministers of the Gospel to preach it 
 in every place where they are called to it, though 
 in the face of the greatest opposition ; " I am 
 ready," says the apostle Paul, Rom. i. 16, " to 
 preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also :" 
 his feet were shod with it, and he was prepared 
 to preach it ; even where not only the seat of 
 the empire, but the seat of persecution was, 
 where it wj^ the hottest, and raged the most 
 furiously ; and the reason lie gives is, for, says 
 he, " I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ ;" 
 no, not in Caesar's palace : faithful ministers are 
 ready to preach it any where, and at any time ; 
 and are " instant in season and out of season ;" 
 they preach, " not by constraint, but willingly ; 
 
 •> Odyss. n. V. 602,603. Aiiratos pedes. Ovid. Amor. 
 1. 3. eleg. 12. ' Euterpe, sive 1. 2. c. 08. 
 
 ■' Virqlnibus Tyriis mos est, &c. Virgil. .iT5neid. 1. 
 » Vid. Tersii Satyr, h. v. 169. Virgil. Bucolic. 
 
 not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind." (2.) 
 It shows their intrepidity in preaching the Gos- 
 pel ; a man that has his feet well shod, regards 
 not the roughness of the way, nor the sharp 
 stones which lie in it, nor the pricking briars 
 and thorns through which he walks : the mini- 
 sters of the Gospel, whose feet are well shod 
 with it, regard no difBculties that lie in their 
 way, so as to be discouraged by them, and de- 
 sist from their work; but, with the utmost 
 courage aud magnanimity of mind, bear and sur- 
 mount them ; with scorn aud contempt they 
 trample upon all the briars and thorns of re- 
 proaches and scandal that are cast upon, and 
 persecutions which are levelled against them ; 
 none of these things move them, neither do they 
 count their lives dear to themselves ; so that 
 they may finish their course with joy, and the mini- 
 stry, which they have received of the Lord Jesus, 
 to testify the Gospel of the grace of God. (3.) 
 It is expressive of their beauty and glory : the 
 ministers of the Gospel are not only beautiful 
 in the eyes of those to whom they are made 
 useful, either for conversion or consolation, 
 but also in the eyes of Christ ; especially when 
 they faithfully discharge their work ; though they 
 run the risk of losing of their credit, honour, and 
 reputation in the world, nay, their lives also. 
 Or else, 2. By these feet, may be meant the 
 afTectious of the cliurch towards Christ {^ which 
 are that unto the soul, as feet are to the body ; 
 these carry it up and down, hither and thither, at 
 pleasure : and being said to be beautiful with 
 shoes, show that they moved in an orderly way ; 
 constrained her to turn her feet to his testimonies, 
 and enlarged her heart to run the way of his 
 commandments ; which made them appear exceed- 
 ing beautiful to him, so that his heart was ra- 
 vished with them ; see chap. iv. 9, 10, the eyes 
 of Holofernes are said to be ravised with the 
 sandals upon Judith's feet, which she had put 
 ou, on purpose to deceive persons ; see Judith x, 
 4, and xvi. 11, and this shows it to be the cus- 
 tom of women to adorn their shoes or sandals, 
 that they might enamour their lovers ; to which 
 custom perhaps the allusion is here made. Or 
 else, 3. By them may be meant the actings of 
 faith on Christ, in saints coming to him aud 
 walking on in him, as they have received him ; 
 as faith is the eye of the soul, which sees Christ, 
 and the hand which receives him, so it is like- 
 wise the foot which goes to him and walks in hiin ; 
 and nothing is more pleasant and delightful to 
 Christ, than for souls to come unto liiin, aud 
 venture their all upon him, in expectation of re- 
 ceiving life and salvation, righteousness and 
 strength, peace and comfort, grace and glory ; 
 all from him and through him ; for sueh lie 
 
 eclog. 7. v. 31. ' Pes malus in nivea, &c. Ovid, 
 
 ■de Arte -Vmaud. 1. 3. Vid. Martial 1. 7. epigr. 27. 
 
 ? So Mercerus, Cocceius, and Not. Tigur. Vers, 
 in loc. '' So Sanctius in loc. 
 
2«2 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. vn. 
 
 willingly receives, and has promised never to re- 
 ject : and as their first coming, so their continued 
 walking in him, by fresh repeated acts of faith, 
 is v^ell pleasing to him ; these feet are beautiful 
 with shoes. Though, 4. By them may be 
 meant, the outward conversation of the saints;' 
 which is frequently expressed in scripture, by 
 walking in the ways, commands, and ordinances 
 of Christ; see Luke i. 6, Eph. iv. 17, Col. iv. 
 5, which may be said to be beautiful with shoes. 
 (1.) When they appear to be ready to every 
 good work ; who, no sooner are enlightened into 
 an ordinance, or called to a duty, but they readily 
 comply with it, being beforehand furnished and 
 prepared for it, having their shoes upon their 
 feet, in a posture of readiness to do it. (2.) 
 When the conversation is so ordered, as that 
 the shame of our nakedness does not appear to 
 the eyes of the world. To walk barefoot, was ac- 
 counted shameful ; see Isa. sx. 4 ; and so it is to 
 have an ill-ordered conversation : but a well-or- 
 dered conversation is like shoes to the feet, which 
 cover them, so that the shame thereof does not 
 appear. (3.) When it is conformed to God's 
 law ; which is " a lamp unto the feet, and a light 
 to the path." (4.) When it is becoming Christ's 
 Gospel. (5.) When it is guarded against the 
 reproaches and offences of the world : as shoes 
 upon the feet keep off the thorns and briars from 
 pricking ; so does a good conversation, in some 
 measure, keep off the reproaches of the world, or 
 at least keep them from being disturbed at them ; 
 for great peace have they which love God's law, 
 and nothing shall offend them : and though it 
 does not afford matter of boasting before God ; 
 yet a believer, whose conversation is becoming the 
 Gospel, may say, as Samuel did, chap. xii. 3, 
 " Whose ox have I taken ? Whose ass have I 
 taken ? Whom have I defrauded ?" so that hereby 
 he is fenced and guarded against the world's 
 calumnies and contempt. (6.) Then is it so, 
 when there is such a lustre in it as caunot but 
 be seen by, and is conspicuous to all beholders ; 
 which raises their admiration, and gives them oc- 
 casion of glorifying God ; see Matt. v. 16, and 
 this, as it is commendable among men, so it is 
 beautiful in the eyes of Christ ; for to such who 
 order their conversations aright, that is, whose 
 feet are beautiful with shoes, will he show the 
 salvation of God. 
 
 2ndly. " The joints of her thighs" are said 
 to be " as jewels, the work of the hands of a cun- 
 ning workman." By which may be meant, either 
 1. Some ornaments of gold, silver, or precious 
 stones, which were used to be worn about the legs 
 or feet by women in those times ; which was a 
 custom not only used among the Heathens,'' but 
 also among the Jews, as is manifest from Isaiah 
 
 iii. 18, where among the rest of the attire of the 
 Jewish women, " the bravery of their tinkling 
 ornaments about their feet" is mentioned ; and so 
 may be expressive of the greater glory, lustre, 
 and beauty of the church's conversation. Or, 2. 
 The garments which covered the thighs ;' for it 
 is not agreeable to the rules of decency and mo- 
 desty to describe the naked thighs -. the word'" 
 signifies the compassing of the thighs ;" which 
 does not intend the ambient flesh, or the thick- 
 ness of it about them, as R. David Kimchi" sup- 
 poses ; but rather, the femoralia, or garments 
 about the thighs, which encompassed, and covered 
 them ; by which may be meant, " the garments 
 of salvation, and robe of Christ's righteousness," 
 whereby the persons of God's elect are covered, 
 so that " the shame of their nakedness" does not 
 appear ; and with which they are as richly 
 adorned, as the bridegroom is with his ornaments, 
 and the bride with her jewels, on their marriage- 
 day. Moreover, this is not the bungling work of 
 a creature, but " the work of the hands of a cun- 
 ning workman ;" even of one that is God as well 
 as man, and therefore is called " the righteousness 
 of God. Or, 3. The girdle about the loins," 
 according to some," which was wont to be worn 
 in those times ; thighs being put for loins, as in 
 Gen. xlvi. 26, and may intend that girdle of truth 
 with which the loins of believers are girt, and is 
 joined with " the preparation of the gospel of 
 peace," with which their feet are shod, in Eph. 
 vi. 14, 15, which metaphor is frequently made use 
 of, when a gospel-conversation is directed and 
 exhorted to ; see Luke xii. 35, 1 Pet. i. 13. Or, 
 4. By these " joints of the thighs," may be 
 meant young converts. The Targura expounds it 
 of the children which sprung from the thighs or 
 loins of the people of Israel; see Gen. xlvi. 26, 
 Exod. i. 5, Judg. viii. 30, where this phrase, " to 
 come out of the loins," or, as it is in the Hebrew 
 text, "the thighs," is expressive of generation; 
 and therefore these words, in a mystical and spi- 
 ritual sense, may have reference to those many 
 souls that are born again in the church ; who arc 
 as jewels in Christ's esteem : and are the curious 
 workmanship of the blessed Spirit, " created in 
 Christ Jesus unto good works." Or else, 5. By 
 these " joints or turnings of the thighs,"? by 
 which they move orderly and regularly, may be 
 meant Ihe principles of a believer's walk and con- 
 versation, as one'' well observes, without which 
 it is little worth, nor can it be ordered aright ; 
 for principles denominate actions to be either 
 good or evil. Now the principles of grace, from 
 whence a believer acts in his conversation, and by 
 which he moves in his Christian walk, are as va- 
 luable and as precious as jewels ; and are wrought 
 by no less a hand than the Spirit of God, who 
 
 ' So Durham and Ainsworth in loc. '' Vid. Plin. 
 1. 9. c. 35. and 1. 33. c. 3, 12. ' So R. Aben Ezra, 
 Sanctius, and Bishop Patrick in loc. ■» T3T 
 
 'piDn ambitus femorum, Buxtorf. Mercer. Junius. 
 
 In lib. Shorash. rad. porr 
 
 ' So Junius and 
 
 Cocceiusin loc. p Vertebras, Pagniuus, Montanus, 
 Vatablus ; signat illam agilem versatilem junctu- 
 ram, qua capita femorum in guis foraminibus expe- 
 dite moventur, Brighhnan. « Durham in loc. 
 
VER. 
 
 2.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 2(>n 
 
 " worketh ia them both to will aud to do of his 
 good pleasure." 
 
 Verse 2. Thif navel is like a routid goblet which 
 wanteth not liquor : thi/ belly is like an heap 
 of wheat, set about with lilies. 
 
 Chkist hei-e continues the commendation of his 
 church, aud gives two other instances of her 
 beauty : and as in the former verse, he^ad com- 
 mended those parts, which may be expressive of 
 her outward walk and conversation, and of the 
 principles of grace from whence she acted ; so 
 here he may be thought to set forth her inward 
 glory by these, the navel and belly, which are 
 more hidden and less conspicuous ; for this " king's 
 daughter" is all-glorious witiiin, as well as her 
 conversation is honourable without ; her adorning 
 not being the " outward adorning, of plaiting 
 the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on 
 of apparel ; but is the hidden man of the heart, 
 in that which is not corruptible, even the orua- 
 mentofameekandquietspirit, which is in the sight 
 of God of great price :" but what is particularly 
 intended by these parts, will more manifestly ap- 
 pear from a distinct consideration of tliem. And, 
 
 I. Her navel is said to be " like a round gob- 
 let which wanteth not liquor." 
 
 II. Her belly as " an heap of wheat, set about 
 with lilies." 
 
 I. Her navel is compared to " a round goblet, 
 which wanteth not liquor:" by which some"' un- 
 derstand, n.ot that part of the body itself, but 
 some covering or au ornament of it ; as some je- 
 wel or plate of gold, which was so called, either, 
 because it was the shape of the navel, or else be- 
 cause it covered and adorned it ; as also, because 
 the word translated round, in the Chaldee lan- 
 guage signifies the moon, it has inclined them 
 to think that this ornament may be the same 
 which the Jewish women are said to wear, in Isa. 
 iii. 18, where mention is made of their " round 
 tires like the moon ;" which figure is also under- 
 stood by the Targum upon our text; though 
 others,' who are also of opinion that some cover- 
 ing of these parts is intended ; yet think that the 
 reference is made unto that " clothing oC wrought 
 gold," with which the church is said to be array- 
 ed, in Psalm xlv. 13, in the midst of vvhich, or 
 in tliat part of it which covered the navel and 
 belly, was a raised or embossed work, which re- 
 sembled an heap of wheat, or rather, sheaves of 
 wheat, round about which was an embroidery 
 of curious flowers, and especially lilies ; and in 
 the midst of the whole work, a fountain or con- 
 duit, running with several sorts of liquors, into a 
 great bowl or bason ; Fortunalus Scacchus' inter- 
 prets it of a garment covering those parts, em- 
 broidered with lilies. By all which, the gloi-y and 
 beauty of the " garments of salvation, and robe of 
 
 ' R. Aben Ezra and Sanctius in loc. • Bishop 
 
 Patrick in loc. ' Eleochrysm, ,Sacr. 1. 3. p lOK). 
 
 " So likewise do the Jews, in T. Cab. Sota. fol. 45. 
 I. and Sanhedrfcn, fol 14. 2. and fol. 37. 1. and in 
 
 Christ's righteousness," with which believers arc 
 adorned, may be represented to us. R. Aben 
 Ezra, by the navel, understands the great Sanhe- 
 drim ; as he does by the belly, the lesser :" K. 
 Sol. Jarchi, lishcat gazit, or the paved chamber, 
 in which they sat. ISIoreover, nothing is more 
 frequent with the Jewish writers,'''than to call the 
 land of Canaan, and particularly Jerusalem, 
 ' the navel of the earth ; which they suppose to be 
 in the very midst of it, for which reason they call 
 , it so ; and it was from this navel of the earth, that 
 I the gospel of Christ went forth into all the world : 
 '■■ for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the 
 word of the Lord from Jerusalem :" The Targum 
 or Chaldee paraphrase on the place, applies it to 
 the " head of the school ; by whose righteousness 
 the whole world receives nourishment, even as 
 the child receives nourishment through it« navel 
 in its mothers bowels." And I am inclined to 
 I think, that by it we are to understand the minis- 
 ters of the gospel ; who, in the administration of 
 I tlie word and ordinances, are that to Christ's body 
 the church, as the navel is to an human body : 
 and, 1. As the navel is placed in the more emi- 
 nent part of the belly, so are the ministers of the 
 gospel in the highest place in the church ; who, 
 being called to the greatest work, liave the greatest 
 gifts, and largest measures of grace bestowed up- 
 on them, to furnish them for it : to whom others 
 are exhorted to submit themselves, Vhey being set 
 over them " in or by the Lord." 2. As the navel 
 they are placed in the midst of Christ's body, the 
 church : it is in the midst of the church they do 
 all their work, preacli the gospel, and administer 
 ordinances, in imitation of and conformity to their 
 great Master and Prophet in Israel, Christ Jesus ; 
 who said, " In the midst of the church will I sing 
 praise unto thee," Heb. ii. 12. 3. As the navel 
 is the strength of the intestines ; so the ministers 
 of Christ, are not only strong themselves, in the 
 power and grace of Christ, as they had ueed be, but 
 are also strengtheners of others ; one principal part 
 of their work being to " strengthen weak hands, aud 
 confirm the feeble knees;" as our Lordsaid to Peter, 
 " when thou art converted, strengthen thy bre- 
 thren," Luke xxii. 32. 4.- As the navel conduces 
 much to the health of the body, so do the ministers 
 of the gospel to the health of the church : Solomon 
 speaking of the fear of the Lord, says, that " it 
 shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy 
 bones," where, by the navel, he means the whole 
 body ; that being in a good plight, and a health- 
 ful condition, has much influence upon the whole 
 body to make it so. The ministers of Christ in 
 preaching the everlasting gospel aud feeding souls 
 with the " wholesome words of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ," are very servicable for the increasing and 
 maintaining the liealth. of the church ; many things 
 in the book of Proverbs are applicable to them in 
 
 Shirhashirim Kabba in loc. and in Bemidbar Rabba, 
 parash. 1. " Vid R. David Kimchium in Ezek. 
 
 xxxviii. 13. and. Jarchium in loc. 
 
204 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 fCHAP. 
 
 this case ; see chap. xii. 18, and xiii. 17, and xvi. 
 . 24. 5. The navel is that part through which the 
 child receives its nourishment in the vpomb ; the 
 ministers of Christ as they are instruments in be- 
 getting souls again, so they are useful m the nour- 
 ishing of them, even when in embryo, as well as 
 iu feeding them with "' the sincere milk of the 
 word ;" which they, as " new-born babes," are de- 
 sirous of, with which they are nourished and 
 brought up. 
 
 Jlorcover, the navel of the church is compared 
 1o a " round goblcl, bowl, or bason." I need not 
 ob^^erve how aptly the metaphor agrees with this 
 part of the body, it being like a bowl or bason, 
 both round and hollow ; though the mystical 
 writers among the Jews render it, the pit of the 
 breast or stomach ;^ a phrase which we also use, 
 and rather seems to answer better the description 
 given : which, in a mystical sense, may be expres- 
 sive of, 1. The perfection of gospel-ministers : 
 the round or circular form is accounted the most 
 perfect ; these, though they are not absolutely 
 perfect, yet may be said to be comparatively so, 
 having a more perfect knowledge of the Gospel, 
 and the mysteries of it, than private believers 
 usually have ; see Phil. iii. 15 ; for having a 
 larger acquaintance with the scriptures of truth, 
 they are thereby in a sense made perfect, and 
 " thoroughly furnished unto all good work," as 
 the apostle observes, in 2 Tim. iii. ] 7. 2. It may 
 also be expressive of that workmanship which is 
 bestowed upon them ; who of then)selves are not 
 " sufficient for these things," until, by the gifts 
 and graces of the Spirit, they are made " able 
 ministers of the New Testament," and in some 
 good measure qualified for the work of the minis- 
 try ; and then are they like "around goblet," 
 turned and formed by some curious artist. 3. It 
 may likewise serve to set forth the capacity which 
 they are endowed withal, to hold aud retain gos- 
 pel-truths ; they are not like colanders, which im- 
 mediately let out whatever is poured into them; 
 but like round goblets, bowls, or basons, wliich 
 hold and retain whatever they receive ; aud this is 
 esteemed as a necessary qualification of a Gospel- 
 minister, by the apostle Paul, in Titus i. 9, that 
 he be such an one as holds fast the faithful word, 
 and does not let it slip nor go from him : but 
 continues in the things which he has learned, 
 knowing of whom he has learned them. 
 
 Also, it is worthy of our notice, that this navel 
 of the church is not compared to an empty goblet, 
 but to one that " wanteth not liquor :" by which 
 may be meant, I. The grace of the blessed 
 Spirit, which is more or less in all believers; 
 which much conduces to their healthfulness, as the 
 moisture of the navel does to the body ; it is no 
 
 » Lex. Cabal, p. 99. r rpn mistio, Mercerus ; 
 
 mixtio, Junius and Tremellius, Piscator: mixtura, 
 Marckius, JVlichaelis; though Gataker interprtts it 
 of pure wine, and that the most generous, Adversar. 
 Miscel. p. 44. '■ 'I'he Jews say, it was two parts 
 water and one wine, Shirhasliirim Kabba ai loc. aud 
 
 unusual thing in scripture for the grace of the Spirit 
 to be compared to water, and to an abundance of 
 it ; even to rivers of living water, which are said 
 to be in the belly of a believer, and these are 
 never-failing ones ; for grace is in them, as a " well 
 of water springing up into everlasting life." Or, 
 2. The church's cleanness may be intended by 
 this expression ; who being washed in Christ's 
 blood, and sprinkled with the clean water of the 
 everlasting covcnaut, needed no other liquor to be 
 washed with ; and thus, as a navel not cut and un- 
 washed, represents the impurity and corruption of 
 nature, in Ezek. xvi. 4 ; so a navel cut and washed, 
 as the church's is here, may be expressive of her 
 purity and cleanness, through the blood and grace 
 of Christ ; so that she needs no other liquor to 
 make'her clean. Or rather, 3. It intends those 
 large and never failing supplies which the minis- 
 ters of the Gospel continually have from Christ ; 
 who is ■' ascended on high to till all things," aud 
 particularly ministers; so that they may never 
 want the liquor of Gospel-truths to communicate 
 to others ; for which reason he has promised to 
 be with them unto the end of the world ; as he 
 accordingly is, and continues filling these golden 
 pipes, as fast as they empty the golden oil of Gos- 
 pel-truths out of themselves. And, 4. The Hebrew 
 word translated liquor, properly signifying, a 
 mixture, or a mixed liquor,'' may be expressive of 
 that variety of Gospel-grace and Gospel-truths, 
 which they are possessed of, and distribute to 
 others ; which is a mixture, not of human inven- 
 tions, and the doctrines of the Gospel together ; 
 but of wine and milk, which are joined together, 
 in Isa. Iv. 1 ; to which souls are invited to partake 
 of: and which perhaps is the mingled wine, in 
 Prov. ix. 2 — 5 ; such a mixed liquor' being what 
 was drunk in those countries as appears from Cant. 
 V. 1 ; aud such a mixture as this, for thirsty, dis- 
 tressed, and fainting souls, will never be wanting 
 in the Gospel, or with Gospel-ministers. 
 
 Likewise it may be observed, that the words 
 may be read as a wish for a continued supply 6f 
 this mixed liquor in this vessel, thus, " Let there 
 not want liquor :"" and so is expressive of Christ's 
 strong affection to his church, aud tender concern, 
 that there might be a continued supply in the 
 ministry of the word for her nourishmeut ; as well 
 as implies a promise that it should be so. 
 
 11. Her be//t/ is said to be as "an heap of wheat, 
 set about with lilies ;" which, as the former ex- 
 pression sets forth the nourishment which she has 
 through the ministry of the word, this may be 
 expressive of her fnfftfulness thereby ; it was 
 usual with the Jews to scatter wheat on the heads 
 of married persons, at their weddings, three times, 
 saying, Increase and multiply ;^ for the allusion 
 
 Bemidbar Rabba, parash 1 . as the wine of Sharon was 
 mixed, Misn. Nidcah, c. 2. s. 7. » Ne deliciat 
 
 illius mixtio, .Jdnius ; so Ainsvvorth. ^ Vid. 
 
 Selden. Uxor. Heb. 1. 2. c. 15. p. 195. and Addisou'd 
 Present State of the Jews, c. 5. p. 52. 
 
VER. 
 
 S.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 205 
 
 seems to be a woman with child, as oue^ well ob- 
 serves ; she is fruitful and big, not with wind, but 
 with wheat : by which may be meant, either,. 
 • 1. The word or Gospel of the grace of God, 
 which is comparable to wheat : " he that hath ray 
 word," saith the Lord, Jer. xxiii. 28, " let him 
 speak my words faithfully ; for what is the chaff 
 to the wheat?" there is as much difference be- 
 tween a teller of dreams, and a faithful preacher 
 of the Gospel : or between the dreams which the 
 one tells, and the word which the other preaches, 
 as there is between the chaff and the wheat. The 
 Gospel may be compared to wheat for the ex- 
 cellency of it : wheat is the most excellent of grain ; 
 it is not only preferable to chaff, but to all other 
 grain whatsoever : so the Gospel is preferable to all 
 other doctrines whatever ; and ought to be valued 
 by believers more than their necessary food, seeing 
 that those who are fed therewith, are fed with the 
 " finest of the wheat :" and therefore may not only 
 be compared to wheat for its excellency, but also 
 for the nourishment it conveys. Besides, wheat 
 is a solid, weighty, and substantial grain ; as are 
 also the doctrines of the Gospel ; which are not 
 like wind, but wheat; and is a quite different food 
 than what Ephraim fed upon ; of whom it is said, 
 Hosea xii. 1, " Ephraim feedeth on wind." 
 Moreover, this is an heap of wheat, which the 
 church's belly is compared to here ; such an one 
 as is upon the corn-floor, ready threshed and 
 winnowed, and cleared of the chaff; see Ruth iii. 
 7 ; and so may intend the purity of the Gospel, 
 and its being clear of all human inventions and 
 mixtures : it is wheat that is clear from, and not 
 mixed with the chaff : for as faithful ministers 
 will not set forth such to feed upon, so neither 
 will enlightened and experienced souls receive it ; 
 also, this heap may be expressive of the variety 
 and multitude of soul-comforting doctrines, and 
 exceeding great and precious promises, with which 
 the Gospel abounds ; there are many of them, a 
 heap of them, and fulness of the blessing in every 
 one ; they are full of spiritual blessings and con- 
 solations, especially when they come " in power 
 and in the Holy Ghost." Or else, 2. By it may 
 be meant the graces of the Spirit of God, with 
 which she was filled ; which may also be compared 
 to wheat for the excellency of them, being more 
 valuable than, and to be preferred unto, all the 
 desirable thingsof nature; andtoa "heap of wheat" 
 for the variety of them, which souls receive from 
 Christ, of whose " fvJness they receive grace for 
 grace ;" that is, grace in some measure an- 
 swerable to the grace in Christ, or grace in 
 abundance; " grace for grace,"'' that is, heaps 
 of grace ; for there cannot be one grace, but 
 there must be every grace, even heaps of grace : 
 
 as also for the purity of them, being free 
 from all mixtures of hypocrisy : their faith is a 
 faith unfeigned ; their hope, which is fixed on 
 Christ's person, blood, and righteousness, is of a 
 different nature than that of the hypocrites ; their 
 love to God, Christ, his Gospel, ordinances, and 
 people, is without dissimulation ; in short, sin- 
 cerity runs through all their graces ; they are like 
 a heap of wheat, winnowed and cleared of chaff: 
 moreover, these may be compared to wheat for 
 their permanence ; they will abide the sieve of 
 Satan's temptations, as Peter's faith did ; forthough 
 it was shaken much, it did not fail, because Christ 
 prayed for it ; and they will also abide the world's 
 fan of persecution, and likewise the awful scrutiny 
 and discrimination, which will be made at the day 
 of judgment; when the florid profession and ex- 
 ternal works and righteousness of others will be 
 as chaff, which " the wind shall carry away, and 
 vanity shall take," these will abide and appear in 
 their greatest glory and full perfection. Though 
 I rather think, 3. That by this heap of wheat, 
 to which the church's belly is compared, are meant 
 young converts :^ who are not only born in the 
 church, but are also brought forth by her ; " for 
 as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her 
 children :" and these are the wheat which Christ 
 will gather into his garner, when he will burn up 
 the wicked, " the chaff, with unquenchable fire :" 
 as wheat is the noblest of seeds, is full of meat, is 
 solid and substantial, these are bora " not of cor- 
 ruptible, but incorruptible seed," and being full 
 of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and continually 
 receiving from Christ's fulness, are solid and sub- 
 stantial believers ; and will abide the force of per- 
 secution now, and stand the trying and discriminat- 
 ing time hereafter ; " when the ungodly shall not 
 be so, but shall be like the chaff which the 
 wind driveth away ; for they shall not stand in 
 the judgmeut, nor sinners in the congregation of 
 the righteous ;" but even then this wheat will con- 
 tinue on the floor, and be gathered into Chrisfs 
 barn. Moreover, this heap of wheat signifies the 
 large number of souls that shall be born again in 
 the church ; and when those scriptures, in Isa. 
 xlix. 19 — 21, and Ix. 8, have had their full ac- 
 complishment, then will this description of the 
 church be exactly answered, and appear very glo- 
 rious. 
 
 Moreover, this heap of wheat is said to be " set 
 about with lilies, " or, as in the Hebrew text, 
 hedged with lilies -J which would incliue one to 
 think, that not a heap of wheat upon the corn- 
 floor, but a field of standing wheat is here in- 
 tended ; whose enclosure is not an hedge of thorns 
 and briars, but of lilies : by which lilies may be 
 meant, either the precious promises and comfort- 
 
 ' Durham in loo. * Gratiam super gratiam, Alshech, of young disciples. ' CJOIWI n:i!3 
 
 q. d. gratiam gratia cumulatam, Beza iu John i. 16. i ■nerppayixijvtj ev Kp,i/oir, Sept septus liliis, MonUnus, 
 
 ' The Jews in Sharhasliirim Babba in loc. and Junius. Jlercerus, Cocceius, JIarckius and alii; val- 
 in Bemidbar Rabba, parusii. 1. interpret it of the I latus liliis, Vulgate Latin version; circum.sei tus 
 Israelites, whom for many reasons they compare to j liliis, Tiguriue version, 
 wheat, aud the nations of the woj-ldto chaff; and K. 
 
2Gt> 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CHAr. VU. 
 
 able doctrines which abound in, and encompass 
 
 around the word of God, or else, the sweet odour 
 which the graces of the Spirit emit on every side, 
 or rather, " the beauties of holiness," in which men 
 appear as soon as they are born again ; and may 
 be expressive of their secrecy and security, as 
 well as of their beauty and glory. 
 
 There is one thing more which I would not 
 omit the mention of, and that is, that some inter- 
 preters e think, that by these two parts, the 
 navel and belly, here described, are meant the two 
 ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper ; 
 by the former, the ordinance of baptism, which is 
 the first ordinance administered to believers ; 
 and which none but those who are born again, 
 receive any comfort, nourishment, or benefit 
 from : and by the latter, the Lord's supper : which 
 like a heap of wheat, affords solid and substan- 
 tial food to believers ; where Christ, who is the 
 Bread of Life, whose flesh and blood are meat and 
 drink indeed, is set forth to them ; who are kindly 
 invited, and are heartily welcome to his table ; 
 which table of his is graced and adorned, or at 
 least should be, not with the weeds, or thorns and 
 briers of scandalous and profane sinners, who eat 
 and drink unwortliily ; but with the lilies of pre- 
 cious saints and true believers, who sit as olive- 
 plants, or rather are set as lilies about it. Though 
 I should rather think, that these are intended in 
 the following verse. 
 
 Verse 3. Thy two breasts are like two young roes, 
 that are twins. 
 
 The breasts are the fifth part, wliich is here com- 
 mended by Christ ; what is intended by them, has 
 been shown in chap. iv. 5, where we have met 
 with the same commendation, and that in the 
 same words ; only here is an omission of a clause 
 which is added there, namely, " which feed among 
 the lilies." The Targum here again makes mention 
 of the two Messiahs, whom the Jews vainly ex- 
 pect: R. Abeu Ezra expounds those words of 
 their two laws, oral and written, as he had done 
 in the chapter and place abovementioned : as R. 
 Solomon Jarchi does also of the two tables of the 
 law ; though he likewise produces another sense 
 of the words, which is, that by the two breasts 
 are meant the King and the High-priest, but for 
 the understanding of the words, the reader is re- 
 ferred to chap. iv. 5, where they are more largely 
 insisted on. 
 
 Verse 4. Thy neck h as a tower of ivory : thine 
 
 eyes like the fish-pools in Ileshbon, by the gate 
 
 of Bathrabhim : thy nose is as the tower of 
 
 Lebanon, which looketh toward Damascus. 
 
 Christ continues his commendation of the church's 
 
 beauty ; and adds, in these words, thi'ce other 
 
 K Vid. Cotton and Bishop Patrick in loc. 
 
 * EXe^oKTinor Tpaxn^or, Anacreon. Eburuea cervix, 
 Ovid. Epist. 20, V. 57. eburnea eolla. lb. Metamorph. 
 1. 3. fab. 6. r. 422. and 1. 4. fab. b. v. 33-1. ' Nivea 
 
 instances of it to the five former, mentioned in 
 the preceding verses. And, 
 
 I. He compares her neck to a " tower of ivory.'' 
 
 l\. " Her eyes to the fishpoolsin Heshbon, by 
 the gate of Bathrabbim." 
 
 HI. " Her nose to the tower of Lebanon, 
 which looketh toward Damascus." 
 
 I. He compares her neck to a a tower of ivory. 
 Two things recommend the neck, erectness and 
 whiteness ; both are here expressed, the one by a 
 tower, the other by ivory ; hence a fine beautiful 
 neck is called an ivory one;** and for the same 
 reason it sometimes has the epithet of snowy,- and 
 sometimes of milky.w and sometimes of marble.^ 
 R. Aben Ezra, by the neck, understands the King 
 Messiah; but he is not the neck, but the Head of 
 the church ; R. Solomon Jarchi interprets it of 
 of the temple and altar, or of the lishcat yazit, or 
 paved chamber, in which the Sanhedrim sat. The 
 Targum would have ab betJi din, the father of 
 the house of judgment, or chief of the Sanhedrim, 
 intended but it seems better by it to understand, 
 either, 
 
 1st. The ministers of the gospel, who hold unto, 
 bear up, and exalt Christ, the Head; and are in- 
 struments in bringing souls near unto him, and 
 of conveying spiritual food to the several mem- 
 bers of his body, the church : who are likewise 
 beautifully adorned with the gifts and graces of 
 the Spirit, whereby they are fitted for the work 
 they are called unto : these may also be said to 
 be like towers for their strength and impregua- 
 bleness ; they are set for the defence of the gos- 
 pel, and are as immoveable as towers ; they stand 
 the battery of Satan's rage and malice, and abide 
 the force of the world's persecutions and re- 
 proaches ; and none of these things move them 
 to desert the work they are employed in. More- 
 over, this neck of the church is compared to a 
 tower of ivory ; whether there was a tower built 
 of ivory, or that was so called, we have no ac- 
 count in scripture ; the Targum, on this place, 
 speaks of an ivory tower, which king Solomon 
 made, but the scripture is entirely silent about it ; 
 unless by it we understand that great throne of 
 ivory, which is mentioned in 2 Kings x. 18, and 
 which may as well be called a tower, as the pulpit 
 on which Ezra and others stood, is, in the Hebrew 
 text, in Neh. viii. 4. Now the church's neck may 
 be said to be a tower of ivory, 1. To express the 
 purity of gospel ministers, both in doctrine and 
 life ; who at once answer that character, of hold- 
 ing the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience ; 
 and so become examples to others, both in faith 
 and ))urity. 3. These may be said to be as tow- 
 ers of ivory for their strength, which they receive 
 from Christ, to iiold fast the doctrine of faith, to 
 confirm and establish others in it, and to withstand 
 
 cervice, Ovid. Amor. 1. 2. eleg. 4. v. 41. 
 
 ^ Lactea colla, Yirg. .^neid. 1. 8. v. 661. 
 
 ' Marmoreo collo. Ovid. Fasti, 1. 4. v. 135. niar- 
 increa ccuvice, Virgil. Gcorgic. 4. props fincm. 
 
VER. 
 
 3, 4.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 267 
 
 the force and power of Satan's temptations. 3. 
 They may be'eompared hereunto, for the smooth- 
 ness and evenness 'of those doctrines which they 
 preach; by which I mean, njt those smooth 
 things, which carnal persons would have prophe- 
 sied to them, such as are tickling to the carual 
 ear, taking to the carnal fancy, and suited to the 
 carnal hearts of unconverted ones ; but such as 
 are agreeable to the word of God, consistent with 
 themselves, being all of a piece, and not yea and 
 nay, as well as suited to the experiences of God's 
 children. Or else, 
 
 2ndly. By the church's neck may.be meant, the 
 scriptures of truth ; which lead and direct souls 
 to Christ, the Head ; and are the means of convey- 
 ing spiritual breath, life, and food to God's chil- 
 dren ; and are beautifully hung and adorned with 
 soul-refreshing doctrines, and comfortable promi- 
 ses. Now this neck may be said to be as a tow- 
 er which is very high : seeing that it contains 
 things which ai'e sublime, and out of the reach of 
 carnal sense and reason ; and is also as impregna- 
 ble and immoveable as a tower; for though Satan 
 and his emissaries have attempted to remove the 
 scriptures out of the world ; yet their efforts have 
 hitherto,"and ever will be in vain : and these may 
 likewise be very well compared to a tower of ivory, 
 for the purity and glory of them ; for, " the words 
 of the Lord are pure words ; as silver tried in a 
 furnace of earth, purified seven times. Psalm sii- 
 6. Or else, 3rdly. By the church's neck may be 
 meant, the grace of faith, which lays hold upon 
 and keeps close to Christ, the Head ; it is that 
 grace which exalts and glorifies him, and by which 
 saints live upon him, and receive grace, streugtii, and 
 nourishment from him ; and is never without the 
 other graces of the Spirit, and the becoming fruits 
 of righteousness, which serve to adorn it ; This may 
 be compared to a tower of ivor}^ "l. For the 
 strength of it; which appears both in believing 
 the promises of God, which sometimes seem to be 
 attended with difficulties insuperable to sense and 
 reason, and in resisting and withstanding Satan's 
 temptations ; this fort and tower of faith Satan 
 could never take and demolish ; it has stood and 
 will stand against all the posse that he is able to 
 collect together against it ; because Christ, who 
 is the Author, will be the Finisher of of it ; and 
 continually prays that it fail not. 2. For the purity, 
 beauty, and glory of it; as the church's neck 
 being compared to a tower, is expressive of its 
 strength ; so its being compared to ivory, shows 
 its beauty and fairness : faith, that is pure and ■ 
 unfeigned, is a beautiful grace in the eyes of 
 Christ ; he is sometimes ravished with this neck 
 of the church, and with one chain thereof; see 
 
 "» -iEneid. 1. 5. so Ovid. Fasti. 1. 6. animique oculi- 
 que natabant. » p^Tpm niSID y:'V oculi tui 
 
 piscinis artificiosisslmis, Junius, Piscator. In Bemid- 
 ba Rabba, parash. 14. the words are paraphrased 
 thus; "Thine eyes are like fishpools, which are 
 finished with consultation and thought." p The 
 
 Targum by them understands the scribes ; Jarchi,the 
 
 chap. iv. 9. 3. For the preciousness of it ; as 
 ivory is very precious and valuable, so is this 
 grace of faith ; it is called precious faith, in 2 
 Peter i. 1 ; and so it is in its nature, object, and 
 actings ; it is more precious than ivory, yea, than 
 gold ; hence the trial of it is said to be " much 
 more precious than that of gold that perisheth," 
 1 Pet. i. 7. 
 
 II. The eyes of the church are here compared 
 to fish-pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrab- 
 bim : in this comparison the allusion may be to 
 the humonrs in the eye, one of which is called 
 aqtiea ,- which are enclosed as water in a fishpool, 
 and in which the eye seems to swim ; hence the 
 eyes are called by Virgil" nalantia lumina ; and 
 the same word in Hebrew, signifiss both a foun- 
 tain and the eye ; and fishpools, in the plural 
 number, are properly observed, because there are 
 two eyes. Some think that Heshbon is not to 
 be taken here as the proper name of a place, but 
 to be read in construction with fishpools thus, 
 " thine eyes are like to fishpools, artificially made ;" 
 that are curiously formed, and according to art ; 
 such as were about the sheep-gate, which is here 
 called the gate of Bathrabbim, because it was 
 much frequented, and through it abundance of 
 people passed to and fro : but it seems most 
 agreeable to understand it of the city of Heshbon, 
 which was the seat of Sihon king of the Amorites, 
 as appears from Numb. xxi. 26, and Bathrab- 
 bim was one of the gates of this city ; which' was 
 so called, either because it led to Rabbath, a city 
 near unto it, and therefore are mentioned toge- 
 ther, in Jer. xlix. 3, which, as is manifest from 
 2 Sam. xii. 27, was a city of waters ; or else, 
 because of the vast multitudes of people which 
 went in and out thereat ; for it may be rendered 
 "the gate of the daughter of many, or of great 
 ones." Near this gate, it seems, were some very 
 excellent and delightful fishpools, to which the 
 eyes of the church are here compared ; and by 
 which may be meant, either, 
 
 1st. The ministers of the gospel ;P who are to 
 the church, as eyes are to the body ; for which 
 see chap. i. 15, and these may be compared to 
 fishpools, 1. For their clearness of sight into gos- 
 pel-truths : it is true, in comparison of that light 
 and knowledge which saints have in glory, they 
 now " see but through a glass darkly ;" but yet, 
 with respect to the legal dispensation, in which 
 there was much darkness and obscurity, they may 
 be said to " behold with open face the glory of 
 the Lord ;" and their light will still be considera- 
 bly increased, when the " watchman shall see eye 
 to eye ;" and that will be, " when the Lord shall 
 bring again Zion." 2. Like fishpools full of 
 
 wise men, or such who delight in sublime wisdom : so 
 in Zohar, in Numb. fol. 89. 2. Aben Ezra, the pro- 
 phets : in Shirhashirim Rabba in loc. and in Bemid- 
 bar Kabba, parash H. they are interpreted of the 
 Sanhedrin.and elders of the congregation ; and so 
 in Yclammedenu and Siphri in Yalkut in loc. 
 
2G3 
 
 AN EXI'OSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VII. 
 
 water, they arc filled witli " the fulness of the bless- 
 ing of the gospel of Christ ;" the means of grace, 
 the ordinances of the gospel, and particularly the 
 ministry of the word, are in scripture compared 
 to waters ; see Isa. Iv. 1, where souls are kindly 
 invited, and where they often meet with that 
 which is as refreshing as cold water to a thirsty 
 man ; and of this Christ's ministers are full, 
 being filled by him, who " fills all things ;" they 
 are not like those, in 2 Peter ii. 17, who are said 
 to be " wells without water," but are like" the 
 fishpools in Heshbon," clear and full. 3. They 
 may be compared to those fishpools which were 
 " by the gate of Bathrabbim," because of the mul- 
 titude of people which flock to, and attend upon 
 their ministry, and which receive benefit more or 
 less thereby ; and then more especially will they 
 answer this metaphor, when that prophecy, in Isa. 
 ii. 2, 3, shall have its full accomplishment. 4. 
 The word which is here translated fishpools, comes 
 from a word which signifies to bless, because pools 
 of water were esteemed blessings ; see Judges i. 
 15, and so are ministers of the gospel to the 
 churches of Christ ; they are promised by God as 
 such, Jer. iii. 15, and he sometimes threatens to 
 remove them as such from his churches, when 
 they are grown carnal, lukewarm, and indifFereat, 
 and do not prize and use such mercies and bless- 
 ings as they should ; see Rev. ii. 5. Lord's days, 
 ordinances, and opportunities of hearing the gos- 
 pel preached, are the only blessings and corn- 
 forts of life that some enjoy ; God gives them 
 " the bread of adversity, and the water of afflic- 
 tion ;" this they are sure to have, with this they 
 are fed all the week long ; but on Lord's-days, they 
 have sweet and comfortable meals for their souls; 
 and this great blessing God favours them with, 
 though he denies them many temporal ones, which 
 is, that their teachers are not removed into cor- 
 ners, but their eyes behold their teachers ; they 
 have Christ's fishpools to come unto. 5. They are 
 like fishpools, whose waters are still, quiet, in- 
 variable, and constant ; and are not like troubled 
 waters, such as false teachers are, who are con- 
 tinually casting up the mire and dirt of their own 
 inventions, and the " divers and strange doctrines" 
 of men ; but these abound with those truths, 
 which, like Christ, the Author of them, are " the 
 same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." Or else, 
 2ndly. By these eyes of the church, may be 
 meant " the eyes of her understanding," which 
 are enlightened by the Spirit of God, particularly 
 those of faith and knowledge ; vvhich may be said 
 to be as fishpools, ] . For their perspicuity : faith 
 can behold things clearly, which are invisible to, 
 and are out of the reach of carnal sense and reason, 
 and therefore is called " the evidence of things not 
 seen ;" it can look " witliin the veil," and view 
 an unseen Christ, with all the invisible realities 
 
 ' Vid. Sanct. in loc. • De natura Doorum. 1. 
 
 2. c. 57. ' ~pii tua facies, Paguinus : frous, Clarius : 
 60 Jarchi. " Tharsal. 1. 3. v. 215. " Thea- 
 
 of another world. 2. For their steadiness and un- 
 moveableness : the eye of faith is fixed, not upon 
 the duties, services, and performances of the crea- 
 ture ; but upon the person, blood, and righteous- 
 ness of Christ ; it looks off of all things else alone to 
 him. 3. For their abounding with the tears of gos- 
 pel-repentance ; Jeremy wished that his " head 
 were waters," and his " eyes a fountain of tears :" 
 the believers eyes are so ; for repentance is a tear 
 that drops from faith's eye : souls first look, and 
 then they mourn ; nor do they ever more so, nor in 
 a better manner, than when they can view their 
 righteousness, peace, and pardon in a bleeding 
 Saviour ; it is under a sense of this, they both 
 mourn, most and best, both for their own sins, and 
 the sins of others ; their eyes are as fishpools, 
 abounding withf these waters ; " rivers of water 
 run down their eyes, because they keep not 
 God's law," Psalm cxix. 136. 4. For the modesty 
 of them ; these are not rolling waters, to which 
 wanton and immodest eyes may be compared ; but 
 quiet, still, and standing ones : faith is a very mo- 
 dest grace ; and he that is possessed of it, and has 
 the greatest measure thereof, is the most humble 
 soul ; it exalts Christ, magnifies his grace, and 
 gives all the glory to him ; it abases the 
 creature, takes away all boasting from him, and 
 ascribes nothing to him ; for which reason the 
 church's eyes are also said to be as " dove's eyes 
 within her locks." 5. For their proportionable 
 size, exact symmetry, and delightful beauty : per- 
 haps the allusion may be to fishpools ;' whicii, 
 being discerned at some distance, between trees 
 or groves, look very sparkling and dazzling ; and 
 so did the church's eyes to Christ ; with which he 
 seems to be ravished, as he says he was, in chap, 
 iv. 9, and vi. 5. 
 
 III. Her nose is said to be " as the tower of 
 Lebanon, which looketh toward Damascus." 
 Very properly is the nose mentioned next to the 
 eyes ; since as Cicero ' says, "it is so placed, as 
 that it. seems to be as a wall between the eyes ; 
 and here it is compared to a tower, not for the 
 largeness of it, which is not reckoned comely, 
 but for its position and use ; though it may be 
 rendered, " thy face ;"' and may denote her aspect 
 bold and courageous. This tower of Lebanon 
 seems to be one that was built in or near the 
 forest of Lebanon ; and was a frontier tower for 
 that part of the counti-y which lay towards 
 Damascus; it was a tower on that part of mount 
 Lebanon which fronted Damascus, that lay in a 
 valley ; and so open to view, as well as exposed 
 to winds, hence called by Lucan" ventosa Damas- 
 cus ; which tower was so high, as Adrichomiiis " 
 says, that from thence might be seen and num- 
 bered the houses in Damascus: Vitriuga* observes, 
 that many travellers relate that, on the extreme 
 part of this mountain, in a craggy place, to which 
 
 trum Terrte Sancts, p. 100. so Jarchi in loc. from the 
 Midrash. » Comment, in Jes. 37. 24. 
 
VER. 5.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 269 
 
 the plain of Damascus is subject, is a small build • 
 iug; which though it is of an Arabic original, as 
 is said, yet he thinks it is the place where a tower 
 formerly was, looking to Damascus, to which Solo- 
 mon here alludes. To this the church's nose is 
 compared : by which may be meant, 1. either. 
 The ministers of Clirist, as before ; for it need not 
 be thought strange, that one and the same thing 
 should be expressed by different metaphors for 
 different reasons, especially this : seeing there are 
 different parts and branches of the work and office 
 of ministers ; who are not only eyes to see, but 
 as the nose to smell ; having a spiritual discerning 
 iuto gospel-trufhs beyond others, they not only 
 savour them themselves, but diffuse the savour of 
 them to others, and are themselves to many " the 
 savour of life unto life :" they are, in some mea- 
 sure, both the ornament and the defence of the 
 church; the former is intended by their being 
 compared to the nose, which is the ornament of 
 the face, as well as the scat of smelling ; and the 
 latter, by " the tower of Lebanon ;" and this as 
 " looking towards Damascus," the inhabitants of 
 which were always enemies to the people of Israel 
 and so it denotes the courage and vigilance of 
 faithful ministers ; who continually have their eye 
 upon the church's enemies, watch all their motions, 
 observe all their steps, and, with a manful courage, 
 face and attack them. Or, 2. By this part thus 
 described, may be intended in general, the state- 
 liness and majesty, courage and maganimity of 
 the church ; her stateliness and majesty by her 
 nose, which, when of a good size and well-pro- 
 portioned, adds much grace and majesty to the 
 countenance ; her magnanimity and courage, by 
 its being compared to the invincible and in- 
 pregnable tower of Lebanon, which looks towards 
 Damascus ; intimating, that she was not afraid to 
 look her worst enemies in the face ; and so answers 
 tlie character which is given of her, both by Christ 
 aud by the daughters, in chap. vi. 4, 10, which is, 
 that she was " terrible as an army with banners." 
 Or else. 3. It is expressive of her prudence and 
 discretion in spiritual things, which she is capable 
 of discerning from carnal ; she can distinguish 
 truth from error, and can espy dangers afar off, 
 and so guard against them ; for which her nose 
 may be compared to this tower which was thus 
 situated. 
 
 church's head. Secondly. Why it is thus com- 
 pared. 
 
 First. I shall inquire what the church's head 
 is ; which is not the civil magistrate; he may in- 
 deed be a member of the churcli, but not the head 
 of it. The princes and great meu of the world may 
 be of much service to the church ; as in the latter 
 day, kings shall be hernursiug fatliers, and queens 
 her nursing mothers ; but then they shall be so 
 far from being her head, that they shall bow down 
 unto her, and lick up the dust of her feet. The 
 Targum indeed understands it of the king who is 
 set over the people. 
 
 Some'' think, that by the head, is meant the 
 soul or mind ; which is indeed the chief part in 
 man ; and being filled with tlie graces of the 
 Spirit, and the precious fruits of righteousness, 
 may much resemble the top of Carmel, covered 
 with pleasant plants and fruitful trees : but it 
 seems better to understand it of Christ, who only 
 is the Head of the church ; she is compared to a 
 body, because consisting of various members, of 
 which body he is the Head; see Col. i. 18; "aud 
 he is the Head of the body, the church." Christ 
 
 Verse 5. Former part. TJiine head upon thee 
 is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like 
 purple. 
 
 These words contain the two last, which are the 
 ninth and tenth instances of the church's beauty. 
 
 I. Her head upon her is said to be like Car- 
 mel. 
 
 II. The hair of her head like purple. 
 I. Her head is compared to Carmtl. And it 
 
 will he proper to inquire. First. "What is the 
 
 1st. A representative Head of his church ; as 
 such he acted in the everlasting covenant of grace ; 
 where what he did he did in her name, aud what he 
 received he received for her ; hence the elect are 
 said to be blessed with all spiritual blessings, and 
 grace is said to be given to them in him before 
 the foundation of the world: thus also be acted 
 as their representative, when he was crucified, 
 buried, rose again, aud entered into heaveu ; 
 they were then crucified, buried, and raised, and 
 are now made to sit together in heavenly places 
 in him. 
 
 2Qdly. He is a political head; in the same 
 sense as a king is the head of his people, Christ 
 is the Head of his church : and this regards his 
 kiugly office, as the other did his surety -ship en- 
 gagements : Christ is given to be " an Head over 
 all things to the church ;" and he is Head over 
 the church, thine Head, t't:?, which is over thee 
 and above thee ; aud which may be understood 
 in the same sense, and may be interpreted by his 
 Father's setting him as King over his holy hill 
 of Ziou: which office he executes, by enacting 
 laws for the good of his people, which are written 
 not upon tables of stone, but upon " the fleshly 
 tables of the heart :" by subduing their enemies, 
 protecting their persons, and supplying them with 
 all necessaries as a Head and common parent to 
 them. 
 
 3rdly. He is an economical head. He is a 
 Head to his church, in the same sense as a hus- 
 band is to his wife, Eph. v. 23, she being es- 
 poused aud married to him, ought to be subject 
 to him, as her head ; and in the same sense as a 
 father is to his children. Clirist is the everlast- 
 ing Father ; saints arc his children, which God 
 
 y Alcuin and ^auctius in loc. 
 
