Exposition of Song of Solomon 1, Treatise · Verse 5, 6
Vers. 5, 6. I am black, but comely (O ye Daughters of Jerusalem) as the Tents of Kedar, as the Curtains of Solomon, &c.
THese two Verses are an [foreign] aversion, wherein the Spouse turneth her speech from her Beloved unto the Daughters of Jerusalem, to prevent their scandal or offence at the Churches affliction, and her members defection. And this she doth, 1. By a confession of her Deformity, I am black; which she aggravateth by a comparison, as the Tents of Kedar. 2. By a Refutation of Contempt, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem! which she illustrateth by a similitude, as the hangings of Solomon. 3. By an Admonition, vers. 6. Look not upon me, because I am black; amplified by a threefold reason of her blackness: 1. From the Efficient Cause thereof, Because the Sun hath looked upon me. 2. From the Subordinate Cause, My mothers children were angry with me, they made me the keeper of the Vineyards. 3. From the meritorious Cause, But mine own vineyard have I not kept.
I am black] The Spouse of Christ in the Letter and History of this Scripture was black; 1. By Solomon's fall into the sins of Adultery and Idolatry, 1 King. 11.1-8. 2. By Rehoboam's folly in refusing good counsel, and forsaking the Law of the Lord, 1 King. 12.8. & 2 Chron. 12.1. 3. By the Defection of ten Tribes, who revolted from the House of David, and apostatized from the God of Israel, 1 King. 12.16, 19.
In the Prophetical mysterie of this Scripture you have described the blackness of the Churches of Christ under the Gospel; by reason, first, of their Persecutions, Act. 8. 1, 3. & 2 Thess. 1.4. Secondly, of their false Teachers, Act. 20.29, 30. & 2 Pet. 2.1, 2, 3. And thirdly, of the Errors, Schismes, and divisions amongst them, 1 Cor. 11.18, 19. & 1 Cor. 15.12. Which Blackness overspread the face of the Churches in Asia, Rev. 2 & 3 Chapt.
In the Spiritual and Allegorical sense of this Scripture, by Blackness, is meant, first the Temptations of the Saints. Job 30.30. My skin is black upon me. Secondly, the Afflictions of Beleevers, Lam. 4.7, 8. Their visage is blacker then a coal: 3. The corruptions of the Lords people, which makes them empty and voyd, faint and feeble; and much pain is in all loyns, Nahum 2.10. And the faces of them all gather blackness.
1 Meditation. Sin with the Effects thereof, to wit, Contentions and Divisions in the Churches, Persecutions and afflictions upon the members thereof, and the Desertions and sorrowful mournings of the true Servants of God; for those miseries do overcloud the face of the Spouse of Christ, and very much darken the Saints of God. Lam. 2.1. How hath the Lord covered the Daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from Heaven unto the Earth the beauty of Israel?
But comely] A Metaphor taken from a Woman. Jer. 6.2. I have likened the Daught… of Zion to a comely and delicate Woman: Whose comeliness consisteth, 1. In the fairness of Complexion. Thy countenance is comely, Cant. 2.14. 2. In a just proportion of parts, Cant. 7.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. where Christ commending his Spouse from head to foot, sings forth her beauty, saying, How fair, and how pleasant art thou, O Love, for delights! The Spouses beauty is Spiritual, called the beauty of holiness, Psal. 110.3. which is the ornament of the hidden man of the heart. Psal. 45.13. The Kings daughter is all glorious within: And this comeliness Christ put upon her, when he entred into Covenant with her, Ezek. 16.8, 14. Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, Psal. 90.17. Thus she is changed into his image, 2 Cor. 3.18. And bears the Image of the heavenly, 1 Cor. 15.49. which Christ looking upon, saith, Thou art all fair, my Love, there is no spot in thee, Cant. 4.7, 9. Thou hast ravished my heart, my Sister, my Spouse, thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. Thus Christ is overcome with his Spouses beauty, Cant. 6.4, 5, 9, 10.
2 Meditation. The Image of Christ, consisting in righteousness and true holiness, is the Spouses Spiritual beauty, and maketh the Saints comely in the eyes of Christ, Psal. 45.13. Eph. 4.24. Col. 3.10. Ezek. 16.14.
