The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 5 · Section 7 – Section 11
SECT. VII.
SOlomon having now finiſhed his own houſes, and built an houſe for his Queen, Pharaohs daughter, he remov'd her and brought her up thither out of the City of David; for he ſaid, My wife ſhall not dwell in the houſe of David King of Iſrael, becauſe the places whereunto the Ark of the Lord hath come are more holy than other places. 'Tis true Davids houſe ceaſed to be holy (in that reſpect) after the Ark was removed thence, yet Solomon out of his ſuperabundant reſpect to that ſign of Gods preſence, thought it not fit to make that a dwelling place for his Queen and her followers (who were aliens and ſtrangers to the houſe of Iſrael, and poſſibly retain'd ſome of their Egyptian profaneneſs) which had been the holy dwelling place of the moſt High, 2 Chron. 8.11. Solomon (as it ſeems) reflecting on his Marriage with Pharaohs daughter, and his bringing her up to the ſtately houſe he had built and prepared for her, took occaſion from thence to pen that excellent Song called the Song of Songs, or the Canticles, being the chiefeſt of thoſe one thouſand *See 1 King. 4.32.and five Songs, compoſed by him, and the moſt excellent of them all. And this Song he compoſed after he had built his Summer-houſe in Lebanon, as may be gathered by ſome paſſages in it, ſee Ch. 4.8. Come with me from Lebanon my Spouſe, with me from Lebanon. And Ch. 7. 4. Thy noſe is as the tower of Lebanon. This Song is clearly a Marriage-ſong, and much of the ſame nature with the 45 Pſalm, which is called a Song of Loves. And it is a kind of Paſtoral compoſed in the way of Dialogue, where the ſpeakers are the Bridegroom and the Bride (repreſented ſometimes under the quality of a Shepherd and Shepherdeſs, or Countrydamſel) and the Bride-men and Bride-maids the friends of the Bridegroom, and companions of the Bride. And though the moſt proper aim of it ſeemeth to be at higher and diviner matters, than an earthly marriage, (and a greater than Solomon is here) yet Solomon thought fit to make his marriage with Pharaohs daughter a type of that ſublime and ſpiritual marriage between Chriſt and his Church. The Song is a continued Allegory, and full of obſcurities, yea here we have all the Rhetorick of love, and ſuch affectionate compellations, and Elogies as are not elſewhere to be found. The flowers and ornaments of language uſed in the praiſes both of Bridegroom and Bride are not appliable to natural beauties, but are myſtical repreſentations and emblems of higher things. Indeed this Book is all myſtical, and therefore the Jews forbad the reading of it by any under thirty years of age. Here between Chriſt and his Church are interchangings of mutual praiſes, gloriations, and congratulations. His divine and glorious excellencies in himſelf, and rich bounties and bleſſings to her, and her precious graces and endowments are in an high character, in lofty and ſtately ſayings and ſimilitudes ſet forth both by him and her. And yet withal her failings, and his withdrawings from her thereupon, and returnings to her again upon her repentance are not omitted.
In all the interlocutions betwixt them ſhe ſpeaks nine times, and he ſeven. In the firſt Chap. from v. 1, to the 8. the Spouſe ſpeaks, expreſſing her ardent deſires after Chriſt, and vindicates her own deformities and defects, againſt the uncharitable cenſures of others, and petitions him for further counſel and direction. From the v. 8, to the 12. the Bridegroom ſpeaks, granting her requeſt, and giving her great commendations, and making rich promiſes to her. From v. 12, to the 15. the Spouſe ſpeaks again; then the Bridegroom at v. 15.
In the two firſt verſes of Ch. 2. Chriſt ſpeaks, characterizing himſelf and his Church, and then the Church ſpeaks from the v. 3. to the end, and throughout all the third Chapter, ſpeaking ſometimes of Chriſt, and ſometimes unto him.
At Ch. 4. Chriſt ſpeaks from v. 1, to 15. and at v. 15, & 16. the Church.