270 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VII. 
 
 has given him, and are bora unto him in his 
 church ; and him they ought to honour, as their 
 Head. Also he is so in the same sense as a master 
 is to his servants ; and it is under this considera- 
 tion that Christ becomes the head of angels, who 
 are servants in his family : he is not indeed the 
 Redeemer of angels, because they never were in a 
 state of slavery and captivity ; nor is he the Me- 
 diator of them, they having never been at variance 
 with God, nor rebelled against him ; but yet he 
 is the head of them, according to Col. ii. 10, 
 " which is the head of all principality and power." 
 4thly. He is a natural head ; even as an hu- 
 man head is to a human body ; and it is in allu- 
 sion to this that he is often called the head ; of 
 which many things may be said : as, 1. That he 
 is a true aud proper Head ; and that which is so, 
 must, (1.) Be of the same nature with the body ; 
 Eo is Christ ; he has partaken of the same flesh 
 and blood, and has been in all things made like 
 unto his church, sin excepted ; hence arise that 
 strong affection to her, sympathy with her, and 
 care of her. (2.) It must be united to it ; a 
 head separate from the body, cannot be a proper 
 head, nor do the service of one to the body : there 
 is a spiritual and indissoluble union between 
 Christ and his church ; which is represented by 
 that conjugal union there is between a man and 
 his wife, by which they become one flesh ; and 
 also by that natural one, of the vine and branches ; 
 but nothing does more express it to the life, than 
 that of head and members ; for " we are members 
 of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." (3.) 
 It must be superior to the body, as well as of the 
 same nature with it, and united to it : so is 
 Christ : and that not only in his highest nature, 
 as he is God, and in his office, grace, and power : 
 but even in our nature, being " crowned with 
 honour and glory," and set at his Father's right 
 hand in it, " far above all principality and power." 
 (4.) It must be a living head, and endued with 
 the same vital spirit as the body is : such an one 
 is Christ : he and his church live one and the 
 same life : he is the believer's life : he lives, 
 but it is Christ that lives in him ; one and the 
 same vital Spirit actuates both head and members, 
 and that is the Spirit of God, which is in Christ 
 the head, without measure, but in his members in 
 measure ; " for he that is joined to the Lord, is 
 one spirit." 2. Christ is a perfect Head ; there 
 is no deficiency in him, nor any thing wanting that 
 may render him a suitable one to his church. 
 (1.) Here are no parts nor sense wanting ; he 
 has eyes to see with, which are continually fixed 
 upon his people ; he sees their persons and their 
 circumstances, and accordingly relieves them ; 
 his ears are open to their cries, which are not 
 disregarded by him ; and he has a tongue to 
 speak a word in season, both to them and for 
 them ; he smells a sweet savour in the persons, 
 garments, aud graces of his people, and has tasted 
 death for thera all. (2.) Here are no vicious 
 humours which fall from hence to infect the 
 
 body : Adam was a federal head to all his seed ; 
 but nothing is derived from him bnt sin, corrup- 
 tion, aud death, and such vicious humours, which 
 have infected all human nature ; but from Christ 
 is nothing derived, but holiness, grace, and life; 
 for he himself is " holy, harmless, and undefiled." 
 (3.) Here is no deformity at all ; but every part 
 is in its proper place and just proportion ; there 
 is a surpassing beauty in all : " he is fairer 
 than the children of men ;" there is none to be 
 compared to him ; " he is white and ruddy, the 
 chiefest among ten thousand." (4.) Here is a 
 fulness of every thing to supply his body with ; 
 " he is full of grace aud truth :" there is a ful- 
 ness of justifying and sanctifying grace in him ; 
 all our righteousness, holiness, grace, strength, life, 
 and nourishment, come from Christ, our Head ; " it 
 is in him we live, and move, and have our being." 
 and he has a sufficiency of all grace to supply his 
 members with. 3. Christ is the only Head of 
 his church; there is no other; if the church had 
 more heads than one, she would be a mouster. 
 The civil magistrate is no head of the church ; 
 neither is the pope of Rome ; Christ only is. 
 As there is but one body, though consisting of 
 various members ; and one spirit, which actuates 
 them all; and one faith, by which they hold to 
 the Head ; and one baptism, in which they make a 
 profession of him ; and one God and Father of us 
 all, who, by adopting grace, has made and owned 
 them for his children ; so there is but one Lord 
 and Head unto them, " who is over all, God 
 blessed for ever." 4. He is an everlasting 
 Head. The church never was, nor never will be 
 without an Head ; she has a living one, and one 
 that lives for ever; and this is matter of joy and 
 consolation to God's people : hence they need 
 not fear a supply of all grace, life, and strength ; 
 for, because he lives as their Head, they, his mem- 
 bers, shall live also. But, 
 
 Secondly. I shall now consider why Christ, 
 who is the church's Head, is compared to Carmel ; 
 that is, mount Carmel, as the Arabic version ex- 
 pressly renders it. And, 1. This was a moun- 
 tain in the land of Judea, where Elijah contended 
 with and slew the prophets of Baal ; and which 
 the Targum on this text takes notice of: and for 
 the height of it, Christ, the church's Head, may 
 be compared unto it ; " who is higher than the 
 kings of the earth," " nay, than the angels in 
 heaven : for he " is set far above all principa- 
 lity and power ;" nay, " He is higher than the 
 heavens themselves." 2. This was a very fruit- 
 ful mountain, whose top was covered with vines, 
 cornfields, and fruitful trees; see Isa. xxxv. 2, 
 and Amos i. 2. The word is sometimes used for 
 green ears of corn, as in Lev. ii. 14, and sxiii. 
 14, and is sometimes rendered, by our translators, 
 a fruitful field, as in Isa. xxxii. 15. A bushy, 
 well-set head of hair, which may be here referred 
 to, since hair is mentioned in the next clause, may 
 be fitly compared to a mountain or to a field, covered 
 with trees and grass, as such to a head of 
 
VEK. 5, G.] 
 
 SOXG OF SONGS, 
 
 271 
 
 hair,' and this may be expressive of Christ, the 
 church's Head, on whom her hair grows ; and who 
 is her green fir-tree,from whom all her fruit is found. 
 3. The word is by some'' rendered crimson ; 
 and the rather, it may seem to be so taken here, 
 because purple is made use of in the next descrip- 
 tion ; and which go together, and are thus ren- 
 dered, in 2 Chron. ii. 7, and iii. 14. And this may 
 serve to set forth, (1.) The royal dignity and 
 majesty of Christ; this being a colour usually 
 worn by the kings and great men of the earth ; 
 one of Christ's titles, is " the Prince of the kiugs 
 of the earth," Rev. i. 5. (2.) His ardent love 
 to his church ; whose flaming affection to her 
 may be very well represented by this colour. Or, 
 (3.) His passion and bloody suffering for his 
 church and people ; by which their sins, though 
 like scarlet, become as snow ; and though red like 
 crimson, are as wool : so that here is a crimson 
 Saviour for crimson sinners. Thus may Christ, 
 the church's Head, be compared to Carrael. 
 
 Though some think, that not the head, but some 
 covering of the head, is intended here : R. Solo- 
 mon Jarchi thiuks, that the fephilliii or phylac- 
 teries, which the Jews wore about their heads, are 
 here meant ; but this is not probable : rather, with 
 others,'' the allusion is to the nuptial crown or 
 garland, made of flowers, &c., which was worn by 
 the bride on the marriage-day : and this may 
 denote the graces of the blessed Spirit, which are 
 " an ornament of grace to the head, and chains 
 about the neck ;" which may very well be thought 
 to resemble the fruitful top of mount Carmel : and 
 as one"^ well observes, by this covering of the head 
 more particularly may be meant, the grace of hope, 
 which is the believer's head piece, 1 Thess. v. 8 ; 
 as Christ who is our Head is called our hope ; so 
 our hope which is our head-piece by a Sgure which 
 is not unusual, may be called the head ; it is sup- 
 ported and sustained by faith, which is the neck ; 
 and has its life and liveliness from the death, suf- 
 ferings, and resurrection to Christ; and therefore 
 may be compared to crimson. 
 
 11. The hair of her head is said to be like 
 ptirple : ])urple coloured hair was in great esteem ; 
 of this colour was the hair of king Nysus, accor- 
 ding to the fable ;'' and so the hair of Evadne and 
 of the muses were of a violet colour;^ the hair of 
 Ulysses is said tobeliketothehyacinthflower/which 
 is of a purple or violet colour; and Miltons calls 
 the first Adam's hair, hyaciuthine locks ; and here 
 in a figurative sense, the second Adam's hair is 
 said to be like purple. By which may be meant 
 
 » So of hair, it is said, Humeros ut lucus obum- 
 brat, Ovid. Metamorpli. 1. 13. fab. 8. Comanti humo, 
 Statii Thebaid. 1. h. v. 502. comata sylva, Catullus, 
 4. 11. arboreas comas, Ovid. Amor. 1. 2.eleg. IG. v. 3G. 
 
 * Velut coccinum, Pagninus, Vatablus, Mercerus: 
 simile est cocciueo. Junius and Tremellius : est ut 
 coccus, Piscator, so Ainsworth : sicut carmesinum. 
 Schindler, so R. Aben Ezra in loc. and R. David 
 Kimchi, in lib. Shorash. in voce '?T^^D. 
 
 * Sanctius and Bishop Patrick in loc. « Dur- 
 
 either the thoughts of her heart, which are many 
 and numerous, and which proceed from thence, 
 as the hair does from the head ; and when these 
 are fixed upon, and are employed in the contemplation 
 of a crucified Christ, then may they be said to be 
 like purple ; and then are they taken notice of by 
 Christ and are exceeding delightful to him. Though 
 1 rather think, that believers are here meant, as I 
 have observed on chap. iv. 1, and v. 11; who 
 grow on Christ, the Head, and receive their strength 
 and nourishment from him ; and these may be 
 said to belike purple. 1. Because of that royal 
 and princely dignity they are advanced to by 
 Christ ; who has made them " kings and priests 
 to God and his Father ;" for this is a colour that is 
 usually worn by great personages,'' such as all be- 
 lievers are. 2. Because of their being washed in 
 Christ's purple blood ; for so are both their persons 
 and their garments : they are tinctured with it, 
 and are of this die. 3. Because of the sufferings 
 which they undergo for the sake of Christ and his 
 Gospel; and especially such dear and precious 
 servants of Christ may be said to be as purple, 
 who have spilled their blood, and laid dowu their 
 lives on his account. 
 
 Though some' think, that not the hair, but 
 either the hair-lace, or the pins, or some such 
 small things, by which the hair is tied and dressed 
 up in a beautiful order, are intended ; and indeed 
 the word is never used elsewhere for hair, and it 
 properly signifies something small, thin, and ten- 
 der : and this may teach us what notice Christ 
 takes of the meanest grace and performance of 
 believers; every little thing that is in,oris donebya 
 believer, looks very beautiful in Christ's eye; so 
 far is he from despising the day of small things. 
 
 Verse 5. Latter part — The king is held in the 
 galleries. 
 
 Verse 6. How fair and how pleasant art thou, 
 love, for delights ? 
 
 Christ, having given a description of the church's 
 beauty, in ten particular instances of it, does 
 here, 
 
 I. In the latter part of the fifth verse, discover 
 his great love and affection to her, though in a 
 very abrupt manner ; " the king is held in the 
 galleries." 
 
 II. Gives a general and comprehensive summary 
 of her whole beauty, in verse 6, thus : " How 
 fair and how pleasant art thou, love, for de- 
 lights." And, 
 
 ham in loc. * Ovid Metamorph. 1. 8. fab. I . v. 
 
 301. De Arte Amandi. 1. 1. and de Remed. Amor. 
 1. 1. v. 63. Hygin. Fab. 198. Pausia. Attica, p. 33. 
 
 • Pindar. Olymp. ode 6. r.nd Pythan. ode 1. v. 2. 
 
 ' Homer. Odyss. 6. v. 231. and 28. v. 158. 
 
 8 Paradise Lest, book 4. "■ Paludamentum 
 
 erat insigne pallium imperatorum.cocco purpuraque 
 and auro distinctum, Isidor. Origin. 1. 19. c. 24. 
 
 ' Durham and Bishop Patrick in loc. 
 
272 
 
 AN EXPOSiTJON OF THE 
 
 [chap. VII. 
 
 I. I shall consider this abrupt expression, " the 
 king is held in the galleries ;" which seems to have 
 no dependence upon or connection with, either 
 the preceding or subsequent words, but only with 
 the affections of Christ's heart ; who, being as it 
 were, surprised and astonished at, captivated and 
 ravished witli the church's beauty, breaks out in 
 these words, even before he had well finished the 
 account he was giving. And it may be here in- 
 quired, 1st. Who is meant by the king ? 2ndly. 
 What those galleries are in which he is said to be 
 held ? And, 3rdly . What by being held in them ? 
 1st. By the king, we are to understand the Mes- 
 siah, the Lord Jesus Christ ; who is the Governor 
 of the whole universe, has a sovereign dominion 
 over all creatures, is the Prince of the kings of the 
 earth ; who sets up and pulls dowb at pleasure, 
 and exercises an uncontrollable power over all 
 created beings ; and who is in an especial manner 
 the King of saints ; who are committed to him as 
 Mediator by his Father, to rule and govern ; whom 
 he has purchased by his own blood, and conquered 
 by the mighty power of his grace ; in whose 
 hearts he reigns, by putting his Spirit, implanting 
 his grace, and writing his laws there ; whom he 
 continually protects, subdues their enemies, and 
 supplies with all things necessary; this kingdom 
 \ of his is not of this world ; it is not supported by 
 worldly power ; nor carried on with worldly in- 
 terest ; nor does it appear in worldly pomp and 
 splendour : but is of an invisible and spiritual na- 
 ture; it is managed according to the strictest 
 rules of justice and equity, and is upon such a 
 foundation as will last for ever. 
 
 2ndly. By the galleries in which this great 
 kinu; is held, we are to understand the ordinances 
 of the gospel ; the same word, which is here ren- 
 dered galleries, is, in chap. i. 17, translated 
 rafters ; which are of much use for the strength 
 and support of buildings, as the ordinances are 
 for the strengthening of weak hands, and confirm- 
 ing of feeble knees ; the word is also, by some, 
 here rendered canals,^ as it is gutters, in Gen. 
 XXX. 38, 41, and troughs to water cattle in, Exod. 
 ii. 16, which also is applicable to the ordinances 
 of the gospel; through wliich, as through so many 
 cauals, conduit-pipes, or gutters, is conveyed to 
 souls the grace of ihe Spirit, which is in scripture 
 frequently compared to water ; but we render the 
 word galleries; as does R. David Kimchi,'and 
 after him Junius and Tremellius. In the eastern 
 countries, galleries ran along by the sides of great 
 houses, and were a cDmniou passage to the rooms 
 in them ;" and which will well suit with the ordin- 
 auces, which are those galleries where Christ and- 
 believers walk and converse together ; where he 
 discovers the secrets of his love, and leads them 
 into a farther acquaintance with his covenant 
 grace : from whence they have delightful views 
 
 "i 8o Montanus, Bnghtman, Cocceius, Jlercerus, 
 Tigurine and Vulgate Latin versions : and so the 
 Jews understand it in Shirhashirim Kabba in loc. 
 and in Vajikra Kabba, parash. 31. and the Targuiu 
 
 of his precious person ; who having been some 
 time absent from them, they now from hence be- 
 hold him coming towards them, " leaping upon 
 the mountains, and skipping upon the hills;" here 
 they are oftentimes indulged with Pisgah views : 
 and not only see the King in his beauty, but also 
 behold the good land which is very far off. But, 
 3rd]y. 1 shall next consider what is meant by 
 this great person's being held there. The word 
 signifies a being hound, as a prisoner, with chains 
 and fetters: 11. Aben Ezra and Alshech acknow- 
 ledge, that the Messiah is here intended ; and tell 
 us, that it was the opinion of their ancient Rab- 
 bins, that he was born the day that Jerusalem was 
 destroyed ; and if you ask the modern Jews, why 
 then they are so unbelieving concerning him ? they 
 will tell you, that though he was then born, he is 
 not yet revealed ; and if you ask where he now 
 is, some of them will tell you, that he is in para- 
 dise, where lie lies tied and bound with the locks 
 of womens' hair, which are like to the frizzles and 
 curling of water in canals ; to support which 
 whim of tlieirs, they torture this text of ours, and 
 read it thus; " the hair of thine head is like 
 purple, with which the king is tied or bound in 
 the walks" or canals ;° that is, in paradise. But 
 though the King Messiah is here represented as 
 one bouud as a prisoner, yet not in this ridiculous 
 seuse : but his being held or bound in the gal- 
 leries or ordinances of his house, shows, 1. How 
 much his heart was ravished and captivated with 
 the beauty of his church ! it struck him with so 
 much wonder, and iilled him with so much plea- 
 sure, that he was like one bound in chains, and 
 could not stir hand nor foot ; had no power to 
 move along, nor could he take his eye off her ; 
 but stood and gazed upon her, as one surprised 
 and astonished at her. Or, 2. It is expressive 
 of Christ's fixed habitation in his house and ordin- 
 ances ; for though believers do not always per- 
 ceive him, yet he always is there ; he has promised 
 so to be, and he is as good as his word ; nay, he 
 takes delight and pleasure in being there, and 
 that, as much as any man can, to be in his own 
 house, and to walk in the galleiaes of it ; " This 
 is my rest for ever," says he. Psalm cxxxii. 14, 
 " here will I dwell, for I have desired it ;" he is, 
 as it were, tied and fastened to its rafters, and 
 bound in its galleries. Or, 3. It may be meant of 
 any earthly king or prince whatever : and then the 
 seuse is as Junius gives it — There is no king so 
 great and glorious, if he should behold thy be;iuty 
 and glory, but would stand amazed at it : aud 
 would be held with a perpetual desire of seeing it ; 
 esteeming it far above his own or the glory of the 
 whole world ; aud indeed, the earthly glory aud 
 grandeur of the greatest prince and monarch in 
 the universe, is far inferior to that of Christ's 
 church ; if Solomon, in all his glory, was not 
 aud Abeu Ezra in loc. ' In lib. Shorash. rad. 
 
 TOm. ■» jjee Shaws Travels, p. 273. 
 
 Buxtorf. Synag. Jud. c. 50. 
 
 • Vid. 
 
VEE. 7.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 273 
 
 arrayed like one of the lilies of the field, much 
 less is any king or prince to be compared with 
 Christ's lily, the church ; but, though this sense 
 serves much to set off the church's glory, and 
 beauty: yet I rather choose the other, which best 
 expresses the affection of Christ, and the astonish- 
 ing beauty of his church. 
 
 II. In verse 6 Christ gives a general and 
 comprehensive summary of his church's beauty ; 
 and at the same time expresses the strongest af- 
 fection for her, saying, " How fair and how plea- 
 sant art thou, O love, for delights." Where may 
 be observed, 
 
 1st. The title he gives her, " love." The 
 church is Christ's love, both objectively and sub- 
 jectively ; she is the object of his love, whom he 
 loved from all eternity ; loves in time without 
 any change or variation, and will love to all eter- 
 nity, without the least interruption ; she is also 
 one who dearly loves Christ, in whose heart that 
 grace dwells and reigns ; which she discovers by 
 her regard to his person, value for his ordinances, 
 and respect to his commands : of this title, see more 
 on chap. i. 9 ; though indeed a different word is 
 here made use of, and that more full and expres- 
 sive, both of Christ's love to her, and hers to 
 Christ, than is there ; she is called love in the ab- 
 stract ; as being all over love, love itself, nothing 
 else but love ; and altogether lovely in his esteem. 
 2ndly. The commendations that are given of 
 her, are, 1. That she is fair ; and so she is, not 
 in herself, but in Christ ; not in her own nature 
 and righteousness, which are unclean, but in his 
 own person and righteousness, which are without 
 spot and blemish ; not as she is now considered 
 in this imperfect state, but as she shall be here- 
 after, when she shall be presented " a glorious 
 church, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing;" 
 though now, in Christ's eye, she is all fair, and 
 there is no spot in her ; but this commendation 
 we have frequently met with. 2. She is also said 
 to be pleasant : which epithet is by her given to 
 Christ, in chap. i. 16, which he here returns to 
 her ; it being usual in this song for these two ex- 
 cellent lovers so ,to do. The church now was 
 pleasant to Christ, and that for delights ; he 
 having loved her, not only with a love of benevo- 
 lence, but with a love of complacency and delight, 
 and. that before the foundation of the world, as 
 appears from Prov. viii. 31. The church, I say, 
 is pleasant to him, as she is his spouse and bride ; 
 for though she is as the loving hind, and pleasant 
 roe unto him ; and as she is the portion and in- 
 heritance, of which he says, " the lines are fallen 
 to me in pleasant places ;" and also as she is his 
 friend and intimate acquaintance, she is pleasant 
 to him, as Jonathan was to David. Moreover, 
 she is so as she is clothed with his righteousness 
 and adorned rtith the graces of his Spirit ; her 
 countenance is comely ; her voice, both in prayer 
 
 and praise, is sweet ; her faith and love are 
 ravishing, and her company delightful : in short 
 he takes abundance of satisfaction and pleasure in 
 her : she was all delight" to him ; her countenance, 
 voice, actions, and gesture. And therefore, 
 
 3rdly. Expresses it after the manner he does, 
 " How fair and how pleasant art thou !" that is, 
 thou art incomparably and inexpressibly so ; none 
 can tell how fair thou art in my eye, and how 
 pleasant and delightful thou art unto me ; it is 
 beyond all human thought and expression. What 
 astonishing love and grace now appears in all this, 
 that one so great and glorious, as this royal per- 
 son is, should be so much in love with, and take 
 so much delight and pleasure in such poor, vile, 
 and sinful creatures, as we are I 
 
 Verse 7. This thy stature is like to a palm-tree, 
 and thij breasts to clusters of grapes. 
 
 Christ, having gone through the ten particular 
 instances of his church's beauty, in the five first 
 verses of this chapter, and given a comprehensive 
 summary of the whole in ver. 6 ; «ne would have 
 thought he had done ; but as mot satisfied with 
 the commendations he had given, and as not 
 knowing when nor how to give over, the subject 
 being so delightful to him, begins anew in these 
 words ; where he, 
 
 I. In general commends her stature, by com- 
 paring it " to a palm-tree." 
 
 II. Her breasts in particular, which are likened 
 to " clusters of grapes." 
 
 I. He compares her stature to a " palm-tree." 
 Her stature is what arises from and is made up 
 of the abovesaid parts, which he had commended, 
 as is manifest from the relative this ; which being 
 aU set in their proper place, and in a just propor- 
 tion, as the members of the church are by God, 
 see Cor. xii. 12 — 18, look very beautiful and 
 comely : the word properly signifies height, tall- 
 ness, and straightness : to be of a tall stature, was 
 accounted very honourable, and an indication of 
 majesty ; such an one was fit to be chosen a king, 
 as Saul was, who " was higher than any of the 
 people, from his shoulders and upwards;" and 
 when Samuel came to anoint one of the sons of 
 Jesse, as king in his stead, the first-bora, Eliab, 
 was presented to him ; who, when he saw his 
 comely countenance, and the height of his stature, 
 judged him to be the Lord's anointed ; but the 
 Lord bid him not look on these things, nor judge 
 according to them as man does, for he was not 
 the person he had his eye npon. As the tallness 
 of men is expressed by the palm-tree ; thus Moses 
 is said to be admired by the Ethiopians for his 
 beautiful stature, like the palm-tree;'' so the 
 simile of a tree, as here of a palm-tree, is not an 
 improper one to express the tall stature of a 
 woman ; so Galatea is, for height and tallness, 
 compared to aa alder and to a plane-tree ;i and 
 
 " Meae deliciae, Plauti Stichus, act. 5. sc. 5. 
 p Sepher. Dibre Hayamim. fol. 7. 2. i Ovid. 
 
 Metamorph I. 13. fab. 8. 
 
274 
 
 AN EXl'OSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. vn. 
 
 Helena, to a cypress-tree in a garden,' on the 
 same account: and if Solomon here has any refer- 
 euce to Pharaoh's daughter, his wife, since the Egyp- 
 tian palm-tree is said to be the best,* he might thitik 
 of that, which is described " of body straight, 
 liigh, round, and slender ;"' and fitly expresses a 
 good shape and stature, which recommended a 
 person to their lovers." Now the church being 
 here represented as tall of stature, may be expres- 
 sive of her royal mnjesty and greatness; and so 
 the Septuagiut render the words, " This thy great- 
 ness is like to the palm-tree. "^^ Moreover, tall- 
 ness of stature was ever accounted no small ad- 
 dition to beauty ; and therefore women have, in 
 former as well as in latter ages, worn crnaments 
 upon the very top of their heads, as well as high 
 shoes on their feet, to make them appear the taller; and 
 perhaps (his was the reason why the Jewish women 
 walked " with stretched-forth necks," as is ob- 
 served in Isa. iii. 16 ; so that this rnay be taken 
 notice of by Christ, as a commendation of the 
 church's beauty. The palm-tree is a beautiful 
 tree ; and some have been compared to it for their 
 beauty; thus Homer'' compares the beauty of 
 Nausicaa to the tender branch of a palm-tree ; 
 here the church is compared to it for her stature : 
 and to be of a tall stature, is in many cases useful, 
 and such, in many instances, have the advantage 
 of others : Zaccheus, because he was low of stature, 
 was obliged to climb a sycamore-tree, or he had 
 lost the sight of Christ, which he was so desirous 
 of gratifying his curiosity with. But to proceed: 
 by the church's stature, is meant no other than that 
 " measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ," 
 mentioned in Eph. iv. 13, which the church and 
 all true believers are growing up to, aud shall 
 arrive at ; for which reason the means of grace, 
 the ministry of the word, aud the ordinances of 
 the gospel, are instituted and continued : and 
 then will the church have arrived to this stature, 
 when all the elect are gathered in, and every 
 member joined to the body ; aud these all fiUed 
 with the several gifts and graces of the Spirit de- 
 signed for them ; and are all grown up to a just 
 proportion in the body ; aud iu this state and con- 
 dition Christ seems to view his church here, and 
 therefore gives her this commendation. Now to 
 this stature no addition can be made, but by the 
 grace and Spirit of God ; as no man, " by taking 
 tliought," or projecting ever so many ways aud 
 methods, " cau add one cubit unto his bodily 
 stature, " so none can, by auy methods of their 
 own, add to their spiritual stature, nor to the 
 stature of the church of Christ : it is the Spiiit 
 of God that convinces and converts sinners; he 
 works upon their wills aud affections, aud powerfully 
 inclines their hearts to give themselves first to the 
 
 ' Theocrit. Idyll. 18. v. 30. = A. Gell. Noct. 
 
 Attic. 1. 7. c. Hi. Vid. Strabo, 1. 17. p 563. 
 
 ' Sandy's Travels, b. 2. p. 7G. » Amo forma 
 
 pulchram, Btatura procerem, Theophilusapud Allien. 
 Deipnosoi.h. I. !3 c. 2. p. 603. " "jnmp ,ify((^o9 
 
 ff«, Sept. statura tua, Vulgate Latin version. 
 
 Lord, and then to the churches ; and when they 
 are planted there, it is he that, by the effusions 
 aud influences of his grace, makes them grow up 
 as " willows by the water-courses." 
 
 Now this stature of the church, is by Christ 
 compared to a " palm-tree :" a tree well known 
 in Judea, where great plenty of them grew ; aud 
 as Pliny'' says, the noblest and best of this sort of 
 trees, and especially about Jericho ; which is fre- 
 queutly in scripture called " the city of palm- 
 trees ;" as is Eugcdi sometimes called Hazazon- 
 tamar, from the palm-trees which grew there; 
 and some^ have observed that this tree, iu future 
 times, became an emblem of that country ; and 
 therefore the coin of several of the Roman princes 
 had the figure of a palm-tree upon them, and par- 
 ticularly Vespasian's, aud the medal of the em- 
 peror Titas was struck with the figure of a captive 
 woman, sitting under a palm tree, with this in- 
 scription on it, Jtidwa capta, " Judea is taken :" 
 the metaphor is taken, as are usually all the meta- 
 phors, similes, and comparisons, in this book, 
 from what was well kuo\'vn in this country ; and 
 it is no unusual thing in scripture for saints to be 
 compared to palm-trees; in Psalm xcii. 12, it is 
 said, " the righteous shall flourish like the palm- 
 tree;" and in Solomon's temple, which was a 
 figure of the church of Christ, were palm-trees 
 carved upon all the walls of the house rouud 
 about, and upon the doors of the oracle ; to teach 
 us, that none but saints ought to have a place in 
 God's house below, or shall be admitted into hea- 
 ven above, signified by the oracle, or holy of 
 holies : also in Ezekiel's temple, which was shown 
 him in a vision, were palm-trees and cherubim ; 
 between every cherub and cherub was a palm- 
 tree ; which temple was either a figure of the gos- 
 pel-church, or of the church-triumjihaut in glory ; 
 and if that is true, as some" have thought, that 
 the places of the fallen angels are filled up with 
 men redeemed by Christ ; that the same number 
 are redeemed among the one, as fell among the 
 other ; this description would give a beautiful 
 illustration of it ; for as a cherub and a palin- 
 trce, a cherub and a palm-tree, were placed in 
 this order throughout the house ; so an angel 
 aud a saint, an angel aud a saint, an equal number 
 of each according to this notion, will be in the 
 heavenly glory. But, to consider a little parti- 
 cularly why the church, and all true believers, 
 may be compared to palm-trees : aud they may 
 for these following reasons. 1. The piJin-tree 
 grows up very tall, straight, and upright ;*> aud 
 therefore the idols of the Gentiles are compared 
 unto it, in Jer. x. 5, "they are upright as the 
 palm-tree :" and saints may be said to be so in a 
 spiritual sense ; and that if we consider theui 
 
 ^ Odyss. 6. V. 163, 164. y Lib. 13. c. 4. 
 
 ' Soto Mtijor and Biskop Patrick in loc. Vid. 
 Flarduini Opera, p. 331. 2. 3.S2. I. 731. 1. 2. 735. I. 
 743. 2. » August, de Civit. Dei. I. 22. c. 1. and 
 
 in Enchir. c. 29. h Levin. Lemnii. Uerb. Bibl. 
 
 Explic. c. 20. 
 
VER. 
 
 7.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 275 
 
 either in the exercise of their faith, or in the mo- 
 tioos of their affections, or in the tendency of their 
 desires, or agreeableness of their conversations ; 
 their faith looks straight upwards to a Christ 
 above, and fixes its eye upon his person, blood, 
 and righteousness ; and does not look downwards 
 to its frames, duties, services, or performances : 
 their affections move heavenwards, and are set on 
 things above, and not on things on earth ; and 
 therefore are compared to pillars of smoke, which 
 move straight upwards, and which rise up in the 
 form of palm-trees, as has been observed on chap. 
 iii. 6 ; their desires also steer the same course, 
 and move after Christ; they want to have a 
 larger knowledge of him, more communion with 
 hira, and a nearer conformity to him ; they are 
 breathing after the heavenly joys ; and having 
 seen the vanity and emptiness of this world, and 
 the things of it, desire the better country and con- 
 tinuing city, which God is the Builder and ]\Iaker 
 of ; and long to be unclothed of this mortal body, 
 that they might be clothed with their house from 
 heaven : thus, like the palm-tree, their souls move 
 upward in their faith in, love to, and desires after 
 Christ, and those unseen glories which he is pre- 
 paring for his people : and as they are apright in 
 their hearts, so they are in their conversations, 
 wiiich are often in heaven, and employed about 
 heavenly things, even whilst they are here on earth, 
 wliich renders them becoming the gospel of Christ 
 Jesus. 2. The palm-tree will grow straigiit and 
 upright, even though many weights are hung 
 upon it :"= saints have many weights and pressures 
 upon them ; the apostle says, Heb. xii. 1, "let us 
 lay aside every weight ;" which shows that they 
 have more than one ; they have a body of sin and 
 death, which presses them hard, and makes them 
 groan, being burdened with it; as also a variety 
 of afflictions which attend them ; as well as a load 
 of reproaches and censures thrown upon them by 
 the world, which often fall very hard and heavy ; 
 besides the many persecutions of various sorts 
 ■which they endure ; and yet, as the apostle says, 
 2 Cor. iv. 8, 9, though they " are troubled on 
 every side, yet not distressed;" they " are per- 
 plexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not 
 forsaken ; cast down, but not destroyed ;" they 
 are supported under all, and still grow upright like 
 the palm-tree; "noneof these things move" them, 
 to turn or bend either one way or another ; nor 
 tempt them to desert the cause they have espoused ; 
 but continue in it with an unshaken mind, and a 
 courageous and magnanimous spirit ; so R. Solo- 
 mon Jarchi applies this to the Jewish church, vvhich 
 stood as upright as the palm-tree, refusing to be 
 guilty of idolatry, in Nebuchadnezzar's time, when 
 other nations bowed and fell down before his golden 
 image : nay, saints not only bear up under all these 
 weights and pressures, but oftentimes grow the 
 
 Levin. Lemnii Herb. Bibl. Exp'.ic. c. 20. 
 ■• Ibid. « Plin. 1. 13. c. 4. and Dalecamp. in 
 
 idem. f Plin. 1. 17. c 24. « Plin. 1. 16. c. 
 
 more in their faith, love, knowledge, and expe- 
 rience, under them ; as the children of Israel, who 
 the more they were afflicted, the more they grew 
 and multiplied. 3. The palm-tree is a fruit-bear- 
 ing tree ; it bears the ft-uit which is called dales, 
 which is not only of a beautiful aspect, but of a de- 
 lightful taste, aud it is fit both for food and drink;'' 
 and this perhaps was the reason why the children 
 of Israel pitched their camp at Elim, Numb, xxxiii. 
 9 ; because there were not only " twelve fountains 
 of water " there, but also " threescore and ten 
 palm-trees :" the saints, being implanted and in- 
 grafted In Christ Jesus, and abiding in him, bring 
 forth fruit ; they are laden with all tlie blessings 
 of the everlasting covenant, the graces of the 
 Spirit, and the precious fruits of righteousness; all 
 which fruit tliey have from Christ, who is their 
 " green fir-tree." 4. Naturalists^ tell us, that 
 the vital force or power of the palm-tree is not in 
 its root, as in other trees, but in its top, which 
 they call the cerebrum, or brain ; and that if its 
 top is lopped off, it immediately becomes barren :' 
 the saint's life is not in themselves, but in their 
 Head, Christ Jesus ; is is from him they receive 
 all their grace, and strength, their life and nourish- 
 ment, their fruit and fruitfulness ; and if it was 
 possible that any separation could be made between 
 them and their head, they would not only become 
 barren and unfruitful, but entirely dead and life- 
 less. 5. The leaves of the palm-tree are always 
 green ; it has on the top of it a tuft of leaves four 
 feet long, which never fall off, but always continue 
 upon it in the same verdure ; it is a tree which 
 never rots :S the saints are frequently compared to 
 trees in scripture, and that to such whose leaves 
 do not wither, as in Psalm i. 3, Jer. xvii. 8 ; when 
 hypocrites and carnal professors are called Sei/Spa 
 (p6iv(Tiraiptva, "treesthat are withered in autumn;"'' 
 at which time not only the fruit is gone but 
 the leaves fall : but saints being ingrafted in 
 Christ, and planted by the rivers of divine love 
 aud grace, continually retain their verdure, shall 
 never perish, but persevere for ever. 6. The 
 palm-tree is very long-lived,' and continues flourish- 
 ing a long time : it is, as Dr. Shaw** was informed, 
 in its greatest vigour about thirty years after it is 
 planted, and continues in full vigour seventy years 
 more, bearing all this while every jear about three 
 or four hundred pounds weight of dates ; aud Sym- 
 machus renders the words here, " this thine " age 
 is like unto the palm-tree : hence the flourishing 
 of the righteous is compared unto it, in Psalm scii. 
 12 ; in opposition to that of the wicked, in v. 7 ; 
 which is said to be as the flourishing of grass, 
 which is soon over, and continues but a short 
 time ; but the palm-tree abides so for many years, 
 as before observed :' and this may be expressive of 
 the perseverance of the saints, whose grace is im- 
 mortal and incorruptible ; • whose persons shall 
 
 20. Lemnii Herb. Bibl. Explic. c. 20. >■ Jude 12. 
 
 ■ Plin, 1. 16. c. 44. "" Travels, p. 244. 
 
 ' Yid. K. Aben Ezrasi in Psal xcii. 12. 
 T 2 
 
270 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VII. 
 
 never perish, nor ever be subject to the second 
 death, but shall live for evermore. 7. The palm- 
 tree grows and flourishes best in hot and sunny 
 places;™ it will not grow in cold countries, and 
 therefore we have it not here : so saints, being 
 " planted in the house of the Lord," where in the 
 ordinances, they sitting under the warm and 
 quickening beams of the " Sua of righteousness," 
 Christ Jesus, "flourish in the courts of our God;" 
 these are the best places for them, namely, the 
 house and ordinances of God ; here they delight to 
 be, and here they thrive most, because here " the 
 Lord is a sun and a shield " unto them. 8. 
 Branches of the palm-tree have beeu used as tokens 
 of joy and emblems of victory ; tlie Jews had a 
 feast of tabernacles, whicli they kept as a time of 
 rejoicing ; and among other demonstrations of joy, 
 this was one, to carry palm-tree branches in their 
 hands. Lev. xxiii. 40, as did also much people of 
 the Jews, when Christ rode ia triumpii to Jeru- 
 salem, as an indication of the joy they were filled 
 with at his coming, and to welcome him into 
 their city, John xii. 13 ; so likewise the saints 
 are described, who were come out of great tribu- 
 lations, and had gotten the victory over all their ene- 
 mies, as " clothed with white robes, and palms or 
 palm-tree branches in their hands," Rev. vii. 9 ; 
 saints, of all persons in the world, have reason to 
 rejoice in the views of an atoning sacrifice, a jus- 
 tifying righteousness, and peace and pardon by 
 Christ Jesus, through whom they are made "more 
 than conquerors " over sin, Satan, and the world ; 
 and a number of these, with palm-tree branches in 
 their hands, will look like so many palm-trees. But, 
 II. The church's breasts in particular are 
 commended by Christ, and compared to " clusters 
 of grapes :" this part has been already commended 
 in chap. iv. 5, and is repeated in ver. 3 of this 
 chapter ; but here a different metaphor is made 
 use of; there they are compared to " two young 
 roes that are twins," here to clusters of grapes. 
 The word ffrapes is not in the Hebrew text; 
 though the Targum supplies it, as our Transla- 
 tors do : R. Aben Ezra thinks, that clusters of 
 the vine are meant, which might be planted by, 
 and run up upon the palm-tree ; though I should 
 rather think, that " clusters of dates," the fruit of 
 the palm-tree itself, are here intended ; especially 
 seeing this fruit, as Pliny" observes, grows in 
 clusters, hanging upon the shoots, like bunches of 
 grapes : moreover, her breasts are compared to 
 " clusters of the vine," in the following verse ; 
 and it does not appear so probable, that Christ 
 should use the same metaphor, to commend the 
 same part in two verses together. "What we are 
 to understand by the church's breasts, has been 
 shown on chap. iv. 5, but seeing a different meta- 
 phor is made use of here, it may not be improper 
 to observe the agreement between them. And, 
 
 1st. By her breasts may be meant the ministers 
 of the gospel. R. Solomon Jarcbi would haye 
 " Plin. 1. 13. c. 4. 
 
 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, hero 
 understood, who were as breasts to others in cap- , 
 tivity : but it is much better to understand them 
 of gospel-ministers ; who not only direct men 
 where they may have food, invite them to it, and 
 dissuade them from every thing that would be 
 pernicious to them ; but also feed them themselves, 
 with " the sincere milk of the word, and bread of 
 life; they rightly divide" or cut the word of 
 truth; and, as wise and faithful stewards, give to 
 every one their portion of meat iu due season. 
 These may be compared to clusters, either of 
 grapes or dates, ] . Because of their number : it is 
 a great mercy to the churches of Christ, when 
 there are plenty of gospel-ministers; Christ advised 
 his disciples to pray for it, because the " harvest 
 was plenteous," and labom-ers were but few, Matt. 
 ix. 37, 38. 2. Because of their unity, likeness, 
 and agreement ; for though they have gifts and 
 grace difi'ering from each other, one has more 
 than another has ; yet they have one and the same 
 commission, and preach one and the same Christ 
 as the only way of salvation, though they may not 
 be attended with equal success. 3. Like clusters 
 of dates, the fruit of the palm-tree, they are the 
 fruit of the church ; and such are the best minis- 
 ters, who are educated and brought up in churches, 
 and approved and sent out by them. Or else, 
 
 2ndly. By the church's breasts may be meant, 
 the Old and New Testaments ; which, like breasts, 
 are full of the " milk of the word ;" than which, 
 no two breasts are more like one another; like 
 the two cherubim upon the mercy-seat they look 
 towards each other: these may be compared to 
 clusters, because there are in them clusters of ex- 
 cellent doctrines and precious promises; there 
 are not only here and there a berry, but clusters 
 of them ; which being pressed and squeezed by 
 hearing, reading, meditation, and prayer, yield 
 both delight and nourishment to men. Or else, 
 
 3rdly. By them may be meant the ordinances 
 of baptism and the Lord's supper, which are 
 " breasts of consolation " to believers ; and when 
 they have the presence of Christ in them, and the 
 discoveries of his love to them, then they are not 
 " dry breasts;" they cannot say, they have "no 
 cluster to eat ;" but as when there is " new wine 
 found in the cluster," and one saith, " destroy it 
 not, for a blessing is in it," Isa. Ixv. 8, so have 
 they much pleasure, satisfaction, and delight 
 therein : and the church's breasts being thus like 
 clusters, full in themselves, are also delightful and 
 beautiful iu Christ's eye, and therefore are thus 
 commended by him. 
 
 Verse 8. I said I will go up to the palm-tree, I 
 will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also 
 thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vi7te, 
 and the smell of thy nose like apples. 
 
 Christ having compared the church to a palm- 
 
 » Plin. 1. 1. 3. c 4. 
 
VER. 8.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 277 
 
 tree, and her breasts to " clusters of dates," the 
 fnut thereof, does here, * 
 
 I. Make a resolution or promise to go up into 
 it, and "take hold of the boughs thereof." 
 
 II. Mentions several effects following upon bis 
 putting this resolution into practice, or fulfilling 
 this promise ; two of which we have an account 
 of in these words: as, 1st. That her breasts 
 should be filled, and become like " clusters of the 
 vine." 2ndly. " The smell of her nose" should 
 be " like apples." 
 
 I. "We have in these words Christ's resolution 
 or promise; which consists of two parts: 1st. 
 He resolves to " to go up to the palm-tree." 
 2ndly. When there, to " take hold of the boughs 
 thereof." 
 
 1st. He signifies it as his will, to " go up to 
 tiie palm-tree." Some popish" writers have fan- 
 cied that the cross of Christ, or at least some 
 part of it, was made of the wood of the palm- 
 tree ; to support which they have no sufficient 
 proof or efvidence ; though it is not very unlikely, 
 seeing there was such plenty of those sort of trees 
 in Judea, as has been observed on the former 
 verse : and therefore, some'' have thought, that 
 by Christ's going up to the palm-tree, is meant 
 his crucifixion, which he expresses by being lifted 
 up, in John xii. 33.. Moreover, his going up to it 
 may signify his voluntary submission unto death, 
 even the " death of the cross :" besides, the palm- 
 tree being an emblem of victory, may represent 
 the conquest which Christ has obtained over all 
 his and our enemies ; he has destroyed sin, over- 
 come the world, abolished death, spoiled princi- 
 palities and powers, and made a show of them, 
 openly triumphing over them on the cross. 
 
 Though othersi have thought, that by Christ's 
 going up to the palm-tree, are meant his ascension 
 into heaven, his conjunction with his church 
 there, and that unspeakable pleasm-e which he will 
 take in her for evermore: it is true, Christ not 
 only ascended to his God and our God, to his 
 Father and our Father ; but also went up to the 
 church triumphant, which may very fitly be com- 
 pared to a palm-tree ; the saints there appearing 
 with " white robes and palms, palm-tree branches 
 in their hands ;" as a token of that joy they are 
 possessed of, and of that victory over all their 
 enemies, which they are sharers in, through Christ 
 Jesus : and it was the delightful company of these 
 persons, which Christ had in view in becoming a 
 Surety for them, assuming their nature, and dying 
 iu their room and stead ; it was this " joy that 
 was set before him," which caused him so pati- 
 ently to " endure the cross, despising the shame " 
 which attended it. Though I am rather inclined 
 to think, that by the palm-tree here, we are to 
 understand the church mUitaut, as in the forego- 
 ing verse ; and Christ's going up into it, is ex- 
 
 pressive, 1. Of his right unto, and property in 
 his church : she is his by the gift of the Father, 
 and by the purchase of his own blood, as well as 
 by the conquest of his powerful and efficacious 
 grace ; ou which account he claims an interest in 
 her, and says, " I have redeemed thee, I have 
 called thee by thy name, thou art mine ;" and 
 she is very free to own and acknowledge this right- 
 ful claim unto her, as it is her honour, interest, 
 and duty so to do : this palm-tiee is of his own 
 planting ; he waters it every moment ; he keeps 
 it night aud day ; he prunes it, and makes it 
 fruitful ; and therefore has a right to go up into 
 it wheu he pleases. 2. Of his presence with her; 
 so Christ is said to be " among the myrtle-trees," 
 in Zech. i. 8, as he is here said to go up into the 
 palm-tree ; and this is the grand reason why the 
 church is at any time iu a flourishing condition, 
 aud like the palm-tree, grows, though never such 
 weights and pressures are upon it ; because Christ 
 is in the midst of her, and grants his gracious 
 and supporting presence to her. 3. Of his delight 
 in her ; he loves to be in her presence and com- 
 pany, as men do to go up into their trees, and 
 handle the boughs thereof. His saints are " the 
 excellent in the earth," iu whom his delight was 
 before the world began, and uow is, and ever will 
 be : the mutual delight which appears in the bride 
 aud bridegroom, falls short of expressing that 
 which Christ takes in his church ; he " rejoices 
 over her with joy ; he rests in his love towards 
 her, and joys over her with singing," Zech. iii. 
 17. 
 
 Now from Christ's going up into his palm-tree, 
 the church, we are not to imagine that the church 
 is higher than Christ, for he is far superior to her ; 
 and it is an instance of his grace and condescen- 
 sion, that he will take notice of her and grant his 
 presence to her; he is her Head and Husband, 
 her Lord and King, and therefore she is inferior, 
 and ought to be in subjection to him ; and though 
 he was in our nature, and that by reason of suf- 
 fering in it, made " a little lower than the an- 
 gels ;" yet he is vastly higher than they, yea, 
 higher than the heavens themselves. But this 
 expression here is suited, and is very agreeable to 
 the metaphor here made use of. The palm-tree 
 is a very tall tree ; and its boughs and branches 
 do not grow out of the sides, as in many other 
 trees, but only on the top of it; so that whosoever 
 would lay hold upon them and gather the fruit, 
 must go up into it : moreover, the trunk and body 
 of it is made with rings in the bark of it, like 
 steps ; so that it may be very easily climbed, which 
 is done by the eastern people, with an incredible 
 swiftness :' these steps are made of the knots or 
 polices, as Dr Shaw' calls them, being gradually 
 left upon the trunk of the tree, serve, like so many 
 rounds of a ladder, to climb up the tree, either to 
 
 Vid. Soto Major in loc. p Foliot and Alculn | Travels, b. 2. p. 79. 
 
 in loc. Tertull. and Cyprian, in Soto Major in loc. ed 2. 
 1 Diodat. in loc. ' Plin. 1. 13. «. i. so Sandy's 
 
 travels, torn. 1. p.lH2. 
 
278 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VII. 
 
 fecundate it, or to lop it, or to gather the fruit : 
 Luciau' observea that " those who have seea how 
 men get up iuto palm-trees, in Arabia, Egypt, and 
 other places, much needs understand what he says, 
 about climbing the Phalli in the temple of Hyra- 
 polis iu Syria, he is describing." 
 
 2iidly. Going up iuto the palm-tree, is in order 
 to take hold on the boughs of it. Tlie palm-tree 
 has no boughs or branches growing out of the 
 sides of the trunk of it, as before observed, but 
 shoots upon the top of it, on which its fruit 
 hangs ; and the Septuagiut renders it, '• I will 
 take hold of the heights of it;" some render it, 
 the fruit of it, as the Vulgate Latin version ; to 
 which Kircher inclines : and this ascent to the 
 top of it was, either to gather the fruit, or to crop 
 the shoots themselves, and eat them ; for the tops 
 of them, which are of the first year's growth, are 
 very tender and sweet, and may be eaten ;" so the 
 top of the palm-tree, which some call the cerebrum, 
 or brain, is very sweet;"" and is spoiien of as very 
 pleasant and nourishing.'' Christ's end in doing 
 this may be twofold : 1. To gather the fruits of 
 it ; which he has an undoubted right unto ; they 
 are his: whether we understand by them 
 the blessings of grace, which believers are pos- 
 sessed of; or the graces ot the Spirit, which are 
 implanted iu them ; or the good works which they 
 are enabled to perform ; these all come from him ; 
 he is the " green tir-tree," from whom all the 
 believers' " fruit is found ;" therefore he may lay 
 hold on the boughs and gather the fruit when he 
 pleases , in doing which, he takes much delight 
 and pleasure, and is kindly invited by his church 
 thereunto : see chap. iv. 16. 2. His other end in 
 
 and they made under those sharp trials, to yield 
 the peaceable fruits of righteousness : moreover 
 Christ sometimes effects this work by suffering 
 persecution to befal his churches ; this sun scorches 
 up those plants, which are not of Christ's planting, 
 and are not rooted in his person and grace ; ibis is 
 the fan which Christ sometimes takes in his hand, 
 and " thoroughly purges his floor," the church, of 
 hypocrites and formal professors ; this is his 
 pruning-knife, with which he lops off those fruit- 
 less and withered branches. This is an awful way 
 of pruning the boughs of his palm-tree. 
 
 It may be observed, that these words are de- 
 livered in the form of a purpose or promise, " J 
 said I will go up," &c., Christ thinks, and then 
 resolves, before he acts : he does all things de- 
 liberately, and according to the counsel of his own 
 will, and always for his own glory and his church's 
 good : moreover, this being a promise of Christ's, 
 the performance of it may be expected by his 
 people ; for " l^e is faithful who has promised ;" 
 it may also be pleaded by them : Has he promised 
 to go up into his palm-tree, or grant his presence 
 in his church ? He wiU be as good as his word ; 
 his people may expect his presence there ; and 
 they are allowed to put him in mind of sucli a 
 promise, which they need not doubt the fulfilment 
 of. But, 
 
 II. Let us now consider the effects of Christ's 
 going up into his palm-tree ; and we find two 
 of them mentioned in this verse, and a third in 
 the following one : 
 
 1st. The church's breasts become like " clus- 
 ters of the vine ;" that is, of grapes which grow 
 in clusters on the vine:^ which words may be 
 
 laying hold on the boughs, may be to prune them, considered, either as a wish, and be read thus, " and 
 tliat they may bring forth more fruit; this he 
 does sometimes by his word, and the preaching 
 of it: by which sin is corrected, error refuted, 
 and sharp reproofs and admonitions given on the 
 account of both ; for as the word is as an axe to 
 cut down sturdy and obstinate sinners ; so it is 
 as a pruning-knife in Christ's hand, to remove all 
 " superfluity of naughtiness," which hinders the 
 growth of his trees and plants ; sometimes also 
 Christ prunes his churclies by the ordinance of 
 excommunication ; by which he lops off unfruitful 
 branches, such who are unfit for communion in 
 his churches ; which awful sentence is executed 
 sometimes more mildly, and sometimes more se- 
 verely, according to the nature of the offence ; 
 sometimes it is expressed in scripture by a with- 
 drawing from disorderly persons ; at other times, 
 by a rejecting of heretics ; as also, by putting 
 away such who are notoriously vile and wicked : 
 again, Christ prunes his people likewise by 
 afflictive providences, by which their iniquitv 
 is purged, their graces are tried and exercised, 
 
 « De Dea Syria. - Vid. Buxtorf. Lex 
 
 Talmud, rad. "IV col. 200.5. » Plutarch, de San. 
 
 Tuend. vol. 2. p. 13.3. Plin. 1. 13. c. 4. ^ Athena3i 
 
 eipnosophist. 1. 2. c. 28. p. 71. y Liventibus 
 
 a racemis, Propert. 1. \. e'e«. 2. v. 13. ipse racem- 
 
 now let thy breasts be as the clusters of the vine ;"' 
 or else, as a promise that they should be so ; 
 which accordingly was effected by ins granting his 
 presence to her, which filled her breasts, and 
 made them like clusters of the vine. By which 
 may be meant, either, 1. The ministers of the 
 gospel : who not only direct men where the wine 
 and milk of gospel-grace may be had, and invite 
 them to it, but do also themselves feed them with 
 " the sincere milk of the word ;" witli which they 
 are filled, by Christ's granting his pi'csence to 
 them in their studies and meditations ; and are 
 brought forth by him at proper opportunities, 
 laden with " the fulness of the blessing of the 
 gospel of Christ ;" so that these breasts look like 
 clusters of the vine. Or, 2. By them may be 
 meant the ordinances ; which are " breasts of 
 consolation " to God's people, when they have the 
 presence of Christ in them, otherwise they are 
 but dry breasts ; it is that which fills them with 
 milk for nourishment, and with wine for refresh- 
 ment. Or, 3. The two Testaments, with those 
 
 iferis uvis, Ovid Metamorph. 1. 3. v. 6GG. '■ Tl® 
 N3 VrTI and sint quseso mammae tua;, Tigurine ver- 
 Mercerus ; and sint agedura ubera tua, Cocceius; 
 and sint nunc ubera tua. Brightman, and so Ains- 
 vvorth. 
 
