Exposition of the Song of Solomon, Chapter 1 · Verse 8
2 Part. CHRISTS Words.
Vers. 8.
If thou know not, (O thou fairest among Women) go thy way forth by the footsteps of the Flock, and feed thy Kids beside the Shepherds Tents.
From the 8. vers. to the 12, follows Christ's expresse return to her former suit; and because it's he that speaks, we take it up as the second part of the Chapter. In the Brids condition there was, 1. Crosses and afflictions. 2. Sins and infirmities. 3. Snares and hazard of new failings. Now Christ so frames his answer, as he may meet with all her necessities most comfortably and lovingly; and because she was most affected with the fear of sin, he answers that first: And so he doth, 1. In order to her being guided against snares, give a direction for her duty, vers. 8. 2. In order to her consolation under her suffering, and the sense of her …ailings, he commends her, vers. 9, 10. 3. He gives her a promise, in order to her further consolation, vers. 11. The scope of all is, to comfort her; and every part of the answer being from Christ's mouth, may be effectual for that end.
In the direction, vers. 8. there is, 1. The Title he gives her. 2. The directions themselves, which are two. 3. A supposition, or ground upon which he gives them.
First, The Title he gives her is (O thou fairest among Women) which is much from Christ to the Bride, who immediatly before styled her self black; Believers who are humble under the sense of their own infirmities, are never the lesse highly esteemed by Christ; nor are alwayes his thoughts of Believers as theirs are of themselves; nay, by the contrary, blushing at their own deformity, is a chief part of their beauty. The giving her this title, implyes these three things, 1. A real worth in a believer, beyond the most noble person in the world. 2. A real respect unto, and esteem that Christ hath of them, which he hath of none other. 3. Wonderful tendernesse, condescending for her consolation, to intimat these his thoughts of her to her self, now when she was otherwise sadly afflicted, and under a double distresse.
If it be asked, how these excellent titles and commendations may be applyed to a sinful believer. Ans. These four wayes, 1. By communication and participation of the divine Nature, they have a stamp of the Spirit of holinesse imparted to them, whereby they resemble God, 2 Pet. 1. 4. and none other in the World can compare with them in this. 2. In respect of the imputation of Christ's righteousnesse, wherewith they are adorned, and which they have put on, which makes them very glorious and lovely, so that they are beautiful beyond all others, thorow his comelinesse put upon them. 3. In respect of Christ's gracious acceptation, whereby he doth esteem otherwayes of them, than of the most royal and beautiful in the world, they find such favour in his eyes. 4. In respect of his design, project and purchase; she is so, and to be made so in end; he will have his people made compleatly beautiful and spotlesse, before he have done with them, Eph. 5. 26. without spot and wrinkle: all which are peculiar to a believer, of whom glorious things are spoken and written, which are applicable to none other.
The Directions are two, Would thou know, saith he, how to be kept out of snares? Then, 1. Look how the old Worthies walked, and follow their way. 2. Have respect to the publick Ordinances, and hold neer them, that you may have direction from the Word, by these to whom I have committed the trust of dipensing the same: I have (saith he) no new light to give you, nor any new way to heaven to shew you, nor any new means, ordinances, or officers to send amongst you, nor yet must ye expect immediat revelations; but walk in the light that shines to you, by the preaching of the Word by my Ministers, who are the under-shepherds which I have set over you: For thus I guide all my counsel, whom I afterward receive to glory.
The first Direction (go thy way forth by the foot-steps of the flock) holds forth, 1. That all believers, of old and late, are of one flock, of one common concernment, and under the care of one chief shepherd: This is the flock spoken of, vers. 7. whereof Christ is shepherd. 2. That there is but one way to heaven, for the substantials of faith & godliness, in which they that went before have walked, and these that follow-after must walk in the same way, if ever they think to come there. 3. That there are many in all ages, whom God hath helped in trying times to keep in his way, and have been carried well through all difficulties to heaven. 4. That believers would observe these beyond others, as being especially worthy of imitation. 5. That they should, and may follow the commendable practices of believers in former times, and not affect singularity. 6. That it's commendable, and often safe in times when new opinions and doctrines bear sway, to follow their way, who we are sure went before us to Heaven, Heb. 13. 7. 1 Thess. 2. 14. Heb. 6. 14. This imitation of others, is to be limited with that necessary caution, in so far as the practise of others agrees with the first pattern, Christ, 1 Cor. 11. 1. In a word, this Direction shewes there is no way, but the good old way to be asked for, and followed in the most declining times, Ier. 6. 16. and that we would keep the very print of their steps, studying to be followers of their faith, who have been honourably carried through before us.
