Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 6 · the Song of Solomon · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
HOw beautifull are thy feet with shooes (O Princes daughter) the joynts of Vers. 1.thy thighes are like jewels, the worke of the hands of a cunning Workeman. Christ having before praised his Spouse, the Church of the Gentiles, and then of the Jewes converted, severally, now he praiseth them being joyned together, and making one glorious Church, which is intimated in his saying, the joynts of thy thighes; or we may take that spoken of her, chap. 6. of both together; and here he further inlargeth himselfe, in praising the Jewes and Gentiles thus united. He calleth her the Princes Daughter, as she is called the Kings Daughter, Psal. 45. That is, the daughter of God, the great King of all the World; and her feet are said to be beautifull with shooes, because that by Christs example, who suffered death for her, she is so fenced in her going in the way of Christianity, as one that hath good shooes on his feet, that he feareth not in his going the pricking of Thornes, or the tearing of sharp Stones in the way, as he that goeth with bare feet. According to this Saint Paul saith, Having your feet shod with the preparation Ephes. 6. 15. Rom. 10. 15.of the Gospel of peace; and of Christian Preachers it is said, How beautifull are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of peace.
Ainsworth takes this as spoken by some friends of the Spouse, and not by Christ, and so doe some others, because the King is spoken of, verse 5. as being in his Gallery; but it is not unusuall for one to speake of himselfe in the third person, therefore this is no argument to prove it; let us then take it for Christs speech, especially there being none other friends upon earth to the Spouse, but the Spouse her selfe, consifting of Gentiles and Jewes; and it is improper for any woman to praise her selfe, therefore it is her Husband that praiseth her, being by the conversion of the Jewes made one; and he proceedeth not either as he did, chap. 4. or chap. 6. but he beginneth at her feet, and so ascendeth through her other parts to her head, because he had spoken of her returning, which is done with our feet, she having gone before in the way of infidelity; and disobedience to Christ; now she returneth by the way of faith and obedience; and most beautifull, and most gloriously shod are their feet, that doe so; and because upon our feet we stand, and having shooes on, firmly, and confidently, her feet are said to be beautifull with shooes, therefore hereby may be intimated, the constant perseverance of the Church in the true faith unto the end, after that the Jewes shall be converted, and the great boldnesse and courage of Christians against the enemies of the Gospel.
Againe, because having spoken of her shooes, where-with her feet were beautified, he now calleth her, Princes daughter, it is not amisse gathered, that her being so well shod argueth her nobility; as contrariwise, to goe bare-footed argueth basenesse; so it is said, Esa. 20. 4. to shew to what a low estate they should be brought for their sinnes, that they should goe bare-footed: but Ezek. 16. 10. when the Prophet would set forth, how they were honoured of God, he saith, I shod thee with Badgers skinnes. They then that are stedfast, and unmoveable from the truth, are as Princes Children, of beautifull and glorious feet; but the mutable, Note. who are turned about in any point of truth, as a Weather-cock with every blast of Doctrine, are ignoble, and the base bond-men of sinne and Satan. For the person speaking here, may it not be the Pen-man of this Song, Salomon, who having set forth the praises of the Church before, breakes out by the Spirit, and interposeth these words to her further commendations, to verse 7. Christ then beginning againe, vers. 8? let the judicious Reader consider and judge.
Ainsworth noteth, that the word put here for joynts is used only in this place, and that it seemeth to set forth the round joynt bone in the hollow of the thigh, whereupon it turneth, and that hereby is meant the comely and decent going of the faithfull, which is, when they are of a laudable conversation in their doings, words, and workes. I preferre the allegory of Gregory by these two thighs joyned together, where they meet towards the belly, understanding two peoples, Jewes Gregor.and Gentiles, spoken of, and praised here together; because I see no reason why the Church of the Gentiles being before praised apart by her members, chap. 4. and the Church of the Jewes apart, chap, 6. such praises should be repeated againe, and that by such members, some of which were not spoken of before, unlesse it be in regard of the present conjunction betwixt these two, making one more glorious Spouse then ever before.