At Ch. 5. v. 1. Chriſt granteth the requeſt of the Church, and cometh into his Garden, and accepteth her entertainment, and bringeth his friends with him, and feaſteth them; but this kindneſs (it ſeems) was not ſo well improved by her as it deſerved; for ſhe is ſurprized with a fit of drowſie negligence, and ſo is brought into danger of loſing him, who after much patient waiting, knocking and calling upon her, and her unkind anſwer becomes angry, and being not received when he tendred himſelf, departs diſpleaſed, and is hardly reconciled, though ſhe afterwards expreſſes much care and diligence in ſeeking him, and in ſo doing ſuffereth injuries and loſſes for his ſake. Notwithſtanding ſhe chargeth the daughters of Jeruſalem to tell him that ſhe is ſick of love. From v. 2, to the 9. They ask her, What was her beloved more than another beloved? And 'tis like they askt this queſtion, not as being totally ignorant of him and his excellencies, but to give her occaſion to ſet him forth the more unto them, which ſhe does very emphatically, from v. the 10, to the end.
Ch. 6. The Spouſe's ſpeech (ſo full of affection and admiration of the Bridegroom) wrought ſo much on the daughters of Jeruſalem, that they ask ſolicitouſly whither he was gone, that they may join with her in ſeeking him? She tells them where he is, and declares her peculiar intereſt in him, v. 2, 3.
The Church having confeſſed her fault, and ſought to make up the breach between Chriſt and her, he thereupon readily receives her, and again highly praiſes and commends her.
Ch. 7. Chriſt here continues his praiſing of her, running over every grace and ornament in her, under new ſimilitudes and exemplifications, from 1, to 10.
The Spouſe thereupon renews the profeſſion of her love to him, and rejoices in his love to her, inviting him to her Aſſemblies to ſee how they proſpered and ſhe promiſeth to devote her beſt fruits wholly to him by whom alone ſhe had brought them forth, and by whoſe bleſſing ſhe flouriſhed with all ſorts of them, both new and old: From v. 10, to the end.
Ch. 8. The Church expreſſeth her ardent deſires after Chriſt, v. 1, 2, 3. and charges others they ſhould not diſturb nor diſpleaſe him, v. 4. At v. 5. the Bridegroom ſeems to admire at the riſing of a new Church in a place where there had been no Aſſembly or Congregation of believers before; and coming up from the wilderneſs and leaning on her beloved, that is, depending on him by faith; whereupon he ſaid, I raiſed thee up under the apple-tree, that is, when thou waſt fallen under the tree of forbidden fruit, I by my free grace and the operation of my Spirit rais'd thee up, and brought thee to a glorious condition, though thy mother had brought thee forth in a ſinful ſtate.
The 6th & 7th verſ. ſeem to be the words of the Spouſe. In the 8th & 9th verſes ſhe expreſſes her care and ſolicitude for the uncalled Gentiles. At the 10th verſ. the Gentiles are brought in ſpeaking for themſelves. Ver. 11, 12, 13. ſeem to be the laſt ſpeech of Chriſt to and of his Spouſe in this Song, wherein he magnifies the price, the precious fruitfulneſs and worth of his Church by comparing her to a Vineyard, the beſt of Vineyards, even Solomon's in Baalhamon (a very fruitful place) and he ſhews that that Vineyard is far ſhort of his.
Ver. 14. is the Churches laſt ſpeech and prayer, wherein ſhe expreſſes her longing and earneſt expectation of Chriſt's ſecond coming.
And ſo much of the Song of Solomon.
SECT. VIII.