The 2. Direction puts them to the right use and improvement of the Ministery of the Word, which he will have them to respect; feed thy Kids beside the Shepherds tents. Shepherds here in the plural number, are the servants of that one Shepherd, whose own the sheep are: So Ministers are called often Shepherds or Pastors, both in the Old and New Testament, 1. Because of their relation to Christ, by whom they are intrusted to feed his sheep; He is the Owner, they are but Shepherds, Ezek. 34. 2. Because of their relation to the flock, which is committed to their care, and for which they must give an account, Heb. 13. 17. 3. Because of the nature of their charge, as being assiduous, difficult, and tenderly to be gone about; For, such is the work and care of a shepherd, as we may see by what Iacob speaks of himself, when he had the charge of Laban's flock. Gen. 31. 40. 4. To shew the necessity of that Ordainance. And 5. The respect people ought to have to them, who are over them in the Lord: No flock needs a shepherd more than a Congregation needs a Minister, people without labourers, being like sheep without a shepherd, Matth. 9. 36. under a sad necessity of wandering and being lost. Next, Shepherds tents are mentioned, with allusion to these parts, where shepherds in the wildernesse carried tents about with them; and so to be neer the tent, was to be neer the shepherd: It's like they kept Lambs and Kids neerest unto their tents, because they needed more oversight than the rest of the flock, for a lamb to be at it's liberty in a large place, was dangerous, Hos. 4. 16. By Kids, we understand young unexperienced believers or professors, whereby it's clear, 1. That there are kids and young ones in Christ's flock. Yea, 2. That the strongest believers, even the Bride, have their own infirmities; and there are some particulars wherein they are weak: For this direction is given to the Bride, as a particular and experienced believer; and seing ordinarily weak believers are called Lambs, and unrenewed men Goats, it may be Kids here are mentioned to point at the relicts of sinful nature, even in believers, which is the reason why they need still over-sight. 3. It's clear, that the office of the Ministery, is a standing perpetual and necessary office in the Church, otherwise this direction would not alwayes satisfie the believers question here proposed. 4. The strongest believers, have need and use of a Ministery. 5. It's a great part of a Minister's charge, to keep believers right, in snaring and seducing times, Eph. 4. 12, 13. &c. 6. Believers would make use of publick ordinances, and Christ's Ministers, especially in reference to snares and errours; and they would take their directions from them, and in their difficulties consult with them, and their counsel would be laid weight upon. 7. Allowed dependence on a Ministery▪ is a great mean to keep souls from errour; whereas on the contrary, when no weight is laid on a ministery, unstable souls are hurried away. 8. Christ hath given no immediat or extraordinary way to be sought unto, and made use of, even by his Bride, in her difficulties; but the great mean he will have her to make use of, is a sent ministery, and therefore no other is to be expected: It's no wonder therefore the devil (when his design is to cry down truth and spread errour) seek to draw the Lord's people from the shepherds tents; and no wonder souls, who once do cast off respect to their Over-seers, be hurried away with the temptations of the times, as in experience hath often been found a truth. 9. Ministers should have a special eye on the weakest of the flock, their care should be that the Kids may be next them: Our blessed Lord doth so, when the Lambs are carried in his own bosome, Isa. 40. 11. and therefore, seing weak believers have most need of Christ's over-sight, if they begin to slight the Ministery and Ordinances, they cannot but be a ready prey; and the devil hath gained much of his intent when he hath once gained that. O that men would try whose voice that is, that saith, Come aback from the shepherds tents (when Christ sayes, Abide neer them) It's as if a Wolf would desire the Lambs to come out from under the shepherd's eye; And lastly, when Christ gives this direction to his own Bride, we may see he allowes none to be above ordinances in the militant Church, it will be soon enough then, when they are brought to heaven, and put above the reach of seducers.
The supposition is in these words, If thou know not, &c. which is not any upbraiding answer, but tendeth to insinuat the direction the more; I have given you means (saith he) and so he puts her back to the serious use of these, as he sent Paul, Acts 9. to Ananias, to have his mind made known by him: Which implyes, 1. That a believer may be in many things ignorant. 2. That Christ pities the ignorant, and hath compassion on them who are out of the way, or are in hazard to go out of the way, Heb. 5. 3. That believers would not in praying to Christ, neglect the ordinary means in seeking knowledge; nor in using them, neglect him: She prayes to him, and he directs her in them. 4. Directions for a believers walk, given by Christs Ministers from his Word, are his own, and are accounted by him as if he did immediatly speak them himself. 5. Christ would have his Ministery and Ordinances kept up in esteem & request amongst his people; Therefore, he will not be particular in giving answer to his Bride, but sends her to them, that she might know the usefulnesse of them, and learn to know his mind from them. 6. They cannot expect to make great progresse in Religion, that neglects the Ministery, seing it is to them, that Christ recomends his own Bride; If people were inquiring at Christ, what should they do now in a time, when temptations to error and defection abound? no other answer were to be expected, then what he gives to his Bride here: Yea, if Abraham were intreated to send some from the dead, to advise people to abhor profanity and error: His answer would be, they have Moses and the Prophets, they shall have no other, and no other would prevail, if these Ordinances do not: People would conscienciously, and thriftily use the means and light they have; for, it's by such the Lord trains his own Bride: and though he will admit her as a courtier to his Chamber, yet this familiarity he admits her to, is in the use of Ordinances, and he will have no believer above Ordinances and need of Ministers, whiles he keeps them within the compasse of snares.