Thy mouth is like a round Goblet, that wanteth not liquor, thy belly like an heap of wheat set about with Lillies. By the Navell Gregory understandeth the Vers. 2. Gregor.Preacher, who is compared to a turneable Goblet, as he rendreth it, because he having to doe with divers men, must turne himselfe in his tongue, that he may speake fitly to them; and he is a Goblet, or great Bowle full of liquor, because he is full of Spirituall wine, to inebriate and fill the Hearers, to the making of their hearts to rejoyce; and yet he himselfe is said to want no liquor, because he holdeth in his owne heart that which he giveth others to drinke.
And like the belly, which is compared to an heap of wheat, are the people, because that by their good workes they are prepared to be brought into the Garner of Heaven; and they are set about with Lillies, because compassed about with holy examples of the Worthies recorded in Scripture, whereby they are stirred up to live, and doe so, as that they are not Tares to be burnt, but Wheat to be gathered into the Garner at the last day. For by Lillies, as hath been shewed before, the most excellent of Gods servants may well be set forth for their whitenesse, and spotlesnesse in regard of sinne, as the Church was said before to be without spot.
Justus Orgel. because the Navell is in the midst of the body, hereby understands Justus Orgel.such as are vertuous, because vertue is in the midst; and because that the holy Scriptures, and continuall exercising of a mans selfe herein, are a meanes of attaining this grace, they are said not to be without liquor, because that hereby they are filled with living water: and they are turnable, in respect of their ready obedience to God in every thing; and because that by this meanes they have that within them where-with others may be fed and sustained, they are likened to a belly, as an heap of wheat.
But Ainsworth herein best of all; The Church is likened to a Mother, that first Ainsworth.nourisheth her Childe by her Navell, which wanteth no liquor fit for nourishment, because she is full of Wine, and Milke, and in her belly her young lye and grow as wheat in the field till the Harvest, when it is cut downe and laid upon a Stack, for which it is said to be as an heap of wheat: and because a Stack being thus made, a fence used to be made about it, Lillies are said to be set about this heap; That is, the Children of the Church are fenced with innocency, and blamelesnesse of life, whereby through the guidance of the Spirit they are kept from the spots of sinne, where-with the wicked of the world are defiled. Thus he; although not altogether in these words, but in this sence, wherein the same is said in effect with that of Gregory, touching the Goblet, expounded of Preachers, because that in further declaring how the Church nourisheth her young in her wombe, as a Mother, he saith, that Paul according to this speakes of himselfe as Mother, saying, My little Gal. 4. 19.Children, of whom I travell againe in birth, till Christ be formed in you. And for that of her belly, there is in his exposition little difference from this.
Thy breasts are like two young Roes, that are twins. Having shewed the state Vers. 3.of the Children of the Church, being but yet conceived, and lying in the wombe, and brought newly forth; as wheat being ripe is taken and laid upon a Stacke, or heap, now he sheweth how these her Children are alwayes nourished after, as long as they live in this world, viz. by her two Breasts; That is, as hath been before shewed upon chap. 4. 5, the sincere milke of pure Doctrine, out of the two Testaments, which are as twins, because both alike; and who so takes away one of them, as the Antinomians of old did the Old Testament, holding only the New, they rob the Children of God of one of their Breasts; and they that having suckt these Breasts formerly, through the Ministry opening them unto them, but now either fall immediatly to them, despising the help of the Ministry, or pretending new revelations from God, slight them, instead of Milke sucke poyson, to the destruction of their soules. And thus Justus Orgel. understands these two breasts; but others not so aptly, two peoples, Jewes and Gentiles, because Breasts are such things, as whereby Children are nourished, and not the Children themselves; wherefore that Church, which holdeth forth both these, and these only, is the true Spouse of Christ, all others being but Strumpets, and to be taken heed of.Vers. 4.