9.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 270 
 
 clusters of excellent doctrines and precious pro- 
 mises that are in them ; which, when men have 
 tlie presence of Christ, either in the hearing or 
 reading of them, yield them much delight and 
 comfort, though at other times they are but as a 
 dead letter. Though, 4. This may in general 
 intend that influence, which Christ's presence has 
 on the fruitfiilness of his people ; it is this which 
 makes them fat and flourishing, brisk and lively, 
 in the exercise of grace, fruitful in every good 
 word and work ; so that they grow and thrive in 
 every grace, and are not barren and unfruitful in 
 the knowledge of Christ Jesus. 
 
 2ndly. Another effect of Christ's going up into 
 his palm-tree, or of his presence in his church, 
 is, that " the smell of her nose" thereby becomes 
 like that of apples. Formerly it was usual to 
 anoint the nostrils,* which was reckoned very 
 healthful and i-efreshing to the head ; as well as 
 was done, that they might give the more agreeable 
 smell: and some sort of ointments, it seems, gave 
 a smell like that of apples, which in some is very 
 grateful and delightful; and Cicero*" observes, 
 that the plenty and variety of apples, their plea- 
 sant taste and smell, show that they were only 
 made for men : and indeed there was an ointment 
 made of them, called melinum ; so that the nos- 
 trils being anointed with it, might well be said to 
 smell like apples ; and which was accounted one 
 of the best.'= By which apples may be meant, either 
 1. The refreshing doctrines of the gospel from 
 Christ's ministers; who are the church's nose, 
 and are capable of distinguishing truth from 
 error : these doctrines which they preach, when 
 fitly spoken, seasonably applied, and attended with 
 the power and presence of Christ to poor souls, 
 are like " apples of gold in pictures of silver;" 
 riiiy, not only like apples for sight, being beautifijl 
 to look upon, but also for smell ; for these diffuse 
 a sweet savour of the knowledge of Christ in the 
 souls of his people. Or else, 2. The fame and 
 report of the church's faith, piety, and courage, 
 which was spread far and near ; her faith, for its 
 strength and purity, is compared in ver. 4, to 
 " a tower of ivory ;" and her courage and mag- 
 nanimity in defending this faith against all oppo- 
 sition, is expressed by her nose, being " as the 
 tower of Lebanon, which looketh towards Da- 
 mascus :" now the smell, fame, or report of all 
 this, like the smell of apples, was difi'used abroad, 
 and gained her credit and reputation, even from 
 others : she having, like those heroes, in Heb. 
 xi., " obtained a good report through faith." 
 Or, 3. It may be expressive both of her outward 
 conversation and inward constitution, which were 
 both sound and healthful ; she had an inward 
 principle of grace, from whence proceeded a sa- 
 voury conversation without ; the hidden man of 
 her heart, was that which is not corruptible, which 
 
 * Eva\ei<j>fTai tus pivar, &c. Alsxis apud Athen. 
 Deipnosoph. 1. 2. c. 7. p. 46. lit crocino nare myrr- 
 Iieus ungat onyx, Propertius, I. 3. ^ Dc 
 
 sent forth, not a nauseous, but a grateful odour ; 
 no rotten nor corrupt communication proceeds 
 from hence, but what is not only edifying to 
 others, but grateful to Christ ; and nothing has a 
 greater influence than the presence of Christ, to 
 nwike her inward constitution and outward con- 
 versation so. Though, 4. This may intend the 
 savouriness of those things which she smelt, 
 which were as grateful to her as the smell of 
 apples : thus spiritual and heavenly things, the 
 divine truths and excellent doctrines of the gospel, 
 are exceeding savoury to believers, especially when 
 they have the presence of Christ, the discoveries 
 of his love, and the quickening influences of 
 his Spirit. The third effect follows in the next 
 verse. 
 
 Verse 9. Jfid the roof of thy mouth like ike 
 best wine, for mv beloved, that goeth down 
 sweetly, causing the lijis of those that are asleep, 
 to speak. 
 
 These words contain the third efi'ect of Ciirist's 
 going up into his palm-tree, or granting his 
 presence to his church : in which may be con- 
 sidered, 
 
 I. What is meant by the " roof of her mouth." 
 
 II. Why it is compared to " the best wine." 
 
 III. The commendations of this best wine, to 
 which it is compared ; which, 1st. Is commended 
 from the person, for whose use it is : " for my 
 beloved." 2nd]y. From the property of it ; " it 
 gocth down sweetly." 3rdly. From its effect ; 
 " causing the lips of those that are asleep to 
 speak." 
 
 I. It will be proper to inquire what we are to 
 understand by the roof of the church's mouth. 
 And, 1. By it may be meant her taste; the same 
 word is so rendered in chap. ii. 3. The church's 
 taste is good, and not like that of unconverted 
 persons ; whose taste remains in them, as it is 
 vitiated and corrupted by sin ; so that they are 
 uot capable of discerning the difference of things ; 
 and therefore call evil good, and good evil ; put 
 bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter ; but so is 
 not the church's taste ; she can discern perverse 
 things ; her taste is like the best wine, she can 
 tell whether it is good or no : though perliaps 
 this expression is not so much intended to signify 
 the goodness of her sense of tastiug, as the things 
 which she tastes of, which are the person of Clirist, 
 and the words of his mouth : tastes that the 
 Lord is good in his person, grace, and office ; and 
 finds the doctrines which proceed out of his moulli, 
 and the fruit which drops from him, sweeter to 
 her taste tlian the honey or the honi:y-comb. 2. 
 R. Abeu Ezra thinks that the saliva, or spittle 
 undcf the tongue, is here meant ; and what may 
 be intended by that, may be learnt from chap. iv. 
 11, where it is said, that " honey and milk are 
 
 natm'a Deorum, 1. 2. c. 63. Vid Plutarch. Sympos. 1. 
 5. p. 883. " Athenrcus,ut supra, 1. 15. c. 11. 12. 
 
 p. 688, 689. Plin. Nat. Hist. 1. 13. c. I. and 1. 23. c. 6. 
 
280 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [ciiAP. vn. 
 
 under her tongue ;" that is, the doctrines of the 
 everlasting gospel) which she lays and keeps there, 
 and ro'ls them as a sweet morsel in her mouth, 
 having tasted the goodness of them ; herein she 
 appears to be exceeding different from carnal and 
 unconverted persons, under whose lips the poison 
 of asps is said to be, Rom. iii. 13. 3. Others" 
 think, that by the roof of her mouth, is meant 
 her breath; which proceeds from thence, was 
 sweet and of a good smell, like the best wine ; and 
 not like the breath of carnal persons, whose throats 
 are like an open sepulchre ; from whence are daily 
 belched out horrid oaths, dreadful curses and im- 
 precations upon themselves and others, with 
 cruelty and threatenings to the saints and people 
 of God ; but as for the church's breath, it is of a 
 different nature; no rotten communication pro- 
 ceeds out of her mouth, but what may be for the 
 use of edifying; she breathes out nothing but'peace 
 and love among her members, and also to others : 
 and as for her prayers to God, which may be justly 
 called the breathings of her soul ; these are as 
 sweet odours, being perfumed with the incense of 
 Christ's mediation. Though, 4. I rather think, 
 by the roof other mouth, is meant her speech, 
 or the words of her mouth; for the roof of the 
 mouth is an instrument of speech, as well as of 
 tastwg ; and the same word is frequently rendered 
 the mouth, as in chap. v. 16, Prov. v. 3, and viii. 
 7, which may either intend her speech in common 
 conversation : which, like the best wine, is warm- 
 ing, comforting, and refreshing to souls, as well 
 as grateful to Christ. How many have been cold, 
 dull, and lifeless, when they have first come into 
 the conversation of the saints ; and by it have been 
 warmed, quickened, and refreshed, so that they 
 have gone away with joy and comfort, blessing and 
 praising God for such opportunities ! Or else, by it 
 may be meant the speech of the church in prayer 
 or praise, which are both delightful and well- 
 pleasing to Christ ; her voice in either is sweet 
 unto him, makes delightful music in his ears ; 
 though the prayers of the saints are but like the 
 chatterings of a crane or swallow, yet they are 
 gratefully received by him ; as are also their praises, 
 which are more esteemed by him, than the sacri- 
 fices of an ox or a bullock that has horns and 
 hoofs ■- though I am most inclined to. think that 
 the gospel, which proceeds out of Christ's mouth, 
 and is put into the mouth of his church, which is 
 preached in the midst of her, and by her minister- 
 ing servants, is here intended.^ Which brings us to 
 consider, 
 
 II. "Why this is compared to the best wine : 
 Perhaps the wine of Sharon may be referred to, 
 which was so strong, that they mixed it two parts 
 water and one wine ;* though there were other 
 places in Judea that had the first name for wine ;' 
 the wine of Lebanon was very grateful for taste 
 
 ^ Sanctius inloe. • Misn. Niddali, c. 2. s. 7. 
 
 ' As Kerutim, Hatulim : and ue.xt to tliein, Beth- 
 
 riivia in Bethlabaii in the mountain, and Ceiihar- 
 
 and smell, Hosea xiv. 7, where was a city, called 
 Ampeloessa,^ from the excellency of its wine. 
 1. That is the best wine which is pure and free 
 from dregs and mixtures ; that which is upon the 
 lees, well refined : such is the gospel, as preaclied 
 by the faithful ministers of it, who are not as some, 
 which corrupt the word of God ; they do not mix 
 it with their own inventions, but deliver out this 
 wine of the Gospel, neat and clean, as they hare 
 received it. 2. Wine that has age, is also ac- 
 counted the best : thus saith Christ, Luke v. 39, 
 " No man having drunk old wine, straightway 
 desireth new ; for he saith, the old is better :" 
 the gospel is no novel doctrine ; for though it is 
 more clearly made known under the New Testa- 
 ment dispensation, than it was under the Old, yet 
 it was known then ; it was wrapped up in the 
 types, shadows, and sacrifices of the old law ; it was 
 preached before unto Abraham, nay, to our first 
 parents ia the garden; and was spoken of more 
 or less, ever since, by the mouth of God's holy 
 prophets, which have been since the world began.' 
 3. The best wine is that which is of a good flavour, 
 and delightful to the taste, as well as that which 
 is of a good colour : such is the gospel, it is like 
 milk for nourishment, and like wine for pleasant- 
 ness; nay, like Ezekiel's roll, as honey for sweet- 
 ness; yea, the psalmist says, Psalm cxix. 103, 
 that the words of God's mouth were sweeter than 
 honey to his mouth. 4. Wine is of a cheei'ing and 
 reviving nature ; it is what makes glad the heart 
 of man ; and therefore is proper to be given to 
 those that be of heavy hearts, that they may drink 
 and forget their poverty, and remember' their 
 misery no more : of such a nature is the gospel ; 
 it being received by persons in distress, like the 
 best wine, it cheers aad revives their spirits ; it 
 tnakes them forget their spiritual poverty, and puts 
 out of their minds their former misery and 
 distress ; whilst they behold what riches of grace 
 are treasured up in Christ, and what ample pro- 
 visions are there made for them ; nay, it not only 
 revives distressed and drooping souls, but such is 
 the virtue and efficacy of it, that it will bring 
 dead sinners to life ; for it is the savour of life 
 unto life to many. 5. The best wine is very 
 refreshing to weary persons, who have been fatigued 
 with labour and travel ; the gospel is a word in 
 season to him that is weary ; it not only directs 
 the weary soul where it may have rest, kindly 
 invites unto it, but is also the instrument of bring- 
 ing him into it. G. Wine is reckoned a comforter 
 and strengthener of the stomach ; therefore the 
 apostle Paul advised Timothy, 1 Tim. v. 23, to 
 use a little wine for his stomach sake, and his 
 often infirmities : the doctrines of the gospel have 
 a tendency to comfort souls ; they are often blessed 
 for that purpose ; the ministers of it are employed 
 herein on that account ; and the Spirit of God 
 
 signah in the valley, Mlsn. Menachot, c. 8. s. 6. 
 t Plin. 1.5.0. 18. 
 
VER. 9.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 281 
 
 does his work, and executes his office as a Com- 
 forter by them. Thus the gospel, the word, which 
 is in and proceeds out of the church's mouth, may 
 be compared to the best wine. 
 
 III. 1 shall now consider the commendations 
 given of this best wine of the Gospel. And, 
 
 1st. It is commended from the person, for 
 whose use it is, for my beloved ; and therefore 
 must needs be the best ; it is such w^ine as a man 
 would give to his friend, whom he dearly loves ; 
 who, when he pays a visit to him, if he has any 
 wine in the house, he shall be sure to have it ; and 
 if he has any better than the rest, it shall be at 
 his service. But who are we to understand by 
 this beloved, for whose use this wine is ? And, 1. 
 We may understand these words as the words of 
 Christ, speaking to and of his church and people, 
 whom, in chap. v. 1, he calls his beloved, and 
 hi.s friends : and these he treats as such, with his 
 best wine, the gospel, which is chiefly designed 
 for their good, comfort, and establishment. 2. If 
 we take these words to be the words of the daugh- 
 ters of Jerusalem, as some do, and that not only 
 these, but all that is spoken in the preceding 
 verses ; then the beloved is Christ, whom they 
 call their own : having now arrived to a greater 
 knowledge of him, and acquaintance with him, 
 than they formerly had ; see chap. v. 9, and vi. 1 ; 
 nor need it be wondered at, that it should be ex- 
 pressed in the singular number, my beloved : 
 seeing it may well be supposed, that but one of 
 them spoke, and delivered these commendations 
 of the church. Though, 3. I rather take them 
 to be the words of the church, speaking to and of 
 Christ ; who, hearing such great things spoken in 
 the commendations of herself, could hold no longer; 
 but, as one'' expresses it, snatches the word out 
 of Christ's mouth, breaks in upon his discourse 
 before he had done, and thrusts in his words, re- 
 ferring all the glory to him ; it is as if she should 
 say, Is the roof of my mouth like the best wine ? 
 it is for my beloved ; it is of his making and pro- 
 viding, and in which his glory is much concerned, 
 as well as my comfort ; " for we preach not our- 
 selves, but Christ .Tesus the Lord ;" he is the 
 subject, the sum and substance of the gospel ; it 
 is designed for the manifestation of his grace, and 
 the advancement of his glory ; and its being so, 
 makes it so comfortable and delightful to souls. 
 Junius and Piscator render the word, most loving- 
 ly or most lovelily ; and so understand it of the 
 manner of this best wine, going down and being 
 received by persons : but this is sufficiently ex- 
 pressed in the next clause, which I shall now 
 consider. 
 
 2ndly. This wine of the Gospel is commended 
 from the property of it, which is here mentioned ; 
 it goeth down sweetly, which words may be dif- 
 ferently rendered and as differently understood. 
 
 ^ Alcuin in loc. ' t3''"\lD"D'j directe, Mercerus : 
 
 rectissime Brightman, Junius. ^ Eir eu^uniTa, 
 
 Sept. ad rectitudines, Montanus ; ad ea quae rectis- 
 
 And, I. They may be translated thus, that 
 walketh or moveth aright ; as they are in Prov. 
 xxiii. 31 ; where wine is also spoken of, and 
 denotes its sparkling in the cup ; which shows 
 it to be a generous wine, of a good body, 
 and that it has life and spirit in it ; therefore the 
 wise man, in the forementioned place, advises not 
 to look upon the wine when it is red, when it 
 giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth it- 
 self aright, because when it is so, it is very en- 
 snaring ; but here is no such danger in this wine 
 of the Gospel ; the pleasantness of which, both 
 in the eyes of Christ and of his church, may be 
 here intended. 2. The words may be rendered 
 thus, which goeth to my beloved straightivay or 
 directly ,■' and so may denote the direct tendency 
 of the Gospel to lead souls to Christ, and to ad- 
 vance his honour and glory ; for the whole of it 
 consists in this, Christ in us the hope of glory. 
 Or, 3, Thus, it goeth or leadeth to righteous- 
 nesses :'' for it is one principal part of the Gospel 
 to lead souls to the righteousness of Christ, which 
 is clearly I'evealed therein ; that disclaiming all 
 pretences to their own righteousness for justifica- 
 tion, they may wholly and alone look unto, and 
 depend upon that for their acceptance with God, 
 and justification in his sight ; moreover, it also 
 teaches them, that denying ungodliness and world- 
 ly lusts, they should live soberly, righteously, and 
 godly in this present world. Or, 4. They may 
 be thus rendered, that goeth or walketh to up- 
 right persons ;' for so the word is rendered in 
 chap. i. 4 ; and indeed it is to such persons that 
 the gospel is of real service and advantage : to 
 them that believe, it is the power of God unto 
 salvation ; it works effectually in their hearts : 
 these receive it in the love of it ; by them it is 
 highly valued and esteemed ; and to them it yields 
 much solid comfort, pleasure, and satisfaction. 
 For with such, 5. It goeth down sweetly, as our 
 translators have rendered the words. This wine of 
 the Gospel is received and taken down with all 
 readiness by all those who have once tasted the 
 sweetness, and felt the power of it : with them 
 the gospel is no hard saying, and who can bear 
 it ? but, like the best wine that is very delightful : 
 with some persons, the doctrines of the gospel, 
 such as those of an eternal, personal election, 
 particular redemption, powerful and efficacious 
 grace in conversion, final perseverance, &c., are 
 very disagreeable ; but to believers in Christ, they 
 are like wine that goeth down sweetly. 
 
 3rdly. This wine is commended, from the ef- 
 fect it has upon those who drink of it; "it 
 causeth the lips of those that are asleep to speak." 
 In which may be considered, 1st. The persons 
 on whom it has this effect, " those that are 
 asleep," 2ndly. The effect itself, which it has 
 upon them, " it causeth their lips to speak." 
 
 sima sunt, Tigurine version. ' Ad rectitudines, 
 
 i. e. rectos homineg, Marckius, Michaelis. 
 
2B2 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [ciiAP. vir. 
 
 1st. The persons on whom this wine of the 
 Gospel has this effect : and they are such who are 
 asleep. The Hebrew word,*" here used, is by 
 some rendered ancient persons ; for persons, when 
 they are grown old, have not their senses so quick, 
 nor are they so full of talk, but are more slow of 
 speech, than when they were in their youthful 
 days ; yet Cicero" says, senechis est nattcra lo- 
 quacior ; and therefore this serves much for the 
 commendatioQ of this wine, that it should have 
 such an affect upon such persons : for that must 
 be noble and generous wine that invigorates old 
 men, and fills them with a juvenile heat, warmth, 
 and sprightliness : it makes them loquacious," 
 which is one effect of wine, when freely drank ;f 
 and it softens the moroseness of ancient men i*" 
 wine is eveo said to make an ancient man dance.' 
 But the word may very well, and perhaps better, 
 be rendered as it is, " those that are asleep ;" by 
 which may be meant, either, 1. Sinners, who are 
 in the dead and deep sleep of sin. These, (1.) 
 As persons asleep, have not the free exercise of 
 their senses ; they do not see their lost, miserable, 
 and undone state by nature, nor tlreir need of 
 Christ, and the value of him : their ears are 
 stopped, they cannot hear, so as to understand 
 the joyful sound ; they have no taste nor savour 
 of divine things : and many have arrived to such 
 a prodigious pitch of wickedness, as to be past 
 feeling, having their " consciences seared with an 
 hot iron :" nay, in this they exceed persons that 
 are asleep ; who, though they have not the free 
 exercise of their senses whilst asleep, yet are not 
 destitute of them ; but these have no spiritual 
 sense at all, but are " dead in trespasses and sins." 
 (2.) Like persons asleep, they are strengthless, 
 and are not in a capacity to do any thing that is 
 spiritually good of themselves : they cannot re- 
 deem themselves from destruction ; they cannot 
 fulfil the righteous law of God, nor satisfy divine 
 justice ; they have not power to begin, nor carry 
 on a work of grace upon their souls ; they cannot 
 subdue their corruptions, nor withstand Satan's 
 temptations, nor perform the duties of religion ; 
 these things are not effected by the might and 
 power of man. (3.) Like persons asleep, they 
 are inactive : " their strength is to sit still :" they 
 have neither power nor will to do that which is 
 good; " there is none that doeth good, no, not 
 one ;" they have no true knowledge of what is 
 good ; for though " they are wise to do evil, yet 
 to do good they have no knowledge ;" and if they 
 had knowledge, they have no inclination ; and if 
 they had ihat, yet still they have no power; " for 
 the Ethiopian may as soon change his skin, or 
 the leopard his spots, as they do good that are 
 accustomed to do evil." (4.) Like persons 
 asleep, they are subject to illusions and mistakes ; 
 
 m Cjuj' 'nB© labia veterum, Pagninus : antiquo- 
 rum, Vatablus. ° De Senectute.c. IS. 
 
 • Plutarch. Syrtipos. 1. 7. p. 715. p Philoxenus 
 apud Atheu. Deipnosophist. 1. 2. c. 1. p. 35. Vid. 
 
 they are mistaken about the nature of the Divine 
 Being, whom they either imagine to be such an 
 one as themselves, who will either connive at 
 sinful actions, or take little or no notice of them ; 
 or, else presume upon his absolute mercy, to go 
 on in sin : and they are as much deceived about 
 the nature of sin itself, which they now roll as a 
 sweet morsel in their mouths, but will ere long 
 find to be as gravel-stones : and so they are like- 
 wise with respect to the ways of God, and people 
 of Christ ; in the former of which tliey suppose 
 there is no true pleasure ; and in the latter, no 
 enjoyment of true felicity ; but in nothing are 
 they more mistaken than in themselves and their 
 state ; which they imagine to be good, when at 
 the same time they are poor, and wretched, and 
 miserable, and blind, and naked. (5.) Like 
 persons asleep, they are insensible of danger ; 
 they are walking in the broad road to destruction, 
 and are upon the brink of it, and yet know it 
 not ; they are crying peace, peace, when sudden 
 destruction is at hand. Or else, 2. By those that 
 are asleep, may be meant drowsy professors : 
 the wise as well as the foolish virgins slept. 
 Christ's church may sometimes be in such a 
 condition, as she was in chap. v. 2, this sleep 
 is not a dead sleep, as the former ; there may 
 be life notwithstanding this, " I sleep, but my 
 heart waketh :" this consists in a non-exercise 
 of grace, au indifference to religious duties, a 
 lukewarmness and want of zeal for the glory of 
 Christ and his gospel, occasioned by the pre- 
 vailings of sin and corruption ; see more ou 
 chap. V. 2. But, 
 
 2ndly. Let us consider what effect the wine 
 of the everlasting Gospel has upon the abovesaid 
 persons ; when it comes in power, and is received 
 in the love of it, it causes their lips to speak. lu 
 the former of these persons, that is, in carnal 
 and Christless sinners, it produces humble con- 
 fessions of sin : it makes them speak in the praise 
 of Christ and his grace, whereby salvation is pro- 
 cured for such lost and perishing creatures, as they 
 by nature were ; it brings them to the gates of 
 Zion, there to declare to the saints the great 
 things which God has done for them : it makes 
 the tongue of the dumb to sing, who before had 
 not one word to say for Christ, and of his grace ; 
 and those who were stammerers at these things, it 
 makes them ready to speak plainly : as for the 
 latter sort of persons, that is, sleepy and drowsy 
 professors, it makes them speak meanly and mo- 
 destly of themselves, and very highly of Christ 
 and his grace ; for such souls who have drunk 
 the largest draughts of this wine, and have the 
 greatest share of knowledge in gospel-truths, are 
 the most humble ; they are ready to acknowledge 
 themselves the least of saints, and the chief of 
 
 Sanhedrin T. Bab. fol. 38. I. i Philoxen. apud 
 
 Athen. Deipnosoph. 1. 11. c. 3. p. 463. ' Ibid. 
 
 1. 4. c. 4. p. 134. and 1. 10. c. 7. p. 428. 
 
VER. 10.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS, 
 
 283 
 
 sinners : and none more frequent than they in 
 magnifying Christ, and exalting the riches of his 
 grace. 
 
 Verse 10. / am mij beloved's, and his desire is 
 
 towards me. 
 Christ having spoken largely in corameudation 
 of his church's beauty, vouchsafed his presence 
 to her, and made her drink of his best wine, which 
 causes the lips of those that are asleep to speak : 
 she, after a long silence breaks forth, as an effect 
 of it. And, 
 
 I. Claims her interest in him : " I am my be- 
 loved's." 
 
 II. Takes notice of his love and affection to 
 her ; " and his desire is towards me." 
 
 I. She signifies the satisfaction which she had 
 in her soul, with respect to her being Christ's ; 
 which is an affair of the utmost concern ; about 
 which saints have often a great many doubts and 
 fears ; and a satisfaction in which he is exceeding 
 desirable to them. The churth has expressed her- 
 self in the same words twice before in this song ; 
 see chap. ii. 16, and vi. 3 : therefore less will be 
 required in the explication of them here. How- 
 ever, some things respecting the present frame and 
 disposition of her, the agreement of these words 
 with the context, and what has not been so care- 
 fully observed in the former texts, may be taken 
 notice of here. And, 
 
 '1st. These words may be considered as expres- 
 sive of that assurance of faith, which the church 
 had of her union to and in Christ ; it is as if she 
 should say, After all these expressions of love unto 
 me, and the sweet enjoyment of his presence 
 which he has indulged me with, surely I may ven- 
 ture to say, that lam his ; nay, I am sure that 
 I am. From hence may be observed, 1. That 
 the grace of assurance is attainable in this life ; 
 instances of which we have, not only in the New- 
 Testament-saints, such as the apostle Paul, and 
 others, who knew that Christ had loved him, and 
 had given himself for him : was well satisfied both 
 in his ability and fidelity, to keep what he had com- 
 mitted to him against another day, and was per- 
 suaded that there never would be a separation 
 from his love ; but also in Old-Testament-saints, 
 as David, who could claim his interest in an ever- 
 lasting covenant, and was assured of it, even in 
 his dying moments, and that in the prospect of the 
 jiresent and future ill state of his family ; and 
 Job, who knew that his Redeemer lived, and that 
 for him, even when he was under the most severe, 
 afflictive dispensations of providence ; as also Ha- 
 bakkuk, who discovered the strength of his faith in 
 God, as his salvation, even when all outward and 
 temporal enjoyments failed him. 2. That there 
 may be a continuation of the exercise of this 
 grace : a person may not only be able to express 
 his satisfaction as to his interest in Christ once, 
 but also to repeat it, as the church does in this 
 song ; this is the third time she expresses her as- 
 
 surance in this very form of words, and oftener 
 still in other language : nay, this grace is often 
 exercised by believers, after much sleepiness and 
 drowsiness, many slips and falls, great weakness 
 and infirmities, as may be observed in the church's 
 case frequently in this book ; and it is likewise 
 worthy of remark, that those persons who have 
 been the greatest sinners before conversion, and 
 have been suffered to fall the foulest after, have 
 been blessed with this grace of assurance, as David, 
 Paul, Peter, &c. 3. That the exercise of this 
 grace often follows upon the enjoyment of Christ's 
 presence ; the church had been lately indulged 
 with it ; Christ went up into his palm-tree, the 
 church, filled her breasts, the ordinances, with his 
 grace and presence, and had made her drink of the 
 wine of his consolation, which occasioned these 
 expressions of hers. 4. Her frequent repetition 
 of these words shows, that much of her comfort 
 depended upon the knowledge she had of her in- 
 terest in Christ ; for, though assurance is not of 
 the essence of faith, there may be true saving 
 faith, where there is not the assurance of faith ; 
 yet to have it, makes much for the comfort of a 
 believer : for if a glimmering sight of Christ fills 
 the soul with so much joy, what must a full view 
 do ? if only an hope of interest gives much satis- 
 faction, certainly a full assurance of it must give 
 much more. 5. It may also be observed, that 
 this grace has no tendency to promote or encou- 
 rage licentiousness : that is the sealing word of the 
 Spirit, who performs it as the holy Spirit of 
 promise ; and at the same time he seals, he leaves 
 a greater impress of holiness upon the soul ; this 
 does not make persons careless, indolent, and in- 
 active as to^duty ; but rather excites and stirs them 
 up to be more careful and constant in it ; of 
 which here is an instance in the church in the fol- 
 lowing verses ; " Come, my beloved, let us go forth 
 into the field ; let us lodge in the villages," &c. 
 
 2ndly. These words may be considered as a 
 modest acknowledgment of the church's, that all 
 she was and had were Christ's ; " I am my be- 
 loved's," and it is " by his grace I am what I am :" 
 all that he had said of her in the former verses, 
 she does in this one expression return to him 
 again ; she acknowledges that all her beauty, 
 which he had so much commended, was his, and 
 not her own ; that she was by nature black, and 
 only comely through that comeliness which he had 
 put upon her ; that those several graces, with which 
 she was adorned, and which he might have a re- 
 gard unto in the several parts described, were his ; 
 he was the Object, Author, Owner, and Preserver 
 of them : that particularly it was owing to grace 
 and strength received from him, that her walk, her 
 outward conversation, was in any measure agree- 
 able, and was so beautiful as he was pleased to 
 declare, in ver. 1. That all her fruitfulness, either 
 in the exercise of grace, or in the performance of 
 good works, or in having many souls born again 
 in the midst of her, which may be intended in ver. 
 
284 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap, vn. 
 
 2, were all from him, and to be referred to his 
 mighty grace and divine blessing. That her minis- 
 ters and ordinances were of his providing, ap- 
 pointing, and filling, expressed by her breasts, 
 ia ver. 3. That all her strength, which appeared 
 in the exercise of her faith on him, and in the dis- 
 charge of her duty to God; her light and know- 
 ledge in divine truths, the savour and relish which 
 she had of them, together with her zeal, courage, 
 and magnanimity to keep and defend them, signi- 
 fied by her neck, her eyes, and nose, in ver. 4, 
 were all communicated to her from him : as also 
 that he was her only Head, both of eminence and 
 influence ; and that it was owing to that grace, 
 life, strength, and nourishment, which he afforded, 
 that her hair, true believers, grew so well, and 
 appeared so beautiful as they did, in ver. 5. More- 
 over, that she was his palm-tree, which he might 
 go up into, and gather the fruit of, when he 
 pleased ; and that it was his grace which caused 
 her to grow so straight and upright, and made 
 her so fruitful as she was, in ver. 7—9 ; where- 
 fore she concludes in this verse, saying, " I am 
 my beloved's ;" that is, the glory of all this is to 
 be referred to him, and not to myself. 
 
 3rdly. These words may also contain in them 
 a voluntary surrender of herself, and all she had, 
 into Christ's hands. This is what he requires of 
 us ; " iry son," says he, Prov. sxiii. 26, " give 
 Die thine heart :" but this we are unwilling to do, 
 until the day of his power passes upon us ; and 
 then we are made willing to give ourselves unto 
 the Lord, and all we have, that we may therewith 
 serve and glorify his name. This the church was 
 enabled to do, knowing that she was not her own, 
 but his ; and therefore was desirous to glorify 
 him with her body and spirit, which were his. 
 
 4thly. They are likewise expressive of that 
 open profession she made of Christ before others ; 
 she was not ashamed to tell whose she was, and 
 to whom she belonged. It is our duty to make a 
 public profession of Christ, as well as to beheve 
 in his name ; " for with the heart man believeth 
 unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is 
 made unto salvation," Rom. x. 10, a believing in 
 Christ may be suflicient for our everlasting secu- 
 rity ; but a profession of that is necessary and re- 
 quisite to show forth a Redeemer's glory, which 
 we ought to be concerned for ; and when we have 
 made a profession of Christ, we ought to hold it 
 fast, without wavering, and adorn it by a suitable 
 conversation. But, 
 
 II. The church in these words takes notice also 
 of the love and affection of Christ towards her ; 
 " and his desire is towards me." The words may be 
 rendered, thus, because or seeing his desire is 
 towards me ; so Junius reads them ; and then they 
 may be considered as a reason of the former ex- 
 pression of her faith in Christ, acknowledgment of 
 his grace, and profession of his name ; for Christ's 
 love manifested to us, is a considerable evidence of 
 our interest in him, and in his everlasting love ; 
 
 this will make us free and ready to acknowledge 
 that we have nothing but what we have received 
 from him ; it is this which fills us with love to 
 him, constrains us to obey him, encourages us to 
 make a profession of him, and to maintain it, 
 notwithstanding all discouragements thrown in our 
 way, or opposition made against us. But let us 
 consider a little the import of this phrase, and 
 what is intended by it : it seems to be very much 
 like, and perhaps the allusion is unto those words, 
 iu Gen. iii. 16, and " thy desire shall be to thy hus- 
 band ;" but here the husband's desire is towards 
 his wife; so that what was inflicted by way of 
 puuishraent upon the woman, being inverted, is a 
 blessing of grace unto the church. The phrase 
 may be expressive, 
 
 1st. Of Christ's love and affection to his church ; 
 his desire was towards her, 1, From everlasting ; 
 for having loved her, he desired her of his Father 
 for his spouse and bride, which was granted him ; 
 for God gave him his heart's desire in this thing, 
 and did not withhold the request of his lips from 
 him. 2. His desire was towards her in time, that 
 he might procure everlasting salvation for her ; 
 as an instance of his love, he undertook it ; 
 in the fulness of time assumed her nature ; ia 
 order to effect it ; was straitened in his mind, and 
 as it were uneasy until it was accomplished: so 
 great was his desire after it ; hence he expressed 
 himself thus to his disciples, at his eating the last 
 passover, " With desire have I desired to eat this 
 passover with you before I suff'er," Luke xxii. 15 ; 
 the chief reason was, because his time was at 
 hand, the hour was now come, so much desired 
 by him, when he should give the strongest evi- 
 dence of his love to the church, in laying down 
 his life for her. 3. His desire is towards his 
 people, even before conversion, though dead ia 
 tresp3sses and sins ; that they may be quickened, 
 called by grace, and brought to the knowledge 
 of himself; and, notwithstanding all their back- 
 slidiiigs and revoltings from him, still his desire 
 is after them, to do them good ; neither will 
 he turn away from them, but rests in his love 
 towards them. 4. His desire is continually after 
 his people's company, grace, and beauty ; they are 
 the excellent in the earth, in whom is all his de- 
 light ; he is well pleased with that beauty which 
 he himself has put upon them, and his desire is 
 after it ; " so shall the king greatly desire thy 
 beauty," Psalm xlv. 11; he is ravished with 
 those graces which he bas implanted in them ; 
 he is exceedingly delighted with their looks and 
 words : and therefore says. Cant. ii. 14, " let me 
 see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice ; for 
 sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely :" 
 nay, he has signified his desire that his church 
 and people may be the place of his residence and 
 habitation, and that for ever ; " for the Lord hath 
 chosen Zion, he hath desired it for his habitation," 
 Psalm, cxxxii. 13, 14. Hence, 5. He will be not 
 satisfied until he has the whole church with him 
 
VER. 11, 12.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 285 
 
 in glory ; this was the joy that was set hefore to Christ, to go along with her ; " Come, my be- 
 
 him in his sufferings ; what he is now making 
 preparation for in heaven, and what he is contin- 
 ually pleading for, as being exceedingly desirous 
 of, saying, John xvii. 24, " Father, I will that 
 they also whom thou hast given me, may be with 
 me, where I am, that they may behold my glory. 
 Thus Christ's desire is towards his church. 
 
 2udly. This phrase may be expressive of that 
 power which the church has over Christ, so that 
 she can have any thing of him, when she pleases ; 
 he is so kind and indulgent an husband, that he 
 will not deny his spouse anything that may be 
 for her good and his glory. The strength of 
 faith in prayer is very great : an instance of this 
 we have in Jacob, who had power with God, and 
 prevailed : and it is upon this score that God said 
 to Moses, let me alone : knowing what interest 
 Moses had in him, and how prevalent his petitions 
 were with him ; so that speaking after the man- 
 ner of men, be could scarcely deny him any thing; 
 " the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man 
 availeth much," James v. 16. 
 
 3rd]y. The import of this expression may be, 
 that Christ was her husband ; " I am my beloved's, 
 and his desire is towards me:" that is, he is 
 my husband, I am his, and he is mine : so thd 
 wife is called " the desire of the eyes," Ezek. xxiv. 
 16, 18, and this was a very great blessing that 
 she was favoured with, and an unspeakable com- 
 fort, that she could claim her interest in Christ 
 under this sweet and endearing character and re- 
 lation. Or, 
 
 4thly. It may be expressive of the whole care 
 and concern of Christ for her, as her husband ;' 
 who as such beai's and sympathizes with her un- 
 der all her weaknesses and infirmities ; protects 
 from all dangers and enemies ; and provides every 
 thing for her, as food and raiment, grace and 
 glory, all things necessary for her, both for time 
 and eternity. Whatever may conduce to her com- 
 fort here, and eternal happiness hereafter : as a 
 loving husband, he has given himself for her, res- 
 
 loved ," 
 
 II. Some particular things mentioned which 
 she invites him to : 1st. " To go forth into the 
 field." 2ndly. " To lodge in the villages." 3rdly, 
 " To get up early to the vineyards." 
 
 III. The things she had in view in so doing ; 
 1st. To see whether " the vine flourished." 
 2ndly. Whether " the tender grape appeared." 
 3rdly. Whether " the pomegranates budded 
 forth." 
 
 IV. A motive which she makes use of to pre- 
 vail upon him ; " there will I give thee my loves." 
 
 I. In these words is a general invitation given 
 by the church to Christ to go along with her, 
 " Come, ray beloved ;" on which may be made 
 the following remaks : 1. That this word, come, 
 is by the church taken out of Christ's mouth ; it 
 is a word much used by them, not only with re- 
 ference to themselves, but to others also; see 
 chap. ii. 10, 13, and iv. 8, Eev. xxii. 17, and is 
 expressive of much familiarity, hearty desire, and 
 tender affection. 2. We must not suppose that 
 Christ needed stirring up, or was unwilling to go 
 along with her, but he sometimes stays until he 
 is asked : not only to make his church sensible of 
 her duty, and that she may prize his presence the 
 •more : but also because he loves to hear her ask 
 for his company, and say, " come, my beloved," 
 let us walk together into the fields ; let me there 
 enjoy thy company, and let us take our fill of 
 love. 3. These words may be considered as the 
 church's calling upon Christ, to make good his 
 promise, in verse 8, where he had given her rea- 
 son to expect his presence ; " I said I will go up 
 to the palm-tree ;" that is, I will grant my pre- 
 sence to my church and people, which are compar ■ 
 able to the palm-tree ; I will be in the midst of 
 them ; she now says to him, " come, my beloved," 
 do as thou hast said -. though none of Christ's 
 promises shall ever fail, yet they may not be im- 
 mediately fulfilled; and it very much becomes 
 believer's to plead them with him in prayer, and 
 
 cued her from slavery and thraldom, procured an not let them lie long by them ; they ought to put 
 
 inheritance for her; and is now preparing that 
 for her, and her for that, and will ere long put 
 her into the possession of it. All which mani- 
 festly make appear, how much his desire has been 
 and is towards her ; which she having had some 
 knowledge and experience of, ventures to iuvite 
 him, as in the following words, saying. 
 
 Verse 11. Come, my beloved, let us go forth into 
 the field : let us lodge in the villages. 
 
 Verse 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. 
 
 In these words are, 
 
 I. A general invitation given by the church 
 
 Christ in remembrance of them, as they are al- 
 lowed, that he would remember to them the word 
 upon which he has caused them to hope. 4. 
 They also contain an earnest desire after the pre- 
 sence of Christ, and the manifestations of his love 
 unto her ; nothing is more desirable to believers 
 than Christ's presence ; and there is a great deal 
 of reason for it : for this only makes their lives 
 comfortable whilst here ; fills them with true 
 solid joy and pleasure, makes a heaven upon 
 earth, supports them under all their trials, carries 
 them through all their diflBculties, and gives them 
 pleasing prospects of death and eternity. 5. 
 They show the sense she had of her own insuffi- 
 ciency for the work she was going about, without 
 the presence of Christ ; for without him we can 
 do nothing : hence, says Moses, Exod. xxxiii. 15, 
 
 Yid, Fuller Miscell. Sacra, 1. 3. c. lA. 
 
286 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF T:IE 
 
 [chap. VII. 
 
 " If thy presence go not with me, carry us not 
 up hence :" the church here knew full well that 
 her visiting the several congregations of the saints, 
 to see in what condition they were, would be to 
 little purpose, unless Christ went with her, and 
 therefore she requests the favour of him. 6. It 
 may be farther observed, that the clearer views a 
 soul has of its interest in Christ, the more de- 
 sirous it is of commuaion with him: this may 
 easily be observed in the church's case, by com- 
 paring these words with the preceding verse : 
 some, the more they are known, the less their 
 company is desired ; but the more and better a 
 soul knows Christ, the more desirable his company 
 is ; and when they once have it, would never part 
 with it; but say, with Peter, Matt. xvii. 4, 
 " Lord, it is good for us to be here :" hence it is 
 that they often long to depart out of this life, that 
 they might be with Christ ; which to them is 
 far better than this life, and all the enjoyments of 
 i(. 7. The church's affixing this endearing 
 character, " my beloved," to the invitation come, 
 thereby si2;nifying her affection to him, as well as 
 her interest in him, may be considered as a power- 
 ful argument to induce him to go along with her : 
 for with whom should, or indeed will loving hus- 
 bands go, but with their wives, and especially 
 when their company is importunately desired? 
 one saint cannot tell how to deny another, when 
 tlifiir company and conversation is desired on 
 spiritual accounts; so engaging is it to each 
 otlier ; much less can Christ deny his church, 
 when she entreats him after this sort. 
 
 II. The particular things she invites him to, 
 are now to be considered. And, 
 
 1st. She desires him to " go forth into the 
 field with her:" which may be expressive, I. Of 
 her desire after Christ's presence, both at home 
 and abroad ; she would not stir out of doors 
 without him ; when at home, nothing so delight- 
 ful as his presence ; and, having some business in 
 the field, she is loath to go without him ; O happy 
 soul, that is thus blessed ! of such an one it may 
 be truly said, Deut. xxviii. 8 — 6, " Blessed shall 
 thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in 
 the field ; blessed shalt thou be when thou comest 
 iu, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest 
 out." 2. Of her desire after solitariness, or of 
 being alone with Christ : thus, Gen. xxiv. 63, 
 " Isaac went out to meditate in the field ;" where 
 he could be retired, and have his thoughts more 
 free, composed, and fit for such an employment : 
 the field is also a place of more secrecy, as well as 
 retireduess ; and therefore, I Sara. xx. 11, " Jo- 
 nathan said to David, come, let us go into the 
 field ;" that they might more freely tell their 
 minds, and impart their loves to each other : thus 
 the church desired Christ to go with her iuto the 
 field ; that there being alone with him, she might 
 tell him all her heart, and let him know how much 
 she loved him ; which she could not so freely do 
 
 ' mD31 ny^J pernoctemus ad cypres, Junius, Pis- 
 
 in company. 3. She might design some recrea- 
 tion by it ; it may be an allusion to persons who 
 keep their country-houses, who, being retired 
 from the city, take their walks in the field, to see 
 how the fruits of the earth grow, as well as to 
 enjoy the benefit of the country air : so the church : 
 she is for going abroad into the fields ; but then 
 she would have Christ go with her ; for no re- 
 creation is so, unless he be with her ; walking 
 abroad in the fields will yield her no pleasure, 
 unless Christ be there. 4. It may signify her 
 desire to have the gospel spread in the world, es- 
 pecially in those parts of it, in which it had not 
 been as yet preached ; and which looked very 
 much like an uncultivated field : thus the field in 
 the parable, Matt. xiii. 38, is said to be the 
 world; which, being overrun with the thorns and 
 briars of sin and corruption, moves her pity and 
 compassion, and excites desire in her to have the 
 gospel planted there, that so it might become a 
 fruitful field : and therefore she is desirous to 
 have her husband, and the true husbandman, go 
 along with her, to manure, cultivate, and plant it ; 
 and perhaps the Gentile world may be particularly 
 intended. 
 
 2ndly. She farther invites him to lodge in the 
 villages with her. There is a manifest gradation 
 in these words of hers, which shows her end and 
 design in all ; she first invites him to go forth into 
 the field with her, and that is in order to lodge 
 with her in the villages ; and their lodging there, 
 is in order to get up early next morning to the 
 vineyards : Junius and Tremellius read the word 
 thus, " let us lodge by the cyprus-trees ;"' for the 
 Hebrew word ones, cepharim, signifies both vil- 
 /a//es and cyprus-trees; see chap. i. 14, and iv. 
 14 ; by which may be meant the saints ; who 
 may be compared thereunto, for their excellency, 
 fragrancy, and fruitfulness ; and an invitation to 
 lodge by or with these, could not be unwelcome 
 to Christ ; seeing they are with him, " the ex- 
 cellent in the earth, in whom is all his delight :" 
 though the word may as well be rendered villages, 
 as it is by the Septuagint and others. From whence 
 may be observed, 1. The villages being places of 
 mean entertainment, both for food and lodgings ; 
 that a mean condition of life, with Christ, is more 
 eligible and much preferable to the greatest 
 affluence of the good things of this world without 
 him : the church had rather have hard lodgings in 
 a country village with Christ, tlian to dwell in a 
 city, have her lodgings in a king's palace, or lie 
 upon a bed of down without him : as one " once 
 said, " Brown bread and the gos])el are good fare;" 
 so it may be also said, " A country lodging with 
 Christ is good lodging." 2. Villages being places 
 of retirement, and free from the noise and hurry 
 of the city, and might occasion her desire to 
 lodge there ; she wanted to be at liberty from the 
 world, that she might have some solitary com- 
 munion with Christ ; so David, being almost worn 
 
 cator, Brightman, Michaelis. " Mr. Dod. 
 
VER. 
 
 12.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS, 
 
 2S7 
 
 out with the fatigues of the camp, the hurries of 
 the court, thus passionately wishes, saying, Psalm 
 Iv. 6, 7, "0! that I had wings like a dove, for 
 then would I flee away, and be at rest ; lo, tlien 
 would I wander far off, and remain," or as in the 
 Hebrew text, " lodge in tlie wilderness, Selah." 
 The cares of this life, and the hurrying employ- 
 meats of it, do much interrupt and break iu upon 
 a believer's comfortable communion with Christ ; 
 and therefore, with the church, he desires some- 
 times to be retired from them, and lodge with 
 him m the villages. 3. She desires not only com- 
 munion with Christ, but that it might be eoa- 
 tiuued ; she would lodge with him all night, as she 
 says, iu chap. i. 13, " He shall lie all night be- 
 twi.tt my breasts," it is not merely for an hour or 
 two, that she would have his company, but all 
 night : believers, who have got some knowledge 
 of Christ's person, and have tasted the sweetness 
 of communion with him, are like the Samaritans, 
 John iv. 40, who " besought him that he wonid 
 tarry with them ;" they are never weary of his 
 company, and do not care how much they have 
 of it. Though, 4. These n^ords may signify her 
 desire to have the gospel preached in the villages, 
 as well as in the cities : thus our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, in the days of his flesh, "went about all the 
 cities and villages, preaching tlie Gospel of the 
 kingdom," Matt. h. 35 ; as did also his disciples 
 after him ; though, as one " well observes, the 
 Gospel was first preached in cities mostly, and 
 from thence spread itself in time into the neigh- 
 bouring villages, where the heathen idolatry lasted 
 longer than in cities ; from whence it had the 
 name of paganism, yagus signifying a village ; 
 which the church here observing, desires Christ 
 to go along with her, and spread the Gospel there.* 
 3rdly. She signifies her desire also to " get up 
 early to the vineyards," for which reason she 
 thought it most proper to lodge in the villages, 
 and not in the city; from whence she could not 
 have been so early at the vineyards, as she desired 
 to be. By .the vineyards, the Targum, R. Solo- 
 mon Jarchi and Alshech understand the syna- 
 gogues and schools of the Jews ; and so it is ex- 
 plained in the Talmud -J though it seems much 
 more probable, that by them are meant, the several 
 particular churches and congregations of the saints; 
 which are distinguished by sovereign grace, plant- 
 ed with a variety of fruitful vines, watered every 
 moment by Christ, and fenced about with his 
 almighty power ; and by her getting up unto them, 
 may be meant her visiting of them ; which is 
 much such an act of kindness and friendship as 
 that of Paul's, who said to Barnabas, Acts xv. 
 36, " Let us go again and visit our brethren, 
 in every city where we have preached the word of 
 the Lord, and see how they do." And vs'hat still 
 
 " Bishop Patrick in loc. ^ In Shirhashirim 
 Kabba, in loc. By the fieM and villages, the nations 
 of the world are understood. y T. Bab. Erubim, 
 
 fol. 21. 2. I "nCDH nn2 ^vQ^atvo KuTpiaMOC, Sept. 
 
 si flores fructus parturiunt, Vulg. Lat. version -, ap • 
 
 more shows how intent she was upon it, and how 
 much her heart was in it, she is for getting up 
 early ; that is, betimes in the morning, or in the 
 most seasonable time, as the word early is some- 
 times used : she is for losing no opportunity, and 
 making use of the most suitable one to visit the 
 churches , and that her visit may not be in vain, 
 she is for taking Christ along with her ; she is 
 not willing to go alone ; she knew of what service 
 Christ's presence would be to the churches, and 
 to what little purpose hers would be without 
 him ; and therefore she says, " let us get up early," 
 &c. But, 
 
 in. She mentions the several things she had in 
 view in giving this invitation to Christ, or the 
 several ends of it. And, 
 
 1st. It was to " see if the vine flourished ;" and 
 she might well think that this and what follows 
 would take with Christ, and go a great way to pre- 
 vail upon him to go along with her ; seeing her 
 ends here are much the same with his iu going 
 down into his nut-garden, chap. vi. 11, and which, 
 no doubt, she had some reference to. By the vine, 
 the Targum understands the Israelites, who may be 
 compared thereunto ; and I think, true believers ia 
 Christ, who are Israelites indeed, may very well be 
 meant. These indeed, like vines, are weak and 
 worthless creatures of themselves : yet being en- 
 grafted in Christ, the true vine, and growing upon 
 him, they bring forth fruit, and are exceeding 
 valuable and precious : and by their flourishing 
 may be meant, both their fruitfulness in the exer- 
 cise of grace, and in the performance of good 
 works : and though the believer is not always in a 
 flourishing condition ; there is sometimes but a 
 small appearance of fruit upon him ; his life, his 
 grace, is hid unto him ; and his fruitfulness does 
 not appear to others ; yet he shall flourish again, 
 because he is planted in a fruitful soil, by the 
 rivers of divine love and grace ; is well rooted iu 
 Christ Jesus, and whom he takes care of, waters 
 every moment, and purges and prunes, that he 
 may bring forth more fruit ; this the church was 
 sensible of, and therefore is desirous that Christ 
 would go along with her. 
 
 2ndly. Another end she had in inviting Christ 
 to go with her into the field, villages, and vine- 
 yards, is, to see "whether the tender grape appear, 
 or whether the flower of the grape opened itself."* 
 By which may be meant young converts ; who 
 are weak and tender, have but little knowledge, a 
 small degree of faith, and have not arrived to that 
 solidity and establishment, as many others have ; 
 and are therefore compared to new-born babes, 
 lambs, and kids of the flock : as also to a bruised 
 reed, and to the smoking flax ; but as Christ does 
 not despise the day of small things, so neither does 
 the church overlook them, but shows a very great 
 
 erueritse uvaparva, Montanus; an .iperta sit gemma, 
 Mercerus; ac florem protrudat, Tigurine version; 
 exeruerit se uva prima, Cocceius ; an aperiat se 
 prima uva, Junius; aperuerit uva prima, Brightman. 
 
288 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. vn. 
 
 concern for them ; she is very desirous of seeing 
 these appear in churches : this is a very great en- 
 couragement to churches, when souls are born 
 again among them ; it is a sign that the Lord de- 
 signs to continue them, and to make them yet 
 more flourishing and fruitful. 
 
 Srdly. Her other end is to see whether " the 
 pomegranates budded." By pomegranates may be 
 meant stronger believers, who are taller and more 
 fruitful than the former ; why they are so com- 
 pared, may be seen in chap. iv. 13 ; and by the 
 buddings of them, may be meant the actings and 
 exercise of grace in them. We may observe that 
 the church is concerned for the comfortable well- 
 being and good estate of believers of all ranks and 
 sizes ; of the vines and pomegranates, as well as 
 of the tender grapes ; and of the buddings of the 
 one, as well as of the blossoming or opening of 
 the other. 
 