SOlomon now built a Navy of Ships in Ezion-Geber which is beſide Eloth, which were havens on that part of the Red-Sea which coaſteth on the land of Edom. And becauſe the Tyrians (that were Hiram's ſubjects, were always held the moſt expert Sea-men, Hiram *2 Chro. 8.15. Hiram ſent him by the hands of his ſervants ſhips, read guided for him, (i. e. by the hands of his ſervants) ſhips to Ophir.ſent Solomon many of them to man his new built Ships, and go along with and aſſiſt his ſervants in their intended voyage. And it ſeems he built ſome Ships there himſelf that joined with the Navy of Solomon, and thence they ſailed to Ophir, which is thought to be in the Eaſt-Indies (for thither they might moſt eaſily ſail from Ezion-Geber) and fetched from thence four hundred and Twenty Talents of Gold. In 2 Chron. 8.18. 'tis ſaid that 450 Talents of Gold were brought from thence. It ſeems the overplus, viz. thirty Talents were expended for the charges of the Fleet, and wages of the men, or elſe it was the Adventure of Private perſons, and only 400 and 20 Talents came clear to the King. So that Solomon had at Sea a Navy that went to Tarſhiſh (which poſſibly was then taken in as large an extent an India is now) to which the Navy of Hiram joined, and once in three years they came home, bringing Gold and Silver, Ivory or Elephants-tooth, and Apes and Peacocks, or Monkies and Parrats, which they brought ('tis like) for rarities ſake. And this Navy alſo brought from Ophir a great quantity of precious ſtones, and Almug-trees, which (it ſeems) were better than thoſe Solomon had from Lebanon. And the King made of the Almug-trees pillars for the houſe of the Lord, viz. pillars in the rails on each ſide of the ſtairs, whereby they aſcended up to the houſe of the Lord, and 2 Chron. 9.10. 'tis ſaid, He made Terraſſes to the houſe of the Lord, and to the Kings houſe of the Algum-trees †Some think that the Almug-trees here mentioned, much differed from the Algum-trees mentioned 2 Chron. 9.10. for theſe grew in Lebanon, the Almug in India.; that is ſupporters on each ſide of the Gallery that led from the Kings Palace to the Temple. He made alſo of this wood Harps and Pſalteries for the Singers of the Temple.
1 King. 9. from 26, to the end.
1 King. 10. v. 11, & 12.
2 Chron. 9.10, 11, 21.
SECT. IX.
SOlomon now repaired*2 Chron. 32.5. In a time of danger Hezekiah repair'd it, ſee Judg. 9.6. Millo †Aedificium hoc erat civitatis Sion quod David quidem incepit, ſed Solomon abſolvit. Munſter., which ſeems to be the Town-houſe in the City of David wherein the people had their ſolemn Aſſemblies, or elſe ſome tower or fortreſs belonging to the City. He built alſo Hazor in the Tribe of Naphtali, which was the chief City in former times of the Canaanites, Joſh. 11.1, 10. and Megiddo a City belonging to Manaſſeh, Joſh. 17.11. and Gezer which Pharaoh had taken and given to his daughter. See Sect. 5. And Beth-horn the upper and nether, that were fenced with walls, gates and bars, 2 Chron. 8.5. And Baalath in Dan, Joſh. 19.44. And Tadmor in a dry and ſandy place in the Coaſt of Syria, though belonging to the land of Iſrael. And he built Cities of ſtore, for Ammunition and proviſions of all ſorts, and Cities for his Chariots and Horſemen; and whatſoever he deſign'd to build in Jeruſalem, or in the Forreſt of Lebanon, and in any part of his Dominions he proſperouſly finiſhed.
1 King. from v. 15, to 20.
SECT. X.
SOlomon underſtanding that Hamath a City in the Dominions of the King of Zobah Syria (which his Father David had formerly taken) had now revolted from him, he ſent his forces againſt it and took it.
2 Chron. 8.3:
SECT. XI.
SOlomon ſtill continues conſtant in his Religion, offering the daily ſacrifice, and ſacrificing on the Sabbaths and New Moons, and conſtantly obſerving the three ſolemn Feaſts of Paſſover, Pentecoſt, and Tabernacles, offering Burnt-offerings, and Peace-offerings (by the miniſtry of the Prieſts) upon the Altar he had built to the Lord, and incenſe upon the Altar of Incenſe according to the Commandment of the Lord.
1 King. 10.25.
2 Chron. 8.12, 13.