Exposition of the Song of Solomon, Chapter 5 · Verse 5
Vers. 5.
I rose up to open to my Beloved, and my hands dropped with Myrrhe, and my fingers with sweet smelling Myrrhe, upon the handles of the lock.
There are two steps of her carriage, or effects of the Spirit's work, vers. 5. The first is, her bowels being thus stirred and moved, she ariseth to open, as being sorry she had lyen still and shifted him so long: I rose up; This is opposit to her former lying still, and refusing to give him entry; now she yields, and begins to bestir her self, to draw her cloaths to her, &c. Which imports not only more diligence as to the matter of duty, but much seriousnesse as to the manner: It seems to differ from opening (which is the actual receiving of Christ into the heart, when all things are ready and prepared) not as if it were simply contradistinguished from faith (for, this being a fruit of her repentance, and he acknowledged to be her beloved, there behoved to be faith in it) but only, as one degree or act of faith is distinguished from another, as, Luk. 15. In the Prodigals case, it's said, after he came to himself, before he act, he deliberats and stirs himself; So this holds forth, her rousing and quickning her self, for receiving Christ, which is not separat in time, either from her repentance in the former words, or her faith in these that follow; she rose to open, that shews her design, that she resolved now not to stand at, but to go over her former reasonings; and purposed by this stirring, to have the way rid for Christ's entry, and to make him welcome; which shews, it was no confused exercise that her repentance put her unto, but distinct and digested, like the Prodigals, I will arise, and go to my Father, and say, &c.
Obs. 1. Repentance will put the securest sinners to their feet, when it is real. 2. There is no settling of an exercised mind, but in receiving of Christ, and in making of him welcome. 3. When the heart is affected with the sense of sin, and desire to have Christ, it's not time to delay or dispute what to do, but to rise and open, and by faith to receive Christ. 4. Where a soul hath been plunged in security, or (like the Prodigal, Luke 15.) in prophanity, there will be need of gathering, composing and rousing of it self, for exercising of faith in Christ; this is not from any difficulty that is on graces-side to receive a sinner, but from the difficulty that is on the sinners side, in acting of grace, who being at a low ebb, must by several steps of grace ascend out of it, with a kind of violence to corruption, discouragement and unbelief, from under the power of which the penitent must arise, when they combine to intangle and detain him, as she doth here. 5. Believers would be distinct in their exercises, especially in reference to their end and design, that in their activity and stirrings it may be discerned by themselves what they would be at: Some exercises are confused, neither having a distinct cause, nor a distinct end; kindly exercise hath both, though much confusion may be with it. 6. Faith in Christ, and making way for him into the heart, should be, and is the native end of all inward exercises, diligence in duties, &c. This must be the great scope of all pains whatsoever; these stings of exercise that put not the soul to open to him, though they put the person thorow other, are not to be fostered, nor laid much weight upon. 7. Though faith and duty differ, and the most active frame is not to be rested on without faith, yet activity in duty, and livelinesse in the exercise of faith go together: as her rising and opening do, even as before, her lying still, and the keeping of him out, went together. Yea, 8. This activenesse runs especially to perform what he called to: He called to open, and she accordingly riseth to open; which shews, that the penitents activity doth principally bend it self towards these duties, that Christ in a more especial manner calls for.
She proceeds to set down her experience which she found when she had risen, which is the third effect of the work of grace on her by Christ's putting in his hand, when she arose to open: Her hands and fingers dropped sweet smelling Myrrhe upon the handles of the lock: She continues the comparison of opening a shut door, he, as it were, put in the key without, and she came to draw the handle or slot within. (as is usual in some locks) The door is the heart, as Psal. 24. 7. called, the everlasting doors: The lock that closeth, is unbelief and security, indisposition and declining in the exercise of grace, whereby, as by a fast lock, Christ in his accesse to the heart is kept out: Now she puts-to her hands and fingers to the sock within, which imports her stirring her self again in the exercise of faith and diligence, being now arisen to open; Therefore by faith we are said to grip and take hold of Christ, and to work righteousnesse, and by it the heart is opened to him, as followes. This sweet smelling Myrrhe that drops, is the flowing of habitual grace, which formerly was not vigorous and active, but now it flowes and vents, and is to the heart as oyl applyed to moisten and make easie a rousted lock, to make it open without difficulty: This grace is ordinarily compared to Myrrhe, and the anointing typical oyl was made of it and of other spices, Exod. 30. 23. It's said here, to drop from her fingers, implying the active stirring of her faith, because when faith becomes lively, it puts all other graces to exercise, and thereby (as it were by oyl) her former hardnesse and indisposition was softned and removed, and her heart made meet to act lively. In sum it's this, That when she in the exercise of faith and holinesse, set her self seriously and effectually to make way for Christ, and to remove what formerly had kept him out through her indisposition, unexpectedly she found, that by his putting in of his hand, it went much more easily and sweetly than she expected, all had been so anointed and quickned; and thus conduced to the opening of her heart, as dropping of oyl doth to the easie opening of a lock: Which shews, 1. That the work of grace upon the heart, being applyed by Christ from without, doth leave an inward fitnesse on the heart within for the opening of it self to him: Grace infused and quickned by Christ's Spirit, will make the most indisposed and secure heart to open to him heartsomly. 2. That though Christ apply grace from without to open the heart, yet will he have the heart formally opening it self to him; and though the heart open it self formally to him, yet it's by the vertue of his application from without; for, this putting-to of her hand, and it's dropping Myrrhe, is the effect of his putting in his hand, first. 3. Often when the most spiritual and difficult duties (if it were even faith it self) are e…ayed, they will be found more easie, than was expected, and none can tell how they will go with them, till they undertake and set about them. She, while lying in her security, thought it impossible to get this done, yet now it goes easily and sweetly with her. O! but when grace goes along and flows, the exercise of duty is a sweet, and easie work. 4. Although the exercise of grace make duties easy, and a supply of help be given thereby for doing of spiritual duties, yet the Lord will have the person assaying duty ere he find it so; nor can he find or expect that supply that will facilitat duties to him, till he first set himself about them, as she first rises to open, before her fingers drop with Myrrhe. 5. These that set themselves to open to Christ, and minde that singly from the sense of their need of him, and being affected for wronging of him, will not find grace wanting and deficient to help them; and by this all the mouths of unbelievers will be stopped, that are ready to say, and usually say they had not grace to open. 6. Faith in exercise hath a great influence on the keeping of all other graces in a believer fresh and green, because it acts by Christ's strength, and therefore when it is in exercise, it makes all the rest to drop, as it were, with sweet smelling Myrrhe.