 IV. The motive which she makes use of to pre- 
 vail upon Christ to comply with her invitation, is, 
 "for. there will I give thee my loves ;" that is, 
 when we are alone in the field, or out at lodgings 
 in the villages, or when we are together in the 
 vineyards, visiting the vines and pomegranates, 1 
 will show thee my love ; I will open all my heart 
 to thee, and thou shalt know how much I love 
 thee. And, 1. We are not to suppose that this is 
 the first time of her loving Christ, or of her mani- 
 festing it to him, for she loved him long before ; 
 but she mentions this now to gain her end ; for 
 she knew very well what would take with Christ's 
 heart, what was grateful to him, and that no- 
 thing was more so than expressions of her love 
 to him, and this she had learned from his owu 
 words, in chap. iv. 10, " How fair is thy love, 
 my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy 
 love than wine !" Christ knew very well she loved 
 him ; but yet he loved to hear her say she 
 did. What made Christ ask Peter so often 
 whether he loved him or no ? it was not because 
 he doubted of it, but because he loved to hear 
 him express it. 2. By her loves, may be meant 
 the manifestations of her love to him, in the ob- 
 servance of his commands ; the offering up the 
 sacrifices of prayer and praise unto him ; as well 
 as all other branches of religious worship and ser- 
 vice in his house, which she promises to him 
 there ; and this sense the Targum inclines unto. 
 3. This, being expressed in the plural number, 
 may intend not only the excellency of her love to 
 Christ, and the various ways of manifesting it to 
 him, but also the abundance of it : here was an 
 overflow of it in her soul ; her heart was brimful 
 of it, and she seems to want an opportunity of 
 venting it ; for which purpose she desires to be 
 alone with Christ, as Joseph did with his brethren, 
 that so she might, with the greater freedom, let 
 out her affections to him. 4. Communion with 
 Christ, and the flourishing condition of his churches, 
 
 * Naias araat Thyrsin, Glauca Alraona, Nisa Theo- 
 nem, Nisa rosas, Glauca violas, dat lilia Nais : Cy- 
 thercus Sidonius apud Auson. *" R. Sol. Jar- 
 
 tend much to enlarge a believer's heart with love 
 to Christ, and to draw out his aflFections towards 
 him, " we love him, because he first loved us," 
 1 John iv. 19. I see not why the word for loves, 
 may not be rendered, my lovely flowers ; as a 
 word nearly the same, iu the following verse, is 
 by some rendered, " those lovely flowers give a 
 good smell," as Junius and Tremellius ; which 
 seem to refer to the flowers here ; such as were to 
 be met with in plenty in fields and vineyards, and 
 among vines and pomegranates, as lilies, violets, 
 &c., and may be an allusion to lovers, who used 
 to give to those they loved, sweet smelling flowers;' 
 and here may signify the graces of the Spirit, aud 
 the actings of them, which are fragrant and 
 acceptable to Christ. 
 
 Verse 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, 
 
 ^ny beloved. 
 
 In these words the church makes use of another 
 
 motive or argument to prevail upon Christ to 
 
 grant her his presence and company, taken from 
 
 the variety of fragrant flowers and pleasant fruits, 
 
 which she abounded with, and had ready at hand, 
 
 and which she had carefully laid up and reserved 
 
 for his use and service ; all which are commended. 
 
 I. From the fragrancy of them ; " the man- 
 drakes give a smell." 
 
 II. From the comprehensiveness of them ; 
 " all manner of pleasant fruits." 
 
 III. These are said to be " new and old." 
 
 IV. Not afar off', but at the very door ; " at 
 our gates." 
 
 V. They are all for his use and service ; " which 
 I have laid up for thee, my beloved." 
 
 I. The fragransy of those flowers or fruits 
 with which she abounds, is here expressed ; " the 
 mandrakes give a smell." The Hebrew word 
 trnwrn, dudaim, translated mandrakes, is only 
 found in this place, and in Gen. xxx. 14 — 16 ; in 
 this sense ; but what plant or herb is intended by 
 it, is not very easy to determine; Junius and 
 Tremellius have rendered it, in both places, by 
 " flores amabiles, lovely flowers:" which they think 
 best agrees with the etymology of the word: others'' 
 render it. Jessamin ; others'^ lilies ; others violets : 
 R. Solomon Jarchi would have it rendered bas- 
 kets here, and refers it to Jer. xxiv. 1 ; where the 
 people of Israel are represented by two baskets 
 of figs ; where a word derived from the same 
 root, and of the same form is used; and that both 
 sorts of people, there represented, may be here 
 said to give a good smell, because now they all 
 sought the face of the Lord. Ludolphus, in his 
 Ethiopic history,"* takes it to be the fruit which 
 the Arabians call mauz or muza, (called, by some, 
 the Indian fig) which, in the Abyssine country, 
 is as big as a cucumber, and of the same form and 
 chi in Gen. xxx. 14. " Vid. Jun. in Gen. xxx. 14. 
 ■> L. 1. 0. 9. n. 23. 
 
VKR. 13.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 289 
 
 shape ; fifty of which grow upon one and the same 
 stalk, and are of a very sweet taste and smell ; 
 from which cognation of a great many upon the 
 same stalk, he thinks it took the name of dudaim. 
 Some think, the fruit of the lote-tree is here in- 
 tended ; which, according to Homer, "^ Herodotus,' 
 Ovid,s and others, '' was a very sweet and delicious 
 fruit ; sweet apples, as some call them ; there were 
 a people in Africa, called Lotophagi, who lived 
 upon it, as observed by the same authors ; the 
 mandrake of the Chinese is the famous root they 
 call ffitisenff ; which, with them, is a sovereign 
 remedy for all weaknesses of body or mind : a pre- 
 servative of health ; and they call it the plant that 
 gives immortality. Ravius, in his dissertation 
 concerning the dud aim, thinks the words should 
 be rendered, "the branches put forth their sweet- 
 smelling flowers;" and that the branches of fig- 
 trees are meant, which give a good smell, agree- 
 able to chap. ii. 13 ; and which, he supposes, to 
 the use of the word, in Jer. xxiv. 1 ; and to this 
 sense Heidegger' agrees ; only he thinks the word 
 branches, is not to be restrained to a particular 
 species, but may signify branches of sweet-smell- 
 ing flowers and fruits in general. But the gen- 
 erality of translators and interpreters render it, 
 mandrakes ; as do the Septuagint, both the Tar- 
 gums of Onkelos and Jonathan, on Gen. xxx. 14 ; 
 though the Targum on this place renders it, balsam, 
 but then it is questionable whether the same plant 
 which is known among us by the name of man- 
 drakes, is here meant, because of its strong smell ; 
 but of this more hereafter. Let us consider what 
 may be intended hereby. And, 
 
 1st. By these mandrakes may be meant, the 
 saints and people of God ; who are plants of God's 
 right hand planting, are both fi'agrant and fruit- 
 ful ; and may be compared unto them, 1. Be- 
 cause the mandrake is a cold plant, and therefore 
 used for the assuaging inflammations, and healing 
 ulcers :'' the people of God, though they ought 
 not to be cold in divine things, nor lukewarm in 
 the cause of Christ, and viudication of his truths 
 and ordinances : yet are, or at least should be, 
 of cooling spirits, to allay those heats, and heal 
 those divisions which too often appear in the 
 churches of Christ ; which they may be instru- 
 mental in, by a prudent carriage, a moderate 
 temper, and by using soft and " pleasant words :" 
 which, as Solomon says, Prov. xv. 1, and xvi. 24, 
 " turn away wrath, and are sweet to the soul, and 
 health to the bones :" and when they appear to be 
 of hot and fiery tempers and dispositions, it is 
 what is opposite to the principle which is wrought 
 
 • Odyss. 9. V. 94. ' Melpomene, sive 1. 4. c. 
 
 177. t Tristium. 1. 4. Epist. 1. v. 31. and De 
 
 Ponto, 1. 4. eleg. 10. v. 18. i- Vid. Strabo, Geo- 
 
 graph. 1. 17. p. 574. Athensei Deipno3opbist. 1. 14. c. 
 18. Plin. 1. 13. c. 17. and Pomponius Sabinus in 
 Virgil. Georgic. 1. 2. p. 210. ' Hist. Patriarch, 
 
 torn. 2. exercit. 19. s. 9. 15. "< Fernel. Method. 
 
 Medend. 1. 6. c. 1. and Plin. 1. 26. c. 9, 10,-14, 15 
 
 " Avicenna apud Castel. Animadv. Samar. in Gen. 
 
 in them and that profession which they make. 
 2. Because the mandrake is supposed to excite 
 love; hence the apples of it are called "apples 
 of love;" and the Hebrew word here used comes 
 from a root which signifies love : the saints may 
 well be represented by them on this account ; for 
 though they do not provoke Christ to love them, 
 by the love they show him, or the obedieuce they 
 perform unto him ; yet these often draw out 
 Christ's affections to them ; and what he himself 
 has wrought in them, and put upon them, render 
 them lovely in his eyes : besides, it is their in- 
 cumbent duty, and should be the great employ- 
 ment of their lives, to provoke one another " to 
 love and good works." 3. They have been also 
 thought to help barrenness,' and to make fruit- 
 ful ; which some have imagined to be the reason 
 of that great contention between Rachel and Leah 
 concerning them ; and the same opinion of their 
 prolific virtue remains in those eastern parts still, 
 and they are applied for that purpose ; and the 
 plant is described as having a large leaf, bearing 
 a certain sort of fruit, in shape resembliug an 
 apple, growing ripe in harvest, but of an ill savour, 
 and not wholesome :™ hence the phrase here may 
 intend the fruitfulness of the church in the first 
 times of the gospel, through the vast numbers of 
 souls which were bo^^n again therein, when that 
 prophecy was fulfilled, Isa. liv. 1, " Sing, O 
 barren, that thou didst not bear ; break forth into 
 singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail 
 with child : for more are the children of the 
 desolate, than the children of the married, wife, 
 saith the Lord ;" which fruitfidness of the church 
 may be considered as a very good ai'gument used 
 by her here, to prevail on Christ to grant her 
 his presence and company. 4. The mandrake is 
 a narcotic, has a sleepy virtue in it, as Pliny" 
 observes, and much inclines thereunto; Levinus 
 Lemnius" writes of himself, that being in his study, 
 he was suddenly taken with a sleepy fit, which he 
 could by no means account for, until he espied a 
 mandrake-apple upon one of the shelves, to which 
 he ascribed it ; and PlutarchP relates, that man- 
 drakes, which grow by vines, give the wine made 
 of them such a virtue, that those who drink of it 
 sleep more sweetly ; the saints are often in 
 sleepy frames themselves ; the wise virgins slept 
 as well as the foolish ; and conversation with 
 sleepy professors makes others so likewise. 5. It 
 not only inclines to sleep, but makes persons 
 sluggish and slothful ; hence those phrases, " to 
 drink the mandrake, and to sleep uuder a man- 
 drake,'' are proverbially used of persons who are 
 
 xxx. 14. ■» Jlaundrel's Journey from Aleppo, 
 
 &c. p. 61. edit. 7. ° L. 2S. c. 13. So Plut.nrch. 
 
 Sympos. 1. 3. p. fi.')2. and Medici in Theodoret. in loc. 
 Vid. Philostrat. Vita Apollon 1. 8. c. 3. » Herb. 
 
 Bibl.Explic. c. 2. p De Audiendis Poetis.p. 15. 
 
 "J Mai/dpa7opai' irtixuiKoaiv, Demostli. Oral. Philip. 4. 
 
 'Yiro navit-a-iopa KaScpiSeic, Lucian. ill Timotl S. 1. Vid. 
 Julian. Ep. 21. p. 139. 
 
 u 
 
200 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. vn. 
 
 sluggish and inactive in the discharge ot their 
 ofBce : the saints are too often so themselves, 
 and the cause thereof in others : being " slothful 
 in business, and not fervent in spirit, serving the 
 Lord," as they ought to be. 6. The apples of the 
 mandrake are very delightful to look upon, being 
 of a yellow or golden colour ; and so are the saints 
 in Christ's eye ; to them he looks, and with them 
 he is well pleased, they being beautified with the 
 garments of his salvation, and adorned witli the 
 graces of his Spirit. 7- These mandrakes are said 
 to " give a smell ;" it is true, it is not said that 
 they give a good smell ; but it may be reason- 
 ably supposed that such an one is intended, be- 
 cause their commendation is designed ; and they 
 are taken notice of by the church, as what might 
 be inviting to Christ ; and so no doubt Reuben's 
 mandrakes, which Rachel took such a fancy to, 
 were fragrant, and of a sweet smell : or we may 
 reasonably suppose the boy would not have 
 gathered them, nor Rachel have taken such a liking 
 to them, no more than Leah would have con- 
 tended with her about them, unless it was for a 
 reason before given. But then the difficulty is 
 to know what plant is intended, seeing our present 
 mandrakes are of an ill and offensive smell ; and 
 so is the plant^now shown for it, as before observed : 
 and such an account also Pliny"^ gives of it ; though 
 Dioscorides, Levinns Lemnius/ and Augustine," 
 who says he saw the plant, and examined it, says, 
 that it is of a very sweet smell; which though 
 it does not agree with the plant which now bears 
 the name, suits well with that intended here; for 
 which reason the saints may be compared unto it, 
 whose persons are of a sweet smell, being clothed 
 with Christ's garments, which " smell of myrrh, 
 aloes, and cassia," and anointed with the savoury 
 ointments of the Spirit's grace : whose prayers 
 are so, being perfumed with Christ's mediation : 
 and their good works being accepted, with their 
 persons, " in the beloved ;" so the Jews" inter- 
 pret the mandrakes, of the young men of Israel ; 
 who have not tasted the taste of sin, pure and 
 holy persons, free from vicious habits. Or, 
 
 2ndly. By these mandrakes, which give a good 
 smell, may be meant the doctrines and promises of 
 the gospel; which, 1. Like mandrakes, are of a 
 healing and cooling nature : the law is a fiery law ; 
 and when it works, in a sinner's conscience, it 
 makes fiery work there; it worketh wrath, which 
 is only assuaged through the application of gospel 
 doctrines and promises, by the blessed Spirit. 2. 
 Like mandrakes, these excite love ; for though it 
 is the law which enjoins and requires love both to 
 God and to our neighbour; yet it is the Gospel 
 which moves and presses us to it, with the noblest 
 motives and most powerful arguments ; such as 
 those which are taken from the love of God and 
 Christ to us. 3. Like mandrakes, are the means 
 of fruitfulness : it is by the gospel, as the instru- 
 
 • Odor gravis cgus, sed radicis and mali gravior, 
 1. 25. c. 13. ■ Herb, liibl. Exjilic. c. 2. 
 
 mental means, that souls are begotten again to 
 Christ ; for though they are bora of an incorrup- 
 tible seed, and are begotten again according to the 
 sovereign will of God, aud as an instance of his 
 abundant mercy, yet it is by the word of truth, 
 which liveth and abideth for ever. 4. As the 
 mandrake-apples are delightful, so are tlie doctrines 
 and promises of the gospel ; which words being 
 " fitly spoken, are like apples of gold in pictures 
 of silver." 5. As the mandrakes give a good smell, 
 so do these ; for to them that are saved, they are 
 " the savour of life unto life." 
 
 3rdly. By these dudaim or lovely flowers, as 
 Junius translates the word, may be meant the 
 graces of the Spirit ; such as faith, repentance, 
 love, thankfulness, hope, humility, &c. 1. Faith 
 may be one of those lovely flowers which give a 
 good smell : this is a flower that does not grow 
 in nature's garden ; but is sown and raised in the 
 believer's heart, by the power and Spirit of God ; 
 which at first is but like a grain of mustard -seed, 
 that is the least of all seeds ; but afterwards grows 
 in some more, in others less; but in all it is "alike 
 precious faith," which emits a sweet fragrancy to 
 God and Christ. 2. Repentance may be another 
 of those lovely flowers ; this grows in the same 
 garden as faith does ; they are sown and raised up 
 together, and that by one and the same hand ; and 
 when attended with fruits becoming it, is highly 
 valued by Christ Jesus. 3. Love may be another 
 of those lovely flowers ; this precious flower springs 
 from, is raised up and influenced by, as well as 
 scented with the love of Christ : and of all the 
 flowers in the believer's garden, none is fairer in 
 Christ's eye, or gives him, with its smell, more 
 pleasure and delight; for of this he says, in 
 chap. iv. 10, " How fair is thy love, my sister, 
 my spouse 1" &c. 4. The grace of thankfulness 
 is another of these flowers ; nay, a certain Expo- 
 sitor* thinks, that it is chiefly intended : the ex- 
 ercise of this grace is required of us, for every 
 mercy, both spiritual and temporal; and in every 
 condition, state, and circumstance of life : this is 
 more pleasing to God ; and he smells a sweeter 
 savour of rest in it, than in all burnt-offerings ; 
 and ai contrary disposition is higlily resented by 
 him, as appears from the case of the ten lepers 
 that were cleansed, of which but one returned to 
 give God thanks. 5. The grace of hope may be 
 another of those lovely flowers : this is none of 
 the meanest flowers which grow in the believer's 
 garden ; this is raised by powerful eEBcacious grace ; 
 is watered with divine love ; is made to abound 
 through the power of the Holy Ghost; and in 
 which Christ takes no small pleasure and delight ; 
 " for the Lord takes pleasure in them that fear 
 him, in those that hope in "his mercy." 6. The 
 grace of humility is another precious flower ; " the 
 ornament of a meek and quiet spirit is in the sight 
 of God of great price :" this grace so much adorns 
 
 I 
 
 • Contr. Faustum, 1. 22. c. .^6. " T. Bab. Eru- 
 
 bin, ful. Jl. 2. " Dr Guild in loc. 
 
13.] 
 
 SO\G OF SONGS. 
 
 2ra 
 
 believers, that Christ says, " to this man will I 
 look, that is poor, and of a contrite spirit •" neither 
 can he take his eye oft' them, nor will he remove 
 from them, but dwell with them for evermore. 1 
 might have mentioned many more of those lovely 
 and sweet-smelling flowers, as patience, self-denial, 
 &c., but these may suffice. 
 
 IT. The church's fruits are commended from the 
 comprehensiveness of them ; she is possessed of 
 " all manner of pleasant fruits." Which may de- 
 note, 1. The plenty of them : believers have not 
 only abundance of grace in Christ, but also abun- 
 dance in themselves ; for " where sin abounded, 
 grace does much more abound ;" they have also a 
 fulness of all spiritual blessings in Christ, as vvt^ll 
 as a plenty of gospel-doctrines, and exceeding 
 great and precious promises. 2. This may like- 
 wise denote the variety of them: the graces of the 
 Spirit are many and various ; as are the blessings 
 of the gospel, such as redemption through Christ's 
 blood, pardon of sin, justification by his righte- 
 ousness, adoption, sanctification, &c., so are the 
 doctrines and promises of the gospel, which are 
 all suited to the several cases and circumstances 
 of believers. 3. It also denotes the excellency of 
 them ; for here are not only plenty and variety of 
 all manner of fruits, but all manner of pleasant 
 fruits ; such as do not grow every where, nor in 
 any garden, but only in the garden of the church; 
 whose " plants are an orchard of pomegranates, 
 with pleasant fruits," &c. The allusion, no doubt 
 is to the most excellent fruits, with which the 
 laud of Judea abounded, as apples, figs, dates, 
 pomegranates, &c.; the word used includes every 
 precious thing ; not fruits only, but gold, silver, 
 jewels, garments, &c.^ 
 
 III. These fruits are said to be both new and 
 old, which still heightens and increases the com- 
 mendation of them ; there is such plenty and ful- 
 ness of them, as that the former year's produce is 
 not gone, when the new is gathered in ; here is 
 somd of both years increase, which is in indica- 
 tion of great plenty, as well as of the goodness of 
 the fruit that will keep so long. By these fruits 
 new and old, 1. Some-'' understand the gifts of 
 the Spirit ; which Christ, after his ascension, re- 
 ceived for his church, and bestowed on it ; toge- 
 ther with those temporal blessings which she 
 enjoyed before. Though, 2. Others think that 
 by them are intended moral and natural virtues, 
 which may be found in an unconverted man ; and 
 the graces of the Spirit, which are only in re- 
 newed souls. But, 3. It seems much better to 
 understand them of those fresh supplies of grace 
 which believers have from Christ ; for Ihey cannot 
 live upon their old stock, but must have a new 
 
 supply ; which theyaregraciouslyindulged with from 
 Christ, from whose fuluess they continually " re- 
 ceive grace for grace." Though 4. I am rather 
 inclined to think, that the doctrines of the Old 
 and New Testament, which, for matter and sub- 
 stance are one and the same, are here meant, with 
 which the church, and particularly her scribes 
 and faithful ministers are furnished, so as they 
 can " bring forth out of their treasure things new 
 and old," Matt. xiii. 52. 
 
 IV. These fruits are also said to be at their 
 gates ; which is mentioned, 1. In opposition to 
 the mandrakes which grew in the field ; which 
 appears to be a field-plant, from Gen. ixx. 14, 
 where it is said, that " Reuben went in the days 
 of wheat-harvest, and found mandrakes in the 
 field ," but these fruits here grew at their very 
 doors. 2. It may be an allusion to a custom of 
 the eastern countries, in garnishing the doors of 
 new-married persons with fruits and flowers ; and 
 not only at nuptial feasts, but at other festivals 
 also ;• which made it very inviting to go within. 
 3. It may also signify, that these fruits were 
 near at hand ; there was no occasion to go far 
 for them ; they were even at the door, as the judge 
 is said to be, James v. 9. 4. It may denote the 
 publicness of them : they .are not hid in secret, 
 but exposed to public view ; as the graces and 
 good works of the saints should be ; " Let your 
 light," says our Lord, Matt. v. 16, " so shine before 
 men," &c., as well as the doctrines of the gospel, 
 which are not to be spoken in a corner, but to be 
 divulged upon the house-top. 5. By these gates 
 may be meant, the means and ordinances of the 
 Gospel, where those fruits may be had ; and it is 
 therefore an encouragement to souls to " watch 
 daily at wisdom's gates, waiting at the posts of her 
 door :" so some Jewish* writers interpret them of 
 their synagogues and schools. 
 
 V. All this plenty aud variety of pleasant 
 fruits which were just at hand, the church declares 
 were all laid up for Christ ; " which I have laid 
 up for thee, my beloved :" respect may be had 
 to a custom with lovers, to lay up fruits for those 
 they love; at least such a custom may be com- 
 pared with this.'' Christ had bestowed a large store 
 and great plenty of fruit upon the church, which she 
 had carefully reserved for him ; she laid it up in 
 her heart ; she bore it in remembrance, which this 
 phrase is sometimes expressive of: thus it is said, 
 Luke i. 66, that all that heard of the surprising 
 circumstances which attended the birth of John 
 the Baptist, " laid them up in their hearts," 
 that is, bore them in remembrance; so should we 
 lay up the word of God, and the doctrines of it 
 in our minds, and not forget them ; thus David 
 
 » 'Vid. Schindler. Lex. Pentaglott. col. 970. 
 
 ^ Bishop Patrick in loc. ' 'Vid. Plutarch. 
 
 Amator. vol. 2. p. 755. and Barthium ad Clau- 
 dian. de Nupt. Honor, 
 ramos. Juvenal. Satyr 
 
 janua laureata, Tertullian. ad Uxor. 1. 2. c. 6. Vid. 
 
 Ovid Metamorph. 1. 14. fab. 17. * Targum 
 
 in loc. and Zohar in Gen. fol. 129. 3. •■ Sunt 
 
 . 208. Longos erexit janua poma gravantia ramos ; sunt auro similes longis in 
 
 12. V. 91, Necta coronam ] vitious uvas, sunt and purpureas ; tibi and has ser- 
 
 postibus. lb. Satyr. 6. v. 51, 52. ornantur. postes, j vamus and illas; Ovid. Metamorph. 1. 13. fab. 8. 
 79. oraatas p.iulo ante fores, &c. v. 226, 227. 
 
 ¥ 2 
 
292 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF TOE 
 
 [chap, vin 
 
 said, Psalm cxix. 11, he did : " Thy word," says 
 he, " have I hid or laid up," it is the same word 
 that is here used, " in mine heart, that 1 might 
 not sin against thee :" so likewise should we trea- 
 sure up in our minds all the instances of God's 
 grace and favour to us, and record the several 
 experiences of his loving-kindness ; not as a stock 
 to live upon, but to be brought out at proper 
 times, to magnify the grace of Christ, and to ad- 
 vance his glory : " for of him, and through him, 
 and to him, are all things." Now this appears to 
 be a very great attainment and a mighty instance 
 of grace in the church, to have a stock of promises 
 and experiences, and yet not live upon thera her- 
 self, but upon Christ, the Author and Donor of 
 them ; to lay them up for his service, and lay 
 them out for his honour and glory : and her 
 adding this endearing character, " O my beloved," 
 shows not only the strength of her affection to 
 him, but may also serve to assure him of the 
 truth of what she said ; as well as be an induce- 
 ment to him to comply with her request, which 
 she passionately renews in the beginning of the 
 next chapter. 
 
 CHAPTERVIII. 
 
 This chapter begins with an ardent wish of the 
 church, for a free and intimate converse with 
 Christ; declaring what she would do to him, and 
 for him, should she liave an interview with him, 
 ver. 1,2; what familiarity should be between them, 
 ver. 3; charging the daughters of Jerusalem not to 
 give him any disturbance, ver. 4. Upon which 
 they inquire who she was, that was in such a pos- 
 ture as they saw her in, ver. b. when the church, 
 instead ot giving them an answer, says somethings 
 concerning her beloved on whom they saw her 
 leaning, .and makes some requests to him, for 
 more nearness to him, and manifestions of his love 
 to her ; urged from the strength of her love and 
 affections to him, which were invincible, v. 6.7. 
 Next follows a speech of the church about her 
 little sister : expressing a concern for her, and 
 what she would do to her, and with her, ver. 8, 
 9 : and the answer of the little sister, declaring 
 what she was, and what she enjoyed, ver. 10; then 
 the words of the church aguin, concerning her 
 husband's vineyard, the place, keepers, and profits 
 of It, ver. 11, 12. And the chapter, and with it the 
 Song, is concluded with a request of Christ to the 
 church, that he might hear her voice, yer, 13, and 
 with a petition of hers to him, that he would come 
 quickly to her, ver. 14. 
 
 Verse 1. that IJiou wert as my hr other, 
 that sucked the breasts of my mother, when 
 / should find thee without, I would kiss thee : 
 yea, I should not be desyised. 
 
 These words are a continuation, or rather a 
 renewal of the church's desire after communion 
 with Clirist ; they contain these three things : 
 1. An ardent wish for a free and familiar con- 
 
 « '^ nsO "JDrr '•O ti? hii>v ae dieX^iJe /i«. Sept 
 Quis mihi det te fratrem meum ? Vugate Latin 
 version ; O si quis daret te ut fratrem esse mihi ! 
 Junius: Quis det te ut fratrem mihi? Montanus, 
 Mercerus; Quis dabit te tamiuam fratrem mihi? 
 
 verse with Christ ; that he would show himself 
 to her as her brother, and act the part of one 
 unto her : " that thou wert as my brother :" 
 and her meaning herein is more strongly ex- 
 pressed, by adding, " that sucked the breasts of 
 my mother." 
 
 II. A resolution of hers to kiss him when she 
 found him without; "when I should find Ihee 
 without, I would kiss thee." 
 
 III. The opinion which she entertained, that 
 she should not be despised for such an action ; 
 "yea, I should not be despised." 
 
 I. Tliese words contain a hearty wish of the 
 churcli's : the words may be read thus, " Who 
 will give thee as a brother to me ?'" Such forms 
 of wishing may be seen in many places ; see Isa. 
 xiv. 7, JJob xxiii. 2 ; and the meaning is, that 
 Christ would show himself to her in the rektiou 
 of a brother, act the part of one towards her ; 
 and that she might as freely converse with him, 
 as a brother and sister may and used to do. Se- 
 veral Jewish'' writers acknowledge, that the 
 King Messiah is intended by the brother here : 
 in what sense Christ stands in such a relation to 
 his church and to all true believers ; as also what 
 this wish of hers is expressive of, I shall now 
 consider. And, 1. Christ is the church's brother 
 by virtue of his incarnation, or the assumption 
 of her nature ; they are nearly allied in the bonds 
 of consanguinity ; he is of the same flesh and 
 blood with her ; and she is flesh of his flesh, and 
 bone of his bone ; there is a very great nearness, 
 aihnity, and likeness between them, for " in all 
 thiugs it behoved him to be made like unto his 
 brethren ;" and it is upon this score that he be- 
 comes a brother to them : the words may be con- 
 sidered as the wish of the old church for Christ's 
 incarnation. 2. Christ and believers are of one 
 and the same Father : God is the Father of Christ, 
 and so he is of all his covenaut-people ; of whom 
 he says, 2 Cor. vi. 18, "I will be a Father unto 
 you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters ;" 
 which is an instance of his boundless and amazing 
 grace : hence because Christ and believers are 
 sons of the same Father, though not in the same 
 way of filiation, he bid Mary Magdalene go to his 
 brethren : and as an evidence of tlieir standing 
 in that relation to him, say unto them, John xx. 
 17, "I ascend unto my Father and your Father, 
 aud to my God and your God ;" it is also upon 
 this account that saints become " heirs of God, 
 and joint-heirs with Christ ;" they are heirs of 
 God, because his children ; aud joint-heirs with 
 Christ, because they are his brethren, he being 
 the first-born among them. 3. Persons may be 
 said to be brethren, by being concerned m one 
 and the same covenant : thus there was a brother- 
 hood between Judah and Israel, which was dis- 
 
 Brightman. Utinam quasi fraterrnihi sis! 'figurine 
 version ; Utinam fias mihi ut frater ! Cocccius. 
 
 ■' Targura in loc. Zohar in Gen. fol. 104, 1. Caph- 
 tor Uperah, fol. 6. 2. aud Tzeror Hi.mmor, fol. iS. 3. 
 
VEU. 1.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 21'3 
 
 solved by God's breaking his covenant with them, 
 Zech. xi. 10, 14 ; Christ and his people are in 
 one and the same covenant, and in such an cue as 
 can never be broken ; though as he has the pre- 
 emineuce in all things, as he ought to have, so he 
 has in this ; for he is the Mediator, Surety, and 
 Messenger of the covenant ; nay, he is the Cove- 
 nant itself; he is the Foundation on which it 
 stands, and the matter of which it consists ; he is 
 tlie saints' Kepreseutative in it ; and because it is 
 made with him, their elder Brother, in their 
 name, room, and stead, therefore said to be 
 made with them, and they share in all the bless- 
 ings and comforts of it. 4. Persous that are of 
 like nature, temper, dispositions, and practices, 
 are said to be brethren : thus Simeon and Levi 
 are said. Gen. slix. 5, to be brethren ; not because 
 of their natural relation, but because of their 
 agreement in their tempers and practices : Christ 
 and believers are brethren in this sense ; they 
 are much of the same nature ; Christ has assumed 
 their nature, and they are in some measure made 
 partakers of his ; principles of grace aud holiness 
 from him are wrought in them ; nay, he is formed 
 in their hearts ; his image is eustamped, and his 
 features are drawn there ; there is a very great 
 likeness between them ; they are conformed to 
 the image of him who is the first-born among 
 many brethren: hence it is said, Heb. ii. 11, 
 that " he that sanctifieth, and they that are sanc- 
 tified, are all of one, for which cause he is not 
 ashamed to call them brethren ;" and to the same 
 purpose those words of Christ might be produced, 
 in Matt. xii. 50, " for whosoever shall do the will 
 of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my 
 brother, and sister, and mother." 5. Those who 
 are partners aud companions in afflictions, may 
 be also called brethren ; heuee Job says, chap. 
 XXX. 29, on the account of his sorrowful aud 
 afflicted condition, that he was '"a brother to 
 dragons, and a companion to owls :" Christ and 
 believers are brethren in sufferings : though it is 
 .true, they were not companions with him in his 
 sufferings, yet he is in theirs ; the afflictions of 
 the churches are the afflictions of Christ ; he 
 bears the heaviest part of them : for what is done 
 to his people he takes as done to himself; and as 
 they suffer with him, so they shall reign with him 
 hereafter in glory, and that for ever. 6. Persous 
 may be called brethren on the score of friend- 
 ship : thus David, in 2 Sam, i. 26, calls Jouathau 
 his brother ; not so much because he had married 
 his sister, but on the account of the mutual 
 friendship that had been between them : in this 
 sense Christ and believers are brethren ; he is a 
 friend to them, and such a " friend that sticks 
 closer than a brother ;" of which friendship of 
 his towards them, he has given many open aud 
 undeniable proofs ; he accounts them as his 
 friends, and therefore treats them as such, by 
 fi-equent visitiug of them, disclosing of his secrets 
 to them, and making noble entertainments for 
 
 them. 7. The cliurch might wish that Christ 
 would manifest himself to her, under this relatiou 
 of a brother, because of that intimacy, freedom, 
 and familiarity, which she might use with him as 
 such ; she would kiss him in the open street, 
 take him by the hand, aud lead him into her 
 mother's house, and there keep a free conversation 
 with him ; as a sister might do with an own 
 brother, and not be reproached for it. 8. Her 
 meauiug also may be, that he would act the part 
 of a brother to her ; that is, that he would be 
 pitiful aud compassionate to her, and sympathize 
 with her under all her exercises, as a tender- 
 hearted brother would ; and such a one is Christ ; 
 he has a fellow-feeling with his people in all their 
 temptations, and gives them all needful succour 
 and relief; in all their afflictions he is afflicted, 
 and has bowels of compassion for them in all their 
 distresses. 9. A brother not only sympathizes 
 with, but condescends to the weaknesses and infir- 
 mities of his brethren, it is a wonderful conde- 
 scension in Christ to stand in this relatiou to his 
 people, as also not to be ashamed to own it ; and 
 being in it, he is capable of showing a great deal 
 of condescension to them in many instauces •, 
 which the superiority of a father, in which rela- 
 tion he also stands, would not admit of; to which 
 the church might have regard in this wish of 
 hers. 10, The love and afl'ection of a brother is 
 very great, and much to be valued, as Christ's is 
 by the church ; for "his loving-kindness is better 
 than life," and all the comforts of it ; the mani- 
 festations of which the church may well be sup- 
 posed to desire here, as she did in chap. i. 2, 
 where she says, and what is mucii the same with 
 this request here; "Let him kiss me with the 
 kisses of his mouth ; for thy love is better than 
 wine." 
 
 Again, the church's meaning, in this ardent and 
 pathetic wish of hers, is more strongly expressed 
 by adding, that it was such a brother she wished 
 for, " that sucked the breasts of lier mother;" in 
 which may be considered, Ist. What this phrase 
 in general intends. 2ndly. Who is meant by her 
 mother. Srdly. What by sucking of her mother's 
 breasts. 
 
 1st. This phrase in general may intend either, 
 1. Thetruthof Christ's human nature; she wishes 
 for his incarnation in the former phrase, and in 
 this, that it might appear to be true and real ; of 
 which his conception and birth, his being the child 
 born, aud the infant of days, his eating butter aud 
 honey, aud suckiug the breasts of his mother, were 
 sufficient indications. Or, 2. The near relatiou 
 Christ stands in to his church, being a brotiier by 
 the mother's side ; which relation is accounted the 
 nearest, and the aflection of such an one is also 
 the strongest ; of which we have an iustance in 
 the case of Joseph, to whomKeuben, Judah, Simeon, 
 &c., were brethreu, though only by his father's 
 side ; and to whom he had a brotherly love, but 
 not so strong an affection as he had to Benjumin, 
 
294 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [cnAP. VIII. 
 
 his mother's son ; who was such a brother that 
 had sucked the breasts of his mother, as may be 
 seen in Gen. xliii. 29, 30, 34, such a brother, so 
 nearly related, and of sueh au affection, the church 
 wisheth for. 
 
 2ndly. It may also be inquired who is meant 
 by her mother : and this may be, either the church, 
 who may be called so, on the account of the many 
 converts which are born in her : thus Zion is said 
 to travail in birth, and bring forth children, Isa. 
 Ixvi. 8 ; and the Gentile church is said to be the 
 mother of many, Isa. liv. I, and regenerate souls 
 are frequently called the church's children, in that 
 prophecy ; or else, by her mother, we are to under- 
 stand the covenant of grace, " the Jerusalem which 
 is above, which is the mother of us all," Gal. iv. 
 26, for every converted soul is the birth of an 
 everlasting covenant ; hence such are called, in 
 Rom. ix. 8, the children of the promise ; and it 
 is no unusual phrase with the Jews, to call them- 
 selves the children of the covenant. 
 
 3rdly. By sucking the breasts of her mother, 
 may be meant, either, 1. The enjoyment of the 
 grace and blessings of the everlasting covenant; 
 so this phrase of sucking the breasts is used for 
 the enjoyment of blessings, Isa. Ix. 16, and in this 
 sense Christ may be truly said to suck the breasts 
 of her mother ; for all grace is in his hands ; every 
 blessing of the covenant he is in possession of ; 
 we have all our grace from him, and are blessed 
 with all spiritual blessings only in him. Or else, 
 2. By these breasts may be meant the word and 
 ordinances ; vi'hich are breasts of consolation to 
 believers, in whose hearts Christ is formed ; so 
 that when they suck the breasts, and are nour- 
 ished with the sincere milk of the word, and grow 
 thereby, Christ may be said to suck of them, and 
 be nourished by them. Or else, 3. This phrase 
 may be expressive of that familiar intercourse and 
 delightful communion which is between Christ and 
 his church ; which is frequently expressed by eat- 
 ing, feasting, and supping together ; see chap. v. 
 1, and Rev. iii. 20. 
 
 II. The next thing in the words, is the church's 
 resolution to kiss Christ, whenever she found him 
 without : in which may be observed, 1st. The 
 resolution itself, to kiss him. 2ndly. The time 
 when she would put this into practice, " when I 
 should find thee." 3rdly. The place where she 
 would do this, and that is, without. 
 
 1st. We may consider the resolution itself, 
 which is to kiss him ; which is no other than what 
 was her duty to do, and what is eujoined all be- 
 lievers ; Psalm ii. 12, " Kiss the son, lest he be 
 angry." "Which may be understood these several 
 ways: 1. There is a kiss of approbation ; in this 
 sense the word is used, Prov. xxiv. 26, "Every 
 man shall kiss his lips, that giveth a right answer ;" 
 that is, shall approve his sayings, and highly extol 
 and commend him for them : Christ is a person 
 to be liked and approved, being " altogether lovely, 
 and the chiefest among ten thousands ;" and so 
 
 he is by every believer ; there is none in heaven 
 or earth, that is so much valued by them as he is ; 
 they count all things but loss and dung, in com- 
 parison of him ; they approve of him as their 
 Surety and Saviour, and esteem him in every 
 character and relation he stands in to them. 2. 
 There is a kiss of love and atfection, which is 
 used by friends and relations, and that either at 
 meeting or parting ; thus the prodigal's father fell 
 on his neck and kissed him, when he met him ; as 
 did Paul's friends, at parting with him ; which 
 kiss of charity, or love, was much used among the 
 primitive saints ; and with such a kiss as this, the 
 church kisses Christ, whom she dearly loves, and 
 has the strongest affection for, arising from his 
 love and loveliness : as Christ's kisses, in chap, 
 i. 2, are the lettiugs out and manifestation of his 
 love to the church ; so the church's lips are the 
 lettings forth and manifestations of her love to 
 him : with such a kiss as this, the poor woman 
 kissed Christ, in Luke vii. 38, who " began to 
 wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with 
 the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and 
 anointed them with ointment ; for she loved 
 much," much being forgiven her. 3. There is 
 also a kiss of faith and dependence ; and then may 
 souls be said to kiss Christ, when they, as perish- 
 ing creatures, come and venture their all upon 
 him, give up themselves to him, resolving to have 
 no other Saviour but him ; when they can roll 
 themselves on him, relying on his grace, trusting 
 to his righteousness ; when, whilst they are com- 
 ing out of the wilderness, are leaning upon their 
 beloved ; and more especially when they embrace 
 him in the arms of faith, and say, with Thomas, 
 " My Lord and ray God." 4. There is a kiss of 
 homage and subjection ; so kissing the king's 
 hand, as it is an instance of his grace and favour 
 to his subjects to permit them to do it, so it is a 
 token of their subjection to him; thus Samuel 
 anointed Saul, and kissed him, 1 Sam. x. 1, which 
 former act was a declaring him king, the latter 
 an instance of his subjection to him : thus souls 
 may be said to kiss Christ, when they acknowledge 
 him to be their Lord and Kiug, and submit to his 
 laws and ordinances, refusing subjection to sio, 
 Satan, and the world. 5. There is a kiss of 
 worship and adoration : the custom of kissing 
 idols very early prevailed among idolatrous people ; 
 thus Baal's worshippers kissed him, 1 Kings xix. 
 18, as did also the worshippers of Jeroboam's 
 calves, Hosea xiii. 2, so kissing the hand at the 
 sight of the sun or moon, was esteemed an act of 
 adoration of them iu Job's time, chap. xxxi. 26, 
 27 ; in the same sense it may be used here ; for 
 as Christ is the believer's Lord, he ought to wor- 
 ship him ; and that not with a mere civil worship, 
 which may be given to creatures, but with that 
 religious adoration which ought to be given to the 
 Most High God ; for " all men should honour the 
 Son, as they honour the I'ather." When there- 
 fore the church or onv believer signify their love 
 
VER. 2. J 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 20f 
 
 and liking to Christ, exercise faith upon him, ! it. Now this opinion of hers might arise, 1. From 
 
 subject themselves unto him, and give him all due 
 worship and adoration, as well as make an open 
 profession of him, then may they be said to kiss 
 him. But, 
 
 2ndly. She declares the time when she would 
 do this ; and that is when she found him : From 
 whence may be observed, 1. That Christ may be 
 sometimes absent from his church and people, 
 which is a very great affliction to them. 2. That 
 they cannot be easy without him, but will be 
 earnestly desirous of his company, but seek for 
 him until they find him, as may be learned from 
 the case of the chiuxh, in chap. iii. 1 — 3. 3. That 
 finding Christ, is the comfortable enjoyment of 
 his presence ; it is souls having nearness to him, 
 and sensible communion with him ; which is the 
 time that they can come so near to him as to 
 kiss him. 
 
 Brdly. The place where she would do this, and 
 that is, without : by which may be meant, either, 
 1. The Gentile world, which was without, the land 
 of Judea ; the inhabitants of which are said 
 to be without afar ofl', aliens from the com- 
 monwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants 
 of promise, and without hope, and God and Christ 
 in the world ; so that it may be expressive of 
 her desire to find Christ in the Gentile world, 
 and how much her love and affections would be 
 drawn out to hira on that account. Or, 2. By 
 without, or in the street,^ as it may be rendered, 
 may be meant the public ordinances, where wis- 
 dom cries, Prov. i. 20, and where the church sought 
 Christ, chap. iii. 2, and wherefinding him, she owns 
 him, gives him homage and adoration, and 
 lets out her affection to him. Or, 3. It 
 may point out the way, and manner in which 
 she sought him, as well as the place where, which 
 was by going out of herself: Christ is not to be 
 found within but without ; believers " go in and 
 out, and so find pasture, food, and comfort. Or, 
 4. By it may be meant any opm or public place, 
 where she should not be ashamed to own his per- 
 son, Gospel, ordinances, cause, and interest ; for 
 those who are ashamed of him and his words be- 
 fore men, he will be ashamed of before his Father 
 and his angels, Mark viii. 38. Or, 5. By her finding 
 him and kissing him without, may be meant her 
 going forth to meet him, claiming her interest in 
 him, and signifying her affection to him, before 
 men and angels, at his second coming ; see Matt. 
 XXV. 6. 
 
 III. The opinion which she had entertained 
 that she should not be despised and reproached 
 for such an act as this ; yea, " I should not be 
 despised ; or, they,wonld not despise me ;"^ that is, 
 the people of the land, as the Targum paraphrases 
 
 • p^JT^ efo), Sept. foris, Vulgate Latin version, &c. 
 in platea, Moutanus, Brightman, Marckiu*; or in 
 any public place ; in publico, Cocceius ; cv uipw, al. 
 Interp ev ayopa al. Interp. apud Flam. Nobil. Not. in 
 
 Var. Lect. Sept. * '7 ip S? 03 nac yt •^k €^Mi(va><ra<ri 
 
 /u€, Sept. and jam me nemo despitiat, Vulgate Latin 
 
 the relation Christ stood in to her as a brother; 
 for how unseemly and immodest soever it might 
 be for a maiden in the the streets to kiss a stran- 
 ger, or one not related to her : yet nobody would 
 reproach her for using this freedom with an own 
 brother ; which would be accounted as a chaste 
 and a harmless action in her, as if slie had taken 
 a sucking child out of the nurse's arms, and kissed 
 it ; no more immodest and unbecoming is this act 
 of the church's ; and therefore she concludes, that 
 she should not be despised for it. 2. From the 
 reception she believed that she should meet with 
 from Christ ; who would not turn away his face 
 from her, when she made such an offer to him ; 
 which would occasion shame and blushing in her, 
 and others to laugh at her ; but she was well as- 
 sured of the contrary, and that it would be kindly 
 accepted by him. 3. From her having so good 
 an husband as Christ ; which might be kn\jvvu by 
 this familiarity between them ; and whom she had 
 no reason to be ashamed of, nor others to despise 
 her for having none : not to have a husband, being 
 matter of reproach in those days ; see Isa. iv. 1, 
 and liv. 4, 5. 4. From her prospect of future 
 frnitfuluess ; she doubted not but that by being 
 married to such a husband, she should bring 
 forth fruit unto God, and so not be despised for 
 being barren and unfruitful ; it being accounted 
 reproachful to be so : see I Sara. i. 6. 5. It may 
 be expressive of her great love to Christ, and of 
 her boldness and confidence iu owning and profes- 
 sing him, without either fear or shame,^ before men 
 and angels ; she knew that she could not be justly 
 despised and reproached for it ; and if she was, 
 she did not value it. 6. She may have respect to those 
 apprehensions which tiie wicked will have of the 
 saints in the last day, however mem and despicable 
 the saints may appear to the wicked now, being iu a 
 state of imperfection, loaded with reproaches, and 
 attended with a variety of sorrows ; yet they will 
 appear otherwise, and that in their apprehensions 
 too another day, when they would be glad to 
 change places and conditions with them ; though 
 Lazarus was despised when he lay in his sores at 
 the rich man's gate, yet he was not when in Abra- 
 ham's bosom. Thus the church might conclude 
 that how much soever she may be despised now 
 for owning and professing Christ, yet she should 
 not, when she should go forth to meet him at his 
 second coming, and be set at his right-hand in 
 gold of Ophir. 
 
 Verse 2. I would lead thee and bring thee into 
 my mother's house, who would instruct me : I 
 would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, of the 
 juice of my •pomegranate. 
 
 version ; etiam non coutemnant me, Montanu* ; and 
 non faciant contumeliam mihi, Cocceius, neque vero 
 me despicicnt, Tigurinc version; etiam non conten:- 
 nerent me, Brightman, Marckius. « Audacem 
 
 faciebat amor, Ovid. Metamorph. 1. 4. Fab. 4. 
 
296 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. yiir. 
 
 These are still the words of the church, discover- 
 ing the resolutions and desires of her heart after 
 communion with Christ, and a discharge of her 
 duty to him: iu which may he observed, 
 
 I. Her resolution to " lead and bring him into 
 her mother's house." 
 
 II. Her expectation of receiving instruction 
 there •, " who would instruct me." 
 
 III. The entertainment she promises to give 
 him ; " I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, 
 of the juice of my pomegranate." 
 
 I. She resolves to lead and bring him into her 
 " mother's house ;" wherein may be considered, 
 1st. What may be intended in those acts of 
 leading and bringing. 2ndly. What by her 
 " mother's house," whither she should lead him, 
 and into which she would introduce him. 
 
 1st. It will be proper to consider what those 
 acts of leading and bringing intend. We fre- 
 quently read of Christ's leading his church and 
 people ; but never, as I remember, but in this 
 place, of the church's leading Christ : Christ 
 kads his church as a king does his subjects, 
 or as a general does his army ; for he is given 
 to be a Leader and a Commander to the people; 
 which he performs, by ruling them with wholesome 
 laws, and protecting them in their rights and 
 liberties from all their enemies : thus, Deut. xxxii. 
 12, "the Lord alone did lead Israel of old, and 
 there was no strange god with them ;" thus 
 David, Psalm Ixxviii. 72, the type of Christ, 
 fed the same people, " according to the integrity 
 of his heart, and guided them by the skilfulness of 
 his hands :" He leads them also as a shepherd 
 does his flock, gently, as they are able to bear it, 
 to suitable pastures, and proper resting-places ; 
 and likewise as a master does his scholars, lead- 
 ing them by his Spirit into all truth, and showing 
 them the fulness and glory of the everlasting 
 covenant : moreover, Christ leads his people, as 
 a guide does a stranger ; for they know not the 
 way everlasting themselves, and therefore commit 
 themselves to his guidance and conduct ; who, 
 tliough he leads often iu rough paths, yet always 
 iu a right way, to the city of their habitation: 
 likewise he leads them, as a nurse does her child ; 
 taking them by the hand, he teaches them to walk 
 by faith, and leads them into their Father's pre- 
 sence ; and also as an husband leads his wife, 
 when he brings her home, introduces her into 
 his house, consummates the marriage, and makes 
 her a partner of all his goods ; hence the phrase, 
 dncere uxorem, to lead a wife, is used to express 
 the act of marriage : thus it appears to be no very 
 difficult matter to understand how Christ may be 
 said to lead his church ; but how she may be said 
 to lead him, does not appear so manifest and easy. 
 Tlie act seems to import these following things : 1. 
 Tiiat she used much familiarity with Christ ; for, 
 for one person to take another by the hand and 
 lead along, discovers this : Christ allows his 
 church much freedom with him; which she may 
 
 make much use of, without incurring the reproach 
 and scandal of forwardness or immodesty ; seeing 
 it is her , own brother, nay, her own husband, 
 whom she thus treats. 2. It shows much ten- 
 der love, affection, and respect, to Christ ; as 
 also a welcome of him to her mother's house : 
 thus friends and relations show their respect and 
 affection to each other, and a hearty reception of 
 them into their houses, by taking them by the 
 hand, and leading them in. 3. It also denotes 
 honour given to Christ by her, becoming liis 
 stateliness and majesty ; thus kings and great 
 persons are usually led : she treats him according 
 to high station, as she is in Psalm xlv. 14, 15, and 
 leads him along, as kings and conquerors are led, 
 when they march in triumph. 4. All this is done 
 by prayer and entreaty in the exercise of faith : 
 Christ is easily prevailed upon by his church, 
 through the exercise of faith in prayer; he is, if I 
 may be allowed the expression, to be led any way 
 by believers, in things which are consistent with 
 his revealed will, and what will make for their 
 good and his glory. 
 
 Much in the same sense are we to understand 
 the other act of bringing; which, (1.) On her 
 part may denote the strength of faith in prayer ; 
 which held him, and would not let him go, until 
 she had brought him into her "mother's house :" 
 like Jacob of old, who, when the angel said to 
 him. Gen; xxxii. 26, " 'let me go, for the day 
 breaketh," answered, " 1 will not let thee go, 
 except thou bless me :" thus, James v. 16, " the 
 efifectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avail- 
 eth much." (2.) On his part much condescension, 
 in allowing such mean and worthless creatures, as 
 believers in themselves are, to take him by the 
 hand, lead him along, and bring him where they 
 would have him. 
 
 2ndly. The next thing to be inquired into, is, 
 what is meant by lier " mother's house," where she 
 desired to bring him : which may be expressive, 
 1. Of her desire to have the marriage consum- 
 mated; the introduction of the bride and bride- 
 groom into tJifiir house, being the last and finish- 
 ing ceremony of marriage ; thus it is said of Isaac, 
 Gen. xxiv. 67, that "he brought Rebekah into 
 his mother Sarah's tent, and she became his wife:" 
 agreeable to this ceremony, the church expresses 
 herself here ; only here is this difference, that it 
 was usual for the bridegroom to lead aud bring 
 his bride into his " mother's house;" but here the 
 church promises to lead Christ to her mother's 
 house ; Christ and the church's mother being one 
 and the same. 2. Of her desire to have the know- 
 ledge of Christ spread among her near relations, 
 those of her mother's house ; for nothing is more 
 common than for persons, when they are con- 
 verted themselves, to desire the conversion of 
 their near relatives; an instance of which may 
 be observed in the apostle Paul, Rom. ix. 1 — 3. 
 3. Of her desire to enjoy his presence in the 
 church, which may be meaut by her " mother's 
 
VER. 
 