Thy neck is as a tower of Ivorie, thy eyes as the Fish-ponds of Heshbon, by the gates of Beth rabbim, thy nose as the tower of Lebanon, which lookes towards Damascus. Of the Spouses necke like a tower, see before, chap. 4. 4. but as there it is said to be the Tower of David, so here a tower of Ivorie, thereby her strength being set forth, here her bright, and white shining, through holinesse and purity of Doctrine and life. Her eyes called also Doves eyes, chap. 4. 1. are here likened to Fish-ponds of Heshbon; That is, Fish-ponds artificially made; for the Numb. 21. chap. 31.word signifieth device, or cogitation, implying study and invention in the making hereof, so as that they might be an ornament to the Land, as well as a blessing, as Pools, or Ponds were in that hot Country. Heshbon was a fruitfull Country, where Sihon dwelt, it was the Lot of the Reubenites; to the Ponds here the Spouses eyes are compared, for their clearnesse, so that as in cleare waters things are seene, as in a Glasse, so in the Ponds of the Church, that is, the holy Scriptures; for hereby a man may see his face as in a Glasse, to wash away the blemishes hereof, Jam. 1.and these are artificially made by the greatest Artist in the world, even by the invention of the Spirit of God; and they are likened to Fish-ponds, because that men being taken by the preaching of the Word are here put, when they are required to meditate hereupon, and to keep in all things within the compasse hereof, and men, as Christ hath taught us, are as Fishes, where he saith to his Apostles, I will make you fishers of men.
Some will have the similitude to stand in the faithfulls weeping abundantly, upon the consideration of their sinnes, as Gregory; but Ainsworth is either for this, or Gregor. Ainsworth.the other, by the gates of Beth Rabbim; that is, being interpreted, the house of many; That is, these Ponds are so placed, as that they are not shut up from the multitude, but many, yea even all that will, may have them in their private houses, and read them, and hereby see themselves, as was said before, to reforme what is amisse, and to be confirmed in that which is good. Thy nose as the tower of Lebanon, that lookes towards Damascus; the Nose is the organ of the sence of smelling, whereby a man distinguisheth between sweet and stinking, the discerning faculty of the Church is hereby set forth, betwixt Apostolicall Doctrine, which is commended as a sweet odour to God in every place, and the stinking smell of the Apostaticall, who going from the truth, teach their owne erroneous imaginations: and when the faithful doe thus, they are as the strong Tower of Lebanon, on 2 Cor. 15.the North parts of the Land towards Damascus, the head City of Syria, a Country of enemies to Gods people, as the holy History sheweth; That is, they stand stoutly to the maintaining of the Truth, as Souldiers, in a strong tower against Spirituall enemies, set forth by Damascus, and the Syrians inhabiting there, which had the name from Bloud, for so foreign signifieth; the wicked, whether Satan, or his instruments being hereby denoted, whose hands for their wickednesse are said by the Prophet to be full of bloud, as this City Damseck; that is, a sack full of bloud, in the Hebrew tongue.
Thine head upon thee is like Carmell, and thy haire like purple, the King is held in thy Galleries. By head upon her, here may be understood the tire of her Vers. 5.head, and the word Carmel signifieth a scarlet colour, and therefore the rich attire of her head may be hereby denoted, as well as her haire, which is likened to purple, for the purple strings, or ribbonds about it; for these were the colours which Note. were worne by Princes, and now ascribed to this Princes daughter, the Church. By the head understand the minde, by the haires the cogitations; because as the haires come from the head, so cogitations come from the minde, and all these in the faithfull are royally adorned, their minde and thoughts being set upon nothing, but royall and glorious things, which pertaine to the kingdome of Heaven; and herein standeth the chiefe part of their excellency; but to be worldly-minded is a basenesse, and therefore forbidden to all that are risen with Christ, set not your mindes on things below, but upon things above. This Gregory hath in part, but he first Col. 3. 1. Gregor.understandeth by her head, Christ, but very unaptly here, seeing Christ is here describing his Church, considered apart from him. But Carmell is also the proper name of a fruitfull place, for which it is said, that the Church under the Gospel should be as Carmel, Esa. 35. 2. Jer. 50. 19. but that hath no place here. The King is held in thy Galleries; That is, Christ is so taken with the beauty of the soules that are such, that he is held, and tyed, as by bands, by the love of them, that hee cannot goe from them; which seemeth to be spoken in allusion to the Harlots holding of a fleshly man, where it is said, Whose hands are bands; the word Prov. 7. 26.foreign rebatim signifieth as Galleries, so Channels, as Gen. 30. 38. or watering troughs, and therefore the vulgar renders it, joyned by the Kings Channels: but it it being thus rendred, Gregory giveth no exposition.
