The Book of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon Paraphrased, Text and paraphrase 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
ARGUMENT.
The firſt Verſe belonging (as was ſaid before in the Argument of the fourth Chapter) to the foregoing repreſentation; a new one begins ver. 2. which continuing to the end of this Chapter, makes the fifth part of this Paſtoral. Wherein is repreſented how ſoon our Spirits flag, and grow weary of the moſt heavenly delights; nay, how drowſie the beſt minds ſometimes are, and how inſenſible of God's love. For the Spouſe is introduced (v. 2, 3.) as in a ſlumber; and not ſo ready, as formerly, to comply with his gracious motions. At which the Bridegroom takes not ſuch diſtaſte, as to leave her in that dullneſs; but awakes her out of it, to ſuch a lively ſenſe of her negligence; that ſhe applies her ſelf to ſeek his favour with greater earneſtneſs than ever, v. 4, 5, 6. The ſenſe of which, though ſhe could not preſently recover (v. 6, 7, 8.) yet ſhe expreſſeth the greateſt paſſion for him, and the higheſt admiration of him: in a rare deſcription which ſhe makes (v. 10. to the end of the Chapter) of his beauteous excellencies and perfections.
Bridegroom.
1. I Am come into my garden, my ſiſter, my ſpouſe; I have gathered my myrrh with my ſpice, I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drank my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
1. I Am well pleaſed to ſee the fruitfulneſs of my Garden, and therefore have not denied thy requeſt, my tenderly Beloved Spouſe; but am preſent in it, and have brought it to ſuch perfection that it hath produced many excellent perſons, more precious than Myrrh, and all the Spices before-named: with whoſe ſervices I am not only well pleaſed, but rejoyce in the purity of their Doctrine; and of their lives; inviting all that bear any love to me, both in Heaven and in Earth, to rejoyce and to be exceeding glad together with me. See Annot. [a].
Spouſe.
2. ¶ I ſleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, ſaying, Open to me, my ſiſter, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
2. I heard theſe gracious words, though I was not perfectly awake, and knew it was his voice, and not the voice of a Stranger (X. Joh. 5.) which called upon me, and that with importunity (III. Rev. 20.) ſaying, Give me free admiſſion into thy beſt affections; why doſt thou delay, who art ſo very dear to me, ſo intirely beloved by me, who haſt conſented to love me above all things, and to keep thy ſelf holy and undefiled by loving me alone: which I have long deſired; and taken much pains, and indured great hardſhips to win thy love. See Annot. [b].
3. I have put off my coat, how ſhall I put it on? I have waſhed my feet, how ſhall I defile them?
3. But ſo ſtupidly dull, and drowſie was I at this time, that I did not anſwer his kindneſs, as it deſerved: but made unmannerly excuſes, and deſired I might not be diſturbed, now that I was taking my repoſe and could not without difficulty leave my Bed, and my beloved reſt; the ſweetneſs of which I had begun to taſte. See Annot. [c].
4. My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
4. And yet ſuch is the kindneſs of Him who is worthy of all love, He did not preſently leave me to my ſelf, but firſt raiſed me out of my ſlumber, by letting me know He was not well pleaſed with me; and making me ſenſible of the danger of ſuch delays: which put me in ſuch a commotion, that I was in great anguiſh of mind, and even quivered and ſhaked with fear, and grief, and ſorrow. See Annot. [d].
5. I roſe up to open to my beloved, and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with ſweet, ſmelling mirrh, upon the handles of the lock.
5. Whereby I was not quite dejected; but only excited to ſhake off my ſloth, and to make the more haſte to acknowledge his Goodneſs, and embrace his gracious motions to me: unto which I applied my ſelf with zealous endeavours, reſolving to entertain Him with the moſt ardent love, and with the higheſt expreſſions of my eſteem of Him and of his favour. See Annot. [e].
6. I oponed to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himſelf, and was gone: my ſoul failed when he ſpake: I ſought him, but I could not find him; I called him; but he gave me no anſwer.
6. But, though I thus repented of my negligence; yet, ſee the lamentable effects thereof; for, when I had thus diſpoſed my heart, and ſet it wide open to receive his Commands, my Beloved had withdrawn his gracious preſence, and was gone quite away out of my ſight: Which made me even ſink down and die with fear, that I ſhould not recover Him again; eſpecially when I called to mind thoſe many words of Grace: wherewith he made his Addreſſes to me; calling me (v. 2.) his Siſter, his Love, his Dove, his undefiled: with which I was now affected too late; for I ſought Him diligently, but could not find Him; I beſeeched and entreated Him to return, but received no Anſwer from Him. See Annot. [f.]