 2-] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 297 
 
 house;" for the catholic and invisible church, 
 or " the general assembly and church of the first- 
 born, which are written in heaven," may be said 
 to-be the mother to the visible church on earth 
 in any age of the world ; for this is " the Jeru- 
 salem which is above, which is the mother of us 
 tdl ;" as may also the visible church ou earth be 
 to the several particular and congregated churches ; 
 and every particular and congregated church may 
 be said to be the mother of particular believers, 
 or converted persons : so that, (1.) The church is 
 their mother's house, where they are begotten and 
 born again ; for " of Ziou it shall be said, this 
 and that man was born in her," Psalm Ixxxvii. 5. 
 (2.) Where they are educated and brought up ; for 
 Zion's children, as they are born in her, so they 
 are nursed at her side, Isa. k. 4. (3.) For which 
 they have a great deal of zeal and affection, as 
 persons usually have for the place of their nativity 
 and education ; and this in imitation of, and con- 
 formity to Christ ; of whom it is said, that " the 
 zeal of God's house had eaten him up," Psaim Ixix. 
 9. (4.) AYhere they take much pleasure and de- 
 light to be ; are glad when asked to go up unto 
 it : because there they meet with the presence of 
 Christ, receive instructions from him, and are 
 employed in delightful service by him. (5.) This 
 is not only the church's mother's house, but also 
 Christ's Father's house ; nay, his own house ; 
 which might be an inducement to him to go along 
 with her; see John ii. 16, Heb. iii. 6. 
 
 The reasons which might induce her to desire 
 and endeavour the introduction of him in her 
 mother's house, may be such as these: 1. That 
 she might eujoy free aud uninterrupted communion 
 with him ; which end was attained by her, as ap- 
 pears from the folldtving verse. 2. That others, 
 even tjiose of her mother's house, might have the 
 benefit of Christ's presence and company, as well 
 as herself; which shows hereto be of a free, noble, 
 aud public spirit : like those saints, in ] John i. 
 3, who were concerned for the comfortable well- 
 being of others, as well as of themselves. 3. That 
 the ordinances of her mother's house might be 
 blessed unto her ; for she knew full well that those 
 breast^ of consolation would be but dry breasts 
 without his presence, and, like the mantle of 
 Elijah, be of little service and usefulness, with- 
 out the Lord God himself. 4. That she might be 
 assisted by him in the service of the house : there 
 are a great many works of faith and holiuess to 
 be performed herein, which she knew she was 
 not able to do of herself ; but that through Christ 
 strengthening her, she could do all things. 
 
 II. She expected instruction in her mother's 
 house, upon the bringing of him there ; and this 
 she expected either from her, or eke from him ; 
 for the word in the Hebrew text will bear a read- 
 ing which will suit either sense. 
 
 •• ':io'?n quae docet me, Junius : and doceret me, 
 Mercerus; ut doceres me, Cocceius : doceres me, 
 Brightman. ■ Docebis m», Vulgate Latin ver- 
 
 1st. They may be read, " who teacheth me ;"'' 
 referring it to her mother, who would do so ; so 
 Junius and Tremellius read them, to which our 
 version agrees, and which is also favoured by R. 
 Aben Ezra. From whence may be observed, 1. 
 That the church is a school of instruction, where 
 souls are instructed in the ways of Christ, in the 
 doctrines of the Gospel, and in all the duties of 
 religion ; both how to carry themselves in the 
 church, and how to behave themselves agreeably 
 to Christ, in all acts of luve and obedience to 
 him ; which she may here have chiefly a regard 
 unto : it seems to be an allusion to a grave and 
 prudent woman, who, taking her new-married 
 daughter apart by herself, teaches her how to be- 
 have herself towards her husband, that so she may 
 have his affections, and live comfortably and hap- 
 pily with him : some such instructions the church 
 expected from her mother. 2. That the greatest 
 believers are not above instruction, and the means 
 of it ; but count it a mercy to have both the one 
 and the other ; some persons who know nothing 
 as they ought to know, think they know every 
 thing better than others ; and therefore are above 
 ordinances, despise instruction, and contemn the 
 miaistry of the word ; but those who know most 
 of themselves and of Christ Jesus, desire to know 
 more, value the means of instruction, and make 
 use of the ordinances of the Gospel to improve 
 therein : the difference of these two sorts of per- 
 sons may be seen in Prov. ix. 8, 9. 
 
 2ndly. The words may be rendered, " thou shalt 
 instruct me,'" meaning Christ; and this sense is 
 favoured by the Targum upon the place, and is 
 followed by many interpreters : for though the 
 church is the school, aud ordinances are ihe means 
 of instruction ; yet Christ is the Teacher, who 
 teacheth as none else can .: this the church knew, 
 aud therefore expected instruction from him in 
 her mother's house; being there in the way of her 
 duty, where persons may more reasonably look for 
 it. Now when Christ and the church are in their 
 mother's house together, he instructs her, and 
 shows her her interest in all the goods of the 
 house : acquaints her with her work and duty, 
 and how she ought to behave herself towards him ; 
 he gives some such marriage-precepts as those 
 iu Psalm xlv. 10, 11, " Hearken, daughter, 
 and consider, and incline thine ear ; forget also 
 thine own people, and thy father's house ; so shall 
 the king greatly desire thy beauty ; he is thy 
 Lord, and worship thou him :" He informs her 
 what respect and affection, homage and obedience, 
 he expected from her ; aud that she should not 
 now hanker after her own kindred and relations, 
 being married unto him. 
 
 Now Christ teaches and instructs his church 
 and people many ways : as, 1. By his Spirit ; who 
 being sent by him, teaches them all things, goes 
 
 sion, Pagninus, Montanas, Tigurine version; so 
 Sept. in Theodoret. Ibi docebis me, Ambros, in Ps. 
 ci-viii. octon. I'j, col. 10*7. 
 
208 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OK THE 
 
 [chap. YIII. 
 
 before them, and leads them into all truth, as it 
 is iu Jesus, John xiv. 26, and xvi. 13. 2. By his 
 ministers ; who are both fathers and instructors 
 to Christ's babes ; and therefore are called " pas- 
 tors and teachers :" pastors, as thL'y have the 
 oversight of the flock ; and teachers, as they are 
 the instructors in Christ's school. 3. By the 
 scriptures ; which " are profitable for doctrine, 
 for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righte- 
 ousness ;" for there is nothing written there, whe- 
 ther promises or doctrines, words of advice and 
 direction, or of exhortation and comfort, but what 
 is " written for our learning ; that we through 
 patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have 
 hope," 2 Tim. iii. 16, Rom. xv. 4. 4. By his or- 
 dinances ; for as in his church he teaches men his 
 ways, so he teaches them by them, and in their 
 waiting and attending on them. 5. By afilictive 
 providences ; he sometimes takes the rod, and 
 makes use of that to promote his people's learning, 
 when need requires; and, "blessed is the man whom 
 he chasteneth," and thereby teacheth out of his 
 law, Psalm xciv. 1 2. 
 
 III. She promises him a noble entertainment ; 
 I " would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, of 
 the juice of my pomegranate ;" some think, here 
 is an allusion to a custom at marriage ; when a 
 cup of wine, after a benediction of it, was given 
 to the new-married couple, who both drank of it ;'' 
 and in some places, the custom was' for a young 
 woman to bring in a cup of wine, all her lovers 
 being present, and deliver it iuto the hand of him 
 she fixed on to be her bridegroom ; and by this 
 action declared him to be so : and so here the 
 church, by proposing to give to Christ a cup of her 
 spiced wine, as the Vulgate Latin version renders 
 it, declared him, and acknowledged him to be her 
 husband. This is a different kind of entertain- 
 ment, than what the old synagogue gave Christ; 
 who, when she found him in the street, did not 
 kiss him, showed no respect to him, made no pro- 
 fession of him, nor did she exercise any faith upon 
 him, nay, despised those who did so ; she was far 
 from leading aud bringing him into the temple, 
 which the Jews'" here understand by her mother's 
 house, that she thrust him out of it, and gave him 
 gall for his meat, and in his thirst gave him vine- 
 gar to drink ; or, as one of the evangelists says, 
 Mark xv. 23, " w'ine mingled with myrrh ;" which, 
 though it is of a sweet smell, yet is of a bitter 
 taste: but the church here promises him spiced 
 wine, such as was accounted the most pleasant and 
 agreeable; and" the juice of her pomegranate," 
 
 for her plants were au orchard of pomegranates ; 
 from the fruit ot which a delightful juice is squeez- 
 ed, of which is made a pleasant wine ; and the 
 word which is here translated juice, signifies most"* 
 sweet, or new wine; aud so it is rendered iu Isa. 
 xlix. 26, Joel i. 5, Amos ix. 13. Pliny" speaks of 
 a wine made of pomegranates, which he calls 
 rhoites : mention is also made of it in the Tal- 
 mud,P and by Maimonides -.'i there was a city in 
 the tribe of Dan, called Gath-rimmon, Josh. xxi. 
 24, " the wino-press of the pomegranate," or 
 where they made pomegranate-wine ; and the 
 word here used comes from one which signifies to 
 force, squeeze, or trade under ; see Mai. iv. 3 ; 
 spiced wine was much used by the ancients ; it 
 was thought less inebriating ;"■ and therefore they 
 sometimes put into their wine myrrh and cala- 
 mus, and other spices ;* sometimes it was a mix- 
 ture of old wine, water, and balsam ; and of wine, 
 honey, and pepper ;' sometimes wine aud honey." 
 These sorts of wine were no doubt accounted the 
 best, and therefore she resolves to treat Christ 
 with them : by which may be intended, 1. The 
 richness and plenty of this entertamment ; a ban- 
 quet of wine being accounted the richest banquet ; 
 hence the provisions of grace under the gospel, are 
 represented by it, Isa. xxv. 6, as are also the joys 
 of heaven. Matt. xxvi. 29 ; but here these meta- 
 phorical phrases intend the graces of God's peo- 
 ple ; which, when in exercise, are preferred by 
 Christ to the richest wine. 2. The variety of it ; 
 here are spiced wine, and wine of pomegranates, 
 different sorts of wine ; which are expressive of 
 the various graces of the Spirit, which are im- 
 planted in the hearts of Christ's people. 3. The 
 delight and pleasure which Christ takes therein ; 
 for even one single grace, even that of love, is said 
 to be " better than wine, aud the smell" of such 
 ointments than all spices; which delight and 
 pleasure is expressed by his drinking of it ; see 
 chap. iv. 10, aud v. 1. With the Hebrew wri- 
 ters,'' pomegranates are said to be a symbol of 
 concord : the tree was sacred to love.* 
 
 Verse 3. His left hand should be under my head, 
 and his right hand should embrace me. 
 
 These words may be considered, either, 1. As a 
 petition thatit might be so, and be read thus, " let 
 his left hand be under my head,"'' &c ; a phrase 
 used by lovers,'^ and here repeated in this song. 
 Or, 2. As expressing her faith, that it should be 
 so ; which sense is favoured by our version. 
 Or, 3. As declaring her jiresent enjoyment of 
 
 ^ Buxtorf. Synagog. Jud. c. 39. p. 632. &c. 
 
 1 rhocenses apud Athen. Deipnosoph. 1. 1 3. c. 5. 
 p. 57G. "Vid. Plutarch, de Virtut. Mulier. p 258. 
 
 "> Targuni and B. Solom. Jarclii in loc. 
 
 " '3TDT CCJJQ and mustum malorum granatorum 
 meorum, Vulgate Latin version ; de uuisto mali 
 punici meo, Cocceius; de vino dulci mali granati 
 mei, Montanus. " Lib. 14. c. IU. 
 
 p T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 143. 2. i Hilchot Maa- 
 
 colot Ajurot, c. n. s. 11. ' Athen. Dpipnosophist. 
 
 1. 11. c. 3. p. 464. • riin. Nat Hist. 1. 14. c. IG. 
 
 16 Plauti Persa, act. 1. sc. 3. v.7. 8. • Munster. 
 Dictiouar. Chald;iic. p. 22, 27. " Aufidius forti 
 
 miscebat mella Falerno, Horat. Satyr. 1. 2. sat. 4. 
 V. 24. and 2. v. 15, " Apud Chartar. de Imag. 
 
 Ueorum, p. 139. =■ Atheuasi Deipnosophist, 1. 3. 
 
 c. 8. p. 84. y Sinistra ejus supponatur capite 
 
 meo, Tigurine version, Marckius, some in Michaelis. 
 » Circumdatoque m« bracJiiis, Plauti Asinaria.act. 
 3. He. 3. V. 106. 
 
VEE. 4, ').] 
 
 SONCi OF SONGS. 
 
 299 
 
 the mercy which she had been seeking for, and 
 had faith in ; and so be read, a« in chap. ii. 6, 
 where they are more largely explained. 
 
 Verse 4. / charge you, daughters of Jerusa- 
 hin, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, 
 until he please. 
 These words are either the words of Christ or 
 of his church ; who, having the presence and 
 company of, and enjoying communion with each 
 other, forbid all interruption, as has been ob- 
 served on chap. ii. 7, where the same words are 
 used, as they are also in chap. iii. 5, but with 
 this difference: 1. The phrase, " by the roes 
 and by the hinds of the field," which is used in 
 the two former texts, is here omitted ; not be- 
 cause there is less vehemency and earnestness in 
 this charge than iu tlie former : for, 2. There 
 is also a difference in the form of expostulation, 
 which seems rather to express her earnestness the 
 more ; for the words may be rendered thus, 
 " Why will ye stir up, and why will ye awake ?"* 
 &c., which seems to imply as if she is apprehen- 
 sive that they were about to do it, and that 
 there was no danger of it ; as also that it was 
 an unreasonable tliiag in them to do it ; and 
 what would be every way as prejudicial to them 
 as it would be to her ; and therefore they ought 
 to be careful, as well as herself, not to disturb 
 him, nor provoke him to depart -. the allusion 
 is to virgins, that sung songs at marriages ; one 
 in the evening, lulling to sleep ; and another in 
 the morning, awaked and stirring up from it :'' 
 the church would not have her beloved awaked 
 by them iu such a manner. 
 
 Verse 5. (Who is this that cometh tip from the 
 wilderness, leaning upon het beloved i") I raised 
 thee up under the apple-tree ; there thy mother 
 brought thee forth, there she brought thee 
 forth that baie thee. 
 
 In these words are, 
 
 I. A question put by way of admiration, con- 
 cerning the church, who is here described : 1st. 
 By her ascent out of the wilderness. 2ndly. 
 By her posture in coming up from thence ; " lean- 
 ing upon her beloved." 
 
 II. Some things asserted, either by Christ or 
 by his chnrch ; " I raised thee up," &c. 
 
 I. Here is a question put by way of admira- 
 tion, " Who is this," &c. Not by the angels, as 
 some'^ think; though it is true, they admire the 
 grace that is bestowed upon mortal men, and re- 
 joice at the faith and conversion of sinners ; but 
 it is much more likely that these are the words 
 of the daughters of Jerusalem ; who being strictly 
 charged, in the former verse, to give no disturb- 
 ance to Christ and his church, who were enjoy- 
 
 ing communion and fellowship with each other ; 
 look more earnestly at her, whom Christ had so 
 much honoured and indulged with such earnest- 
 ness to himself, at which they seem astonislied 
 and surprised. Though others'* have considered 
 them as the words of the Jewish church, won- 
 dering at the conversion of the Gentiles, and their 
 sudden reception into the embraces of Christ. 
 Others'^ have taken them to be the words of the 
 bride herself, declaring what Christ said to her 
 when he first met her, as she was coming up 
 from the wilderness ; or else, expressing her great 
 love and affection to Clirist, which appeared by 
 her coming out of the wilderness, forsaking all 
 for him, encountering with all difiBculties, run- 
 ning all risks, that she might enjoy his company ; 
 and therefore says, " Who is this," &c., or where 
 is there another that has done the like, or shown 
 the like love to him as I have done ? which is 
 not to be understood as though she boasted in 
 herself; for she acknowledges, that it was by 
 his grace and strength that she had been enabled 
 to do this, which is expressed in the very next 
 words, " leaning upon her beloved ;" for she 
 could never have been able to come up from the 
 wilderness bad she not had his arm to lean upon. 
 Though they seem rather to be the words of 
 Christ himself; not as being ignorant of her, 
 or as not knowing who she was ; but as ad- 
 miring at the graces of his Spirit in her, and es- 
 pecially that of faith, signified by her " leaning 
 on her beloved ;" as he had admired her love and 
 affections to him, iu a like form of speech, in 
 chap. iii. 6, which are there compared to " pillars 
 of smoke." 
 
 The person who is here inquired of and won- 
 dered at, is either the Gentile church, which, 
 before the Gospel was brought thither, was much 
 like a desert aud wilderness ; to which it is 
 frequently compared iu the prophecies of Isaiah ; 
 see chap, xxxii. 15, 16, and xxxv. I, 6, and her 
 coming out of the wilderness, may signify her 
 conversion to the faith of Christ : or else, the 
 springing up of a new church may be here in- 
 tended ; and, because an Arabic word is here 
 made use of, Brightman thiuks it intends the 
 conversion of the eastern part of the world, 
 Arabia, Persia, Egypt, Assyria, and refers it to 
 the prophecy in Isa. xix. 23 — 25, though rather 
 the bride, who is all along spoken of in this song, 
 is here meant ; who had attained to a greater 
 degree of faith, aud had larger experiences of 
 Christ's love, aud was allowed a more intimate 
 communion with him ; and is described here, 
 
 1st. By her a.>cent from the wilderness. The 
 Septuagint read the words thus, " Who is it that 
 cometh up in white,' or clothed iu white ?" though 
 there is nothing in the Hebrew test to favour 
 
 • mynnm ITrn no Quid e.xcitaietis, aut quid 
 expergL'faceretis? Junius, Brightman; Quid exper- 
 gefactitis and quid excitatis ? Coecems. Quid ex- 
 citabitis, and quid expergefacietis ? Mercerus; Cur 
 sUfCitabitis, cur cvigilare faoietis? Montanuf, 
 
 Schmidt. '= Vid. Theocrit. Idyll. 13. 
 
 ^ Sanctiu.s and Diodat. iu Ice. ^ Alcnin in 
 
 loc. • Junius in loc. ' s.t\ivKuy&i.ajitvt\ 
 
 dealbata, Sept. 
 
300 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [CHAr. viir. 
 
 such a version ; yet this appears to be the ap- 
 parel of the church in other places, especially in 
 the book of the Revelation, chap. iii. 4, 5, and six. 
 8 ; where she is said to he " arrayed in tine linen, 
 clean and white ;" which fine linen is said to be 
 " the righteousness of the saints," &c., that which 
 Christ has wrought out for them, and is by an 
 act of God's grace imputed by them ; for their 
 own righteousness doth not deserve the name of 
 " fine linen, clean and white ;" that being at best 
 but as " filthy rags, and as an unclean thing." 
 Bat the words are better rendered, " Who is this 
 that Cometh up from the wilderness ?" by which 
 may be intended, either, her conversion from a 
 state of nature, her being called and chosen out 
 of the world ; or her deliverance out of some great 
 afiBiction ; as the saints are said to " come out of 
 great tribulation," Rev. vii. 14. But of all this, 
 see more on chap. iii. 6. 
 
 2ndly. She is described by her posture, in this 
 her ascent out of the wilderness, " leaning upon 
 her beloved ;" which is expressive of much con- 
 fidence in him, and familiarity with him ; which 
 she was allowed by him to use, and which she 
 might without justly incurring either shame or 
 reproach ; for he, on whose arm she leaned, stood 
 in a near relation to her, being both her husband 
 aftd her brother. The word translated leaning^ 
 is only used in this place, and is differently ren- 
 dered : 1. Some, among which are many Jewish 
 interpreters,^ from the use of the word in the 
 Arabic language, render it, joining or associating, 
 o;* cleaving to her beloved : the church had given 
 up herself to Christ, to be his for ever ; was re- 
 solved, through grace to abide with him, and to 
 go with him, whithersoever he went : that act of 
 faith in God's people, which in the New Testa- 
 ment, 2 Cor. viii. 5, is expressed by a giving up 
 of themselves to the Lord, to serve, honour, and 
 glorify his name, is frequently expressed in the 
 Old Testament, Isa. Ivi. 3, 6, Jer. 1. 5, by a 
 joining of tliemselves unto him ; which, when 
 they have done, they cleave unto him with full 
 " purpose of heart :" resolving, with Ruth, that 
 where he goes, they will go ; where he lodges, 
 they will lodge ; that his people shall be their peo- 
 ple, and his God their God ; nay, that in the 
 strength of his grace, they will abide with him, 
 and by his interest even unto death. 2. Others 
 read the words thus, rejoicing or delighting her- 
 self " in her beloved ;"'' which sense the Vulgate 
 Latin seems to have a regard to, as well as ex- 
 presses the sense of our version, by reading the 
 words thus, deliciis affluens, imiixastiper dilecium 
 suum, " flowing with delights, leaning upon her 
 beloved ;" as does also the Targum, which thus 
 paraphrases the words, " and they shall delight 
 
 e R. Sol. Jarchi, 11. Aben Ezra in loc. R. Joseph 
 Kimchi.in K. David Kiinchi. in. lib. Shorash. rad. 
 pQ") andR. Sol. Urb. Ohel. iloed, fol. 19,1. Adjungens 
 se, Montanus; adjiciens se, Cocceius; associans se, 
 Brightman, Schmidt, Marckius, Michaelis. ^ R. 
 David Kimchi. lib. Shorash rad. pQi Targum and 
 
 themselves in the mercy of the Lord :" Christ and 
 his church take mutual delight and pleasure in 
 each other , as she is fair and pleasant for delights 
 in his esteem, so he is in hers ; saints delight 
 themselves much in taking a view of his personal 
 glory, in his comparable beauty, transcendent ex- 
 cellencies, inexhaustible fulness, and unsearch- 
 able riches ; it is not only their duty to " rejoice 
 in the Lord always ;" but this interwoven in the 
 very make, frame, and constitution of their souls, 
 as renewed by grace : hence they are said to be, 
 " the circumcision which worship God in the 
 Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no 
 confidence in the flesh," Phil. iii. 3. 3. The 
 Septuagint render it, " strengthening herself upon 
 her beloved," that is, being conscious of her own 
 weakness and inability to perform the duties of 
 religion, withstand the temptations of Satan, es- 
 cape the snares of this world, and hold on and 
 continue in her Christian race, she applied her- 
 self to Christ : in whom she saw both " righte- 
 ousness and strength " for her ; and from whom 
 she received both ; the one as her clothing, the 
 other as her armour ; the one as her title for glory, 
 the other to enable her to hold out until she 
 arrived thither, 4. Others translate the words, 
 thus, " casting herself upon her beloved :"'' 
 sensible souls will cast themselves at the feet of 
 Christ for mercy, and into the arms of Christ for 
 safety, shelter, and security ; they will cast their 
 burdens upon the Lord, to be eased from them by 
 him, who has promised to sustain them : and they 
 will cast their care upon him, kuowing that he 
 careth for them ; nay, they will venture their souls 
 upon him, and commit the whole affair of their 
 salvation to hjm ; as undoubtedly the church did 
 here. 5. Our version reads it, leaning on her 
 beloved ;"i which is the use of the word in the 
 Ethiopic language :™ confidence and trust in our 
 own strength, wisdom, and righteousness, is some- 
 times expressed by leaning thereunto, as in Job 
 xviii. IB, Prov. iii. 5 ; and so is faith in our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, by leaning on him ; see Isa. 1. 10. 
 By faith believers lean upon Christ's person, for 
 their acceptance with God ; upon his righteousuess, 
 for their justification before him ; upon his ful- 
 ness, for every day's supply ; and unto his blood, 
 for pardon and cleansing : who is such a staff or 
 prop as will never deceive them : upon which they 
 may venture to lay the whole stress of their sal- 
 vation, as it seems the church did here. The 
 attitude in which the church was seen, seems to 
 be this : she appeared coming up from the wilder- 
 ness, arm in arm with her beloved, her arm under 
 iiis arm-hole ; for a word from this here used, 
 signifies " the arm-hole ;"" which was expressive 
 of great freedom, familiarity, and fellowship with 
 
 Vulg, Lat. vers. '' Injiciens se super dilectuni 
 
 suum, Cocceius. ' Innitens, Mercerus ; inuixa, 
 
 Vulgate Latin version, Pagninus, Tigurine version. 
 " V'id. Hottiuger, Smegma Oriental. 1. I.e. 6. p. 
 106. " pEIQ axilla, Buxtorf. Talm Lexic. col. 
 
 2281. 
 
VER. 5.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 301 
 
 her beloved, and of her close affection to him, firm 
 trust in him, and dependance on him. 
 
 II. Iq the following part of this text are some 
 things asserted ; either by Clirist concerning his 
 church, or else by the church concerning Christ; 
 " I raised thee up under the apple-tree," &c. 
 These words may be considered as the words of 
 Christ ■," showing by whom and by what means 
 the church was raised out of her former mean con- 
 dition, and was brought to that honour and dig- 
 nity which she nou-' enjoyed. 
 
 1st. Says he, I raised thee up under the apple- 
 tree : which may cither intend the work of faith 
 and conversion, which is the quickening or rais- 
 ing up a soul that is dead in trespasses and sins 
 unto a newness of life ; or else, the awakening of 
 a sleepy and drowsy saint. If we consider the 
 words in the former sense, they will lead us to 
 observe, 1. The state and condition that the 
 church was in before conversion ; which Christ, 
 it may be, remarks unto her, to teach her humility, 
 that she migiit not be puffed up with spiritual 
 pride, and forget what she once was; she was 
 dead in sin, and must have continued so, had not 
 Christ raised her up ; she was like the wretched 
 infant, in Ezek. xvi. 6, which was " cast out in the 
 open field, to the loatliing of its person in the day 
 that it was born; in which condition Christ found 
 her, being like a new born infant, tiirown under 
 an apple-tree, and there left naked and helpless ; 
 where he took compassion upon, and said unto her, 
 whilst in her blood, live : moreover, some regard 
 may be had in this place unto the manner how she 
 came to be in this condition ; which was through 
 Adam and Eve's eating the forbidden fruit, which 
 some have thought to be the apple ; whereby " sin 
 entered into the world, and death by sin ; and so 
 death passed upon all men, in whom all have sin- 
 ned," Rom. v, 12. 2. That the work of faith 
 and conversio^i is a resurrection from the dead ; 
 which for ever secures persons from being hurt bv 
 the second death; see John v. 25, Rev. ii. 11. 
 3. That this work belongs to Christ, is performed 
 by him, and the glory of it to be given to him ; " I 
 raised thee up," &c. ; this work cannot be effected 
 by the free-will and power of man, bui by the 
 mighty and efficacious grace of Christ ; hence lie 
 is said to be the resurrection and the life, John 
 xi. 25. No less a person than he, who said to 
 Lazarus, come forth, can raise dead sinners ; and 
 no less a power must be exerted in doing this 
 work, than was in the resurrection of Christ's 
 dead body; see Eph. i. 19. 4. Christ's doing of 
 this work upon the hearts of his people, is a very 
 great indication of his love to them ; he speaks of 
 it here as a peculiar favour done to his church ; 
 see Eph. ii. 4, Jer. xxxi. 3. But, 
 
 If we understand these words of the awakening 
 of her when asleep, they may teach us the follow- 
 ing things. I. That slie was fallen asleep ; which 
 
 • Theodoret. 
 Alcuin in loc. 
 
 and Tres Patres in lb. Fotiot and 
 p Genet ix is often used for a 
 
 is sometimes the case of God's own people, as in 
 chap. V. 2. 2. That this befel her when she was 
 under the ordinances, under the shadow of the ap- 
 ple-tree, chap. ii. 3. 3. That Christ will not 
 suffer his people to continue so ; but will, by some 
 means or other, awake them out of it. 
 
 2ndly. He says, that there her mother brought 
 her forth, P &c. Here he expresses lier conversion 
 by a regeneration, as he had before by a resur- 
 rection ; by both which names it is very well 
 known in the New Testament; which work, though 
 it is eifected by the grace and Spirit of God, yet 
 the ministry of the word and ordinauces are 
 the instrumental means thereof, which Christ has 
 placed, continues, and blesses in his church for 
 that end. 
 
 But the words seem rather to be the words of 
 the church,'' speaking these things concerning 
 Christ ; for though there is nothing in our ver- 
 sion to determine the sense this way , yet the 
 suffixes in the Hebrew text being of the masculine 
 gender, manifestly show that they are spoken of a 
 man, and not of a woman. And, 
 
 1st. The church says, that she raised Christ up 
 under the apple-tree ; that is, she sitting under 
 the ordinances of the gospel, which arc the shadow 
 of the apple-tree, to which Christ is compared in 
 chap. ii. 3, and finding no communion with him, he 
 being as it were asleep all the while, did, by earnest 
 prayer and entreaty, at length raise him up ; so 
 that she enjoyed a large degree of nearness to him, 
 and familiarity with him. 
 
 2ndly. That there his mother, which is the 
 church and every true believer ; see chap. iii. 11, 
 and Matt. xii. 50, brought him forth: as did, 1. 
 The Old Testament-church, who long waited for 
 him, and was often in pain, as a woman with child, 
 on that account, until this man-child was born ; 
 which was at length accomplished, to the joy of 
 all those who w^aited for the consolation of Israel. 
 2. With much pain did the aposUes bring Christ 
 forth into the Gentile world, by professing him, 
 preaching his gospel, and suffering for his sake : 
 thus did they travail in birth, until Christ was 
 formed in the hearts of men. 3. It is with much 
 pain, even like that of a woman in travail, that 
 the new birth, or the work of regeneration on the 
 heart, which is no other than Christ formed there, 
 is wrought ; all, more or less-, who are called 
 by grace, pass under a work of the law, which is a 
 killing letter ; which puts the soul to a great deal 
 of pain ; pricks it to the heart, and makes it cry 
 out, What shall I do to be saved ? 4. The New- 
 Testament church, which is also Christ's mother, 
 in the exercise of faith and prayer, is waiting for 
 his second coming ; nay, is not only looking for , 
 it, but is hastening to it; is uneasy, and as it 
 were like a woman in travail, until he makes his 
 appearance ; which lie will shorlly do, through 
 the incessant and continued cries and entreaties 
 
 mother, in poetical compo.sures. 
 Cocceius, Marckius, Michaelis. 
 
 f So Mercerus, 
 
302 
 
 AN EXrOSITION OF THE 
 
 fcHAr. VIII. 
 
 of his people : aud this may be the reason why 
 the phrase is doubleil ;" there thy mother brought 
 thee forth ;" that is, the Old Testament church, 
 who waited for his manifestation in the flesh ; 
 " there she brought thee fortli that bare thee ;" 
 that is the New Testament church, which looks 
 for his second appearance. R. A.ben Ezra inter- 
 prets these words of the raising, loosing, and 
 bringing forth of the King Messiah, through the 
 prayers and entreaties of the Jews ; who fancy 
 that he now lies bound and fast asleep, but will 
 ere loug be awakened and loosed through their 
 prayers, and appear for their deliverance from 
 present exile aud captivity ; which is all vain 
 and delusive. 
 
 Verse 6. Set me as a seal -upon thine heart, as 
 a seal zipon thine arm : for love is strong as 
 death ; jealousy is cruel as the grave : the 
 coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a 
 most vehement Aame. 
 These words may be considered either as the 
 words of Christ, or of his church. Some'' think 
 that they are the words of Christ expressing his 
 desire to be set as a seal upon the heart and arm 
 of his church ; and the argument, reason, or mo- 
 tive, which he makes use of to prevail upon her to 
 grant him this request, is taken from the exceeding 
 greatness of his affection to her ; which is com- 
 pared to the strength of death, the cruelty of the 
 grave, and the vehemency of flaming coals of fire. 
 1, He makes a request to her, that he might be 
 " set as a seal," both upon her heart and arm : by 
 which he may intend, 1. An inward and abiding 
 principle of love and affection in her towards him : 
 the church's love to Christ is highly valued by him, 
 especially when it comes from the heart ; for mere 
 expressions of love, without an inward principle 
 of it in the heart, are not satisfying to him ; for 
 what he requires, is, to " love him with all thy 
 heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy 
 mind ;" let us love therefore, not in word, neither 
 in tongue," that is, only " but in deed and in 
 truth ;" for this is what he seeks for, and is highly 
 esteemed of by him. 2. A manifestation of this 
 affection to him outwardly; it should not only 
 have a place in our hearts, but also be shown by 
 our actions, which should be in conformity to his 
 will; " for if ye love me," says he, John xiv. 15, 
 " keep my commandments ;" Christ should have 
 both our hearts and our hands. 3. A constant 
 remembrance of him, and continual looking to 
 him : as seals worn upon the arm, or in a ring 
 upon the finger, are continually in sight, and put 
 in remembrance whose they are, and whose image 
 they bear ; and so would Christ be always in his 
 church's sight and mind ; for we should, as David 
 did, " set the Lord always before us," aud con- 
 tirinally look unto him, which is Loth pleasant and 
 
 receive from him " grace for grace." 4. A great- 
 er likeness to him : confoi'mity to Christ's image 
 is one great end of predestination ; which is begun 
 in the hearts of his people by his Spirit ; is in- 
 creased by those transforming views he gives them 
 of the glory of Christ's person ; and will be com- 
 pleted in heaven, when they " shall he like him, 
 and see him as he is :" believers have the image 
 of Christ instampcd upon them ; for as they "have 
 borne the image of the earthly, they shall also 
 bear the image of the heavenly;" which is, to 
 have Christ set as a seal upon the heart and arm, 
 so as that he leaves an impress of his image there ; 
 which conforms both heart and life unto him, 
 and cannot but be desired by him ; for every like 
 loves its like. 5. A close adherence to his person. 
 Gospel, cause, and interest ; having made an open 
 and public profession of him, we should " cleave 
 to him with full purpose of heart," as Ruth did 
 to Naomi ; or as a signet does to a man's right 
 hand on which it is worn. 6. and lastly. In this 
 request of Christ to the church, his design may be, 
 that she might appear to be his, aud only for his 
 use and service ; as things are known to be such 
 a man's property by his mark or seal being upon 
 them ; so the church is known to be Christ's, by 
 his seal being u])on both her heart and arm ; which 
 is himself; who is inwardly received, and out- 
 wardly professed by her ; for whose use and ser- 
 vice all she is and has are ; being " a garden 
 inclosed, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed." 
 
 II. The argument, reason, or motive, which he 
 makes use of to induce her to take notice of his 
 request, is taken from the ardeucy of his love and 
 affection to her, which is signified by those several 
 following expressions -. 
 
 1st. He •declares that his love to her was strong 
 as death: he loved her so, that he died for her; 
 he preferred her to his own life, and chose death 
 rather than to go without her ; which is a full 
 proof and evidence of his love to her, aud shows 
 the exceeding greatness of it; for, as in John xv. 
 13, " Greater love hath no mau than this, that a 
 man lay down his life for his friends;" which may 
 very well be improved by him, as an argument or 
 reason why she should love him again; manifest 
 that love, bear him continually upon her mind, 
 cleave close unto his cause and interest, seek after 
 a nearer conformity to him, as well as reserve 
 herself and all she had for his use and service. 
 
 2ndly. He asserts his " jealousy to be cruel as 
 the grave:" by which may be meant, either, 1. 
 His zeal for his church's good and his Father's 
 glory ; so this word is sometimes rendered ; see 
 Isa. ii. 6, and Ixiii. 15 ; which zeal of Christ's, 
 like the inexorable, cruel, and devouring grave, 
 consumed his time and strength, and at last his 
 life; as appears from his ov\n words, "the zeal 
 of thine house hath eaten me up," Psalm Ixix. 9. 
 
 jirofituule ; pleasant, because wc behold him " full He, a« the great prophet in Israel, showed a be- 
 
 of grace and truih ;" and profitable, because we coming zeal for the gospel ; which appeared by 
 
 ' Alcuin, Foliot, Sanctius, Not. Tig. in loc. 
 
VER. G.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 303 
 
 his warm and livel\' preaching of it ; his assiduity 
 and constancy in it, the frequent and wearisome 
 journeys he took to do it; the risks and dangers 
 he ran upon that account ; as well as the many 
 miracles he wrought to confirm it, and the care 
 he took to free it from calumnies, aspersions, and 
 prejudices : He likew ise showed the like zeal for 
 the discipline of his Father's house; as is manifest 
 from his severe reflections on human traditions ; 
 his asserting the purity of worship to he in Spirit 
 and in truth ; as also his frequent inveighings 
 against the vice of professors ; as well as his great 
 courage in clearing the temple from the defiiers 
 of it; which heroic action of his is particularly 
 recorded in John ii. 14 — 17 ; which put the dis- 
 ciples in mind of what was before written of him : 
 moreover, his zeal was no less fervent for the 
 salvation of his people, and the glory of his Father, 
 concerned therein ; which plainly discovered itself 
 in his voluntary assumption of human nature, 
 and cheerful submission to the death of the cross 
 on their account. Or else, 2. By it may be meant 
 his vengeance on his and their enemies ; and in 
 this sense the word is used, Deut. xxi-x. 20, Isa. 
 lix. 17 ; what was a day of grace and salvation to 
 his people, was a day of vengeance to his ene- 
 mies ; for no sooner was the year of his redeemed 
 come, hut the day of vengeance was in his heart ; 
 which he executed upon them without any mercy, 
 pity, or compassion ; his jealousy or vengeance 
 was cruel as the grave ; he spared them not : he 
 made an end of sin, abolished death, destroyed 
 Satan, and spoiled principalities and powers. Or 
 else, 3. By it may be meant, the jealousy which 
 he justly entertains of his people's faith in him, 
 love and duty to him, who frequently turn aside 
 from him to other lovers, of which he often com- 
 plains, being jealous over them with a godly jea- 
 lousy ; which is no other than the height of his 
 love and afi^ection to them ; there being nothing 
 that he is more anxiously concerned for and 
 jealous of, than the faith, love, and obedience 
 of his people, lest they should be given to any 
 other. 
 
 Srdly. This strong affection of his to his church, 
 he compares to coals of fire, which hath a most 
 vehement flame ; by which he would signify the ar- 
 dency and vehemency of his love; how tottering 
 it was to him, and how uneasy he was until he 
 had given it rent ; thus the prophet Jeremy, 
 chap. XX. 9; being reviled and reproached for pro- 
 phesying in the name of God, made a resolution 
 not to make mention of him, nor speak anymore 
 in his name ; but, says he, his word was in mine 
 heart, as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and 
 I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay : 
 so Christ's love was like burning coals of fire in 
 his bosom, which gave him much uneasiness until 
 he had given it veut; as appears from Luke lii. 
 50: I have, says he, a baptism, meaning his death 
 and sufferings, to be baptised with, and how am I 
 straitened, distressed, tortured, and uneasy, till it 
 
 be accomplished? and now this zeal of Christ's 
 for the salvation of his church, his vengeance upon 
 her enemies, his anxious concern that her faith, 
 love, and obedience, might not be alienated from 
 him ; as also his uneasiness until her salvation was 
 accomplished ; may well be used by him, as so 
 many arguments, to prevail upon her to grant him 
 the abovesaid request. Thus much for the first 
 sense of the words, as they may be considered as 
 the words of Christ to the church ; but the gene- 
 rality of interpreters understand them as the 
 words of the church, requesting of Christ that he 
 would set her as a seal, both upon his heart and 
 arm, because of the greatness of that love which 
 she bore to him ; which she compares to death, the 
 grave, and coals of fire : and this I take to be the 
 most genuine sense of them, as being most agree- 
 able to the suflBxes in the Hebrew test ; I shall 
 consider it much in the same method as I did the 
 former. And, 
 
 First. The church requests of Christ that 
 he would set her, as a seal upon his heart, 
 and as a seal upon his arm : in which she 
 may desire, 1. Nearness to him; as a seal 
 must be near, that is worn next the heart, 
 or upon the arm: the saints are a people 
 near unto the Lord: with respect to union, 
 they are members of his body, of his flesh, 
 and of his bones : Christ and believers are like 
 the old primitive Christians, of one heart and of 
 one soul : and they would be near to him with 
 respect to communion ; they would not only, with 
 Job, come even to his seat, but also into his arms ; 
 would lie in his bosom ; nay, are not content 
 without a place in his heart. 2. She seems to be 
 desirous of abiding in Christ's heart, and that 
 she might be as a signet upon his arm ; from 
 whence she might never be removed, but there 
 always continue ; of which believers may be as- 
 sured, though they are often attended with fears 
 about it ; for, as in Psalm cxxv. 1, " they that 
 trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which 
 cannot be removed, but abide for ever ;" they can 
 never be removed from ofi" Christ's heart, on which 
 they always are ; nor out of his arms, in which 
 they are continually inclosed ; for " they shall 
 never perish, neither shall any man pluck them 
 out of his hand." 3. She desires a share in his 
 heart's love and afl'ection, and that she might be 
 valued and esteemed by him as a signet upon his 
 right-hand ; see Jer. xxii. 24, Hag. ii. 23 ; for 
 there is nothing more desirable to believers than 
 the love of Christ and the discoveries of it ; for 
 his loving-kindness is better than life ; may they 
 but have a share iti Christ, an interest in his 
 favour, be but valued and esteemed by him, they 
 care not how they stand in the world's esteem, 
 what they say of ihem, or can do unto them. 4. 
 She seeks for a continuance of his love, which may 
 be depended on ; for, '' having loved his own 
 which were in the world, he loved tiiem unto the 
 end," John xiii. 1 ; Christ's love is like himself. 
 
104. 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VIII. 
 
 " the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever ;" from 
 whence it is impossible that any separation should 
 ever be made. 5. She also wanted and sought 
 after an assurance of Christ's love, which is the 
 Spirit's work, and is expressed by sealing in scrip- 
 ture; see Eph. i. 13, and iv. 30; which he per- 
 forms, either more generally, by that work 
 of grace which he has begun, and is carrying 
 on in the hearts of believers ; for from 
 his drawing of them to Christ with loving-kind- 
 ness, they may conclude and be assured of their 
 interest in his everlasting love; or else more 
 particularly, by some special testimony of his, 
 which he bears together with their spirits, that they 
 are the children of God. 6. In this request she 
 likewise presses after a manifestation of his love to 
 her soul, by the arm of his Almighty power, de- 
 livering her out of all temptations, and supporting 
 and bearing her'up under all afflictions, trials, and 
 exercises ; which had wrought out salvation for 
 her, and plucked her as a brand out of the burning. 
 7. She desires a continual remembrance of him ; 
 and seems to allude to the high-priest, who had 
 the names of the children of Israel engraven, 
 like the engravings of a signet, upon precious 
 stones ; which were born by him, both upon his 
 shoulders and upon his heart, for a memorial be- 
 fore the Lord continually ; which was typical of 
 Christ,^ our great High-priest, who represented 
 the persons of all the elect upon the cross, and 
 now bears them upon his heart before the throne 
 in heaven ; whither he is gone to appear in the 
 presence of God for us. 8. She desires to be 
 always in his sight, and under his care and in- 
 spection, as his people always are ; for they are 
 graven upon the palms of his hands, and their 
 walls are continually before him : they are as the 
 apple of his eye, his jewels, and peculiar treasure ; 
 which he has his eye always upon, and continually 
 watches over, lest they should be lost, or any 
 hurt come unto them. 
 
 Secondly. The reason of this request of hers, 
 she declares to be tlie exceeding greatness of her 
 love unto him ; which she compares to death for 
 its strength, to the grave for its cruelty, and to 
 burning coals of fire for its insatiable and devour- 
 ing nature. 
 
 1st. She asserts her love to Christ to be as strong 
 as death : the meaning of which is, 1. That as 
 death conquers all, kings and peasants, high and 
 low, rich and poor, bond and free, young and old, 
 weak or strong ; there is no disputing his author- 
 ity, nor controlling his power; but all ranks and 
 degrees of men must, whether they will or no, be 
 subject to him, the king of terrors : so her love 
 to Christ overcame all things, and surmounted all 
 diiJiculties which stood in the way of her enjoying 
 him ; she could part with, and bear all or any 
 
 • See more of this in my sermon, called, " Levi's 
 Urim and Thummim found with Christ." 
 
 ' Nostros non rumpit funus amores, Lucan Phar- 
 sal. I. 5. V. 701, 762. » Omnia vincit amor, 
 
 and nos cedamus, amori, Virgil. So Plato represents 
 
 thing for the sake of Christ ; father, mother, wife, 
 and children, houses and lands, a good name, 
 credit, and reputation, are nothing to the believer 
 in comparison of Christ, which he cheerfully quits 
 when they stand in competition with him ; nay, 
 things that are the most frightful in nature, can- 
 not scare him from Christ, nor separate him from 
 the love of him ; such as tribulation, distress, per- 
 secution, famine, nakedness, peril, and svvord; nor 
 death itself in its most formidable appearance ;' 
 for in all these things he is more than a con- 
 queror, through Christ that has loved him. Perfect 
 love casts out fear ; it dreads nothing, runs all 
 risks, encounters and surmounts all difficulties, 
 that it may enjoy the object loved. 2. As her 
 love, like death, had conquered all things, so she 
 herself was conquered by it ;" it had wounded her 
 sore ; so that she was as oue gasping, panting, 
 dying, just ready to expire, unless she had the 
 sight and enjoyment of him whom she loved. 3. 
 Such was her love to Christ, that death itself was 
 nothing to her, so that she might but win Christ 
 and be found in him • (he book of martyrs fur- 
 nishes us with many instances of those bold, daring, 
 and heroic lovers, who loved not their lives unto 
 the death, for the sake of Jesus ; the most ex- 
 quisite torments, and most cruel deaths they have 
 been put to, have rather inflamed, than lessened 
 their love to Christ ; so that their love to him 
 has not only been as strong, hut even stronger 
 than death. 4. Her meaning may be, that love 
 had so captivated her and worked so powerfully 
 in her, that .she was as a dead carcase, that might 
 be moved and drawn by him whithersoever he 
 pleased ; the love of Christ constrained her to live 
 to him, and not to herself; for love, as oue * ex- 
 presses it, is a kind of a civil death ; lovers rather 
 live at the will and pleasure of others whom they 
 love, than at their own ; and so the church did 
 here ; for a frown, or an angry look or word 
 from Christ, was as death unto her. 
 
 2udly. She says, that her jealousy was cruel as 
 the grave; by which may be meant, 1. Jealousy 
 of Christ's love unto her; either as it intends the 
 height of love, love at its aK/j.ri ; or else that evil, 
 groundless suspicion of not enjoying another's 
 love, or of having a rival in it, which Solomon 
 calls, Prov. vi. 34, 35," the rage of a man," 
 and may be said to be cruel as the grave ; for such 
 an one, " he will not spare in the day of vengeance ; 
 he will not regard any ransom; neither will lie rest 
 content, though thou givest many gifts ;" now if 
 jealousy is taken in this sense here, it intends 
 those fits of unbelief, which sometimes attend the 
 people of God ; who are often jealous of Christ's 
 love to them : and ready to suspect his regard for 
 them ; which exceedingly tortures and afflicts 
 them, and must not be reckoned their excellency. 
 
 love as the strongest of all things; since that which 
 rules over the strongest of other things, must be 
 the strongest of all ; Symposium, p. 1189, I I'M. 
 " Sanctius in loc. 
 
VER. 7.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 505 
 
 but their weakness ; for of all people in the world, 
 they have the least reason to entertain such 
 thoughts of him. 2. By it may be meant the 
 envy of the wicked against the saints, which is 
 very great ; for they would, as much as in them 
 lies, deprive them of the common rights and liber- 
 ties of mankind, as well as debar them the free 
 enjoyment of their religious exercises ; which is a 
 great affliction to the people of God ; for Prov. 
 xxvii. 4, " wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous ; 
 but who is able to stand before envy, or jealousy?" 
 it is the same word which is here used ; iu this 
 sense the Targum or Chaldee paraphrase on our text 
 understands it. Or, 3. By it may be meant her 
 zeal^ for Christ, his gospel, cause, and interest : 
 thus Elijah is said to be, 1 Kings six. 10, jeal- 
 ous for the Lord of hosts, that is, zealously affect- 
 ed to him, and concerned for his glory ; which, 
 like the grave, is of a devouring and consuming 
 nature ; for, says David, Psalm cxix. 139, " my 
 Zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies 
 have forgotten thy words ;" Virgily gives the epi- 
 thet of cruel to love. 
 
 3rdly. The church expresses the ardency and 
 veheniency of her love to, and zeal for Christ, by 
 comparing them to coals of fire ; live coals, such 
 as have their coruscations, which flash and flame, 
 and are bright and vehement ; and to these her 
 love may be compired, for the following reasons: 
 1. In such coals of fire there is light ; so there is 
 in the church's love to and zeal for Christ, for 
 though she believes in, and has love for an unseen 
 Christ ; yet not for an unknown Christ ; for ig- 
 note nulla CHpido ; her zeal is not a blind, mis- 
 guided zeal, but is according to knowledge. 2. In 
 such coals, there is heat as well as light : it is 
 true, sometimes the love of God's people waxeth 
 cold, through the prevalency of corruption, and 
 the cares of the world ; it is like coals of fire co- 
 vered with ashes ; which seem to have no life nor 
 heat in them ; but then at other times it is re- 
 kindled and re-inflamed by the Spirit ; either un- 
 der the hearing of the word, or in meditation up- 
 on the glory of Christ's person, love, and grace ; 
 " my heart," says David, Psal. xxxix. 3, " was 
 hot within me ; while I was musing, the fire burn- 
 ed ; then spake I with my tongue :" nothing soon- 
 er raises it into a flame, than fellowship and com- 
 munion with Christ Jesus ; agreeable to what the 
 disciples said to one another, Luke xxiv. 32, 
 " Did not our hearts burn within us, while he 
 talked with us by the way, and while he opened 
 to us the scriptures ?" Again, though they are 
 sometimes cold, lukewarm, and indifferent in their 
 frames, yet at other times they are fervent in 
 spirit, serving the Lord. 3. Fire is insatiable; 
 
 ^ Junius and Tremellius, Piscator, Oocceius, 
 Marckius. ? Crudelis amor. Bucolic, eclog. 
 
 10. V. 29. Musseus de Hero, &c. v. 245. ' Vid. 
 
 Barthii Animadv.ad Claudiande Nupt. Honor, v. IG. 
 and de Laude Stilico, v. 74. So love is said to kindle 
 a more vehement flame than Vulcan's forge, The- 
 ocrit. Idyll. 2. v. v. 133. 134. Vid. Idyll. 7. v. 5(i. and 
 
 it is one of those " four things which say not, it 
 is enough," Prov. xxx. 16: so is love; for it 
 would always have more of Christ ; it is never 
 satisfied with communion with him ; but, like the 
 horse-leech at the vein, continually crying, " Give, 
 Give ;" and for the same reason love is compared 
 to death, and jealousy to the grave, in the preceding 
 sentences ; see Hab. ii. 5. 
 
 Moreover these coals of fire are said to have a 
 most vehement flame ; nothing is more common 
 with other writers' than to attribute flame to love, 
 and to call it a fire ; and here a most vehement 
 flame is ascribed to it ; or, as it is in the He- 
 brew text the flame of Jah, or Jehovah :" by 
 which is meant, either, (1.) An exceeding great o.t 
 most vehement flame, as oi:r Translators have well 
 reudered it ; for when the Hebrews would express 
 the superlative degree, or increase the significa- 
 tion of a word, they sometimes use some one or 
 other of the names of God ; as mountains of God, 
 and cedars of God, for most high mountains, and 
 most excellent cedars. Or, (3.) It may mean a 
 flame that is kindled by the Lord ;^ for it is by 
 the Spirit of the Lord, who is compared to fire iu 
 scripture, that this flame of love is first kindled 
 in our souls. Or, (3.) It may be in allusion to 
 the fire upon the altar of burnt-offerings, which 
 was always kept alive ; and so a fit emblem of 
 love, which is of an abiding nature ; see Lev. vi. 
 12, and ix. 24 ; and can never be extinguishetl, as 
 is expressed in the following words . 
 
 Verse. 7. Many waters cannot quench love, neither 
 can the floods drown it ; if a man would give all 
 the substance of his house for love, it would 
 utterly he contemned. 
 
 In these words are some further commendations 
 of love, which, 1. Is represented as inextinguish- 
 able and insuperable ; many " waters cannot 
 quench it, neither can the floods drown it." 
 
