Exposition of the Song of Solomon, Chapter 1 · Verse 5-6
Vers. 5.
I am black, but comely, O ye Daughters of Ierusalem, as the Tents of Kedar, as the Curtains of Solomon.
Vers. 6.
Look not upon me because I am black, because the Sun hath looked upon me: my mothers children were angry with me, they made me the keeper of the Vineyards, but mine own Vineyard have I not kept.
In the 5. and 6. verses, we have the second piece of the Brides first discourse, and it is the speech she hath to the Daughters of Jerusalem: wherein, vers. 5. she gives a description of her self; then vers. 6. applyes and clears it, for some edifying use unto these beginners.
For clearing of this place, let us 1. see, who these Daughters of Jerusalem are. 2. What is the scope of these words. 3. What is their dependence upon, and connexion with the former. 4. What is more particularly the meaning of them.
By Daughters of Ierusalem in common, are certainly understood professors, members of the Church; and so born in, and belonging unto Jerusalem; but because there are members of several sorts, some strong, some weak, some sound, some unsound, some tender, some prophane; we must inquire a little further who are meant by these Daughters of Jerusalem, they being often mentioned in this Song.
First, We look on them as distinct from mothers children, mentioned in the following verse, as a party different from the Daughters here spoken to; and so they are not to be accounted amongst the prophane imbittered heart-enemies of Godlinesse, who yet live in the Church: They are not the worst then of them that are in the visible Church. 2. We take them also as distinguished from the Virgins and upright, who loved and delighted in Christ in the former vers. For, chap. 5. 8, 9. and 6. 1. we will find them very ignorant of Christ, although they have some affection. In a word, we take them to include two sorts of Professors: 1. Such as are weak and scarcely formed, yet are docile, and respective to outward Ordinances, and Godlinesse in the practice of it: So their respect to the Bride, and the question propounded by them, chap. 5. 9. doth clear. 2. They comprehend such as are formed Believers, really honest, and who have some sound beginnings, yet mixed with much weaknesse, ignorance and infirmity, and so not come up the length of grown Christians; such who need milk, and cannot indure strong meat; so their question and undertaking, chap. 6. 1. doth evidence; they were Daughters, while yet they were really very ignorant of Christ, and were ready to provoke him before he pleased, (as the often repeated charge the Bride gives them throughout this Song imports) and they were Daughters still, even after they were something better taught and ingaged. We find, 1 Ioh. 2. 13. the Apostle speaks of three sorts, 1. Fathers, that are grown Believers, rich in experience, such we esteem to be understood by the Bride in this Song. 2. Young-men, who are strong, well-advanced Believers, such were the Virgins and upright here made mention of. A 3. sort are styled little Children, that is, some who (as it were) are yet on the Breasts, and that in knowledge, practice, or experience, had not come to a consistence, or to have their senses exercised to know good or evil, as it is, Heb. 5. 14. such we account these Daughters of Jerusalem, and so may comprehend under them Professors, who stand not in the way of their own edification, though they be weak.
2. The scope of her discourse to them, is to prevent their stumbling at the Crosse, or being deterred from godlinesse, because of any blacknesse or spots that were to be seen in her; it being a great stumbling to weak Professors, to see sufferings accompany tendernesse (especially when it is persecuted, and pursued by professors of the same truth) as also, to see infirmities and sinful blemishes in persons eminently Godly: Now her scope is, for their edification, to condescend to satisfie them in both.
3. The reason why she breaks in with this discourse, upon the back of the former (which shews the connexion) may be two-fold, 1. To remove an objection that might be made, if any should say, What needs all this rejoicing? Are ye not both stained with sin, and blackned with suffering? She answers by a distinction, granting that in part she was black, and that was truth, yet that blacknesse was not inconsistent with comlinesse, which she clears, and that therefore she might in part rejoice also. The other way that this depends on the former is, that she may further her project of ingaging others to rejoice with her, she endeavours to remove these two occasions of stumbling (taken from the failings and sufferings of the Godly) out of the way of weak Professors, that she may get them alongst with her; and so it agrees well with the scope.