7. The watchmen that went about the city, found me, they ſmote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
7. This, though it was very bitter to me, yet, did not utterly diſcourage me, but ſtill I continued to ſeek Him every where, as I had done heretofore (III. 3.) but they who formerly inſtructed me, and directed me unto Him, now fell upon me with grievous reproofs, nay, reproaches for my fault; which cut me to the very heart: nay, they whoſe Office it was to preſerve the City of God in peace and ſafety, expoſed me to open ſhame, and the fouleſt diſgrace. See Annot. [g].
8. I charge you, O daughters of Jeruſalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am ſick of love.
8. So I turned my ſelf to thoſe of my Neighbours and familiar Acquaintance, who were awakened by my cries to come an ſee what the matter was; and conjured them, as they would anſwer it to God, that if they met with my Beloved, they would let Him know — what ſhall I ſay? what ſhall I deſire you to tell Him? but that I do not enjoy my ſelf, now that I want his Company; nor can be well, till I recover his love again. See Annot. [h].
9. ¶ What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou faireſt among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved; that thou doſt ſo charge us?
9. And ſome of them had ſo much compaſſion upon me as to intereſt themſelves ſo far in my ſorrows, as to enquire into the cauſe of them: and how they might be aſſiſtant unto me in their cure: for they ask'd me, Wherein doth thy beloved excel other excellent perſons? He is very lovely, no doubt, becauſe beloved of thee, who art the moſt amiable of all other Women; but what is his preheminence, wherein do thoſe, who are worthy of the greateſt love, fall ſhort of Him? that thou art thus ſolicitous about Him, and layeſt ſuch a ſevere charge upon us, to aſſiſt thee in thy ſearch of Him. See Annot. [i].
10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefeſt among ten thouſand.
10. To whom I replied, My Beloved, is that great Son of David, of whom you have heard: who is of a Princely form, having admirable Beauty and ſweetneſs mixed with equal Majeſty and brightneſs; dazling the eyes of thoſe that behold Him; choſen by God to do the greateſt things; and bring all Nations into his obedience, See Annot. [k].
11. His head is as the moſt fine gold, his locks are buſhy, and black as a raven.
11. And therefore wears a Crown of pure Gold upon his head: from whence his curled Locks hang down upon his Brow; which are of ſuch a ſhining black, that they add an excellent Grace and Greatneſs to his Royal Beauty. See Annot [l].
12. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, waſhed with milk, and fitly ſet.
12. His Eyes are ſparkling; and yet mild; like thoſe of milk-white Doves, when they are highly delighted, as they ſit by the Rivers ſide, or other places where there is abundance of water. See Annot. [m].
13. His cheeks are as a bed of ſpices, as ſweet flowers: his lips like lilies dropping ſweet-ſmelling myrrh.
13. The lovely Doun alſo upon his Cheeks is no leſs grateful; riſing there like Spices, when they firſt appear out of their Beds; or like the young Buds of Aromatick Flowers in the Paradiſe before-deſcribed: where the Purple Lilies are not more beautiful than his Lips; from whence flow Words more precious and more pleaſant, than the richeſt and moſt fragrant Myrrh. See Annot. [n].
14. His hands are as goldrings ſet with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with ſapphires.
14. And as He hath the Majeſty of a Prince, ſo He hath the compaſſion of a Prieſt: and therefore cloathed with ſuch a Veſt as the High-Prieſt wears, when he miniſters before God, and is adorned with the Ephod; unto which the Breaſt-plate, with all its precious Gems, is conſtantly annexed. See Annot. [o].
15. His legs are as pillars of marble, ſet upon ſockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars.
15. His Thighs alſo are covered with fine Linen, which makes them look like Pillars of the whiteſt Marble; over which the holy Robe is thrown, with golden Bells at the bottom of them: all which are ſo contrived for Beauty and Glory, that his aſpect, when He appears in theſe flowred Veſtments, is no leſs ſtately and great, than the Foreſt of Lebanon; whoſe goodly Cedars do not more excel all other Trees, than He doth all other men. See Annot. [p].
16. His mouth is moſt ſweet, yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jeruſalem.
16. So you would ſay, as well as I, if you did but hear Him ſpeak, or if He did but breathe upon you; and, to ſay all in one word, there is nothing wanting to make him the Deſire of all Nations; nor any thing in Him, but what is deſirable: and therefore do not wonder, O ye Daughters of Jeruſalem, that I am thus concerned about Him, and reſtleſs till I find Him; for this is the true Portraicture of my Beloved, this is the Character of Him, who by owning me for ſuch, gives me leave to call Him, My Friend. See Annot. [q].