 II. As exceeding valuable and inestimable ; 
 " if a man would give all the substance of his 
 house for it, it would utterly be contemned ;" 
 which may be understood, either of Christ's love 
 to his church, or of the church's love to Christ ; 
 for as these words stand connected with the former, 
 and are spoken by the same person, they must be 
 interpreted the same way ; and I shall first con- 
 sider them as they may be expressive of the ex- 
 cellency of Christ's love : which, 
 
 r. Is inextinguishable and insuperable: it can- 
 not be quenched by many waters : nor drowned 
 by all the floods. 
 
 1st. Of sin and corruption, which have over- 
 flowed all humau nature ; for " all have sinned 
 and come short of the glory of God :" like a mighty 
 
 Musici Leand. v. 245, 246, 247. • rrmn7TD flam- 
 
 ma Dommi, Mercerus, Mcntanus ; va.stantis flamma, 
 Domini, Brightman ; flammsque divinae, Junius; 
 flamma Dei, Cocceiu?, Tigurine version ; flamma Jah. 
 Marckius. ^ Cujus Carbones sunt igniti a flamm"' 
 Dei, Tigurine version, so Castalio ; quam Dominu^ 
 accendit, Glassii Thilolog. Sacr. 1. 5. tract 1. c. 10. 
 
306 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. vin. 
 
 torrent, or rather inundation, has entered into the 
 world, and brought death along with it, upon all 
 the posterity of Adam ; it has drowned them in 
 destruction and perdition, as all hurtful and fool- 
 ish lusts do. Now the elect of God themselves 
 are not exempted from this universal deluge ; but 
 though these waters of sin have come into their 
 souls and overrun all the powers and faculties 
 thereof; yet they have not extinguished Christ's 
 love towards them ; nor in the least alienated his 
 affections from them : it is true, when he first 
 loved them, he saw them in- all that glory and 
 perfection, which his Father designed to bring 
 them to, and which they will appear in, in another 
 world ; yet when the great council was held con- 
 cerning their redemption, they were presented to 
 him as plunged into the depths of sin and misery ; 
 which was so far from setting his heart against 
 them, that it rather moved his pity and compassion 
 for them, and gave him an opportunity of showing 
 the exceeding greatness of his love towards them : 
 for upon this, he readily and cheerfully became 
 their Surety, engaged to assume their nature, lay 
 down his life for them, aud thereby satisfy law 
 and justice in their room and stead ; all which 
 agreements were to a tittle made good by him, in 
 the fulness of time, for all the elect of God, not- 
 withstanding their after-fall in Adam, and their 
 actual rebellion against' him, as they appeared 
 upon the stage of the world ; nay, though their iu- 
 uuraerable evils compassed him about like floods 
 of water, and brought death aud the curse upon 
 him ; these being imputed to him, and laid upon him 
 by his Father ; and with which, standing charged 
 by divine justice, he suffered to the uttermost that 
 they deserved ; yet his love continued the same 
 towards his people ; for, " having loved his own 
 which were in the world, he loved them to the 
 end," John xiii. 1. For, 
 
 2ndly. By these " waters and floods," may be 
 meant the several afflictions and sufferings which 
 Christ underwent for the sins of his own peo- 
 ple; by which they are expressed. Psalm Ixix. 1, 
 2 ; where Christ is introduced thus speaking, 
 " Save me, God, for the waters are come in 
 unto my soul ; I sink in deep mire, where there 
 is no standing ; 1 am come into deep waters, where 
 the floods overflow me." Hence it is, that his 
 sufferings are called a baptism, in Luke xii. 50; 
 under which may be comprehended these follow- 
 ing things : I. " The floods of ungodly men," 
 which compassed him about ; some of whom re- 
 viled him, other spit upon him, others buffeted 
 him, others crucified him, and pierced his hands, 
 feet, and side ; yet his love to his people remained 
 firm aud unconquerable : nay, though the whole 
 infernal posse of devils was let loose upon him, 
 and exercised all their rage and cunning ; yet as 
 neither " life nor death," that is, all his sufferings, 
 both in life and death, could separate his people 
 from his love: so neither could angels, wicked 
 angels, uor " principalities and powers." 2. 
 
 Floods of reproaches were poured into his bosom 
 ou the account of his birth, parentage, and educa- 
 tion, his public ministry, the miracles which he 
 wrought, and the free, courteous, and affable con- 
 versation he used with sinners. He was spit upon 
 in Pilate's hall, and mocked at when upon the 
 cross in the utmost misery ; yet he bore all this 
 " contradiction of sinners against himself," with 
 an uncommon patience ; despising nil the shame 
 that attended these reproaches, for the " joy that 
 was set before him," of having all his people with 
 him in glory. 3. The vials of his Father's 
 wrath were also poured forth nponhim ; for though, 
 as God's Son, he was always the object of his 
 love, yet, as the sinner's Surety, suffering in their 
 room and stead, he was " cast off aud abhorred ;" 
 for God was wroth with his anointed or Messiah ; 
 " terrors took hold on him as waters ;" when only 
 some few drops of divine wrath fell upon him, 
 he " began to be sore amazed, and to be very 
 heavy ; his sonl became exceeding sorrowful unto 
 death ; his sweat was as it were great drops of 
 blood falling down to the ground ;" then was it 
 that " the waters began to come into his soul," 
 which' kept flowing in until the measure was quite 
 filled up ; yet all these waters and floods could 
 not quench or drown his love towards his people ; 
 his affections to them, as well as his regard 'to 
 his Father's will in their salvation, continued the 
 same ; as appears from those words of his to his 
 Father, in the midst of his agony, " not my will, 
 but thine be done." 4. All the sorrows aud suf- 
 ferings of Christ, from his cradle to his cross, 
 may be included herein ; for his whole life was 
 one continued series of suffering, which ended in 
 an accursed and ignominious death, to which ho 
 voluntarily submitted ; that so his people might 
 be set free by justice, and delivered from death 
 and condemnation. 
 
 3rdly. As the love of Christ cannot be extin- 
 guished and overcome by all the waters aud all 
 the floods of sin and corruption in them, nor by 
 all the sorrows and sufferings which he has under- 
 gone in his own person for their sins: so neither 
 can it, by all their water-floods and billows of 
 sufferings and afflictions which pass over his mem- 
 bers ; these indeed make them appear inean and 
 abject in the eye of the world, and render them 
 the object of their scorn and contempt : yet never- 
 theless, though the sun of persecution has looked 
 upon them, and made them black, they are comely 
 in Christ's eye ; his heart is not set against them, 
 nor his love alienated from them upon that ac- 
 count ; for when they " pass through such waters," 
 he will be with them ; nay, he chooses, approves 
 of, and delights in them, when " in the furnace 
 of affliction," and will purify them thereby ; so 
 that though they " have lain among the pots," 
 and are become black and sooty ; yet they " shall 
 be as the wings of a dove, covered with silver, and 
 her feathers with yellow gold," Psalm Ixviii. 13. 
 
 II. This love of Christ to his ckurch is also 
 
\'ER 7.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 307 
 
 exceeding valuable and inestimable : " if a man 
 would give all the substance of his house for it, 
 it would utterly be contemned." For, 1. This is 
 not to be procured by money, if any should offer 
 to purchase the favour of Christ at any such rate, 
 he would be treated with the utmost contempt, as 
 Simon Magus was by the apostles, of whom he 
 would have bought the gift of the Holy Ghost with 
 money ; to whom Peter said, Acts viii. 18 — 20. 
 " Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast 
 thought that the gift of God may be purchased 
 with money." Christ and his love are of greater 
 value, than to be obtained in such a manner ; for 
 not only the substance of a single person's house, 
 but even the riches of the whole world, and the 
 most precious things in nature, are not equal to 
 them ; see Job xxviii. 12, 13, 15 — 19, Prov. viii. 
 11, 19. 2. Riches will not entitle men to the 
 love and favour of Christ ; he does not regard 
 them on the accouut of these; though perhaps 
 too many, like Haman, are apt to say, Esther vi. 
 6, " to whom would the king delight to do honour, 
 more than to myself ?" and so " trust in their 
 wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of 
 their riches," to a neglect of divine Providence, 
 and concern about their immortal souls ; such 
 would do well to consider, that " not many noble 
 are called, but God hath chosen the poor of this 
 world," whom it hath pleased him that the Gos- 
 pel should be preached unto. 3. Riches will not 
 procure Christ's love, favour, and regard, neither 
 at the hour of death, nor in the day of judgment: 
 when " he takes thee away with his stroke," that 
 is, of death, then " a great ransom cannot deliver 
 thee ;" all thy bags of money will not buy off thy 
 life one hour, much less secure his favour to 
 eternity ; for, " Will he esteem thy riches ? no, 
 nor gold, nor all the forces of strength," Job xxxvi. 
 19, 20 ; which will be much the same case at the 
 day of judgment ; for the righteous judge, who 
 will then sit upon the bench, will not be bribed, 
 nor can his favour be procured by any such 
 methods : " riches profit not in the day of wrath ;" 
 for if a man " gain the whole world, and lose his 
 own soul," there will be no recovering it; for 
 nothing will be given, nor will be taken " in 
 exchange for it." 4. Therefore the love and 
 favour of Christ should be preferred by us to aU 
 temporal enjoyments ; for if his " loviug-kindness 
 is better than life," then it is better than all the 
 temporal comforts and enjoyments of it : we should 
 not covet to have our portion here, nor boast our- 
 selves of our wisdom, strength, or riches ; but 
 " glory in this," that we know the Lord, who 
 " exerciseth loving-kindness in the earth." Thus 
 much may suffice for the first sense of the words. 
 I shall now proceed to consider them as they may 
 be expressive of the church's love to Christ ; which 
 also is. 
 
 First. Inextinguishable and insuperable ; it can- 
 
 = Targum, Shirhashirim Rabba R. Sol. Jarchi, 
 and K. Aben Ezra, and Yalkut in loc. Sheinoth 
 
 not be quenchel nor drowned by many waters, 
 nor all the floods, I. Of wicked and ungodly men ; 
 the people and nations of the world, who are fre- 
 quently compared to many waters ; see Isa. xvii. 
 12, 13, Rev. xvii. 1, 15, and so most of the 
 Jewish'^ writers understand them here : for the 
 nations of the world and the great men thereof, 
 have not been able, either by force or flattery, by 
 cruel edicts or fair promises, to alienate the church's 
 love from Christ, nor tempt her to desert his 
 cause and interest. 2. It cannot be quenched nor 
 drowned by all the waters and floods of persecu- 
 tions,"* which wicked men, by the instigation of 
 Satan, have brought upon the people of God ; thus 
 we read, in Rev. xii. 15, that the serpent, which 
 is the devil, " cast out of his mouth water as a 
 flood, after the woman," which is the church, 
 " tliat he might cause her to be carried away of 
 it:" by which flood cast out of the serpent's mouth, 
 must be meant, either a flood of heresies brought 
 into the church to disturb her, and draw her off 
 from Christ, her Head, through the cunning craft 
 of Satan ; or else, a flood of persecutions, intro- 
 duced by wricked and ungodly men, through his 
 instigation, in order to affright, scare, and turn 
 her aside from the pure ways of Christ, but all in 
 vain; for, Rom. viii. 35, 37, " Who shall separate 
 us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or 
 distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, 
 or peril, or sword ? nay, in all these things we are 
 more than conquerors, through him that loved 
 us ;" nay, death itself attended with the most 
 exquisite torments and barbarous cruelties that hell 
 can devise, cannot do it ; for saints count not their 
 lives dear to themselves, so that they may but 
 " finish their course with joy," and bear a noble 
 testimony to " the Gospel of the grace of God." 
 
 3. The love of believers to Christ is not quenched 
 nor drowned by all the waters and floods of afflic- 
 tion, which God is pleased to bring upon them : 
 they generally have a large share of them; " waters 
 of a full cup are wrung out unto them :" yet 
 these, though they are not " joyous, but grievous," 
 do not alienate their affections from Christ, but 
 rather fix them more strongly on him ; whilst 
 they view all their afflictions as covenant-mercies, 
 the effects of wisdom, love, and faithfulness, and 
 designed for their good, profit, and advantage. 
 
 4. Neither can their love be quenched nor drown- 
 ed by the many waters and floods of their own 
 sins and corruptions : it is true, these are most 
 likely to extinguish this fire and flame above all 
 things else, and often do strike a damp upon it ; 
 for through the " aboundings of iniquity," love 
 oftentimes waxed cold ; but yet it is not drenched 
 and drowned ; there may be a leaving the first 
 love ; some degrees of heat in it may be remitted, 
 but there is no such thing as losing the grace of 
 love entirely ; for it is an immortal seed , of a 
 lasting, yea, of an everlasting nature. 5. Nor 
 
 Rabba, parash. 49. 
 
 <• So R. Alfhech in loc. 
 
 X 2 
 
308 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. vni. 
 
 can it be quenched nor drowned by all the waters 
 and floods of Satan's temptations ; this enemy of 
 believers oftentimes " comes in like a flood" upon 
 them, by filling their souls with blasphemous 
 thoughts, vile suggestions, and wicked insinua- 
 tions ; in all endeavouring to draw off their love, 
 and alienate their affections from Christ ; which 
 he sometimes attempts by fair words, showing 
 them " all the kingdoms of the world, and the 
 glory of them," as he did Christ, and promising 
 to give them to them, which is more than he can 
 perform, if they will but turn their backs on 
 Christ, and his ways ; at other times he sets 
 before them all the hardships, difficulties, re- 
 proaches, and persecutions, which they will be 
 exposed unto, if they persist therein; and yet all 
 these floods cannot quench nor drown their love 
 to Christ. Nor, 6. Can this be effected by divine 
 desertions, which are compared to " waves, billows, 
 and water-spouts," Psalm xlii. 5 — 7, for though 
 these much weaken the faith, and disturb the peace 
 of God's children, yet they do not destroy their 
 love : Christ's absence gives ranch uneasiness to 
 believers, brings much darkness upon them, and 
 raises many doubts, fears, and misgivings of heart 
 in them ; they cannot, it may be, say at such times 
 with the church, " My beloved is mine, and I am 
 his " yet they can say with her, when in the same 
 condition with them, " Saw ye him whom my soul 
 loveth ?" 7. The terrors of the law, and the ap- 
 prehensions of God's wrath, which believers are 
 sometimes filled with, are set forth by waves and 
 floods of water, in Psalm Ixxsviii. 6,7,15 — 17, 
 under which, though there maybe but little faith, 
 and less joy ; yet there may be much love to Christ, 
 great longings and earnest desires after the enjoy- 
 ment of his presence ; as appears from the case of 
 the Psalmist, now referred to. 8. and lastly, 
 all the hardships, difficulties, pressures, and re- 
 proaches, which may attend believers in their 
 Christian race, are so far from destroying their love 
 to, and alienating their affections from Christ, (hat 
 they do but rather endear him the more unto them ; 
 and make heaven, and the enjoyment of Christ 
 there, the more desirable to them now, and the 
 more welcome to them hereafter. 
 
 Secondly. This love of believers to Christ is ex- 
 ceeding valuable ; for " if a man would give all the 
 substance of his house for it, it would utterly be 
 contemned :" for, 1. This is not to be bought 
 with money, no more than the love of Christ is ; 
 no gift nor grace of the Spirit can be procured any 
 such way, it is true, grace is compared to " gold 
 tried in the fire," which we are advised to buy of 
 Christ; but then it is to be bought " without money 
 and without price." 2. As this grace cannot be 
 bought with money, so neither will it be parted 
 with for it: a Judas indeed, for thirty pieces of 
 silver, forsook his Master, and betrayed him into 
 his enemies hands ; as Demas also deserted the 
 
 • So Theodoret. in loc. b So Sanctius in loo. 
 
 '' .Vlcuin in loc. ' So Theodoret. Tres Patrcf , aud 
 
 apostles, and cause of Christ, " having loved this 
 present world ; but these things cannot prevail 
 upon true believers to do the like. For, 3. The 
 oifers of a man's whole estate, nay, of the riches 
 of the Indies, or vast treasures of the whole 
 globe, if made on terms, and conditions of parting 
 with Christ, or deserting his cause and interest ; 
 would be treated with the utmost disdain and 
 contempt; they would " utterly be contemned;" 
 or, " in despising they would despise " it, as the 
 words may be rendered from the Hebrew text. 
 For, 4. The things of this world appear but 
 mean in the believer's eye ; who " counts all 
 things but loss and dung, for the excellency of 
 the knowledge of Christ Jesus :" nay, he is will- 
 ing to part vvith all for Christ, and does, when 
 I called to it, " take joyfully the spoiling ot his 
 (goods, knowing that he has in heaven abetter 
 I and a more enduring substance." 5. The sense 
 of this clause is thus given by some :' that those 
 who spend their substance, their time, their 
 strength, nay, their very lives, for the love they 
 bear to God, Christ, his ways, cause, and interest, 
 are but laughed at, despised, and set at nought 
 by those who are destitute of it; which sense is 
 favoured by the Septuagint version, which ren- 
 ders the words thus ; " If a man would give all 
 his living away in love, or charity, in despising 
 they would despise him." Now the constancy aud 
 insuperablencss of this precious and valuable grace 
 of love in her soul to Christ, is improved by the 
 church to obtain the former request; "set me 
 as a seal upon thine heart," &c., for my soul is all 
 in flames of love for thee, which cannot be extin- 
 guished by all I suffer on thy account, nor will be 
 parted with for all that the world can give me ; 
 which love of hers discovers itself, not only in a 
 regard to Christ, but also in a concern for others, 
 as appears from the following words : 
 
 Verse 8. IFe have a little sister, and she hath no 
 breasts : What shall vie do for our sister, in 
 the day when she shall be spoken for ? 
 
 These are either the words of the daughters of 
 Jerusalem^, who were concerned for the welfare of 
 the chnrch ; or else of Christ,'' being solicitous 
 for the conversion of the elect uncalled ; or rather 
 of the church,' who, having in the preceding verse 
 discovered a very strong affection to Christ, here 
 signifies her hearty concern for the good of others, 
 which go under the appellation of a little sister : 
 an own sister, near and dear to her,'' a loving ex- 
 pression ; by whom may be meant, either the un- 
 converted elect in general ; or else, some new 
 church that was to be set up in some certain age 
 or period of time ; or rather, the whole Gentile 
 church, who is called po by the Jewish church, 
 so that they seem to be the words of the Jewish 
 church, signifying her affection to and concera 
 
 alii in loc. "^ Gennana mea sororcula, Plauti 
 
 Fragment. Cistcllar. v. 15. 
 
VER. 8.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 soo 
 
 for the Gentile church, which was then uncalled. 
 In which may be observed, 
 
 1st. Tliat tlie Jewish church asserts aud owns 
 the relation that the Gentile church stood in, both 
 to her aud Christ, at that present time ; " we have 
 a little sister." 
 
 II. She describes her, 1st. B}' her being little. 
 2ndly. By her having " no breasts." 
 
 III. She manifests her concern for her ; " what 
 shall we do for onr sister, in the day when she 
 shall be spoken for ?" 
 
 I. The old Jewish church asserts and owns the 
 relation, in which the Geutile church, though un- 
 called, stood iu both to her and Christ ; " vve have 
 a little sister." In which may be considered, 1st. 
 In what sense the Gentile church is sister to the 
 Jewish church. 2ndly. How she appears to stand 
 in the same relation to Christ. 3rdly. How she 
 could be so at that present time. 
 
 1st. The Gentile church may be said to be a 
 sister to the Jewish church, for these following 
 reasons: 1. In a more general sense; because 
 Jews and Gentiles are both of one and the same 
 blood ; for God " hath made of one blood all na. 
 tions of men for to dwell on all the face of the 
 earth," Acts xvii. 26. 2. On the account of 
 their being neighbours : Thus Samaria and Sodom 
 are said to be sisters to Jerusalem : the one the 
 elder, the other the younger, Ezek. xvi. 46. 3. 
 Because, in a spiritual sense, those who are 
 Christ's, whether they be Jcas or Gentiles, or 
 Abraham's seed. Gal. iii. 28, 29. 4. The elect of 
 God, whether among the Jews or Gentiles, be- 
 long unto, and are interested in one and the same 
 covenant of grace, Isa. slii. 6, and xlix. 6. 5. 
 Believers in Christ, of either race, are bora of one 
 and the same Father, brought up in one and the 
 same family, and are heirs together of the grace 
 oflife, Eph. ii. 19, and iv. 4. 6. Christ stands 
 iu the relation of an elder brother to the Gentile, 
 as vi-ell as to the Jewish church ; and therefore 
 these two must be sisters, Rom. viii. 29. 7- 
 The church catholic or universal, with respect to 
 its several parts, is called a mother, aud that fre- 
 quently in this song : see chap. i. 6, aud iii. 4, 
 and viii. 2, and so agreeably the parts of it, with 
 respect to themselves, may be called sisters, being 
 mother's children. 8. They are of the same faith 
 and religion, as to the substance of it : it is true 
 there is some difference as to the circumstantials 
 of worship, which are now laid aside ; but the 
 true spiritual nature and object of it are the same ; 
 the Old-Testament saiuts " ate the same spiritual 
 meat, and drank the same spiritual drink " as 
 saints do under the New ; the articles of their faith 
 are the same ; for converted Gentiles believe 
 " none other things than those which Closes and 
 the prophets did say should come," relating to 
 Christ's person, grace, work, and oflQce. 
 
 2ndly. The Gentile church is not only a sister 
 to the Jewish church, but also to Christ ; there- 
 fore she does not s.iy, I have a little sister, but 
 
 we have one ; which way of speaking perhaps she 
 purposely makes use of, that she might stir up 
 his affection and concern for her the more, she 
 being as much related to him as she was herself, 
 aud it may be observed, that Christ is not ashamed 
 to own his church, whether of the Jewish or 
 Gentile race, as standing in this relation to him ; 
 nay, rather seems to take pleasure in viewing her 
 under this consideration, as appears from his fre- 
 quent use of it, iu chap. iv. 9, 10, and v. 1, 2 ; 
 where this character is more largely opened. 
 
 3idly. There remains a difficulty in this clause 
 to be removed ; and that is, how the Gentile 
 church could be said before calling to stand in 
 the relation of a sister, either to Christ or to the 
 Jewish church ; for she expresses herself in the 
 present tense, we have a little sister : which diffi- 
 culty will be removed, if vve consider these follow- 
 ing things ; 1. She was so in divine predesliua- 
 tion ; just as the elect uncalled are said to be 
 Christ's sheep before conversion; John. x. 16, 
 " Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold ; 
 them also I must bring in ;" by which are par- 
 ticulariy meant the Gentiles ; who were sheep, 
 though wandering, though not yet brought in by 
 grace, nor folded in a church-state ; the same are 
 called, " the children of God" before conversion, 
 John xi. 52, though scattered abroad, and not 
 openly aud visibly appearing to be fellow-citizeus 
 of the saints, and of the household of God ;" for 
 though they are not in the possession of adopting 
 grace, yet they are " predestinated unto the adop- 
 tion of children ;" on the account of which they 
 may truly be said to be related to the saints, who 
 are' called by grace. 2. The Gentile church was 
 brought into this relation in the everiasting co- 
 venant ; in which Christ not only stood as an 
 elder Brother aud glorious Representative to both 
 churches, but also espoused them both to him- 
 self; so that they stood in the relations of sister 
 aud spouse to him, and of sisters oue to another ; 
 thus Christ is said to be the husband of the Gen- 
 tile church, before her calling and conversion ; 
 Isa. Hv. 5, " Thy maker is thine husband, the 
 Lord of hosts is his name." 3. The calling of the 
 Gentiles being sure and certain in God's promises, 
 all whose " promises are yea and amen in Christ," 
 it is represented as if it was already done : as things 
 only promised and prophesied ol, though uot 
 yet fulfilled, freaueutly are in scripture ; see Isa. 
 is. 6, and liii. 3—5. 4. The Gentile church was 
 a sister in the faith of the Jewish church, who 
 viewed her future calling as present ; which agrees 
 with the nature of faith, defined by the apostle, 
 Heb. xi. 1, to be " the substance of things hoped for, 
 aud the evidence of things not seen." 
 
 II. She describes this sister of hers: 1st. By 
 her littleness. 2>idly. By her having no breasts. 
 
 1st. She calls her " a little sister ;" so the Gen- 
 tile church was to the Jewish choi-ch, 1. Iu respect 
 of age, being a younger sister : the Jewish church 
 was tirst called, and then the Geutile ; which is 
 
310 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VIII. 
 
 very fuUy aud aptly expressed in the parable of 
 the two sons, the elder and the younger, as is 
 thought by some, Luke xv. 12—25, the elder 
 signifying the Jewish church at that time, which 
 murmured at the grace of God bestowed upon 
 the Gentiles ; the younger, the Gentiles, who had 
 lived in all manner of sin and wickedness, and 
 was disregarded of God, but was now embraced 
 with all demonstrations of joy, affection, and ten- 
 derness. 2. She is called so as being in some 
 respects less honourable thau the Jewish church ; 
 " Who are Israelites," as the apostle says, Rom. 
 ix. 4, 5, and iii. 1, 2, " to whom pertaineth the 
 adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and 
 the giving of the law, aud the service of God, and 
 the promises ; whose are the fathers, and of whom, 
 as concerning the flesh, Christ came :" therefore, 
 as he says, the Jew has the advantage of the Gen- 
 tile, and that much every way ; but. chiefly, be- 
 cause to them were committed the oracles of God. 
 3. The Jewish church calling the Gentile church 
 " a little sister," may express her pity and com- 
 passion towards her, being like a young and ten- 
 der infant, that is in a forlorn and helpless condi- 
 tion; see Ezek. xvi. 4, 5. 4, She may be called 
 so with regard to her number of converts, either 
 at that time, which were very few, few proselytes 
 being then made among the Gentiles to the Jew- 
 ish religion ; or else, at the time when the gospel 
 first came among them ; " for this sect was everv- 
 where spoken against ;" and indeed the whole 
 number of Christ's sheep, either among Jews or 
 Gentiles, are but a " little flock," when compared 
 with the world. 5. She was then more especially, 
 as also at her first calling, but little in spiritual 
 stature; her light, knowledge, and faith, being 
 but small, not having as yet arrived " to the mea- 
 sure of the stature of the fulness of Christ," she 
 was to grow up unto. 
 
 2udly. She says, that "she has no breasts;" 
 that is, 1. She was not arrived to years of ripe- 
 ness ; she was not marriageable ; her " breasts 
 were not fashioned," as in Ezek. xvi. 7; the 
 time of her open espousal to Christ, by the preach- 
 ing of the gospel, was not yet come. I call it the 
 time of her open espousal to him ; for she, as well 
 as the Jewish church, her elder sister, was secretly 
 espoused to Christ in the everlasting covenant ; 
 see Isa. liv. 5 ; but she was not yet espoused to 
 him in that sense in which the apostle Paul says, 
 2 Cor. xi. 2, of the Corinthian, which was a Gen- 
 tile church, " I have espoused you to one hus- 
 band, that I may present you a chaste virgin to 
 Christ ;" the time fixed upon for it in ancient 
 council not being yet come. 2. She had "no 
 breasts ;" that is, at this time she had no minis- 
 ters nor ordinances, from whence she might suck 
 aud be satisfied, with the sincere milk of the word : 
 }uoreover, it was some time after the gospel came 
 among the Gentiles, that they had a settled minis- 
 
 try ; which was fixed by the apostles, who " or- 
 dained elders in every cily." 
 
 III. The Jewish church signifies her very great 
 concern for the Gentile church, being thus little, 
 and without breasts, saying, "What shall we do," 
 or " shall be done for our sister?" Which shows, 
 1. Tliat this little sister was in a state of nature, 
 uncalled, unconverted, poor, miserable, forlorn, 
 and helpless. 2. That the Jewish church was 
 concerned for her, was moved with pity and com- 
 passion towards her ; and would gladly contri- 
 bute all she could towards her everlasting salva- 
 tion ; as the apostle Paul was for his unconverted 
 kinsmen and relations, Rom. is. 1 — 3. 3. That 
 she not only wished her well, but was willing to 
 do anything for her that lay in her power ; though 
 she seems, in some measure, to be at a loss what 
 to do ; and indeed the converted Jews were very 
 much assisting to the spreading of the Gospel 
 among the Gentiles : they were Jews who first 
 carried the Gospel into the Gentile world ; for 
 it was proper that " out of Zion should go forth 
 the la.w or doctrine, and the word of the Lord out 
 of Jerusalem ;" and when tidings of the Gentile's 
 reception of the Gospel " came to the ears of the 
 church at Jerusalem," they sent forth others 
 also on the same errand ; nay, supplied them 
 with money, that so they might uot be burden- 
 some to the Gentiles, nor give them any occasion 
 to reproach the Gospel ; for the fund or stock, 
 which was raised at Jerusalem by the believing 
 Jews, who knew that their land would be laid 
 waste, and their city destroyed in a little time, 
 and therefore sold their land and possessions, and 
 put the money into the apostle's hands ; this, I 
 say, seems to be designed, not only for their 
 own use, but for the service of God in spreading 
 the gospel among the Gentiles ; who, when they 
 had churches settled among them, upoa that 
 consideration were called upon to make collec- 
 tions for these poor saints at Jerusalem. 4. She 
 is not forgetful of the main and principal agent 
 in this work, who is Christ ; therefore she says, 
 what shall we do? she was willing to do what 
 she could ; but she knew that all her endeavours 
 would be of little significance, without his agency 
 and blessing: she could send her ministers; but 
 if Christ did not go along with them, aud bless 
 them, they would meet but with little success: 
 as it is said, " Who then is Paul, and who is 
 ApoUos, but misisters by whom ye believed, eveu 
 as the Lord gave to every man ? I have planted," 
 says Paul ; " ApoUos watered, but God gave the 
 increase," 1 Cor. iii. 5, 6. 
 
 Thetime that the Jewish church had in view, 
 aud is concerned what should be done for her then, 
 is, " the day when she shall be spoken for, or 
 with."' By which may be meant, either, I. The 
 time of the first preaching of the Gospel among 
 them, which, to them, was the " accepted time 
 
 ' nn "i^"!'© QVl €v nfi^pa 17 tail \a\iiOr) tv auii), Sept. lu die qua fiet sermu iu ea, Montanus ; quando ei 
 coUoqueudum erit, Tigunue version. 
 
VER. 9.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 311 
 
 and day of salvation ;" when Christ, by his min- 
 isters, spoke to and for them, wooed and be- 
 seeched them ; treated and communed with them, 
 as David with Abigail ; about openly espousing 
 them before the world : it seems to be an allu- 
 sion to persons treating either with virgins them- 
 selves, or with their parents,"' about their mar- 
 riage. Or, 2. It may refer to the fame that was 
 spread abroad of the conversion of the Gentiles : 
 whcTi it was first effected, it made a great noise in 
 the world ; the faith of a single church, the 
 church at Rome, was " spoken of throughout the 
 whole world :" thus the clause may be rendered, 
 " In the day when she shaU be spoken of ;"° that 
 is, when her fame shall be spread far and near : 
 and some will say one thing of her, and some an- 
 other : now the Jewish church seems to be con- 
 cerned how she would behave herself under all this 
 noise and talk about her. Or else, 3. The 
 words may be rendered, " When she shall be 
 spoken against :"" this has been the common lot 
 of God's children ; this sect, as it is called, has 
 been in all ages and in all places spoken against ; 
 and no wonder, for Christ himself is " set for a 
 sign, which shall be spoken against :" now the 
 old church might be concerned for this new church 
 of the Gentiles ; that she might be able to stand 
 firm and constant to her profession, notwithstand- 
 ing all the revilings, reproaches, and persecutions 
 of men. Or, 4. They may be read thus, " When 
 she shall be spoken to j""" that is, when the great 
 men of the world, as Nero, and other heathen 
 or.iperors, shall call her before them, and tempt 
 her, either by fair words oi severe menaces, to 
 desert the faith of Christ. O ! that she might 
 stand fast then, as if the church should say, and 
 not be moved away from the hope of the Gospel ; 
 neither be frightened by their tbreatenings, nor 
 deluded by their promises : she was jealous of her, 
 as the apostle Paul was of the Coriutliiau church, 
 lest she " should be corrupted from the simplicity 
 that is in Christ." Now this should teach us in 
 general, from the example of the Jewish church 
 here, to be concerned for all the elect of God 
 uncalled, and particularly for those among the 
 Jews; we should earnestly pray for them, and 
 use all proper means and methods to bring them 
 to the knowledge of Christ ; the time is coming 
 when they shall be spoken for, shall be called by 
 grace, and openly espoused to Christ'; and seeing 
 they were so much concerned for ns, when we 
 were little, and had no breasts, we should be as 
 much concerned for them, they being now in the 
 same case and circumstances. 
 
 Verse 9. If she be a wall, we will build upon 
 
 " Vid. Aben Ezram in loc. ° Dei quo sermo 
 
 fiet de ea, Mercerus, Junius, lirightmau ; in dei quo 
 verba fient de ea, Cocceius. 
 
 " Vid. Targum, Shirhashirim Rabba, and Jarchi 
 in loc. and Bereshit Kabba parash. 39. fol. 34. 1. 
 
 P In die quando alolquenda est, Vuljjate Latin 
 version. q So Ajax is called the wall of the Gre- 
 
 her a palace of silver : and if she be a door, 
 we will enclose her with boards of cedar. 
 These are the words of Christ, in answer to the 
 solicitous concern of the old Jewish church for 
 her little sister, the Gentile ; declaring what 
 should be done for her on such and such consider- 
 ations. 
 
 I. If, or " seeing she is a wall, we will build 
 upon her a palace of silver," 
 
 II. " And if she be a door, we wiU enclose her 
 with boards of cedar :" all which is expressive of 
 what strength and ornament should be added to 
 her, and what grace and glory should be conferred 
 upon her. 
 
 I. He promises, that if or seeing she was a 
 wall; that is, well waUed, built upon a sure 
 foundation, and firmly established in her faith in 
 and love to Christ, and is constant therein, and 
 stands as a wall against the attack of enemies ;"* 
 a palace or tower of silver should be built upon 
 her : by which may be meant, either, the scriptures 
 of truth, with which she should be furnished : 
 which, for their irapregnableness and store of 
 spiritual armour that is in them, may be compar- 
 ed to towers ; and for their purity, richness, and 
 excellency, to silver ones ; or else, the ministers 
 of the Gospel roay be intended, who are set for 
 the defence of it : or this phrase may in general 
 signify, that she should be fortified and put into 
 a posture of defence against all her enemies, having 
 on the TTovoTrAia, or whole armour of God ; walled 
 towns and cities, to which the allusion is here made, 
 ususlly have towers built upon the walls there- 
 of; so Zion is said to have such, Psalm xlviii. 12, 
 13 ; which also this little sister, thp Gentile 
 church, should not be without : though the word 
 may as well be rendered, a palace ;' and signifies, 
 that she should be built up an habitation for 
 Father, Sou, and Spirit, who would come and 
 make their abode with her ; and being such noble 
 and uncommon guests, a silver palace must be 
 erected for thera. The persons who were to do 
 tliis work, are either the Jewish church, with her 
 ministers as instruments, and Christ as the prin- 
 cipal agent ; for Psalm cxxvii. 1, " Except the 
 Lord build the house, they laboir in vain that 
 build it :" or else, by the we, are intended the 
 blessed Trinity, as in chap. i. 11 ; who were all 
 jointly concerned in raising up a church-state in 
 the Gentile world. From the whole may be ob- 
 served, 1. That he that begins the good work, 
 whether it relates to a particular person, or to a 
 church, must and will finish it ; the same hands 
 which lay the foundation, must raise up the super- 
 structure, and complete the whole building, by 
 bringing in " the head -stone with shoutings, cry- 
 
 cians, Homer, Iliad. 6. v. 5. and 7. v. 211. and Achil- 
 les also, Graium murus Achilles, Ovid. Metamorph. 
 
 1. 13. V. 28!. ' f]D3 riTQ CTraXfe.f apr«pat, Sept. 
 
 propugnacula ai'gentea, Yulgate Latin version ; pro- 
 pugnaculum argenteum, Tigurine version : arcem 
 argenteatDiMercerua ; castellum argenti, Michaelis. 
 
312 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF TliE 
 
 [CIIAI'. VIII. 
 
 ing, grace, grace uuto it." 2. This verifies the 
 saying of our Lord, Matt. xxv. 20, that " uuto 
 every one that hath sliall be given, and he shall 
 have abundance :" grace is usually but very small 
 at first, but it afterwards increases much; frequent- 
 ly from small beginniugs great things arise ; Ihis 
 Gentile church at first had but a very small ap- 
 jjcarance of a building ; a foundation was just laid, 
 aud a side wall erected ; but in a short time, 
 a noble structure, a silver palace for God is built 
 up. 
 
 II. Christ also assures her, that if she was a 
 door, she should be inclosed with boards of cedar : 
 the meaning of which may be, either, 1. If the 
 Gentiles had the door of the Gospel opened among 
 them, as they had in many places, see Acts xiv. 
 27, 1, Cor. xvi. 8, 9, 2 Cor. ii. 12, this should 
 be succeeded for the building up of a holy tem- 
 ple for the Lord ; which should be of such orna- 
 ment and strength, so well fenced and en- 
 closed with the grace and power of Christ, that 
 it should not be in the power of all their enemies 
 to deface or demolish it. Or, 2. If the door of 
 their hearts was opened to Christ, as Lydia's was, 
 Acts xvi. 14, so as to receive and let in this king 
 of glory, with his numerous train of graces ; 
 then she should be adorned and beautified 
 with a larger measure of them. Or, 3. If 
 wheu they came into a church-state, the door was 
 set open, that so " the righteous nation which 
 keepeth truth, may enter in," aud yet at the same 
 time careful to exclude others ; this should make 
 much for their honour, comfort, safety, and se- 
 curity. Or, 4. This phrase is expressive of the 
 building being completed ; but only it wanted 
 some farther decorations and ornaments, which it 
 should not be long without : so the setting up of 
 gates or doors to towns or houses seems to signify ; 
 sec Neh. iii. Though, 5. It seems rather to iu- 
 teud the mean, low, and weak state and condition 
 the Gentile church was first in, when there was 
 but very little appearance of a building : there 
 was only as it were a door set up ; which after- 
 wards grew up to be a magnificent and stately 
 temple, built up of cedar-boards of the wood of 
 Lebanon ; of which Solomon's temple was made, 
 aud to which an allusion here seems to be. But, 
 6. Some' have thought that these words carry in 
 them some intimations of her inconstancy to 
 Christ, and the wandering of her afl'ectious after 
 other lovers ; asalso the methods whichChrist would 
 take to restrain and prevent her : " If she be a 
 door ;" that is, if she will not keep at home, but 
 will gad abroad, and go in aud out at pleasure, we 
 will use some methods to keep her in ; " we will 
 enclose her with boards of cedar;" or, as it is ex- 
 pressed in Hosea ii. ", " I will hedge up thy way 
 with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not 
 find her paths." Though, 7- The meaning rather 
 Beams to be, that however mean and abject she 
 
 might appear to be, even as a door, yet she should 
 be adorned with grace here, and enjoy glory here- 
 after ; both which, for their perpetuity aud in- 
 corruptibleness, may be con^pared to cedar-boards ; 
 besides, the safety and security of the church in 
 this present state, her walls being salvation, and 
 her gates praise, may be here intended ; as well 
 as the delights and pleasures of the heavenly state, 
 signified by the fragrant cedar, which she should, 
 ere long, be enclosed aud surrounded with. 
 
 Verse 10. I am a wall, and my breasts like 
 towers: then was I in his eyes as one that 
 found favour . 
 
 These are either the words of the Jewish church, 
 asserting herself to be what her little sister was 
 not ; namely, that she was a wall well fenced, and 
 firmly established, was indulged with ordiuauces, 
 aud blessed with ministers; whilst the Gentiles 
 lay open, were " without Christ, beiug aliens from 
 the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from 
 the covenants of promise, having no hope, and 
 without God in the world," Eph. ii. 13 ; as also 
 confirming what Christ had said in the former 
 verse; as well as assuring herlittlesister,the Gentile 
 church, that she should also find favour in Christ's 
 eyes, when she came into the same state and con- 
 dition : unless we should rather choose to consider 
 them as expressing that additional glory, peace, 
 and prosperity, which should accrue to the church 
 by the calling of the Gentiles ; which would not 
 be inconsiderable, and no small indication of her 
 finding favour or peace in Christ's eyes ; who 
 would then " extend peace to her like a river, and, 
 the glory of the Geutiles like a flowiag stream." 
 Though I rather think, that they are the words of 
 the littk' sister herself, the Gentile church ; either 
 signifying her desire to be in such a well-settled 
 state and condition, " O that I was a wall !" &c., 
 or else, asserting herself to be in such a case,' 
 which Christ had intimated in the former verse. 
 
 I. She asserts herself to be a wall. 
 
 II. That her breasts were like towers. Aud, 
 
 III. Being so, was in his eyes as one that fouud 
 favour. 
 
 I. She asserts herself to be a wall ; that is, 1. 
 Well walled. God himself is a wall of fire about 
 his people ; Christ's salvation is ap])uiutcd for 
 walls aud bulwarks to them ; nay, faithful miuis- 
 ters and Christian magistrates may in some sense 
 be said to be so, being placed for the protection 
 aud defence of the church. 2. She is one of those 
 two walls, to which Christ is the corner-stone, as 
 he is called, Eph. ii. 20, the Jewish church is one, 
 and the Gentile the other ; which both meet and 
 make up one building in Christ, the middle wall 
 of partition beiug broken down. 3. She is a wall 
 built up of lively stones, cemented together in love ; 
 the elect of God, by nature, lie in the same quarry, 
 are taken out of the same pit, aud hewn from the 
 
 ' Vid K. Aben. Ezram and Saiictiuni in loc. bros. Enarrat, in Tsal. cxviii. octou. 2J. i). 10S7. 
 
 : Hoc est, nolite dubitare utrum murus sum, Am I 
 
VER. 10.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 313 
 
 same rock, as olliers aru ; but buiiig separated 
 from theiu by disliiiguisliiug and eflicacious graee, 
 arc hewn and fitted for tlie building by the Spirit 
 of God, where they are hiid by hiin, and knit to- 
 gether in the bond of love. 4. She was firmly 
 built on Christ, Ihe Foundation ; which God has 
 laid in Ziou, and is sure, (inn, and lasting, against 
 which the gates of hell can never prevail ; and 
 which will be suflicient to bear up and support the 
 church and all believers, who lay the whole stress 
 of their persons, aud the salvation of them upon 
 it. 5. She was well established in the doctiine 
 of faith : the Gentiles received the gospel with all 
 readiness of mind, when the Jews rejected it; 
 and though it was in ranch affliction, yet it was 
 with much joy in the Holy Ghost : and when they 
 ouee got it, they could not be moved away from 
 it, by all the frowns and flatteries, promises, aud 
 threateniugs of men ; which, to their adversaries, 
 was an evident token of perdition, but to them, of 
 salvation, and that of God; so the Targum and 
 R. Solomon .Jarchi interpret these words of the 
 steadfastness of the congregation of Israel, in^the 
 religion and laws of God. 6. She was constant and 
 immoveable in her love to Christ ; she was a wall ; 
 she was proof against all temptations aud insinu- 
 ations, and not a door, that easily let into her 
 affections every one that knocked: she loved Christ 
 dearly, and kept her love inviolate aud pure for 
 him ; nothing could separate her from it ; the 
 greatest pleasures and profits of life could not 
 tempt her to desert him ; nor the most dreadful 
 sufl'eriugs aud tormeuts deter her from .expressing 
 her affections to him ; she was like a wall that 
 stood invincible and impregnable. 
 
 II. She says, that her breasts were like towers ; 
 which may in general denote her ripeness for 
 marriage ; her breasts were fashioned, were round 
 and plump, and rose up high like towers ; she was 
 now marriageable ; the time of her being presented 
 as a chaste virgin to Christ, and of her open espou- 
 sals to him, was come. Or else more particularly, 
 
 Ist. By her breasts, may be meant the minis- 
 ters of the gospel ; who like nurses, 1 Thess. ii. 
 7, give the breast to " new-born babes," and feed 
 them with the " sincere milk of the word;" and 
 like towers, are set for the defence of the gospel : 
 such ministers the first church among the Gentiles 
 had ; whose ministry was not only edifying and 
 nourishing, but they themselves also wore faithful, 
 zealous, and courageous in the discharge thereof; 
 and could not be moved from their station, nor be 
 made to desist from their work, by all the viole^Jce 
 and oppression of men. Or else, 
 
 2ndly. By these breasts, may i)e meant the two 
 Testaments, the Old aud the New ; which are 
 both full of the milk of excellent doctrines aud 
 precious promises ; which are all useful for the 
 comfort, edification, and instruction of God's peo- 
 ple ; and from whence, as from towers, they may 
 be supplied with all needful armour, to repel Satan's 
 
 temptations, refute erroneous doctrines, and de- 
 fend the gospel ; and thougli efforts have been 
 inade by Satan and his emissaries to remove theni 
 out of the world, yet they still remain impreg- 
 nable and invincible : now with these breasts the 
 Gentile church is blessed. 
 
 3rdly. The two ordinances, of baptism and the 
 Lord's supper, may be intended ; which are pe- 
 culiar to the church under the New Testament 
 dispensation ; and are as breasts of consolation to 
 believers, especially when they have the presence 
 of Christ in them, and his love at the same time 
 manifested to them ; these are like towers, have 
 stood firm and immoveable against all the efforts 
 of men, to change, deface, subvert, and abolish 
 them. The Jews" interpret the wall of the con- 
 gregation of Israel, and the " breasts as towers," 
 of the synagogues and schools ; also the former 
 of the law, and the latter of the scholars. 
 
 III. Being so, she says, she " was in his eyes 
 as one that found favour ;" which may either re- 
 spect, 
 
 Ist. The time'^ of her becoming a wall, and 
 having breasts like towers ; then was I, or from 
 the time that I was in his eyes, " as one that 
 found favour or peace ;" that is, I became a wall, 
 was firmly built ou Christ, established in the doc- 
 trine of faith, aud formed into a church-state; 
 had breasts, a settled ministry, and gospel ordi- 
 nances ; which have continued with me ever since 
 I found peace with Christ, which he made for me 
 by the blood of his cross. Now this is certainly 
 matter of fact, that from the time that Christ 
 became " our peace," Eph. ii. 14, the ceremo- 
 nial law, which is there called " the middle wall 
 of partition," which stood between Jew aud Gen- 
 tile, was removed : so that they both coalesced in 
 one church-state, ver. 14 — 16, and equally sliared 
 in all Gospel ordinances and privileges, ver. 17 — 
 22, from that time the Gentile church began to be 
 a church in Gospel order. Or else, 
 
 2udly. It may respect the time of the open 
 manifestation of Christ's love, which was when 
 she became a wall, and had breasts. It is true, 
 he loved her before, even from eternity, with an 
 everlasting love ; but that was hidden and secret 
 both to herself and others : but now her " breasts 
 are fashioned;" he looked upon her, andher "time is 
 the time of love :" he openly espouses her to him- 
 self, and lets all the world know, as well as herself, 
 what favour she found in his sight : and it mani- 
 festly appears that she was sensible of it ; and by 
 expressing it, would signify, 1. That her being 
 a wall, aud having breasts, were instances of his 
 kindness to her : aud indeed, it is an unspeakable 
 mercy to have a gospel-ministry and gospel-ordi- 
 nances ; Psalm cxlviii. 19, 20, " He showed 
 his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judg- 
 ments unto Israel : he hath not dealt so with any 
 nation ; and as for his judgments, they have not 
 known them: praise ye the Lord:" if it was so 
 
 T. Bab. Bava Batlira, fol. 8 1. aud rcoachim, I fol. 87. I. 
 
 Vid. Alcuin in loc. 
 
314 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. VIII. 
 
 great a favour for the people of Israel to Lave the 
 law, on the account of which they were called a 
 " great nation ;" what an instance of surprising 
 and distinguishing grace is it, that we Gentiles 
 should have the Gospel and the ordinances thereof ! 
 The church here esteemed it a favour, and so 
 should we. 2. She ascribes all these blessings 
 and privileges which she was possessed of, to his 
 grace and favour. Was she a wall ? it was owing 
 to hira ; and had she breasts ? she acknowledges 
 it is an instance of his regard to her ; and was 
 ready to say, with the apostle, 1 Cor. xv. 10, 
 ".By the grace of God, I am what I am:" an ex- 
 cellent example for us to follow. 3. This phrase 
 may be expressive of her gracious acceptation with 
 Christ ; thus Noah is said to have " found grace 
 in the eyes of the Lord," Gen. vi. 8 ; the Gentiles, 
 who were proselyted to the Jewish religion before 
 the coming of Christ in the flesh, were like Esther, 
 " standing in the court " alone, for they might 
 not worship with the Jews ; whom, when Christ 
 looked upon, they " obtained favour in his sight," 
 and he held out the golden sceptre of his grace, 
 and admitted them to nearer communion with 
 him ; built them into a church-state, furnished 
 them with gospel-ordinances, and graciously ac- 
 cepted both them and their services : he " took 
 pleasure in these his people, and beautified the 
 meek with salvation." 4. The enjoyments of the 
 presence of God and Christ, is a very considera- 
 ble instance and evidence of finding favour in his 
 eyes -. Moses desired to be ascertained of his 
 having found grace in God's sight, by the enjoy, 
 ment of this blessing, Exod. xxxiii. 15, 10, which 
 he was graciously indulged with ; and perhaps 
 it is this which the church here had particularly 
 in view ; and a great mercy it was to have ordi- 
 nances, and the presence of Christ along with 
 them, than which nothing can be more desirable 
 and delightful. 5. The words may be rendered, 
 " then was I in his eyes as one that found peace ;" 
 meaning that inward peace of conscience, and 
 tranquillity of mind, which " passeth all under- 
 standing ;" which she enjoyed in the midst of 
 all her tribulations and sufferings for Christ ; 
 which he only gives, and which the world cannot 
 take away ? for if he " giveth quietness, who 
 then can make trouble?" 6. This word " favour 
 or peace," may comprehend all these spiritual 
 blessings, wherewith she was blessed in Christ 
 Jesus, such as peace, reconciliation, justification, 
 pardon of sin, sanctification, adoption, &c., for he 
 is " a Sun and Shield ; he will give grace and 
 glory, no good thing will he withhold from them 
 that walk uprightly," Psalm. Ixxxiv. 11. 7. The 
 manifestation of Christ's love, which is the greatest 
 blessing in life, may be here intended : hence says 
 the Psalmist, Psalm cvi. 4, " Remember me, O 
 Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy 
 people ;" and no wonder that he should be so de- 
 sirous of it; for " in his favour is life;" but not 
 to enipv it is death. O ! how miserable will those 
 
 he to all eternity, in whom that scripture will be 
 verified, Isa. xxvii. 11, "He that made them, 
 will not have mercy on them ; and he that formed 
 them, will show them no favour 1" 
 
 Verse 11. Solomon had a vineytird at Baal-/ia- 
 mon ; he let out the vineyard unto keepers : 
 evert/ one for the fruit thereof was to hring a 
 thousand pieces of silver. 
 
 In these words the little sister goes on to give an 
 account of the success of the Gospel, the plauting 
 of churches, and establishment of Christ's interest 
 in the Gentile world ; together with the advan- 
 tages which accrued to Christ thereby, under the 
 metaphor of a vineyard, and the fruit thereof : 
 where we have to consider, 
 
 I. The vineyard itself, and what is intended 
 by it. 
 
 II. The owner of it, who is Solomon. 
 
 III. The place of its situation, at Baal-lianiou. 
 
 IV. The letting of it " out to keepers," and 
 who are meant by them. 
 
 V. The price it was let at, or the rent whicli 
 they were to hring in : " every one for the fruit 
 thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver." 
 
 I. It will be proper to consider what is meant 
 by this vineyard ; which I think is to be under- 
 stood of the church of Christ ; the Israelitish na- 
 tion and the church of God therein, sometimes 
 bears this name ; see Psalm Ixxx. 8, 9, 14, 15, 
 Isa. V. 1, 7 ; and it is very usual with Christ to 
 express the New-Testament church-state by the 
 same metaphor ; see Matt. xx. 1, and xxi. 33 ; 
 which was thus prophesied of by Isaiah, chap, 
 xxvii. 2, " In that day, sing ye unto her, a 
 vineyard of red wine." Now the church of Christ 
 may be compared to a vineyard, for these follow- 
 ing reasons : 1. A vineyard is a spot of ground, 
 separated and distinguished from others ; so is 
 the church of Christ from the rest of the world 
 by electing, redeeming, and efScacious grace ; 
 believers are a chosen generation, a royal priest- 
 hood, an holy nation ; and being so are a peculiar 
 people; they are fenced about with sovereign grace, 
 whereby they are made to diB'er from others. 2. 
 A vineyard is a spot of ground set with plants of 
 various sorts, and especially vines : it is manifest, 
 from chap. i. 14, and vii. 12, that it was usual 
 to set other plants in vineyards besides vines; for 
 which see also Luke xiii. 16. In the vineyard, 
 the church, stands in the first place Christ, the 
 true and most noble vine; and next to him true 
 believers, \tlio are there planted by him, engraft- 
 ed on him, and grow up in him : now these are 
 of various sorts, of different growths and fruitful- 
 uess ; some are larger and more fruitful than 
 others ; but are all " the planting of the Lord, 
 that he might be glorified :" but besides these, 
 there are some who are only externally planted 
 here, and grow up only in a mere outward pro- 
 fession ; who are not planted by Christ's heaveuly 
 Father, and therefore shall be rooted up ; because 
 
VER. 
 