O ye daughters of Jerusalem] By Jerusalem we may understand the Church of God on Earth, and that from these resemblances, 1. Jerusalem was the City of the great King, Psal. 48.1, 2, 3. So the Church of God is called the City of the living God, Heb. 12.22, 23. And all the Saints are fellow-Citizens, Eph. 2.19. 2. Jerusalem was the Throne of God, Jer. 3.14, 15, 17. So the Church of God is called Christs Throne, Zech. 6.12, 13. And the Elders clothed with white rayment sit round about his Throne, Revel. 4.2, 4, 6. 3. Jerusalem was a free City, honored with many Priviledges and Immunities; there was the Temple, the Oracles, the Covenants, the Law, and the Service of God, Rom. 9.4. & Act. 2.5, 42, 47. So the Church of God is priviledged with Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers, 1 Cor. 12.28. & Ephes. 4.11, 12, 13. Also, with his holy Ordinances, 1 Cor. 11.2. & Act. 16.4. Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the Mother of us all. Gal. 4.26. The Church of the first-born.
Whose Daughters are, I. All the Churches of the Saints, 1 Cor. 14.33. Cant. 2.7. whereof every particular Church hath the Common, 1. Name, 1 Cor. 1.1. & 1 Thes. 1.1. Revel. 21. 1, 8, 12, 18. Rev. 3.1, 7, 14. 2. Nature, Eph. 2.21, 22. 1 Pet. 2.4, 5. 3. Power, 1 Cor. 5.4, 12. & 14.24, 29. 2 Thes. 3.6, 14, 15. II. All the Saints in every Church of Christ, Cant. 3.10. called Sions Converts, Isa. 1.27. viz. the Daughters of Sion, Cant. 3.11. and, the Sons of Sion, Lam. 4.2. For, of Sion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her. The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there, Selah. Psalm 87. v. 5, 6.
The Jews used to call the Whole, the Mother; and the Parts, the Daughters, Ezek. 16.45, 46, 48. The Saints are called the Daughters of Jerusalem; First, because they are (being added to the Church, Act. 2.47.) presented as chaste Virgins to Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 11.2. Secondly, because they were young Converts newly espoused to Jesus Christ, Cant. 3.10, 11. Thirdly, because they were in a seeking condition (some of them) enquiring into the excellencies of Jesus Christ, Cant. 5.8, 9. & 6.1. These are called to consider that the Church is comely, although she be black.
3 Meditation. If young Christians would consider the Churches Beauty and Comeliness, they would not be so much offended at her Infirmity and Blackness. Cant. 6.4, 10. Who is this that looketh forth as the Morning, fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun? Thou art beautiful O my Love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem. Though the Church be like a Woman in the Wilderness, yet she is like a Woman clothed with the Sun, and the Moon under her feet, and upon her head a Crown of twelve stars, Revel. 12.1, 5, 6. I have likened the Daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman, Jer. 6.2.
Though the Church be compared to the Tents of Kedar, the Arabian Shepherds, Ezek. 27.21. for blackness, yet she is resembled to the Curtains or costly Hangings of Solomon for her comeliness. Kedar was one of Ishmael's Sons, Gen. 25.13. And as the Father was a mocker, and a persecuter of Isaac, Gal. 4.28, 29, 30, 31. so his off-spring were such as hated peace, Psal. 120.5, 6. Their Tents were made of Goats hair, which was dark and blackish, very mean in outward appearance; whereby is figured forth the Adversity and calamity of the Church. And yet the Tents of Kedar were exceeding rich within, full of all rich merchandise, Pearls and precious Jewels, as Solinus in Polychist. cap. 46. and Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 6. cap. 28. do report.
So the Churches and Saints, though exercised with tribulations, afflictions, persecutions, corruptions and desertions, which make them to appear outwardly dark and black, yet whilst they enjoy pure Ordinances, Gospel priviledges, spiritual gifts, and sanctifying graces, they are beautifull, fair, and comely.
As the Curtains of Solomon] or Hangings of Solomon. Josephus lib. 8. c. 2. Antiq. doth report, That Solomon's Hall had three several Hangings of Tapistry, every one more costly and rich then other, and behind them a wall of black marble, curiously wrought with Imagery. And the Learned judge them Hangings to be here intended by these Curtains of Solomon. But in as much as the Churches Beauty is hereby described, I rather by the Curtains of Solomon understand an allusion unto the Curtains of the Tabernacle, Num. 4.25, 26. which were very beautiful, Exod. 36.8, 13. within these Curtains was the Ark of God, 2 Sam. 7.13. And they were a Type of the Church of God in its beauty and glory, Isa. 54.1, 2. Even the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband, Rev. 21.2. Arrayed in fine linnen, white and clean, which is the righteousn…ss of the Saints, Rev. 19, 7.