4. More particularly consider the words, wherein she endeavours to satisfie these doubts, and ye will find these things in them. 1. She conceds what is truth. 2. Qualifies it by a distinction. 3. Illustrates it. And these three are in the 5. vers. (4.) In vers. 6. She applyes it. And 5. more particularly explicats it. First then (saith she) I answer, by conceding what is truth, I am black, both with crosses and corruptions, that cannot be denyed. 2. She qualifies her concession, though I be black, yet I am comely, that is, I am not universally or altogether unlovely, mine estate is mixed, being made up of crosses and comforts, corruptions and graces, beauty and blacknesse. 3. She illustrates this description of her self, or her mixed condition, by two similitudes, both tending to one thing, or one of them tending to set forth her blacknesse, the other her beauty. I am (saith she) like the Tents of Kedar, which were blackish, and of no great value, being, by these who lived in them, so frequently transported in such hot countreys; this sets forth her blacknesse. The 2. similitude is, that she was like the Curtains of Solomon: he built glorious dwellings, and being a rich King, no question had rich Hangings; this sets forth her beauty: as if she would say, ye must not judge of my worth from one side, especially my outside, or upon one consideration, for I have in me, both to humble and comfort me. It may be also, though these Tents of Kedar were not outwardly beautiful, yet they were within well furnished; and that the Curtains of Solomon which were most rich, had outer coverings of smaller value, as the Tabernacle had of Badgers skins; and so the similitudes illustrate her condition, and sets out the thing more to the life, as Kedar's Tents (saith she) look poor and base-like, yet if ye look within, they are glorious; so think not strange, if I appear without beauty to the eye, there may be, yea, there is comelinesse within, if ye could discern it, for within the Kings daughter is all glorious, Psal. 45. 13. which way of distinguishing, is a notable piece of spiritual wisdom and learning, and a great mean of peace in our selves; when what is true of our infirmities, is acknowledged, and yet the conclusion that tentation would infer, is denyed. Here observe, 1. The conditions of Believers, even the best of them are mixed of good and ill, sin and grace, comfortable priviledges and sad sufferings. 2. There is a mixture of blacknesse in Believers beauty, even in their best frame and condition, for she is now in the King's Chamber, and yet we find her saying, I am black. 3. Believers, if they would consider what they are rightly, they would look on themselves as having contraries in them. 4. Where challenges are just and well grounded, they should be acknowledged, and taken with. 5. It is wisdom so to acknowledge our sin, as we may difference it from any work of God's grace in us. 6. Believers their observing of their sinfulnesse, should not make them deny their grace; and their observing their grace, should not make them forget their sinfulnesse. 7. The crosse that follows godlinesse, or the stain and spot that is on a godly person, is sooner taken notice of by on-lookers, than either the advantages that follow holinesse, or the graces and spiritual beauty of holy persons; this makes it needfull to remove this offence. 8. When it may be edifying, Believers would assert the worth and beauty of holinesse, and their own comelinesse thereby, as well as confesse their own infirmities; and Christian communion will require both.
Having illustrate her answer, in the 4. place she applyes it, ver. 6. Look not on me (saith she) because I am black, seing I am comely as well as black; look not on me only as such, and think it not strange that I am so: Looking here, implyeth indignation and disdain. And so, Look not, is here to be taken, 1. As being a caveat agaist indignation or disdain: Look not, &c. that is, disdain me not, as if nothing desirable were in me; for, sin often waiting on the affliction of God's people, obscures the beauty of grace, and makes them to be disdained and undervalued in the world. 2. This Look not, is a caution to disswade them from gazing, or curious wondering at any crosse that was on her, or sin that was in her: It should not be the object of their curiosity, much lesse of their delight, or contentment to see it so, Obad. 12. It's condemned in Edom, Thou should not have looked upon the day of thy brother. Next, while she saith, Look not upon me because I am black, she doth not disswade them from looking on her blacknesse simply, but from looking only on it, that should not be the alone ground of their search into her condition, but they should take notice of what good was in her, as well as what was wrong: So then, her blacknesse, should not be the only cause of their looking on her, it should not be their work to ask after her crosses and infirmities, and no more; this she suppons may afright and terrifie them; And so it's implyed here, that on-lookers often pore more on Believers infirmities, than on their graces; and this is the fruit which follows, they procure a stumbling and fall to themselves.