 11.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 315 
 
 instead of bringing forth right fruit, they bring 
 forth wild grapes. 3. Vineyards are valuable to 
 the owners of them ; one part of their wealth and 
 riches consisting therein : the church of Christ is 
 higlily esteemed of by him, it being his inherit- 
 ance, his portion, and wherein great part of his 
 riches, as Mediator, lies ; his Father gave it to 
 him, and he values it upon that account ; as Na- 
 both did his vineyard, bycause it was " the in- 
 heritance of his fatliers," and therefore would not 
 part with it to Ahab upon any consideration what- 
 ever ; moreover, Christ's esteem for his vineyard, 
 the church, is farther manifest from the great 
 price he gave for it, which was his own blood, as 
 also from the exceeding great care he takes of it. 
 4. A vineyard is a very fruitful spot ; so is the 
 church of Christ and all believers, who are " filled 
 witli the fruits of righteousness by Jesus Christ :" 
 who is " the true vine," on whom they are engraft- 
 ed ; and " the green-fir-tree," from whom their 
 fruit is found : all that are " planted in the house 
 of the Lord," being watered by divine grace, 
 " flourish in the courts of our God," and briijg 
 forth fruit, whereby he is glorified. 5. Vineyards 
 are delightful and pleasant ; thus among the 
 several methods which Solomon took to gratify 
 and indulge himself in pleasure, this was one ; he 
 " planted himself vineyards," Eccl. ii. 4. The 
 church is a delightful vineyard to Christ, where 
 he delights to walk, and observe how his several 
 plants grow and thrive; for this purpose he often 
 goes dowu into it, as in chap. vi. 11; and the 
 church, knowing how much pleasure he takes 
 therein, invites him to it, in chap. vii. 12. 6. 
 Vineyards are not only delightful, but also pro- 
 fitable ; there is much fruit produced by them, to 
 the advantage of the owners thereof; so Christ 
 has much fruit from his vineyard, as appears from 
 this and the following verse ; which makes for the 
 advancement of his honour and glory in the world : 
 for as all their fruit comes by him, and from him, 
 so all the glory redounds unto him ; and " his glory 
 is great " in every branch of their salvation. 7. 
 Vineyards are exposed to beasts of prey, which often 
 break in and do much damage to them; the church of 
 Christ is not only exposed to the " boar out of the 
 wood," the openly profane world, which often 
 makes great havoc of it, by its oppression, and 
 persecutions : but also to those foxes, false 
 teachers, heretics, who cunningly bring in their 
 pernicious doctrines, to the great annoyance and 
 disturbance of the peace, comfort, and faith of 
 God's people ; hence it is said, in chap. ii. 15, 
 " Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil 
 the vines ; for our vines have tender grapes." 8. 
 A great deal of care must be used in promoting 
 the fruitfulness of vineyards ; the vines must be 
 watered, pruned, and propped up, as well as the 
 stones gathered out, and a fence set about them ; 
 see Isa. v. 2. Christ does all this and much 
 more to his vineyard; he waters it every moment 
 
 with his grace, prunes and lops off the unfruitful 
 branches, supports the weak and tender vines 
 with his Almighty power ; gathers out all things 
 that offend, and fences it about with divine favours; 
 in short, acts the whole faithful part of a a vine- 
 dresser to it. 
 
 II. The owner of this vineyard is Solomon, 
 by whom the Messiah is meant : for it may be 
 truly said, that " a greater than Solomon is 
 here." Christ bears this name because Solomon 
 was an eminent type of him, as has been shown 
 on chap. iii. 7 ; he now is the owner of this vine- 
 yard ; it is his, 1. By choice; he has pitched 
 upon this spot of ground, and separated it from 
 all others for his use and service. 2. By his 
 Father's gift ; he asked it of his Father, and he 
 gave it him : " thine they were," says he, " and 
 thou gavest them me," John xvii. 6. 3. By 
 purchase ; he has bought this vineyard with his 
 owa blood, Acts xx. 28. 4. It is of his own 
 planting : all the vines in it are of his setting, and 
 are made fruitful by him. 5. He takes the 
 whole care of it, and has the advantage of the 
 fruit thereof. 
 
 III. The situation of this vineyard, at Baal- 
 hamon ; perhaps the same with Baal-gad in the 
 valley of Lebanou, Josh. xi. 17, and xiii. 5 ; 
 since they are of the same signification, " the 
 master of a multitude, or of a troop. By which 
 may be meant, either, 1 . The city of Jerusalem ;'' 
 which may be called " Baal-hamon, or the master 
 of a multitude," because it was a very populous 
 city ; as it is said, in Lam. i. 1, " How doth 
 the city sit solitary that was full of people?" 
 where was the principal seat of the Jewish church - 
 state ; the letting out of which to keepers, the priests 
 and Levites, may seem to suit well with the 
 legal and mercenary spirit which much attended 
 the Old-Testament dispensation. Though, 2. I 
 rather think the Gentile world is here intended ■ 
 among the nations of which Christ has a Gospel 
 church planted ; whereby the promise is fulfilled 
 to Abraham, that he should be a " father of many 
 nations ;" which his name signified, and is of 
 much the same import with this in our text. 
 Unless, 3 . It should be thought only to intend 
 in general, the fruitfulness of the soil in which 
 Christ's vineyard was planted ; at " Baal-hamon, 
 the Lord or master of a multitude,'"* that is, where 
 a multitude of vines grow. Thus it is said, iu 
 Isa. V. 2, " My well-beloved hath a vineyard 
 iu a very fruitful hill :" the church of Christ, and 
 so all believers, are planted in a very fruitful 
 soil, being " rooted and built up " in Christ, and 
 watered with the continual dews of divine grace ; 
 the believers are like to " a tree planted by the 
 rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his 
 season ; his leaf also shall not wither, and what- 
 soever he doeth shall prosper," Psalm i. 3. 
 
 IV. The letting out of this vineyard to keep- 
 ers, is next to be inquired into. By the keepers, 
 
 y So the Targum and R. Sol. Jarchi in loc. inter- • In ea quae habet populos. Vulgate Latin version, 
 ret it. ' in domino multitudinis.riscator. 
 
310 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 '[chap. Vlll. 
 
 we are to iiiiJerstaiul tlie ministers of the Gospel ; 
 who have their several parts and differeutemploy- 
 meuts assigned them in this vineyard of Christ. 
 1. The business of some of them is to plant: 
 this work the apostle Paul was much concerned 
 in ; " I have planted," says he, 1 Cor. iii. 6, 8 ; 
 aud indeed it is hard to say hoiv many churches, 
 and how many souls in those churches, were 
 planted by him ; aud especially^at Baal-hamon, 
 in the Gentile world, with whom he was chiefly 
 concerned. 2. Others are employed in watering 
 this vineyard, as was Apollos ; of whom Paul says, 
 " I have planted, Apollos watered -." some mi- 
 nisters are more useful for ediQcation than con- 
 version ; their ministry succeeds most for the 
 watering of Christ's plants, for promoting the com- 
 fort aud faith of those who are already planted ; 
 their " doctrine drops as the rain, and their speech 
 distils as the dew, as the small rain upon the 
 tender 'herb, and as the showers upon the 'grass," 
 Deut. xxxii. 2'; so' that^ they become I'ruitful. 3. 
 The work of others is to prune the| vines; they 
 have an excellent talent at reproof, both on the 
 account oferroneous doctrines, and immoral practi- 
 ces ; they can give ger.tle admouitious whcre^the 
 case only requires them :°and rebuke with sharp- 
 ness, cut deeper, where there is a necessity for 
 it ; not being afraid of the faces of any, but 
 having the good of Christ's vineyard at heart ; 
 these excel in that branch of their office, which 
 concerns the discipline of the church. 4. 
 Others are useful in supporting and upholding 
 weak believers ; who like vines, stand m need of 
 it ; which they do, by putting into their hand the 
 staff of the promises, and refreshing fthem with 
 the reviving cordials of gospel- doctrines. 5. The 
 employment of others is to protect and defend; 
 their businesses chiefly to take the foxes, to re- 
 lute heresies, and defend the doctrines of grace, 
 and preserve the church from all innovations, both 
 iu doctrine and worship. Now I would not 
 be understood, as though I thought that ministers 
 were^so confined to one or,other of these parti- 
 cular branches of the ministerial work, that they 
 had no concern iu the rest : for one and the same 
 minister may be more or less useful in them all ; 
 but yet, generally speaking, he excels in some 
 one of them. 
 
 The letting out of this vineyard to them, agrees 
 with those parables of our Lord, in Matt. xx. 
 1, 2, and xxi. 33, where he seems to allude to 
 the words of our text ; which is no inconsiderable 
 evidence of the divine authority of this book. 
 Tlie phrase shows, 1. That though Christ takes 
 care of the viueyard himself, yet he also makes 
 use of his ministers : Christ is not separated from 
 his ministers ; he acts as the owner, they as the 
 servants; he is the chief and principal vine-dresser ; 
 which work he performs mediately by his minis- 
 ters, who are not to be sliglited aud laid aside ; 
 hence the apostle writing to theCorinthians,among 
 
 whom were many divisions about their ministers ; 
 some being for Paul, in opposition to Apollos, and 
 some for Apollos iu opposition to Paul, aud others 
 for Cephas in opposition to them both, and others 
 for Christ in opposition to them all ; they were for 
 Christ without his ministers ; but, says the apostle, 
 1 Cor. i. 12, 13, Is Christ divided? that is, 
 from his ministers ; no, they are not to be separa- 
 ted from him, though subordinated to him. 2. 
 It shows, that Christ entrusts his vineyard with 
 his ministers ; he makes them overseers of it ; he 
 sets them to watch over it, aud faithfully discliarge 
 theseveral branches of their duty beforementioued ; 
 which is meant by the letting it out unto tiiem : 
 aud it ought to be observed, that Christ has tlie 
 sole power of letting out his vineyard, and he 
 lets it out to whom he pleases ; therefore none 
 ought to usurp it : it is indeed a great honour to 
 be intrusted with it ; but no man should take this 
 honour to himself, but he that is called of God to 
 it ; persons should not run into this work before 
 they are sent, nor perform it negligently when 
 they are in it. 3. Christ in some respects makes 
 his ministers owners of this vineyard ; he let out, 
 or gave" the vineyard to keepers ; hence, in chaj). 
 ii. 15, it is said, our vines, have tender grape* ; 
 ministers have in some sort an interest iu the vines, 
 the churches ; their joy, comfort, life, and glory, 
 lie much in the fruitfulness and well-being of 
 them ; which is a very great and powerful argu- 
 ment to induce them to vigilance, diligence, and 
 carefulness, in the dischai'ge of their work. 
 
 V. The price this vineyard was let at, or the 
 rent which these keepers were to bring iu for tlie 
 fruit of it, is a thousand pieces of silver: which 
 may denote, 1. The exceeding great fruitfulness 
 of this vineyard, that the fruit of it was worth 
 so much : thus in Isa. vii. 23, it is said, " and 
 it shall come to psss in that day, that every place 
 shall be, where there were a thousand vines, at 
 a thousand silverings, it shall even be for briars 
 and thorns ;" that is, those places, which were 
 so exceeding fruitful before, shall now be barren 
 and desolate. 2. It may denote the usefulness 
 of a Gospel-ministry ; which is to bring home 
 souls to Christ ; to gather in the fruit of his 
 labours, aud travail of his soul, which are as 
 dear and valuable to him as a thousand pieces 
 of silver; at which he rejoices as much as the 
 poor woman did, Luke xv. 8, 9, at the finding 
 of her lost piece : Christ's ministers are her 
 reut-gatherers, and the collectors of his fruit ; " 1 
 have chosen you, and ordained you," says he, 
 John XV. 10, " that they should go and bring 
 forth fruit ;" and then do they bring it in, when 
 souls are converted under their ministry. 3. The 
 sum to be brought iu from every one of them is 
 alike, every man his thousand pieces : Christ's 
 ministers have indeed one and the same commis- 
 sion to preach the Gospel ; but they have not all 
 the same abilities for the work, uor are they alike 
 
 ;n: dume, Sept. dedit, Marckius, Michaelis 
 
12.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 317 
 
 succeeded in it ; bvit yet, in the faithful and 
 honest discharge of their work, they are all so 
 blessed by him, as to answer the end of their 
 ministration designed by him ; so that he reckons 
 that every one, even the meanest, brings in his 
 thousand pieces, as well as the more able and suc- 
 cessful. 4. It shows that there is a reckoning- 
 day coming, for ministers as well as others ; who 
 must give an account of their talents, what use 
 they have made of them in Christ's vineyard, 
 and what success has attended their labours ; 
 wliich, if they can do with joy, aud not with grief, 
 will turn to their account, as well as be of advan- 
 tage to others. 
 
 Verse 12. My vineyard, wliich is mine, is le- 
 fore me -. thou, Solomon, must have a thou- 
 sand, and those that keep the fruit thereof tino 
 hundred. 
 The former part of these words seem to be the 
 words of Christ, asserting his interest in his 
 vineyard, the church ; thereby esplaiuing and 
 confirming what the church had said in the for- 
 mer verse. The latter part of the text appears 
 to be the words of the church, allotting proper 
 portions to the owner and keepers of the vine- 
 yard. 
 
 I. Christ asserts liis claim, right, aud property 
 in his vineyard, the church, " my vineyard, 
 which is mine, is before me -." in which may be 
 considered, 
 
 1st: The vineyard itself, which is the church 
 of Christ, and is called so for several reasons, 
 which have been shown on the preceding verse. 
 
 2ndly. Tills is expressed in the singular num- 
 ber, a vineyard for Christ's church is but one, as 
 he asserts in chap. yi. 9, though it is true, we 
 read of vineyards, in the plural number, in chap, 
 vii. 12, because there are several separate, distinct, 
 and congregated churches ; though these all 
 make up but one catholic church, one " general 
 assembly and church of the firstborn, which are 
 written in heaven." 
 
 Srdly. Christ asserts his right and property in 
 his vineyard, " My vineyard," says he; whereby 
 he confirms what the church had said in the fore- 
 going verse ; where has been shown in what res- 
 pect he is the owner of it, and what kind of right 
 he has to it. 
 
 4thly. lie doubles this claim of his unto it ; 
 he not only says, " My vineyard," but adds, which 
 is mine ;" w hereby, 1. He excludes all others 
 from having auy right unto it ; the vineyard is 
 his, and only his ; he is the sole proprietor of it : 
 none has any thing to do with it but himstdf. 2. 
 By re])eatiiig his claim, he shows the certainty of 
 it ; that his title is unquestionable and indisput- 
 able ; and indeed what can be more sure and 
 evident, seeing his Father has given it to him, 
 who had an undoubted right to dispose of it? 
 nay, he has purchased it with his owu blood, and 
 has it now in possession ; he is right heir to it. 
 
 according to God's own appointment; though 
 the wicked Jews, the chief priests and Scribes, 
 who were the keepers of the vineyard, when our 
 Lord was here on earth, when they saw him, 
 " said among themselves, This is the heir, come, 
 let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance : 
 aud they caught him, and cast him out of the 
 vineyard, and slew him," Matt. xxi."38,^39. 3. 
 He may use this additional phrase, " which is 
 mine," to distinguish it from all other vineyards ; 
 as also to show the excellency 'of it, it being 
 preferable to all otiiers ; this world, when com- 
 pared with Christ's thurch, is a" mere desert 
 and wilderness; all other vines are " of the 
 vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah ; 
 their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are 
 bitter," Deut. rxxii. 32, 33. 4. He repeats it, 
 to signify the great delight he took in his vine- 
 yard ; as it is in itself preferable to aH'others, so 
 it is exceeding valuable and delightful to Christ ; 
 he says of it, " the lines are fallen unto me in 
 pleasant places ; yea, I have a goodly heritage," 
 Psalm xvi. 8. 
 
 5thly. He says, that this vineyard was before 
 him ; which may denote, 1. The omniscience 
 of Christ ; which in general extends to all per- 
 sous and things, that ever were, are, or shall 
 be ; " Lord, says Peter, thou kuowest all things," 
 John xxi. 17 ; but in a more especial manner 
 he is concerned about his own people, whom 
 he knows by name, aiid is acquainted with all 
 their wants and necessities ; he knows his own 
 flock, aud the state of it, which the Father has 
 committed to him ; he knows every sheep and 
 lamb therein, in wliat condition they are, and 
 what is most suitable for them ; he knows his 
 vineyard, and the several vines which grow there; 
 there is never a plant escapes his notice and 
 watchful eye ; he is acquainted with every one of 
 them, and in whet case they are. 2. The omni- 
 presence of Christ ; he is the Lord that " fills 
 heaven and earth " with his presence; the whole 
 world is before him, but more especially his 
 church ; where, in a peculiar manner, he grants 
 his gracious presence, there he dwells, and will 
 abide for ever ; who " holds the seven stars in 
 his right-hand, who walks in the midst of the 
 seven golden candlesticks," llev. ii. 1. 3. The 
 delights and complacency wliich Christ takes in 
 his church ; it is ever before him ; his eye is 
 continually upon it ; he cannot bear it out of his 
 sight, so dear and valuable is it to him : thus it 
 was from everlasting and has continued ever 
 since, and so it ever will ; his delight from all 
 eternity " were with the sons of men," the elect 
 of God, " rejoicing in the habitable part of his 
 earth, where he knew " in time, he should have 
 a vineyard planted. 4. The care of Christ over 
 his people, " who are engraven npon tlie palms 
 of his hands, and whose walls are continually 
 before him !" though Christ does indeed let out 
 his vineyard to keepers, yet he does not neglect 
 
318 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. viir. 
 
 it himself; he is present with them, aud works 
 by them ; it is still in his owu hands, and under 
 his watchful eye ; " I the Lord," says he, Isa. 
 xxvii. 3, "do keep it; I will water it every 
 moment, lest any hurt it ; I will keep it night 
 and day." Thus these words may be expressive 
 of Christ's claim unto, affection for, and care over 
 his vineyard, the church. Though, 
 
 There are some interpreters who take them to 
 be the words of the church, speaking of her vine- 
 yard ; by which may be meant, her own soul, and 
 the particular concerns of it: thus every one 
 has a vineyard to look afte'r ; and in what condi- 
 tion that of the slothful man's was, may be seen 
 in Prov. xxiv. 30, 31, which " was all grown 
 over with the thorns, and nettles " of sin and 
 corruption; its stone wall or fence was broken 
 down, so that he was exposed to every snare and 
 temptation. Or else, by this vineyard may be 
 meant, the church in general ; for believers have 
 a mutual interest in each other's persons, gifts, 
 graces, prayers, &c., and being all members of 
 one and the same body, should, as the apostle 
 says, 1 Cor. xii. 26, " have the same care one 
 for another." Though perhaps the several gifts 
 and talents, whether of nature or grace, which 
 God bestows upon his people, may be intended ; 
 which are all to be used for the glory of Christ, 
 and the good of his church ; for as every one 
 has a vineyard of his own, or a particular work 
 assigned him in the vineyard, the church ; so he 
 has his particular gift, talent, aud capacit}' for 
 that work, which ought to be used by him ; for 
 he must one day give an account thereof. Now 
 the church here says, that her vineyard was 
 before her, thereby signifying her care, watch- 
 fulness, and diligence in it, of which we have an 
 instance, chap. vii. 12, and shows that she was 
 now in a different frame from that of which she 
 complains, in chap. i. 6. Though I think that 
 the former sense of the words is most agreeable. 
 Yet, 
 
 II. The latter part of the text, " Thou, 
 Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that 
 keep the fruit thereof, two hundred," manifestly 
 appears to be the words of the church allotting 
 proper portions. First. To the owner of the vine- 
 yard, Solomon. Secondly. To the keepers of it, 
 the ministers. 
 
 First. She allots to " Solomon a thousand," 
 that is, a thousand pieces of silver, as in the for- 
 mer verse : where is to be considered, 
 
 1st. Who is meant by Solomon ; by whom, no 
 doubt, the Messiah is intended, as is acknowledged 
 by R. Abeu Ezra,^' and other Jewish' writers ; 
 though Maimonides'^ says, that " wherever the 
 name of Solomon is mentioned iu the Song of 
 Songs, it is holy, and is as the rest of the names," 
 except that, "a thousand unto thee, O Solomon :" 
 
 >■ In loc. and in Prsefat. ad Comment, in lib. 
 « Vid. Shirhashirim Kabba, and Alshech in loc. 
 and K. Aboudan. Not. in Miclol Yophi in Psal. Ixxii. 
 
 to which Bome^ add also, chap. iii. 7 : but that 
 Christ, aud not Solomon, is here intended, is most 
 agreeable to the nature and design of this song. 
 
 2ndly. The church's manner of addressing him, 
 " Thou, Solomon," shows that she was now 
 in his presence, had much nearness to him, and 
 used much freedom and familiarity with him, as 
 she was by him allowed to do. 
 
 3rdly. The allotment which she makes to him, 
 is, "a thousand;" which, 1. Is the sum agreed 
 upon in the former verse: for the church is willing 
 that Christ should have all that he demands or 
 desires ; she would have no abatemeat made, but 
 would have him have his whole due, and full re- 
 venue of glory from his people. 2. It is a far 
 greater share than what is assigned to the keepers ; 
 and good reason there is it should be so ; for he is 
 the Head aud Master of them, as well as the Owner 
 of the vineyard ; he is " all and in all, and God 
 over all, blessed for ever ;" his is the vineyard, 
 and all the fruit thereof; he has a right uuto it, 
 and takes the chief care aud oversight of it ; so 
 that " neither is he that planteth any thing, nei- 
 ther he that watereth, but (vhrist, " who gives the 
 increase;" and therefore should have all the glory. 
 3. This shows the fruitfulness of tliis vineyard, 
 that it yields so large a profit both to the owner 
 and keepers of it. 
 
 Secondly. The share allotted to the keepers 
 is," two huudred;" from whence may be ob- 
 served, 
 
 1st. That the ministers of the gospel shall 
 have their reward ; every one that labours in the 
 vineyard shall have his penny ; and every man as 
 the apostle says, 1 Cor. iii. 8, " shall receive his 
 own reward, according to his own labour ;" whe- 
 ther he be employed in watering or iu planting, 
 
 2Ddly. That their having their reward is no 
 lessening of Christ's ; for he has his whole thou- 
 sand, though they have their two hundred ; nay, 
 Christ comes at a considerable part of his revenue, 
 through their having theirs ; for " he that re- 
 ceiveth you," says he. Matt. s. 40, " receiveth 
 nie;" where ministers arc valued and honoured, 
 Christ also is, 
 
 3rdly. As one^ well observes, where Christ gets 
 his due among a people, there and there only do 
 ministers get their due ; where Christ is heartily 
 received, the feet of them that " bring glad tidings," 
 will be beautiful ; where Ciirist has his thousand, 
 ministers will have their " two hundred ;" but if 
 Christ comes short of his due, no wonder that 
 ministers should of theirs ; but what is this " two 
 hundred, which is due to the keepers ?" Why, 1. 
 An honourable maintenance for themselves aud 
 their families ; for " the labourer is worthy of his 
 reward," which is his due according to God's or- 
 dination : hence the apostle, 1 Cor. ix. 7 — 14, 
 establishing the truth of this, from several in- 
 
 20. i Yesod. Hattor, c. 6, s. 12, • Vid, Vorst. 
 
 Not. in Maimon, ibid. Vid. T. Bab. Shebuot, fol, 
 35. 2. 'Durham in loc. 
 
VEE. 13.] 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 ai9 
 
 stances in nature, from the reasonableness of 
 things, as well as from proofs out of the law of 
 God, adds, " even so hath the Lord ordained, that 
 they which preach the gospel, should live of the 
 gospel ;" but this is but the least part of their 
 " two hundred." 2. Honour and esteem among 
 the people, to whom they minister, is another part 
 thereof; for, 1 Tim. v. 17, 18, " the elders that 
 rule well, are to be counted worthy of doable 
 honour;" by which the apostle means, first an 
 honourable maintenance, as is manifest from his 
 following words ; and then, that duty and respect 
 which are due to them from their people, who 
 ought to " esteem them very highly in love," not 
 for their persons, but " for their work's sake." 
 3. The conversion of sinners is another part of 
 his two hundred ; and indeed, godly and faithful 
 ministers think that they have a very large share 
 of their reward, when their labours are succeeded 
 this way ; for, " what is our hope," says the apos- 
 tle, 1 Thess. ii. 19, 20, " or joy, or crown of re- 
 joicing? are not even ye iu the presence of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, at his coming ? for ye are our 
 glory and joy :" aad as tbe conversion of sinners, 
 so the comfort and edification of saints ; their sted- 
 fast adherence to, and contiHuance iu the doctrines 
 of the gospel, are likewise a great satisfaction to 
 them ; " for now we live," says the same apostle, 
 1 Thess. iii. 8, " if ye stand fast iu the Lord." 4. 
 Eterual glory is the compliment of it ; they will 
 have their fuU two hundred iu heaven, how much 
 short soever they come of it here; where, instead 
 of it, poverty, disrespect, and reproach fre- 
 quently attend them ; then " they that turn many to 
 righteousness shall shiue as the stars for ever and 
 ever," Dan. xii. 3, who when they have " fought 
 the good fight of faith," 2 Tim. iv. 8, they shall 
 receive " the crown of righteousness," which is 
 laid up for them, and shall be given, not only to 
 them, " but uuto all them also that love Christ's 
 appearing." 
 
 Verse 13. Thou that dicellest in the gardens, 
 the companions hearken to thy voice -. cause 
 me to hear it. 
 
 I ONCE thought, as some have,fi that these words 
 were the words of the church of Christ, whose 
 dwelling-place is in his gardens, the churches ; to 
 whose voice in the everlasting gospel, the com- 
 panions, or young converts, listeu with great atten- 
 tion and affection ; which the church observing, 
 stirred up in her earnest desires to hear the same 
 with more power and ctEcacy, life and liveliness : 
 but having considered the original text, I find it 
 will by no means bear this sense ; for the word 
 translated, " thou that dweliest," is in the femi- 
 nine gender, and so regards the bride, and may 
 
 B So Theodoret. and Tres Patres in loc. 
 
 ^ a'Jja nzcvn quae habitas in hortis, Vulgate 
 Latin version, Michaelis : O qux habitas in hortis 1 
 Pagninus, Bri^htmau; qu» habitas in istis hortis 1 
 Junius : quae, O tu quaj in hortis habitas ! Mercerus : 
 qua; sedes iu hortis, Cocceius, So the Targum. 
 
 well be rendered, " O thou inhabitress of the gar- 
 dens !"'» though the Septuagint and Ambrose render 
 it in the masculine gender,' but wrongly, for the 
 word is certainly feminine : hence it appears that 
 the words are the words of Christ, directed un- 
 to his bride, the church. In which may be con- 
 sidered, 
 
 I. The title and appellation which is given 
 her ; " thou that dweliest in the gardens." 
 
 II. The notice which the companions take of 
 her ; " the companions hearken to thy voice." 
 
 III. The request which Christ makes unto 
 her : " cause me to hear it." 
 
 I. The title and appellation given her by 
 Christ, is, "Thou that dweliest in the gardeus ;" 
 or, "0 thou inhabitress of the gardeus 1" Where 
 by the gardens, must be understood particular 
 congregated churches, as has been observed ou 
 chap. vi. 2 ; of which the church universal is made 
 up, and wherein it may be said to dwell ; the 
 Jewish'' writers interpret them of the schools and 
 congregations where the law was taught. Now 
 her dwelling in those gardens is expressive, 1. Of 
 the work she is employed about there ; she does 
 not dwell there idle ; there is work for her to do, 
 which is the reason of her dwelling there; and 
 that is, to plant, water, prune, and dress the gar- 
 dens, which she does by her ministers : her busi- 
 ness here also is to attend upon the ministry of 
 the word, and all other ordinances of the gospel, 
 where she frequently meets with her beloved ; for 
 " be feeds iu the gardens, and gathers lilies," 2. 
 It denotes her diligence, constancy, aud assiduity, 
 in attendance on public ordinances ; she not only 
 attended now and then, but always ; she dwelt in 
 the gardens ; aud like the first Christians. " con- 
 tinued steadfastly in the apostle's doctriue and 
 fellowship, aud iu breaking of bread, and ia prayer," 
 Acts ii. 42. 3. It shows the delight she took 
 in being there, seeing she had taken up her dwell- 
 ing there : " the tabernacles of God were amiable 
 to her ; a day in his courts was better than a 
 thousand elsewhere ; this was the one thing she 
 desired of the Lord," Psalm xxvii. 4 ; and what, 
 with a great deal of application she sought for; 
 namely, to " dwell in the house of the Lord all the 
 days of her life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, 
 and to enquire in his temple ;" because, with the 
 disciples, she judged it was good for her to be 
 there ; where she enjoyed the presence of Christ, 
 had the assistance of his Spirit, and the discoveries 
 of his love. 4. It also appears evident from hence, 
 that she made an open profession of Christ ; she 
 did not creep into those gardens now and then, 
 as it were by stealth, but she dwelt in them ; 
 she was not like Nicodemus, who came to Christ by 
 night ; nor those other Jews, who believed in him. 
 
 ' O AaOrffXivoi, Sept. qui sedes, Ambros. in Psal. 
 cxviii. octon. 22. col. 10S8. but Symmachus and Aquila, 
 as he observes, quae sedes. ,' Targum, Shirhashi- 
 
 rim Kabba, Jarchi, and Alshech in loc. Vid. T. Bab. 
 Sabbat, fol. 63. 1. and Gloss, in Ibid. 
 
320 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [chap. 
 
 but were afraid to confess Iiirn, for fear of being 
 put out of the synagogue ; nor like many in our 
 days, who will not enter into church-corainuniou, 
 because of being exposed to the reproacli of the 
 world ; " though with the mouth confession 
 should be made unto salvation, as well as with 
 the heart man should believe unto righteousness," 
 Horn. X. 10 ; for as the one is necessary for the 
 comfort of the believer, the other is as necessary 
 for the glory of Christ. 5. Her dwelling here 
 expresses her steadfast adherence to the pro- 
 fessions she had made, as well as her constant at- 
 tendance on Gospel-ordinances ; she was not as 
 many who " forsake the assembling of themselves 
 together;" but cleaved unto the Lord and to his 
 churches with] full purpose of heart, having an 
 affectionate concern for them all; and in this re- 
 spect she dwelt in them: it may be said of her 
 on some accounts, as the apostle said of himself, 2 
 Cor. xi. 28, that the " care of all tlie churches was 
 upon him ;" as appears from chap. vii. 12, and 
 viii. 8. 
 
 Moreover, from Christ's giving her this title, 
 may be observed, 1. That her dwelling in the 
 gardens, was what he approved of, and was well 
 pleasing to him ; it is his will that saints should 
 incorporate into churches, and those who are 
 converted, give themselves up to them and con- 
 tinue with them ; as appears from his blessing 
 of them, when they are there, with greater 
 measures of grace, light, and knowledge, larger 
 supplies of his Spirit, and sweet enjoyments of his 
 presence. 2. That this is a title of honour, aud 
 is expressive of what dignity she was advanced 
 unto ; and indeed it is no small honour which 
 saints have, to " have a naane and a place in 
 God's house, which is better than sons or daugh- 
 ters :" David thought so when he envied the 
 very sparrow and swallow, which had made their 
 nests, as he says, " even near [thine altars, 
 Lord of hosts, my king and my God I" and then 
 adds, " blessed are they that dwell in thine 
 house, they will be still praising thee," Psalm 
 Ixxxiv. 3, 4 ; their work, their employment, as 
 well as their place, is honourable and glorious. 
 3. That it was for her profit, as well as for her 
 honour, to dwell here ; for these gardens are 
 stored with all manner of precious fruits ; and 
 above all, there stands in the midst of them 
 the apple-tree, Christ Jesus, which is richly 
 laden with a variety of excellent fruit, men- 
 tioned chap. ii. 3 ; imder the shadow of which 
 the church frequently sits with great delight, 
 and plucks and eats, and the fruit thereof is 
 sweet unto her taste. 4. That she should 
 always continue and abide there ; he docs not 
 say, " thou that didst dwell, or shalt dwell in 
 the gardens;" but " thou that dwellest," denoting 
 her continued abode there : there is no fear of her 
 being turned out of these gardens, as Adam was 
 out of his Eden, " so he drove out the man," Gen. 
 
 iii. 24 ; nor are there any chernbim, nor a "flam- 
 ing sword to keep the way of the tree of life ;" 
 but all free and open, and nothing terrifying and 
 menacing; it is true, every plant which Christ's 
 heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted 
 up ; all those who arc in churches only by a 
 mere visible profession, without the truth of grace, 
 shall be turned out, with a " Friend, how earnest 
 thou in hither?" but as for all true believers, 
 they shall continue and abide, until they are trans- 
 planted into the heavenly paradise above. 
 
 IL The notice which the companions take of 
 her; they hearken to her voice: in which may 
 be inquired, 1st. Who are meant by the com- 
 panions ? 2ndly. What by their hearkening to 
 her voice ? 
 
 1st. These companions may be taken either in 
 a bad sense or in a good sense. If in a bad sense, 
 as in chap. i. 7, then by them we are to under- 
 stand false teachers, who pretend to be the com- 
 panions aud friends of Christ; who artfully in- 
 sinuate themselves into churches, and would have 
 them believe, they are aiming at the advancement 
 of the same cause and interest, and mean the same 
 thing as they do ; and thus, with feigned words, 
 they introduce their damnable heresies, and make 
 merchandise of the souls of men ; they listen to 
 the church's words and doctrines, to catch and 
 carp at, wrest and pervert, use and improve to 
 answer their own ends and purposes : now these 
 words may be considered as a caution given by 
 Christ to the church to beware of them, as he did 
 to his disciples. Matt. vii. 15, and as Paul did to 
 the elders of Ephesus, Acts xx. 29 — 31 ; seeing 
 they were listening to what she said, not out of 
 good, but ill-will; yet, notwithstanding he would 
 not have her be silent, but, says he, cause me to 
 hear it, or cause to hear me ; that is, preach me 
 boldy and openly, in no wise being afraid of them ; 
 for he would not have her speak so softly to him, 
 that the companions which listened might not 
 hear, as R. A ben Ezra on the text observes; no, 
 for, says he, " what 1 tell you in darkness, that 
 speak ye in light ; and what ye hear in the ear, 
 that preach ye upon the house-tops," Matt. x. 27 ; 
 but, yet with a proper guard upon themselves, 
 both with respect to open and secret enemies. 
 Though I rather think, that we are to under- 
 stand these companious in a good sense: by whom 
 may be meant, either, 1. God the Father, and 
 God the Holy Ghost,' who are both the companions 
 of Christ; for" there are three that bear record 
 in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy 
 Ghost, and these three are one," 1 John v. 7, they 
 are of one nature and essence, possess the same 
 perfection , are partners in the same works, both 
 of nature and grace, and equally share the glory 
 which results from thence ; now these divine 
 persons listen to what the church and poor believ- 
 ers say ; " they that feared the Lord spake often 
 one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard 
 
 ' So Piscator in loc. 
 
VER. 13.] 
 
 SONG OF SONG'S. 
 
 321 
 
 it," Mai. iii. 16. Or else, 2. The holy angels 
 may be here intended, as many interpreters,™ 
 both Jewish and Christian, think ; these are the 
 friends and companions of the saints, as well as 
 of Christ ; they are reconciled to them through 
 Christ ; are willing to perform all the offices of 
 friendship to thera ; they rejoice at their conver- 
 sion, bring messages of peace and comfort to 
 them ; acknowledge themselves to he tbeir fellow- 
 servants, and are ministering spirits unto those who 
 are the heirs of salvation : not to enter upon the 
 consideration of that question, whether every man 
 hath his angel to attend upon him ; which I must 
 confess I am somewhat inclined to believe, there 
 being some scriptures which seem to furnish us 
 with some proofs of it, as Matt, sviii. 10, Acts 
 xii. 15 ; however, this appears certain, that the 
 saints have the angels of God attending on them ; 
 he hath given his angels charge concerning them ; 
 they encamp round about those that fear him ; 
 they are the guardians and companions of the 
 saints in life, and at death carry their souls to 
 glory ; now these listen to what they say in their 
 closets, in their families, in their private or pub- 
 lic conversation, as seems manifest from Eccles. 
 V. 6; they wait upon the public assemblies of the 
 saints, and hearken to the voice of the gospel, as 
 delivered by the ministers of it ; hence that di- 
 rection is given by the apostle, 1 Cor. xi. 10, for 
 the woman to cover her head in the time of pub- 
 lic worship : the angels get much of their know- 
 ledge in, and acquaintance with the great mysteries 
 of grace and salvation, from what they hear from 
 the church, Ephes. iii. 10, and it is with much 
 constancy, diligence, and earnestness, that they 
 desire to look into these things, 1 Pet. i. 12. Or 
 else rather, 3. By these companions may be meant 
 the daughters of Jerusalem, who all along attend- 
 ed the bride in this song ; who are the virgins, 
 her companions, as they are called, Psal. xlv. 14, 
 by which young converts more especially may be 
 understood ; who listen with a great deal of af- 
 fection and attention to what the church, or older 
 and more experienced Christians say ; though all 
 believers in general may well come under this title 
 of companions, as it is given to them, Psal. cxxii- 
 8 ; for David, though he was so great a man, and 
 in such an exalted station of life, yet did not dis- 
 dain to be called " a companion of all them that 
 fear God," Psalm cxix. 63. Now the saints may 
 be said to be companions of each other for these 
 following reasons : (1.) Because they are inter- 
 ested in one and the same covenant, of which 
 Christ is the Head, Surety, and Mediator; and have 
 an equal right and claim to all the blessings and 
 promises of it. (2.) They have all one and the 
 same Saviour, are all saved in one way, and share 
 alike in the same salvation ; for which reason it is 
 called " the common salvation," Jude 3 ; not that 
 it is common to all the world, but only to the elect 
 
 of God, who are called to be saints. (3.) They are 
 partakers of the same grace, particularly that 
 of faith ; for the meanest saint obtains like pre- 
 cious faith with the greatest : the same may be 
 said of all other graces of the Spirit ; for indeed 
 as there is but one body, of which they are all 
 members : so there is but one spirit which actu- 
 ates them all, even as they are also called in one 
 hope of their calling, Ephes. iv. 4. (4.) They are 
 partners, and sljare alike in the same privileges of 
 the gospel, to which they have all an equal right ; 
 for they are all " fellow -citizens with the saints, 
 and of the household of God." (5.) As compan- 
 ions, they frequently converse together ; " they 
 that feared the Lord, spake often one to another ;" 
 they meet in privaie, and take sweet counsel to- 
 gether, as well as walk unto the house of God in 
 company; they sympathise with each other in all 
 conditions, both outward and inward ; they " weep 
 with (hem that weep, and rejoice with them that 
 rejoice ; they bear one another's burdens, and so 
 fulfil the law of Ciirist." 6. They are here com- 
 panions together in tribulation and sufTeiings, as 
 John says, Rev. i. 9, and shall be partners to- 
 gether in heaven, where they shall enjoy that glori- 
 ous inheritance which lies among them that are 
 sanctified. 
 
 2ndly. Now these companions hearken to the 
 voice of the church : by which may be meant, 
 either, 1. The gospel, as preached by her ministers, 
 which is a joyful sound, and makes delightful 
 music in the ears of believers, which are opened 
 and unstopped by the Spirit of God. Or, 2. The 
 admonitions of the church, which ought to be 
 hearkened to. Matt, xviii. 15 — 17, and will be 
 regarded by all those who wish well to Zion, who 
 have a value and esteem for the authority of 
 churches, and entertain mean and humble thoughts 
 of themselves. Psalm cxli. 5. 3. The voice of 
 the church in all other ordinances, and particu- 
 larly that of singing, may be here intended ; for 
 the church was now bearing her part in this song 
 with Christ : with whose voice these virgins her 
 companions were charmed ; which made them get 
 the nearer, and more carefully listen to her : thus 
 saints should be "teaching and admonishing one 
 another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, 
 singing with grace in their hearts to the Lord," 
 Col. iii. 16. 4. The voice of the church,and of true 
 believers in private conversation, is listened to by 
 young converts ; because it is that which is good, 
 to the use of edifying, and what ministers grace 
 uuto the hearers. 
 
 III. The request which Christ makes to his 
 church, is ; cause me to hear it ; that is, thy voice, 
 which is, exceeding sweet aud charming to Christ, 
 as appears from chap. ii. 14, where he says, " let 
 me hear thy voice ;" a phrase exactly agreeable 
 to this, and which is there more largely explained, 
 and the reason there given, why he makes such a 
 
 ■" Shirhashirim Kabba,K. Sol. Jarchi, R. Aben Ezra, Isidore, Alcuin, Foliot T-yra, Sanctius. and Diodat. 
 in loc. 
 
322 
 
 AN EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 [ciiAP.vm. 
 
 request, is, " because sweet is thy voice :" so is the 
 voice of the church, in praying to him, praising of 
 him : speaking largely of his Person, grace, and 
 office ; as well as boldly confessing of him before 
 men. Though the word here used may as well be 
 rendered, " cause me to hear me ;"° that is, 
 preach me, as Junius translates it : and the mean- 
 ing is, seeing the companions thus flock unto thee, 
 and listen with the utmost attention and satis- 
 faction to thy voice ; take the opportunity of 
 preaching me unto them ; let my person, blood, 
 righteousness, and grace, be the subject of thy 
 ministry. And thus indeed it was in the primitive 
 times ; for, says the apostle Paul, " I determined 
 not to know," that is, to make known, " any thing 
 among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified," 
 1 Cor. ii. 2. The first ministers of the gospel did 
 not preach themselves nor others, but Christ Jesus 
 the Lord; he was the sum and substance of their 
 ministry; and now though this way of preaching 
 was to " the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the 
 Greeks foolishness ;" yet it was owned of God, for 
 the conversion of sinners, and the comfort of 
 saints ; and has been more or less so in all ages of 
 the world, and will be continued to be practised 
 until the second coming of Christ ; which he may 
 perhaps here intend, and is what the church ear- 
 nestly prays for in the following verse. 
 
 Verse 14. Make haste, my beloved, and be thou 
 like to a roe or to a young hart, ujjon the 
 7nountains of spices. 
 
 These are the words of the church, earnestly im- 
 ploring the presence of Christ. She begins and 
 ends this song ; and in both signifies her great 
 afi'ection to him, how much she valued his com- 
 pany, and how desirous she was of it : this appears 
 throughout the whole song to lie uppermost in her 
 heart, affections, and desires ; she had had much 
 nearness of access to Christ, and much communion 
 with him, as appears from this chapter, and yet she 
 wants more ; she cannot be easy without the ever- 
 lasting enjoyment of him on the mountains of 
 spices. In the words may be considered, 
 
 I. The title she gives him, " my beloved." 
 
 II. The request she makes to him ; " make 
 haste," &c. 
 
 I. The title she gives him, is, " my beloved !" 
 and is what she had often given him in this song : 
 she seems to take delight in using it; in which 
 she expresses her love and affection to him, with 
 the continuance of it ; she acknowledges that he 
 was her beloved still ; she claims her interest in 
 him, a comfortable sense of which she now en- 
 joyed ; hereby she also distinguishes hira from all 
 other beloveds, and shows that she was not ashamed 
 to own him as such ; as indeed she had no reason ; 
 and perhaps she may have a particular view in 
 giviug him this title here, which is to improve her 
 interest in hira, as a motive or argument to obtain 
 her request ; for such suits that are founded upon 
 
 the near relation which souls bear to Christ, sel- 
 dom miss of succeeding. But having more largely 
 explained this character elsewhere, 1 shall not 
 insist longer upon it ; but proceed, 
 
 II. To consider the request she makes : which 
 may be regarded, either, 1. As a passionate wish 
 for the incarnation of Christ, that he would 
 speedily come and appear on mount Zion, and in 
 the temple where the sacrifices were offered up, 
 and the sweet-smelling incense ascended, which 
 were both typical of his sacrifice and mediation ; 
 nothing was more desirable or more importunately 
 prayed for, or more impatiently longed for, by 
 the Old-Testament- cliurch, than this was, and yet 
 nothing more slighted than it was, when brought 
 about. 2. It may be understood as the desire of 
 the church after the spiritual presence of Christ 
 in his house, and upon the mountains of Zion, 
 where he commands his blessing, even life for 
 evermore : nothing is more satisfying to believers 
 than Christ's presence ; it is preferred by them to 
 all the enjoyments of life ; " if thy presence go not 
 with me," says Moses, Exod. xxxiii. 15, " carry us 
 not up hence ;" this puts joy and gladness iuto ihe 
 souls of God's people, more than when corn and 
 wine increase ; they are oftentimes impatient 
 without it, pant for it, as the hart panteth after 
 the water-brooks ; for as his absence is death unto 
 them, so his presence is life ; this fills their hearts 
 with comfort, diffuses an universal pleasurethrough- 
 out their souls ; banishes their doubts and fears, 
 supports them under all the pressures, sorrows, 
 and afflictions of life ; sets them above the fears of 
 death, and makes them that they can look into 
 another world, and an awful eternity, with the 
 utmost satisfaction and serenity of mind ; so that 
 it was no wonder that Christ's gracious presence 
 should be so desirable to saints : besides, there 
 was good reason for the church to make such a 
 request here ; seeing he had, in the preceding 
 verse, enjoined her to cause him to hear her voice ; 
 that is, to preach his gospel, set forth the glory 
 of his person, and open the treasure of grace to 
 souls ; which to perform aright, she knew that she 
 was unable of herself ; for who indeed is sufficient 
 for these things ? for even those who are furnished 
 with the greatest gifts and largest capacities for 
 such a work, are yet insufficient to think any 
 thing as of themselves, much less to go through 
 so great a work ; but their sufficiency is of God ; 
 and therefore the church here desires the presence 
 of Christ with her, and that speedily, in order to 
 do it : it is as if she should say, I am very williug 
 to be found faithful and diligent in the discharge 
 of this work, which thou hast called me to ; but 
 I am not able to perform it myself ; do thou 
 therefore hasten to my assistance, and grant me 
 thy presence, without which I can do nothing ; 
 and this also Christ knows full well, and there- 
 fore he has promised his ministering servants to 
 be with them always in their work, even unto the 
 
 " 'jyaiOT predica me, Junius and Tremellius. 
 
VER. 14.J 
 
 SONG OF SONGS. 
 
 323 
 
 end of the world. Or else, 3. This petition of 
 hers may regard the spreading of the gospel over 
 all the nations of the world : the gospel shall not 
 only be preached to all nations, but this precious 
 box of ointment being opened, the savour of 
 Christ's knowledge shall be diflFused in every 
 place : for the earth shall be full of the knowledge 
 of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea, Isa. xi. 
 9, multitudes of souls shall be converted to Christ, 
 and made subject to the sceptre of his grace ; 
 those voices shall then be heard in heaven, that is, 
 in the church below ; Rev. xi. 15 ; the kingdoms 
 of this world are become the kingdoms of our 
 Lord, and of his Christ : those nations which be- 
 fore were comparable to lions' dens, and the moun- 
 tains of the leopards, may now be called the 
 mountains of spices, for their fragrancy and fruit- 
 fulness ; on which Christ appears in his glory; the 
 time being come that the prophecy should be ful- 
 filled, Zech. xiv. 9 ; and the Lord shall be king over 
 all the earth ; in that day shall there be one Lord, 
 and his name one ; and what can be more desira- 
 ble to the saints than this ? no wonder the church 
 should be so importunate in her request. Though. 
 4. I rather think, that she intends the second 
 coming of Clirist ; as the Old Testament saints 
 breathed after his first coming, so the New-Tes- 
 tament saints earnestly desire his second coming ; 
 they love it, they long for it, they pray for it ; nay, 
 as the apostle Peter says, 2 Pet. iii. 12, they are 
 hastening to it, that is, they desire Christ to hasten 
 it; they do not care how soon that day comes; 
 for though it will be awful and terrible to the 
 mcked, yet it will be much to their profit and ad- 
 vantage ; for Christ " will appear a second time 
 without sin unto salvation :" his first appearance 
 was " in the likeness of sinful flesh," and with all 
 the sins of his people charged upon him; for which 
 he made satisfaction to justice, and thereby pro- 
 cured eternal salvation for them ; but his next 
 appearance wiU be without any sin at all, in any 
 sense whatever, being fully discharged from all, 
 as the Head, Surety, and Representative of h's 
 people ; when he will put them into the actual 
 possession of that salvation he before procured. 
 Now it may be observed, that this is the last peti- 
 tion of the church's : she closes the song with it, 
 as John does his book of the Revelation ; "surely 
 I come quickly," says Christ; " Amen," says 
 John, " even so come. Lord Jesus :" from whence 
 we may observe, that the coming of Christ to take 
 his people to himself, that where he is, there they 
 may be also, is the completion of all believer's 
 prayers and joys ' when this is obtained, they have 
 no more to ask for, nor any more indeed do they 
 want ; it may be said of them then, what is said 
 of David in the 72nd Psalm ; which whole Psalm 
 regards the glory and peace of Christ's everlast- 
 ing kingdom ; " the prayers of David the son of 
 Jesse are ended!" thatis, all his wishes are granted. 
 
 and his requests fulfilled, when this is effected. 
 But now let us consider a little more particularly 
 the several phrases, by which the church ex- 
 presses her desire for the coming of Christ. And, 
 
 1st. She says, " Make haste my beloved :" not 
 that she desired him to come before the time 
 appointed of the Father : for as there was a set 
 time, which is called " the fulness of time," which 
 was agreed upon for Christ's coming in the 
 flesh ; so there is a time fixed and determined for 
 his second coming ; as the Person, so " the day is 
 appointed by God, in the which he will judge the 
 world in righteousness;" tliough " of that day 
 and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels 
 which are in heaven, neither the Son," as he is 
 man, "but the Father;" therefore it is both vain 
 and sinful for persons curiously to inquire into it, 
 and bold and daring to attempt the fixing of it ; 
 for " it is not for us to know the times or the 
 seasons which the Father hath put in his own 
 power." Now Christ will not come before, nor 
 will he stay longer than this time appointed ; and 
 this his church knew ; nor does she desire him to 
 come sooner ; yet could be glad to see those things 
 accomplished which must precede it ; such as the 
 conversion of the Jews, and the bringing in the 
 fulness of the Gentiles ; all which the Lord will 
 hasten, but it will be in " his own time :" nor does 
 the church mean any other ; but by using this 
 expression, she signifies the earnestness of her de- 
 sire to have tliis accomplished, being as it were 
 impatient until it was done ; her language is much 
 like Sisera's mother's, who said concerning him, 
 " Why is his chariot so long in coming ? why 
 tarry the wheels of his chariots?" Moreover it 
 may be observed, that the word here translated, 
 " make haste," may be rendered, " flee away ;"° 
 the meaaing of which is, not that the church de- 
 sired to remove or depart from her ; no, she valued 
 his presence at another rate than to desire him to 
 withdraw from her ; those indeed who prefer their 
 lusts, their pleasures, their profits, their swine 
 before Christ, say, depart from us ; but as for the 
 church, when she has found him, she holds him 
 fast, and will " not let him go :" so that when she 
 desires him to " flee away," something else must 
 1^ understood ; which is, that she, being weary of 
 a sinful and troublesome world, breathed after an 
 everlasting rest with him upon the spicy moun- 
 tains ; and therefore she would have him remove 
 from his garden below, where he was, and take 
 her along with him to glory ; where she might 
 eternally enjoy him, without any disturbance or 
 molestation. 
 
 2udly. She desires that he would be " like a roe 
 or a young hart npou the mountains of spices ;" 
 for what reasons Christ may be compared " to a 
 roe or a young hart," has been shown on chap. ii. 
 9. Her meaning here is, that he would come 
 quickly and speedily, and be as swift in his motion 
 
 • m3 (pvye Sept. fuge, Vulgate Latin version, Pagninus, Montanus, Mercerus, Cocceius, Bright- 
 man: fugito, Tigurine version occurre, Junius. 
 