5. In the rest of the 6. vers. she doth more fully explicate her answer, in so far as concerned her blacknesse (for so the words run in this 6. vers.) two wayes, 1. In setting out her sufferings in general. 2. In a more particular distribution of the kind and occasions of her seeming unlovelinesse. Generally, her sad condition is expressed in these words, The Sun hath looked upon me. The Sun in these Countreys had great heat, as we may see in Ionah 4. 8. where the beating of the Sun upon him did sore vex him; Iacob also sayes, it burnt him in the day-time, Gen. 31. 40. Therefore, Matth, 13. 6. and 21. the Lord expresseth persecution, under the similitude of the scorching heat of the Sun. Here the meaning is (as if she had said) it's no marvel I be black, I have been made obnoxious to all sorts of persecution, and therefore can have no outward beauty, but must be in the eyes of the world contemptible, even as one cannot endure the hot Sun-beams and not be blackned. So there are in this expression, these things imported, 1. Persecution. 2. Vehement persecution. 3. Visible effects following it, she is thereby made black. 4. A continuance under it. So the Sun's looking on her, till she be made black, imports 5. There is her patient enduring of it. 6. There is her sense of it. Yet, 7. she is not ashamed of it, while she shews this her suffering to be no cause, why others should stumble at her.
Afterward, she proceeds more particularly, to describe first her sufferings, then her infirmities. She describes her sufferings, 1. In the instruments of them. 2. The cause of them. 3. The nature of them. The actors are not heathens, but mothers children; the visible Church is the common mother, who hath children born after the flesh, as well as after the Spirit; These children are professors of the same truth, but really not only strangers, but heart-enemies to Godlinesse and true tendernesse; Such was Ishmael, and such are all unrenewed persons, who are children of the flesh, and such there will be (Gal. 4. 29.) so long as there is a Church visible: Such instruments the Apostle complains of, 2 Cor. 11. 26. that he had perils from false brethren within, as well as from strangers without. This is not only mentioned to shew there are such enemies, but to set out more fully the Churches strait; she is often more bitterly, and more subtilly persecuted by these who are called Christians, or Professors of the Gospel, than by Heathens themselves.
2. The cause of her sufferings, as from men, is, They were angry with me (saith she;) She had not done them any personal wrong (as David often asserts of himself, in the like case) though she was not free of sin against God; but it proceeded from a malicious, malignant disposition of the natural men of the World, who, as they hate Christ, so do they hate all that are his, Ioh. 15. 18, 19. accounting them as the off-scourings of all men, and troublers of the World continually, upon no other ground, but because they are not such as themselves, and because God hath chosen them out of the World. This shews both the causlessenesse of their persecution, as also the degree of bitternesse, that it did proceed from. From which, Obs. 1. There are no such bitter enemies unto a godly person, as a gracelesse malignant Professor: See Isa. 66. 5. 2. No sort of persecution doth so blacken, or obscure the beauty of an honest Believer so much, as the foul b…tter reproaches of malignant Professors. Yet, 3. Believers are often even under that crosse. And 4. The best beloved Believer, even Christ's Bride, will not in the World eschew it; innocency will be no guard, but to the conscience within. And if the Bridegroom himself, while he was in the World, did not escape it, the Bride cannot think to go free.
The nature of her sufferings is expressed thus, They made me keeper of the Vineyards. That this implyes suffering, and no trust put on her, the scope and her complaint makes it clear: Beside, that it's given as the evidence of the hatred and malice of these persecuters. This general expression then, being compared with other Scriptures, will import these ingredients in her suffering, which occasioned her blacknesse. 1. That her suffering was heavy and painful; for it was a great drudgery, to be put to keep the Vineyards; to be made keeper, was to watch both night and day, and so no wonder she was scorched, Matth. 20. 11. The bearing burdens in the Vineyard, in the heat of the day, is spoken of as the greatest weight, and heaviest piece of their work. 2 That her suffering was reproachful; for, the keeping of the Vineyards: was a base and contemptible service, therefore it's said, Ier. 52. 16. that the poor, who were not taken notice of, were left to dresse the Vines; and it's a promise, Isai. 61. 5. that his people should have freedom from that drudgery, and strangers should be imployed in it, for them. 3. That her sufferings occasioned sad distractions to her in the worship and service of God; for, in Scripture sometimes, Vine-dressing is opposed to the worshipping of God, as a distracting, diverting exercise, which is very afflicting to God's people: Therefore when they have a promise of more immediate accesse to God's worship, it's said, they shall be liberate from such diverting imployments, Isai. 61. 5. and 6. and in stead of these, they shall get another task, to wit, to be Priests to the Lord, and Ministers of our God, as if these exercises were somewhat inconsistent together; and so she opposeth her own proper duty to this, in the next words: In a word, these malignant brethren procured her pain, shame, and distraction from the service of God, as much as they could, and in a great part prevailed.
Observ. 1. Malice in rotten Professors against godlinesse, will sometimes come to a great height. 2. Malice in wicked men thinks nothing of true tendernesse, or of these who truly are so; but esteems them, and useth them as if they were most base and vile. 3. Often in outward things, the prophanest members of the Church have the preeminence; and the most godly, as to these things, are in the meanest and basest condition; so as sometimes, they appoint the godly as their slaves, to their work. 4. Often while wicked professors are in power, the truely godly are under affliction.
Though this suffering was sharp, yet she resents her sinful infirmities much more sadly, in the words following, But (saith she heavily) mine own Vineyard have I not kept; and this her sloathfulnesse and unwatchfulnesse made her black, and also procured the blacknesse that was on her by her sufferings. This part of the verse implyes, 1. The Brides priviledge. 2. Her duty. 3. Her sin. 4. Her sense of it. 1. Her priviledge is, she hath a Vineyard of her own, beside these she was put to keep. The similitude of a Vineyard here, is to be taken in another sense, than in the former expression; Neither are we to think strange of this, seing similitudes are to be interpret according to the different scope of expressions, and places in which they are used. By Vineyard then here, is to be understood the particular priviledges, graces and talents of any sort, which are given of God to a Believer: these are the things she should have watched over; the neglecting thereof, brings blackness on her, and procures heavy challenges, called a Vineyard here; and also, Chap. 8. 13. partly, because there are many several graces to be found in Believers, as plants planted in them; partly, because these will furnish them matter of continual exercise and labour; and partly, because what they have, they are to improve, that there may be fruit on them, and rent brought in to the master that intrusted them. Chap. 8. 12. 13. This Vineyard is called hers, because the special oversight and charge of it, was comitted to her. 2. Her duty is to keep and watch over this Vineyard, that is, to improve the talents she hath gotten, to see that no plants be unfruitful, and that no hurt from any cause inward or outward annoy them: Christianity or Godlinesse is no idle task, every priviledge hath a duty waiting on it. 3. Her sin is, that what with other diversions, and what from her own unwatchfulnesse, she had neglected the keeping of this Vineyard; so that this one task, which was put in her hand, she had not discharged it; but lasinesse came on, and the Vineyard was not dressed, thorns and nettles grew, and tentations brake in, and this marred her fruitfulness: In a word, she was no way answerable to the trust was put on her by Christ. 4 She resents this: where these things may be taken notice of, 1. She sees it, and observes it. 2. She acknowledges it. 3. She is sensible of it, and weighted with it, as the greatest piece of her affliction. It's ill to be unwatchful, for that may draw on both fruitlessenesse and heavinesse on a Believer; but it's good to observe and be affected with it, and to be walking under the sense of it, even in our most joyful frame, such as hers was here.
Here then, Obs. 1. Believers have a painful laborious task of duty committed to them. 2. They may much neglect this work, and task wherewith they are intrusted. 3. Neglect and sloth makes the weeds to grow in their Vineyard, and the building which they ought to keep up, to drop thorow. 4. It's not unsuitable or unprofitable for Believers, in their most refreshing conditions and frames, sadly to remember their former unwatchfulnesse, and to be suitably affected therewith. 5. Believers should be well acquaint at home, how it stands with them as to their own condition and state. 6. They who are best versed in their own condition, will find most clearly the cause of all their hurt to be in themselves; what ever is wrong in their case, themselves have the only guilty hand in it.
If any should ask, how makes this last part of the verse for her scope, in removing the offence before these weak beginners? I Ans. It doth it well: for, saith she, there is no reason ye should stumble, or be troubled because of my afflictions, they were without cause, as to men, though I am under much sin and guilt before God: Neither scarr at godlinesse or joy in Christ, because of my infirmities; for, these spots came from mine own unwatchfulnesse, and not from godlinesse it self (which is the souls special beauty) therefore take warning from my slips, and study to prevent the bringing on of such a stain and blot upon your profession, by security and negligence; but esteem not the lesse, but the more of Christ his people and wayes, and the beauty of holinesse, which is to be seen in them; because by my unwatchfulnesse and untendernesse, I have marred this beauty in my self, and that is the reason I look so deformed-like.