 T 2 
 
324 
 
 AN EiitOSITION OF THE 
 
 fcHAP. vni. 
 
 aa the roe or young hart, and flee as swift as they ;P 
 which run upon the mountains, and other high 
 places, where they delight to skip and leap : see 
 Hab. iii. 19, and by these " mountains of spices," 
 we are not to understand mount Moriah, and the 
 temple built upon it, as R. Solomon Jarchi in- 
 terprets tliem ; but rather, the mountains of Zion, 
 or the several congregations and churches, where 
 she desired his gracious presence until his second 
 coming; which may be compared to mountains 
 for their height and sublimity, being established 
 and exulted above all others, Isa. ii. 2, as well as 
 for their permanence and immoveablcness: for, 
 " they that trust in the Lord shall be as mount 
 Zion which can never be removed, but abideth for 
 ever," Psalm cxiv. 1, and may be called "moun- 
 tains of spices," because of those precious plants 
 which grow there ; and those fragrant graces 
 with which they abound; as well as those sweet- 
 smelling sacrifices of prayer and praise, which are 
 there offered up. Though I rather think, that 
 the joys and glories of the heavenly state are here 
 intended ; where the church desires to have ever- 
 lasting and uninterrupted communion with her 
 beloved ; and that speedily, if it was his will ; 
 
 where she should be on high, and out of the reach 
 of every snare and every enemy ; where she would 
 be safe, secure, and immoveable, and in the pos- 
 session of pleasures that will never end. For, 1. 
 These mountains may denote the height and sub- 
 limity of this happy state ; it is above, it is an 
 " inheritance reserved in heaven ; a hope laid up 
 there, a prize of the high calling of God in Christ 
 Jesus." 2. May express the permanence and ever- 
 lastiugness thereof: it is a " city which hath 
 foundations," and these immoveable ; it is a build- 
 ing of God eternal in the heavens;" these habi- 
 tations are everlasting, from whence there never 
 will be a remove. 3. May signify the exceeding 
 pleasantness and delightfulness thereof: that state 
 may well be represented by spicy mountains, 
 seeing in the presence of Christ there is " fulness 
 of joy, and at his right hand there are pleasures 
 for evermore ;" no wonder then that the church 
 should so passionately wish for the enjoyment of 
 this happiness ; and close this song in the manner 
 she does, saying, " Make haste, my beloved, and 
 be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the 
 .mountains of spices." 
 
 p Cervique fugaces, Virgil. Gforgic. I. 3, prope finem. Yid. Plauti Poenulum, act. 3. sc. 1. v. 2C. 27. 
 
ESTABLISHED IN THE YEAR 1766. 
 
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 braces, and that most cordially, all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity — whether Church- 
 men or Dissenters — Baptists or Independents. As it makes its monthly circuit through cities, towns, 
 and villages, it goes in quest of sinners. — Hart says, 
 
 " A sinner is a sacred thing, 
 The Holy Ghost hath made him so." 
 
 Meeting with these, its delight is to hold up the Loed Jesus Christ, in the efficacy of his blood — 
 the completeness of his righteousness — the boundless grace, matchless love, and unparalleled willing- 
 ness of his heart, to receive all those whom He hath thus, " made willing in the day of his power" 
 (Psalm ex. 3). Of such (blessed be God !) it has already met a goodly number, many of whom have 
 now exchanged the siphs of the wilderness for the sonys of Canaan — vacated the clay tabernacle to 
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 BY JOHN GILL, D.D. 
 
 *i^* The Work was published to Subscribers at Three fiuineas; and, upon its completion in Feb. 
 1854, a Purse of One Hundred and Fifty Sovereigns, and a Silver Tea-and-Coflfee Service, were 
 presented by the Subscribers and the Publisher to the Rev. D, A. Doudney, as a proof of their 
 appreciation of the Work. 
 
 It is clearly and beautifully printed in Royal octavo, and will, when completed, form a very hand- 
 some edition. — Earthen Vessel. 
 
 It is elegantly printed— good paper.— ^20«'j Casket. 
 
 We have no hesitation in saying, that it will bear comparison with any of the beautifully-printed 
 books of the day ; and when we consider the deeply-interesting circumstances connected with the 
 Irish nativity of the work, our hearts are wholly rejoiced. — Pot of Manna. 
 
 The republication of Dr. Gill's commentary of itself constitutes quite an epoch in the history of 
 literature ; there are circumstances connected with this new edition which invest it with peculiar 
 interest ; and should it ever be brought to a complete termination, they are such as will prove the 
 projector to be possessed of marvellous fortitude, patience, and perseverance. We almost smile in 
 fancying what would be Dr. Gill's feelings in the thought that his voluminous Exposition, almost 
 every page floating with Hebrew quotations, should be reprinted by uneducated Irish Boys, for the 
 double purpose of teaching them a trade, and of finding funds to support and to extend an Industrial 
 School. * * * Its Editor promises that every sheet shall pass under his own revision, and he is 
 well known to be most fully adequate to the undertaking. We sincerely wish him the success his 
 devotedness deserves ; and if we should live to see him perfect his undertaking in the manner he 
 has proposed to himself, we shall then point him out to our children as one of the most remarkable 
 living monuments of untired and untiring benevolence and skill. — Spiritual Magazine^for March. 
 
 We have his [the present Editor's] guarantee, which, as far as we have seen, he has scrupulously 
 observed, that there shall be no alteration or tampering with the Commentary as it now stands. 
 He is doing this under circumstances of peculiar difficulty, being in a remote part of Ireland, and 
 obliged to avail himself of the services of raw Irish Lads, whom he is kindly instructing into the 
 mysteries of the printing-office ; thus conferring a great benefit upon them at a great inconvenience 
 to himself. — Gospel Standard. 
 
 To have so elaborate and important a work as this Exposition of the Holy Bible, with all its 
 elaboration of detail, re-printed in Ireland, would, at any time, be a matter of gratulation ; but to 
 have it issued from an infant printing establishment in the wild mining village of Bonmahon, ia 
 this county, and that for the greater part by juvenile hands, which but a few months before were 
 totally unacquainted with either type or printing press, is what may be truly termed an astounding 
 fact. Such a project, also proclaims to the world what Irish intellect and Msh skill are capable 
 of effecting when guided by single-mindedness, energy, and perseverance. The Rev. Mr. Doudney 
 has proved in the present instance what the Irish soil is capable of bringing forth, and the results 
 cannot be too fully published to the world. As to the mechanical portions of the Commentary we 
 cannot, independent of viewing it as a national undertaking, notice it in sufficiently warm terms of 
 commendation; the typography is clear and distinct ; it is printed in double columns, on large- 
 sizedpaper, thus affording the purchaser matter of 2,000 pages compressed into half that space. 
 The entire has been put out of hands in a manner which may challenge competition in any quarter. — 
 Waterford Mail. 
 
 Mr. Doudney has obtained printing presses and taught the poor boys of Bonmahon how to print, 
 and thus to earn an honest livelihood. We have received a Volume of " Gill's Commentary on 
 the Bible," got up in admirable style. — Irish Intelligence. 
 
 [Second Notice.] 
 
 Our readers have long been aware of the circumstances under which this book was publishing, 
 as we, in common with others, have thought it our duty from time to time to call attention to the 
 fact : and we have done so from the feeling that we were but aiding the cause of God and the truth, 
 not only in advising all our subscribers who could spare £3 18y. to order Dr. Gill's Commentary, 
 but because this very purchase-money might be looked upon as so much contributed to the cause of 
 industry, intellect, and freedom in the Sister Isle. We have therefore felt a double interest in 
 calling upon our readers to announce themselves subscribers, inasmuch as it would be surely confer- 
 ring a benefit upon themselves, and stretching out their hands to help the boys of Bonmahon. 
 
 Passing, yet unwillingly, from the gratification of bestowing a well-merited eulogium on the labours 
 of Dr. Gill, we have to say a few words about the Bonmahon boys. 
 
 We hardly know a more striking instance of the co- working of society than the ministry of these 
 Irish lads to the labours of Gill ; and a most beautiful proof that we are all of one body, and mem- 
 bers in particular : that society has been miserably dislocated by the well-known catastrophe of the 
 fall ; while yet there are those infallible signs that mankind are meant for mutual ministry — as we 
 see it in the boys assembled together to propagate the pages of Gill : the unlearned becoming wings 
 to the learned. And as surely as the volumes are dedicated to the prophesying of the fate of vice 
 and the flourish of virtue, may be asked — ' Are the Bonmahon boys also among the prophets ?' 
 
 We see here, then, a beautiful instance, redeemed from the darkness, of the singular capacity of 
 the most mean of the human family to wait at the posts of learning, and become — not the ravens 
 of Israel — but the honoured instruments of telegraphing the truth. Wherefore, let us not fear to 
 take children by the hand, for we know not what they can do ; but rather let us derive a lesson 
 from the wild sea- washed village of Bonmahon. 
 
 The work is worthy of the Publisher, the Printer, and the Purchaser. — Pot of Manna. 
 
 LONDOxN : W. H. COLLINGKIDGE, CITY PRESS, 1, LOx\G LANE. 
 
THE BONMAHON 
 
 ^afatit Cmhrnikrii, ^^riutiitg, eeJi Igririiltiinil Irjinnb, 
 
 CO. AVATERFORD. 
 
 City Press, 1, Long Lane, London, June 30, 1855. 
 Having recently returned from a visit to my friend, the Rev. D. A. Doudney, at Bon- 
 mahon, it has occured to me that a brief narrative of what I saw and learnt, during my sojourn, 
 might prove of interest to the friends of the Boxmahon Industrial Schools, and at the same 
 time, be productive of good to the great work of improvement now in progress there. Under 
 this impression, I venture to relate, in a plain manner, the facts which came within my observa- 
 tion, either as relates to the Schools themselves, or the peculiar circumstances out of which they 
 have arisen, and are now surrounded. 
 
 To those not immediately interested in such a matter, a visit lo Industrial Schools, in one of 
 the wildest regions of the South of Ireland, would present features more interesting than many- 
 remoter and more celebrated scenes ; but to those who have aided, by personal endeavours and 
 sacrifices, a work so eminently in accordance with the teaching of Him who said, " Suffer little 
 children to come unto me," the facts of the case, as seen by a visitor, must, I think, have a pe- 
 culiar and pleasing value. 
 
 I left Loudon on Monday morning, May 26, and after experiencing the usual trial of a pas- 
 sage from Holyhead to Kingstown, arrived in Dublin the same evening. On Tuesday morning 
 I proceeded by railway to Waterford — a journey occupying about seven hours. A pleasant drive 
 of two hours and I reached Bonmahou. On entering the village I found that my arrival had been 
 expected ; I saw the flag waving about the Printing School, and the lads gave me an Irish welcome. 
 
 Bonmahon is a retired, out-of-the-way nook on the coast of the county of Waterford. It is 
 built irregularly, in the bight of a small bay, between Tramore on the east, and Duugarvan, a 
 small port on Dungarvan Bay, on the west. The sea view is bold and open, the cliffs rugged 
 and picturesque. To the south-east lies the wide expanse of St. George's Channel, dotted with 
 white sails in the distance, and with rude fishing-boats near the shore. The viUage itself lies in 
 a valley which runs down by a sandy slope to the sea, forming a magnificent strand, from which, 
 rises, at the distance of half a mile, a splendid wall of dark majestic rocks, Northward the val- 
 ley runs back from the village, and terminates in the green slopes of the Comeragh hiUs, which 
 encloses the scene on the land-side with a charming panoramic background. The hiUs are ten or 
 twelve miles off, but to me they appeared much nearer. 
 
 Adjoining the village, are mines of Knockmahon the property of the "Mining Company of 
 Ireland." These mines are noted for the excellence of the ore which they furnish, and afford 
 the chief employment of the inhabitants of Bonmahon, which is strictly a mining village. The 
 name, Bonmahon, is from two Irish words, signifying the heel qx foot of the river >- Knockmahon 
 implying the hill of the river. 
 
 Though the land is barren, and the constant drift of sand and sea-spray renders farming 
 diificult, all the elements of worldly prosperity are to be found here. The population does not 
 much exceed 1500 souls of all ages. Amongst these the mines distribute a weekly sum of 
 £350 in wages, while the tillage of the land contributes something additional to the common 
 resources of the place. A weekly expenditui-e of £350 in so small a village should produce far 
 more comfort than is visible here ; and for the cause of the destitution and vice which exists, we 
 must doubtless look to Sh'Ai power which has desolated so many of the fairest portions of the earth. 
 
 But at Bonmahon, as elsewhere in Ireland, the capability for something better exists, as my 
 recent visit proved to my satisfaction. 
 
 On Wednesday morning I visited the Schools. There are five of these. First, the Infant 
 School ; second, the Embroidery School ; third, the Printing School ; fourth, the Agricultural 
 School ; fifth the Parochial School. 
 
 Each of the Schools is conducted in a separate building, situate at an easy distance from each 
 other, and all presenting a pleasing scene of busy life. 
 
 The School buildings are substantial and roomy. There is the Industrial Printinr/ School, 
 with its five young women employed in the binding department, two compositors, five pressmen, 
 fifteen boys, and three presses, full of bustling activity, yet as orderly and business-like as a 
 London Office. 
 
 The Infant School interested me exceedingly. It was a pleasing sight to see fifty infants so 
 well trained, and apparently happy, and to hear them sing, in that dark. Popish village — 
 
 " We won't give up the Bible, 
 God's holy book of truth," &c. 
 
 Now comes the Embrotdery School. Here forty-seven girls are taught and employed, many 
 of them earning Five to Eight shillings per week, and producing work of a high order of merit: 
 I was soon convinced that, though at first unable to thread, or even to hold a needle, such teach- 
 ing as they obtained here would soon enable them to earn their bread honourably, wherever there 
 future lot may be cast. This School, conducted by a competent Mistress, is under the im.mediate 
 superintendence and control of Mrs. Doudney. In the same building is opened a Bible Depos- 
 itory, for the sale of Bibles and Testaments at a reduced price. 
 
 Having had some experience in Printing matters, it may be supposed that I should readily 
 detect any short-comings in the mechanical arrangements of a Printing School. The intelli- 
 gent perseverance in the teaching of these lads is well rewarded in the order and activity of the 
 
2 THE BONMAIION SCHOOLS, CO. WATERFORD. 
 
 establishment — the completeness with wliich industry and skill combine their forces lor the 
 production of a noble result, afford a reflection of that presiding mind, which under God's 
 blessing, has wrought so successfuly in the projection and establishment of this admirable 
 institution. The lads are very skilful, not in the manual labour only, but in those departments 
 which require judgment, shrewdness, and care. The overseer brought a proof-sheet of the 
 reprint of " Reach's Metaphors," which had been read, and was about to be given out for cor- 
 rection in the usual way. It was as clean and perfect as the work of any ordinary compositor, 
 though the production of boys who, but a short time previous, had neither seen printing-type nor 
 press — such is the change effected by culture and kindness. There are in these various Schools one 
 hundred and fit hy youngpersons who enjoy these advantages, and thus far removed from the debase- 
 ments of poverty and a vagabond life, and placed in a position to acquire useful handicrafts. 
 
 Any one who will open the pages of Dr. Gill's Commentary, or Ambrose Searle's 
 CnuRCH OF God, and criticise the character of the typography, may see to what perfection of 
 skill the hand of an Irish peasant may be brought under ojiportiaiity and tuition Dr. Gill's 
 work contains nearly 47,000,000 separate letters, covering about 6,000 pages of close and 
 beautifully clear letter-press. Previous to the 12th of October, 1851, when the only suitable 
 building came into the possession of the indefatigable Curate of Moukslaud, not one of these 
 lads had seen a printing-type ; yet by the January following, they had produced one part, of 
 about 210 pages of the Commentary, containing 1, 200,000 letters, mixed with no small amount 
 of Greek and Hebrew quotations — the Bishop of Cashel witnessing the printing of the first 
 sheet. Who can say how many lads were rescued from the dark apprenticeship of vice by the 
 timely opening of these Schools ? 
 
 On Thursday evening I attended the weekly lecture, held in the building used for the 
 Infant School. To this Thursday evening lecture, and the usual Sunday services, all the 
 children are free to attend, though it is a rule, essential to the success of any Protestant move- 
 ment here, that they should not be requested to attend ; nor is attendance ever made a condition of 
 employment. A little incident occurred in my presence, illustrative of the policy of such a course. 
 One of the guardians of the poor, meeting Mr. Doudney and myself in the public street, mentioned 
 the case of one of the girls belonging to the Embroidery School, who, having become a dependent 
 on the parish funds, alleged that she could earn five shillings a week, but, having refused to 
 attend the Protestant services, she had been dismissed. " 01)lige me by going over to the 
 School, and hear the reason for her dismissal, from the lips of the mistress herself," said Mr. 
 
 Doudney. " No," said Mr. , " I do not wish that ; your word is sufficient that the girl's 
 
 story is false." Mr. at last consented to go up into the work-room of the Embroidery School. 
 
 Mr. Doudney at once put the question to the whole School : — " Did I, or Mrs. Doudney, at any 
 time ask one of you to attend any of our weekly or Sunday services ?" A universal " No .'" 
 was the response. Again Mr. Doudney put the same question, and the same answer, " No !" 
 was repeated in a distinct, truthful, and unmistakeable tone, at which the guardian became stiU 
 more satisfied, and then was informed of the real cause of the child's dismissal, viz., idleness, 
 unwillingness, and conduct injurious to the School generally. Such is the craft of babes under 
 Popish teaching and example ! 
 
 It was with much pleasure that I walked over the grounds of the Agricultural School, in. 
 company with my friend, the Rev. D. A. Doudney. This School has only recently commenced 
 operations, and the land at present in a preparatory state. The object of the School is to 
 teach practical husbandry, in combination with a sound course of mental training. The Boys 
 attend four hours at their lessons in-doors, and four hours are spent in tillage. They are 
 taught to ridge, furrow, and drain the land ; learn to preserve the strength of the soil, and to 
 adapt the crops to the seasons, &c. Some of these will be fitted for service as gardeners, or for 
 other similar capacities ; while they will be taught to cultivate, profitably, the patch of cottage 
 ground — an art here at present comparatioely unhioion ! Indeed, the need for such training is 
 evident enough in the wretched aspect of the land, which recalsto one's mind the painful narratives 
 of the Times' Commissioner. The soil is overgrown with weeds, undrained, badly ploughed, and 
 planted over and over again with potatoes, till from utter exhaustion, it literally refuses to pro- 
 duce a scanty crop. The hedges run wild, and eat up large tracts of land with briers and thorns, 
 while ditches are suffered to roam at will, for want of slight repairs to their banks, converting 
 fields into noxious quagmires, the home of filth, fever, and vermin. Manure is not thought of 
 till they are about to quit their tenancies ; then they cover the land with seaweed, which extracts 
 the last miserable relic of its strength, and ruins it completely for the succeeding tenant. Barns, 
 cottages, and homesteads fall into decay, and as they fall so they remain : there is no energy 
 to repair, no desire to make things better. Everywhere one sees destitution, spiritual degreda- 
 tion, and ruin — ruin stalking over the land, and before which the people seem perishing from the 
 soil — perishing of bodily and spiritual exhaustion. The aspect of the land, the broken mud 
 walls, the stagnant, fever-producing pools, the wretched crops that scarce pay the labour of reap- 
 ing, and the besotted superstition which darkens over all, speak plainly enough of the nature 
 of that dark shadow under which Ireland pines and withers, and to dispel which there is only 
 one light that can be effectual — tlie light of the glorious Gospel. May similar blessings attend 
 the progress of the Agricultural School as have followed in the wake of the Printing, and Em- 
 broidery, and Infant Schools, already established ! 
 
 On Tliursday morning the monthly packages of the Gospel Magazine were made up, and 
 despatched, by post, to the Subscribers. I have heard, with pain, the frequent complaints of 
 friends that tliey do not obtain their copies until many days after the time when they should be 
 delivered. Now I saw and understood the cau.se of delay — another oi the many impediments to 
 
THB BONMAHON SCHOOLS, CO. WATEUFORD. 3 
 
 iudustrial and Protestant progress in Ireland. To save the village postmaster the ususl labour 
 of stamping, and the messenger the aditioual labour of carrying a large number of Magazines, 
 Mr. Doudney despatched them, in the care of a lad, with a donkey-cart, direct to Kilmacthomas 
 (a distance of live miles,) the post-town of the district. The boy returned after having delivered 
 his parcel of stamped Magazines, and the question was asked him, " Have tlie Magazines gone 
 forward?" " No please," said he, "the man said there was no room fo. them on the car, but 
 they'll go to-morrow." The next day the lad was sent again, and returned with the same answer 
 — "No room on the car — they'll go to-morrow." From day to day this is repeated ; the stamped 
 papers lie at the post-office, du ing the pleasure of Hibernian caprice ; the subscribers waiting 
 in anxious expectancy, annoyed at their non-arrival, while the Editor has to bear the blame for 
 unpunctuality. Here is the secret of the delay — There is no room on the car for the conveyance 
 of Protestanifim ! 
 
 I left Bonmahon on Friday morning, and proceeded from Carrick-on-Suir direct for home. 
 
 I may suitably close this letter with a few remarks on the nature of the labour in which Mr. 
 Doudney is engaged, and the results which, up to this time, have flowed from it. 
 
 It may truly be said that he found this place a desert, and has made it a garden. Yet he 
 owes his success, under God, to those who have aided him by sympathy and means. The in- 
 come arising from contributions has, up to this time, averaged nearly £300 per annum ; but the 
 Schools are not at all— some of them cannot be — self-supporting. The difficulties of instructing a 
 rude peasantry, the outlay for implements, the difficulty of finding a market for all the goods 
 produced, tend to increase the expense far beyond the limit of production. 
 
 He is, moreover, surrounded by adverse influences. Priests terrify the parishioners by cursing 
 him from the altar ; false reports are in constant circulation : — Now that he is in possession of 
 untold wealth — now that the scheme is a failure, and must be abandoned for want of funds. He. 
 is, in fact, just in that position in which it has been said no man should be who is " not prepared 
 to die by bullet or by fever." 
 
 The feeling of party jealousy, which pervades all classes in Ireland, manifests itself with ter- 
 rible malignity and power when any, however laudable, attempt is made to turn back the tide of 
 ruin in which the country has been so long immersed. Before the first press was landed at Bon- 
 mahon, the curse of the priest had gone forth, and the people had ejaculated " Amen." But 
 when the first portion of material arrived, a storm of opposition showed itself; the country around 
 was alarmed, and the altars rang with expressions of bitter and unscrupulous jealousy. Eight- 
 and-forty hours had not elapsed after the arrival of the steamer at the Quay of Waterford, ere the 
 so-called liberal newspaper of the place denounced the Industrial School as a proselyting scheme, 
 and the assistants as braggarts and scoundrels ! The inhabitants were cautioned to shun it. and 
 to withhold their children from the work and instruction oflered them. Yet the cherished igno- 
 rance of the Romish Church was successfully baffled, aud the most promising scholars of the 
 Parochial School, and afterwards many belonging to the National or Roman Catholic School, 
 were initiated, and the presses were set going. The difficulties which the friends of the move- 
 ment anticipated sunk into nothingness before the real difficulties that had to be conquered. 
 Only stout hearts, supported by hope and faith, could have performed a labour such as this. If 
 the storm without raged fiercely, the labour witliin doors was indeed no trifling task. What the 
 excellent friend of Ragged Schools (Joseph Payne) said of the childi'en received into Loudon 
 Ragged Schools, applied with double truth to these ; for they might well be described as " pre- 
 cocious, and ferocious, and mendacious, and capacious ; and odd in attitude, but great in grati- 
 tude — always tameable, but never irreclaimable." 
 
 The Schools of Bonmahon have been established a period of nearly four years. In this brief 
 space, spite of obstacles, the presses have thrown oft' a mass of sound works of so high an order 
 of typographical excellence, that many London houses would be glad to point to them as speci- 
 mens of their work. Those acquainted with the mechanical details of the printing art, will best 
 know how to appreciate the production of that superb Commentary which, while it is an imper- 
 ishable monument to the learning, labour, aud piety of its great author. Dr. Gill, is, in its pre- 
 sent form, a noble and endurmg proof of the genius of Irish peasant boys, when brought under 
 wise and kindly instruction. 
 
 Of this great work, two thousand two hundred and fifty complete sets, or thirteen thousand 
 five hundred volumes, were produced in two years and two months. Of this stock, only a few 
 remain on hand, and there is little or no probability that so voluminous a work wiU be again 
 reprinted, at least for another half century. Those who desire copies should therefore secure 
 them forthwith. 
 
 The great Commentary was followed by a reprint of two thousand five hundred copies of 
 Br. Gill's Exposition of the Canticles, a work which is considered to be the author's masterpiece 
 for savour and power. Following this, came a reprint of Dr. Haicker's Morning and Ecening 
 Portions, of which five thousand copies were completed in a few months. Four-fifths of this 
 large impression have been sold already. Other works were simultaneously put in progress, and 
 the presses sent forth successively an edition of one thousand copies of a reprint of the Rev. B. 
 Eeach's Key to Open Scripture Metaphors!^ This work had become so exceedingly scarce, that the edi- 
 tion was sold in about three months, and orders for quantities refused. It is now in course of 
 reprinting, aud is expected to be ready early in October. One thousand copies of Hart's Hymns 
 were ready immediately after the completion of Keacb's Metaphors, and but few copies of the 
 Hymns now remain. 
 
 * Her. B. Keauh's Exfosiiiou of the Parables has since botn pubHshsd. 
 
4 THE BONMAHON SCHOOLS, CO. "H'ATBKrOKD. 
 
 Next came the print of two thousand copies of Ambrose Searle's Church of God (to which is 
 added Christian Hushandry), a choice work of established reputation. An edition of two thou- 
 sand five hundred copies of Br. GilVs Cause of God and Truth—" a sterling work, that plucks 
 up by the roots the Arminiau heresy"— is just published, and, in its beauty of typography, affords 
 a pleasing. instance of the capabilities of the Irish peasant boys, when directed to definite and 
 beneficial purposes. Since November, 1852, the Gospel Magazine has been produced at Bon- 
 uiahon. The Gospd Cotturje Lecturer, Dr. Hawker's Sermons and Tracts, and other sound and 
 valuable works are in progress ; and Bonmahon— all shrouded in sin and darkness— now shines 
 forth amon^ neighbouring sister villages, and sends into many corners of the world the bright 
 rays of spiritual truth. 
 
 But though so much has been done, the position of the Projector of this enterprise is by no 
 means free from anxieties and difficulty— he has about one hundred and fifty mouths to feed ! A 
 scheme which distributes nearly £1200 a-year among the poor of a remote Irish village, often 
 taxes its Manager severely to provide the necessary means of support. Yet, if the sale of 
 goods is slow, Mr. Doudney dares not discharge superfluous hands. It is a machine which, once 
 set going, it is dangerous to stop. In this district, ^here is no outside sea of labour into which 
 the hands would flow — seeking employment elsewhere, as in any of the large towns in England. 
 Once out of the walls, they must go back to hereditary vagrancy, to afford real grounds, in place 
 of those imaginary ones, out of which the Romish clergy have wrought their bitter anathemas— 
 the more bitter from the conviction that industry and enlightenment are the death-blows to the 
 priestly power of the Papacy. 
 
 To continue the scheme in its present or increasing success, it is necessary that a market should be 
 found for the goods produced. There are few who cannot purchase, or who do not purchase. Books 
 and Embroidery. The lady friends have so often shown their earnestness in the support, that it 
 may be superfluous in me to call their attention again to the fact, that the ready sale of the 
 needlework is vastly beneficial, and promotive of the welfare of those humble but useful Irish 
 children who produce it. 
 
 The sale of the work produced, is, of course, the primary source of income; but the 
 Schools are not yet self-supporting, and therefore contributions are respectfully solicited, 
 both from friends who have not hitherto subscribed, and from those who have already so 
 liberally assisted. 
 
 Though priestly influences work in opposition, though they dread the spread of that light 
 which blinds and confuses them, there is Uttle fear that this good work will come to a pause. 
 Glad hearts and ready hands have helped, so far, the energy of the Promoter, who started the 
 enterprise at his own risk and peril ; such hands and hearts are as vigorous as ever ; the band of 
 instructors are strongly knit together with their hearts in the work, and with God's blessing on 
 aU their efforts, we may look forward to the realization, at the lone village of Bonmahon, of the 
 conversion of the thriftless, the untaught, and the spiritually benighted, to a knowledge of the 
 amenities of civilization, and the blessing of the Gospel. 
 
 My letter has already run beyond the hmit — I will therefore subscribe myself, 
 
 Yoiu-'s faithfully, 
 
 WILLIAM HILL COLLINGRIDGE. 
 
 Price £3 18s., six royal Svo. vols., cloth, of 1000 pages each, and Portrait of the Author (the 
 Old Testament may be had separately, 4 vols., price £2 12s.) ; calf, 5s. per vol. extra. 
 
 An Exposition of the Holy Bible ; by John Gill, D, D., containing 
 
 the Old and New Testaments. In the former are recorded, the Origin of Mankind, of the seve- 
 ral Nations of the world, and of the Jewish nation in particular ; the Uves of the Patriarchs of 
 Israel : the Journey of that People from Egypt to the land of Canaan, and their settlement in 
 that land : their Laws, Moral, Ceremonial, and Judicial ; their Government and state under 
 judges and kings ; their several Captivities, and their Sacred Books of Devotion ; in the expo- 
 sition of which it is attempted to give an account of their several Books, and the Writers of 
 them ; a summary of each Chapter, and the genuine sense of each Verse ; and, throughout 
 the whole, the Original Text, and the Versions of it, are inspected and compared ; Interpreta- 
 tion of the best Notes, both Jewish and Christian, consulted ; Diflicult Passages at large ex- 
 plained ; Seeming Contradictions reconciled ; and various passages illustrated and confirmed, by 
 testimonies of writers, 'as well Gentile as Jewish. In the New Testament, the Doctrinal and 
 Practical Truths are set in a plain and easy light; and whatever is material in the various read- 
 ings and several Oriental Versions is observed. The whole Illustrated with Notes, taken from 
 the most ancient Jewish writings. 
 
 *jjt* This work contains nearly 47,000,000 letters, and was composed, or put in type, by a 
 
 little band of Irish lads. 
 
 It is clearly and beautifully printed in Royol octavo, and will, when completed, form a very handsome 
 edition. — Earthen Vessel. 
 
 It is elegantly printed — good paper. ... ^zo«'« Casket, 
 
 We have no hesitation in saying, that it will bear comparison with any of the beaufifully-printed books of 
 the day ; and when we consider the deeply-interesting circumstances connected with the Irish nativity of 
 the work, our hearts are wholly rejoiced. We see here a beautiful instance, redeemed from the darkness, of 
 the singular capacity of the human family to wait at the posts of learning, and become — not the ravens of 
 Israel— but the honoured instruments of telegraphing the truth. Wherefore, let us uot fear to take childreu 
 
TUa BONMAUON SCHOOLS, CO. WATEKfOKT). 5 
 
 by the hand, for we know not what they can do ; but rather let us derive a lesson from the wild sea-washed 
 village of Bonmahon. The Work is worthy of the Publisher, the Printer, and the Purchaser — Pot of Manna. 
 The republication of Dr. Gill's Couimentary of itself constitutes quite au epoch in the history of literature ; 
 there are circumstances connected with this new edition which invest it with peculiar interest ; they are such 
 as prove the projector to be possessed of marvellous fortitude, patience, and perseverance. -S/)«V<7Ka/ Magazine. 
 For a sound, consistent. Scriptural Exposition of the word of God, no Commentary, we believe, in any 
 language can be compared with Dr. Gill's. — The Editor of the present edition has, in the face of most 
 arduous and numerous difficulties, been favoured with health, strength, and perseverance, to surmount them 
 all, and to bring his laborious undertaking to a successful termiuation. — Gospel Standard, tiiird notice. 
 
 A scheme noble in intention —admirable in principle — and worthy of imitation, is the Industrial Prin- 
 ting School. Distant from any immediate scource of supplies, and raw Irish Lads for his assistants, the 
 productions of his press are lasting records of his Christian perseverauce. First and foremost was a splen- 
 did edition of Gill's Commentary on the Bible, and latterly a complete and well-printed edition of Haw- 
 ker's Moruiug and Eveuing Portions, and Hart's Hymn's. — Zion's Trumyet. 
 
 In the Maich Number of our Magazine during the past year we vveicomed the appearance of the first 
 part of this well-known and incomparable Exposition of the Holy Bible. We then stated that in the 
 present day, when the great principles advocated by the renowned John Gill are, to a great extent, cashiered 
 aud denounced, it has been a matter of deep regret that the expeusiveness of his invaluable Commentary, 
 and the scarcity of the work, should render it impossible that vast numbers of ministers and others, who 
 revere the memory, and appreciate the writings of Dr. Gill, should be in possession of so rich a treasure. 
 The difficulties, however, which have prevented a more general acquaintance with this great work are about 
 to disappear. The desideratum will be supplied in the completion of the present correct and handsome 
 edition of the entire Commentary, at a cost which will place it within the reach of most of those 
 whose limited means have hitherto precluded the hope of such au acquisition to their libraries. 
 In noticing the completion of the project, we cannot but rejoice that the worthy Editor has been enabled 
 to overcome the great and apparently insurmountable difficulties which at times threatened his work. 
 That, situated in a wild district of Ireland, and with the help of but little manual assistance, he should 
 have been enabled to give to raw and ignorant Irish Lads such a knowledge of the printing art as enabled 
 him to issue in the space of a few months, a six-volume work of near 1,000 pages each, reflects the high* 
 est credit upon the zeal, industry, and devoteduess which he has displayed on behalf of those residing 
 in his district, who had been previously neglected and forsaken. Even did our limited space adroit of a 
 lengthened notice of this valuable work, the Exposition is too well known, and too highly appreciated by 
 all who love the distinguishing truths of which the learned Gill was so able an advocate, to render such a 
 uotice necessary. We must therefore content ourselves with giving the work our warmest commendation, 
 and trust that many ministers aud heads of families will avail themselves of the opportunity to become 
 possessed of this valuable work. The whole six volumes bound in cloth, may be procured for £3 18s 
 — Yet there are, doubtless, many devoted and faithful ministers in our churches who would rejoice in the 
 possession of such a work as Dr. Gill's Commentary, but whose limited means preclude the possibility of 
 their becoming themselves the purchasers of it. Surely there ace to be I'ound many in their several churches 
 who might be found willing — by a coutribution to a special fimd for that purpose — to present this Exposi- 
 tion of the Holy Bible to their beloved Pastor as a testimony of their friendship and esteem. We trust the 
 suggestion here thrown out vvill be cordially taken up, as we are confident that the people themselves 
 would reap the advantages of such an act of kindness and respect, from the increased lij^ht and knowledge 
 which under the gnidiug iuflueuces of the Holy Spirit, the study of a work of this nature would enable 
 their Pastor to bring before them, in his frequent expositions of divine truth in their midst. — Gospel 
 Herald, July, 1853. 
 
 We are glad to see a new edition of Gill's Commentary, and our pleasure is enhanced by the manner ia 
 which the one now under notice, has been produced. The purchaser of this work will be indirectly contri- 
 buting to the advancement of the social and religious welfare of the sister isle. We sincerely rejoice in 
 the labours of jMr. Douduey, and trust he may long be spared, and be rendered still more signally useful — 
 Gill's general learning was of the highest order. In the languages, in the writings of the fathers, in 
 ecclesiastical history, in pagan literature, and in Christian theology, his attainments were stupendous. * * 
 His Commentary remains in our opinion, a monument of solid learning, of indefatigable laboriousness, and 
 of fervent piety : a becoming tribute, iu short, to that holy volume, the meaning of which it is intended to 
 illustrate.— Primitive Church Magazine. 
 
 We have previously noticed the appearance of the preceding volume of Ihis extraordinary production ; 
 we do not merely mean extraordinary in its literature, its piety, its acumen, its industry, and its research ; 
 those qualities of the invaluable Commentary of Dr. Gill are generally known ; but for the circumstances 
 of its projection, its execution, the excellence of its mechanical workmanship, and in its wonderful accu- 
 racy. Those technically acquainted with the many accessories necessary to the well-printing of a voluminous 
 work like the present, containing numerous placita, references, marginal uotes, and Latin, Greek, 
 and Hebrew quotations, ever in places where competent workmen and all the needful appliances are avail- 
 able, vvill wonder most that in a wild village of ttie Irish sea-shore, by the hands of the village boys, 
 through the euenjy of a village Curate, such a work should be produced. Each succeeding volume increases 
 our admiration of the perseverance and faithfulness of the Rev. D. A. Douduey, to whose exertions the 
 foundation of the Bonmahon Printing School, and this extensive work owe their origin. That the Rev, 
 Gentleman's endeavours to diffuse Gospel light in the moral wilderness in vvhich his lot is cast, and that 
 health and strength may be given him for the labour of love in which he has engaged, mustbe the wish of 
 all who desire to see enlightenment and faith spread in the dark regions of Romish idolatry and super- 
 stition, — Morning Advertiser, July, 18, 1853. 
 
 On Monday, the 6th of February, a purse of one hundred and fifty sovereigns, and a silver tea-and-coffee 
 service, were presented to the Rev. D. A. Doudney, upon the completion of the printing of Br. Gill's Com- 
 mentary on the Holy iSm^^ttr*?*, at the Bonmahon Lidustrial Printing School, Waterford, Ireland. The 
 whole of these six large volumes were set up and printed by ' raw Irish lads,' who, two years ago, had 
 sever seen a printing iy^t.— Gospel Herald, March, 1853. 
 
6 THE BONMAHON SCHOOLS, CO. WATEKFOKD. 
 
 Price 6s., Royal 8vo., cloth ; grained calf, 10s. 6d., and Portrait of the Author, uniform with 
 " Dr. Gill's Commentary," ^if bound up with Dr. Gill's " Cause of God and Truth," 
 1 vol., cloth, 10s. 6d. ; calf grained, 5s. extra), 
 
 Dr. Gill's Exposition of the Book of Solomon's Song commonly 
 
 called Canticles. Wherein the authority of it is Established and Vindicated against Objections, 
 both Ancient and Modern ; several Versions compared with the Original Text; the different 
 senses both of Jewish and Christian Interpreters considered ; and the whole opened and ex- 
 plained in proper and useful observations. 
 
 *^* This work is cousidered to be Dk. Gill's master-piece for savour and power. 
 
 Tiie work before us is not a portion of his volumuious Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, but an 
 independent publication, comprising the substance of a hundred and twenty-two sermons. — Baptist Magazing. 
 
 The Doctor maintains, and, we think, clearly proves that it is canonical, and of divine inspiration ; they 
 cannot doubt its inspiration to whose hearts the Holy Ghost has applied its glorious and animating declara- 
 tions concerning Christ and his Church, with sacred power and unction, — Gospel Herald, Aug. 1854. 
 
 Mr. Doudney has immortalized his name in the best of causes, by republishing the volumious writings 
 of the learned Gill. He has laid the Church of Christ under lasting obligation by reprinting the works of 
 this able Divine. With prayerful solicitude we have often thought of the treinenduous undertaking of the 
 earnest Editor ; and can only say, our heart's desire is, that his labours may be crowned with abundant 
 success. — Biblical Messenger, Julg, IS-S^. 
 
 Mr. Douduey has done the Church of God right good service. His arduous undertaking of publishing the 
 voluminous work of Dr. Gill, at such a low rate as to be within reach of all, has been, under thrt divine bless- 
 ing, crowned with success. None can fully enter into the great difficulties he must have had to contend with, 
 but those who are acquainted with the Press. Had he been surrouaded with first-rate talent, sti'l his posi- 
 tion would not have been an enviable one ; but when we recollect his master mind had to grapple with circum- 
 stances (relative to the poor Irish boys who had never seen types or presses) that would have paralysed many a 
 strong nerve ; we again repeat, aye and again, that the Church of God is greatly indebted to the untiring 
 energies and perseverance of Mr. Doudney, for a work that cannot fail to prove highly beneficial and truly 
 useful to all the spiritual seed of the house of Jacob. The Expositoin of Solomon's Song by the late learned 
 Doctor, in our opinmn, ranks pre-emiuent among his valuable works.- --Zjo?/* Trumpet, Aug. 1854. 
 
 It is enriched in learned lore, and in the delineations of experimental and practical religion ; and although 
 partaking of the diffuseness und quaintness which characterised the times in which it was written, we envy 
 not the person who could rise from its perusal without having received much spiritual profit. The excel- 
 lent James Hervey was a great admirer of this work, and in his " Thtron and Aspasio," describes it 
 in the following eulogistic terms :— " It has such a copious vein of sanctified invention running through it, 
 and is also interspersed with such a variety of delicate brilliant images, as cannot but highly entertain a 
 curious mind. It presents us also with such rich and charming displays ot the glories of Christ's Person, 
 the freeness of his grace to siuners, and the tenderness ot his love to the church, as cannot hut admiuister 
 the most exquisite delight to the believing soul. Considered in both these views, I think the work resembles 
 the paradisaical garden described by Milton, in which 
 
 " ' Blossoms and fruits at once of golden hue 
 Appear'd, with gay enamelled colours mix'd." ' 
 — The Freeman (Religious Newspaper), Aug. 1, 1855. 
 
 Price 6s., royal 8vo., cloth ; calf grained, 10s. 6d. ; with Portrait of the Author, uniform with 
 the "Commentary," (if bound up with Dr. Gill's " Exposition of Solomon's Song," 
 1 vol., cloth, 10s. 6d. ; calf grained, 15s. 6d.), 
 
 Dr. Gill's Cause of God and Truth. 
 
 " A sterling work, that plucks up by the roots the Arminian heresy." 
 
 This work contains the result of a vast amount of study and of learned and laborious investigation, of the 
 
 writings of the early fathers on the Caivinistic and Arminian controversy, and published origiuaily at a time 
 
 when the nation was alarmed with the growth of Popery. Its republication at the present is, therefore, most 
 
 seasonable. The learned Doctor has herein laid the axe at the very root of the tree — Arminianism and Pela- 
 
 gianism the verv life and soul of Popery. This new aditioa is published marvellously cheap. — Baptist 
 
 Messenger, Julg, 1855. 
 
 To say the least, none of our Ministers should be without a copy. — Primitive Church Magazine, Julg, 1855. 
 Its elaborate expositions of debated passages of Scripture, its admirable quotations from the writings of 
 the early fathers, and the force with which evangehcal truths are staled and defended, all entitle it to warm 
 commendation. — The London Freeman. 
 
 1 vol., 700 pages, large, cloth, price 3s. ; eight copies for 21s., 
 
 Dr. Hawker's Morning and Evening Portions, being a selection of 
 
 a Verse of Scripture, with short observations, for Every Day in the Year ; intended for the 
 use of the Poor in Spirit, who are Rich in Faith, and heirs of the Kingdom. 
 
 Precious treasures to the Christian, and will remain so as long as they are printed. We notice this edi- 
 tion to recommend them for their cheapness. — Bucks Chronicle. 
 
 The Editor has laid the poor of Christ's flock under great obligations, by furnishing this very neat and 
 useful edition to Subscribers at the low price of a half-a-crowu.— G^o*/?*'/ Herald. 
 
 Calculated to incite to close self-examination, and to lead to an humble and holy walk with Goii.— Freeman 
 *** Order " Collingridge's" edition. 
 The •' Morning and Evening Portions" may be had separately, Is. 6d. each, cloth. 
 
THE BONMAHON SCHOOLS, CO. WATERIORD. 
 
 Dr. Hawker's Sermons and Tracts [65 Numbers]. Price Id. each, 
 
 1. The True Gospel 
 
 2. Vessels of Mercy 
 
 3. I he Aclopte.1 Cliild 
 
 4. The Jlystery of Ini- 
 quity 
 
 5. God's will and Man's 
 
 Shall 
 
 6. The Knowledge of 
 Salvation by the Re- 
 mission of Sins, the 
 sure I'roof of the 
 Gospel 
 
 7. Good News from a far 
 Country 
 
 8. My Birth-day 
 
 9. The Children of the 
 Resurrei.'tion 
 
 10. The Glory of God 
 
 11. Death Abolished, and 
 Life and Immortality 
 brought to Light 
 through the Gospel 
 
 12. The Cottage Funeral 
 
 13. The Washing of Re- 
 ner:ition 
 
 14. God's Witness 
 
 15 The Solemn Demand 
 
 of Christ 
 
 16 The Iraveller 
 
 17. The Mystery of God- 
 liness 
 
 Sweet Morsels for 
 Hungry Souls 
 
 18. 
 
 30 sorted, (post free) 2s., or 6s. per 100 
 
 the Feeling of our In- 
 firmities 
 
 36. Jesus the Eternal life 
 of His People 
 
 37. The Fellowship of the 
 Mystery 
 
 38. The Lord's People the 
 Lords I'ortion 
 
 39. The Followers of God 
 as dear Children 
 
 40. The Faithful God 
 
 41. The Horror of Great 
 
 The Unceasing War- 
 fare 
 
 An Essay on the Vari- 
 ous Fears to which 
 God's people are Lia- 
 ble ByA. .M.Toplady. 
 The Doctrine of the 
 Holy Trinity 
 Jehovah's Pleasure in 
 his People 
 
 Watchman, What of 
 the Night ? 
 The Personal suffer- 
 ings of Christ for the 
 Salvation of his Peo- 
 ple 
 
 The Heirs of Promise 
 The Last Saturday 
 Night of Time 
 28, 29. Sacramental 
 Meditations 
 The Village Appren- 
 tice 
 
 The Child Baptized 
 Jesus the Resurrection 
 and the Life 
 The Conibinedviewof 
 the Infinite Greatness 
 of Christ 
 
 The greatness of 
 Christ's Glory in the 
 AVork of Salvation. 
 Jesus Touched with 
 
 42. 
 
 Darkness which fell on 
 
 Abraham 
 
 All Mourners in Zion 
 
 Comforted by tlie Lord 
 
 43. The Differenoeof Sick- 
 ness between the Re- 
 newed and the tin- 
 renewed 
 
 44. The Commemoration 
 of the first Opt-n Dis- 
 play of the Holy Ghost 
 on the Day of Pente- 
 cost 
 
 4.5. The Iniquity of the 
 Land of Israel Re 
 moved by the Lord of 
 Hosts in one Day 
 
 46. Eternal Redemption 
 obtnined for the 
 Church in the en- 
 trance of Christ 
 
 47. 
 
 The Lord Casting up 
 the Way of his People 
 A Prop against all 
 Despair 
 
 The Potter's House 
 The Strayed Sheep 
 The Heirs of Promise 
 Abba Father 
 The Immoveable 
 
 Kingdom 
 The Royal Family 
 The best of Remedies 
 On Sanctiflcation 
 The Friend that Lov- 
 eth at all Times 
 The Brother born far 
 Adversity 
 
 The Plant of Renown 
 The Mystery of the 
 Kingdom 
 
 A Fragment on Grace 
 The Servants of the 
 Most Hig:h God known 
 in Showing the Way 
 of Salvation 
 The Unsearchable 
 Riches of Christ 
 The everlasting Dis- 
 tinction between Na- 
 ture and Grace 
 The Child's Catechism 
 on Prayer 
 
 Price 12s. Gd., royal 8vo., cloth ; calf, 5s. extra, unabridged, 1032 pages, new Long Primer type, 
 
 A Key to Open Scripture Metaphors. In Four Books. To which are 
 
 prefixed. Arguments to prove the Divine Authority of the Holy Bible ; together with Types of 
 the Old Testament. By the Rev. BENJAMIN KEACH. 
 
 The pleasure I have anticipated the last three months in the perusal of the work, has been fully realized ; 
 and every time my attention is nrawn to it, only euhaccesits value. I think it needs only to be known, to 
 be generally appreciated by the Clergy. To say the least of it, it is an extraordinary cheap book. — Rev. 
 T. R. Valpy, Hitighain. 
 
 The Book is well worth waiting for, and is published at a very low price. — E. G., Barnstaple. 
 
 A book without which no Christian Minister's Library can be complete, and which may be very useful to 
 every attentive reader and lover of the Word of God. — I)e Coellogan. 
 
 know not of any work that has treated the subject to such an ample extent. — Gibbons. 
 
 A work of great labour and learning ; abounds with the most interesting truths — Benjamin Francis. 
 
 *,* This invaluable work for Ministers and Bible students had become so scarce, that a copy conld 
 
 seldom he bouijht under £3. 
 
 Just published, Price 12s. 6d., royal Svo., cloth ; calf, 5s. extra, unabridged, 900 pages, 
 
 An Exposition of the Parables, and Express Similitudes of our 
 
 Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Wlierein also many things are doctrinally handled and im- 
 proved by way of application. In Four Books. By the Bev. BENJA^IIN KEACH. 
 
 Price 2s., cloth, calf grained, 4s. 6d., uniform in size with " Hawker's Portions," 
 
 Ambrose Serle's Church of Grod : Essays upon some descriptive 
 
 Names and Titles, given in the Scriptures, by God the Holy Ghost, to the General Assembly of 
 all True believers in God the Son, or the God-man Jesus Christ ; and denoting the Nature and 
 Means of their salvation, through the everlasting Covenant made, by God the Pather, with those 
 Divine Persons in the One Jehovah. To which is added, CHRISTIAN HUSBANDRY ; or, a 
 Companion for the Christian in his Field or Garden. 
 
 It must recommend itself to every spiritual reader by its own sweet, savoury spirit, and the mellow gos- 
 pel tone of its voice. — 'Royal Biadem. 
 
 In purchasinsr, our readers will help forward a great philantrophic viovk.— Bucks Chronicle. 
 
 A truly precious wedge of Ophir's gold.— The Litfle Gleaner. 
 
 The Church of God is herecontemrilated under nearly forty different Scripture characters or ddscriptlons, 
 and the various illustrations are generally interesting, instructive, and profitable. The second part of this 
 volame, respecting the seasons, is also well worthy of an attentive perusal.--- Gcij/)!'/ Herald, July 1835. 
 
 Another reprint of some sterling divinity, executed by the Irish lads. We rejoice in the success which 
 has already attended the foundation of this excellent School, and trust that it may long be continued in ex- 
 istence, and that it may be the means of training up many Irish lads to habits of industry and application. 
 The work before iis is full of the very marrow of the Gospel, and indicate that their author was a man full 
 of faith and the Holy Ghost. It is written in an earnest and pious strain, aud would form an excellent 
 companion for the closet. As to the style in which the work is executed, we can speak with the highest 
 satisfaction. The printing is clear and distinct. It is a credit to the lads who printed it. — Primitive Church 
 Magazine, July, 1855. It is full of "grace and Vcw'Ca." —Baptist Messenger. 
 
8 THE BOyMAlION SCHOOLS, CO. ■WATEEFOKD. 
 
 Reviews of Serle's Church of God — Continued. 
 The present volume is a beautiful description of the Church of God from the first moment of her genera- 
 tion till'safely housed in glory. The author commences by expounding on the signification of the word 
 " Church," dwells on the ceremonials of the Jewish Tabernacle and Temple, and at last launches forthwith 
 great sublimity, on the various characteristics of the regenerated family of God, not leaving them till he bids 
 them farewell in their ultimate glorification. Part II, under the title of " Christian Husbandry," is a com- 
 parison of the various seasons of the year with Christian experience. It is well printed ; and Mr. Doudney 
 deserves great commendations for his laudable efforts in bringing out some of the choicest works ever pen- 
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 means forbade their purchase in their original iovm^.-'Zioris Trumpet 
 
 Pocket Companions. By " Alfred" [Rev. D. A. Doudney], 1 ,. 6d. each. 
 
 HEAET-BEEATHINGS.— PILGRIM PAPERS.— MUSINGS.— SONGS IN THE 
 
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 EDITED FROM JUNE, 1S40. BY THE REV. DAVID A. DOUDNEY. 
 *V* Back Numbers and scarce Volumes may. always be had. A New Series commenced 
 
 January 1, 1855. 
 
 In Id. Nos. (each containing one Lecture), and Monthly Parts, containing five Lectures, 4d., 
 
 Or Two Copies, Post-free, for 8d., the 
 
 GOSPEL COTTAGE LECTURER, addressed to the Spiritually poor. 
 
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 The Broken Heart. By the " Gospel Cottage Lecturer." Is. 6d. cloth. 
 
 Noou-Day Meditations ; being Redections on a Portion of Scripture 
 
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 T^he Pathway of Providence ; or, the Recollections of my Pdgrimage. 
 
 By th e same. Price in limp cloth, with Steel Portrait, Is. Post-free. 
 
 Free Grace, as exhibited in several Tracts: "Nothing to Pay," 
 
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 A Little Book for a Little Child. By the Author of a " A Page for a 
 
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