Thy stature is like a Palme-tree, thy breasts like clusters of Grapes. The Vers. 7. Gregor.Palme-tree, saith Gregory, groweth up slender, to a great height; so the Christian at the first but little in grace, or having but a small measure of grace and knowledge, in time ascendeth very high, and is eminent in both. And as Clusters of Grapes yeeld sweet juyce, so such a person, out of the two breasts, the Love of God, and of his Neighbour.
Ainsworth saith, that the faithfull is compared to the Palnte-tree, because it Ainsworth.groweth straite up, and cannot by hanging weights thereon be made crooked, or to bow, and it is alwayes green, and yeeldeth most sweet fruit; wherefore in the Psalmes also, the righteous are compared to a Palme, or Date-tree, as it may be Psal. 92. 13.rendred here. It is meant then, that the faithfull, whatsoever they suffer, cannot in their mindes be depressed, but still they are erected and tending towards heaven, to the end of their dayes; and they beare the best fruites of Love, meeknesse, humility, justice, beneficence, patience, &c. For her breasts, not thinking that he had said enough hereof, vers. 3. in comparing them to twinne-rees, he here sets them forth by another comparison, whereby happily something else is set forth, according to the Allegory of Gregory before going.
I said, I will goe up to the Palme-tree, I will take hold of the boughes thereof Vers. 8.now, also thy brethren shall be as clusters of the Vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples. The vulgar, I will take of the fruit thereof; which Gregory expoundeth Gregor.thus: I will goe up to the Crosse, and there suffer, and take of the fruits of my sufferings to give unto thee, even justification from all sinne, and being made partaker of this fruit, now thy breasts shall be indeed as clusters of the Vine, yeelding pleasant liquor for thy children to suck comfort from. And for the next words, the smell of thy nose is like apples, he reading it, the smell of thy mouth, saith, that the sweetnesse of Divine teaching, which cometh from the mouth of the faithfull Teacher is hereby meant, this is like those Apples that are called Pomgranats, which smell sweet, and taste sweet being opened, as being full of pleasant fruit: and because they are covered over with a red barke, they denote the Martyrs in speciall red, by the shedding of their bloud for Christ, their constant confessing of him with their mouthes to the death, giving this sweet smell; and the word foreign here used, signifieth either face or nose, and therefore the mouth being part of the face may be understood hereby, and so it agreeth best; yet Ainsworth saith, that the breath coming out by the Nose may be meant, which when it is sweet, sheweth Ainsworth.that the inward parts are uncorrupt; therefore in commending the smell of her nose, her inward soundnesse is commended in her heart, she speaking, and doing all things out of an upright heart. For the word expounded by Pomgranats, it agreeth not, for they be Apples, that are here spoken of, by the same word that went before, chap. 2. 5. For his going up to the Palme-tree, as the Church was, verse 7. hereunto compared, so now the tree upon which Christ hanged; yet some understand the same Church, to the top of which Christ ascendeth, in going to lay hold upon the boughes, (for in a Palme-tree the boughes are altogether on the top, none on the body, and at the top of the boughes is all the fruit) his acceptation of her fruit before spoken of is here set forth, the fruites that come from her head, meditations, and utterance of words for edification, and of her breasts the vertues and graces harboured here, which are pleasant to God, as the fruite of the vine.
The roofe of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth downe Vers. 9.sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speake; the vulgar, for the roofe of thy mouth, hath it, thy throat, worthy my beloveds drinking, and ruminating with his lips and teeth, and the word foreign signifieth either thy palate, or throat; and being expounded throat, Gregory expounds it of Preachers, Gregor.whose Sermons uttered through their throat, are inebriating, and chearing the Hearers, like the best wine. For the next words, they are word for word according to the Hebrew, going to my beloved aright, or in rectitudes, related lips and teeth; this by Gregory is understood, as spoken by the Church touching Christ, he having said, thy throat is as the best wine, replieth, going downe with pleasure to my beloved, and meditated upon by such as heare things uttered out of the throat before spoken of; even as cleane Beasts chew the Cud with lips and teeth, such as it is necessary all Christians should be, and not read or heare the Word only, not ruminating; for whose doe thus, are as uncleane beasts, which God accepteth not of. And this doth not much differ from the Hebrew, if the last word be foreign for foreign signifieth a tooth, but because it is foreign signifying such as are asleep, the New Translation is rather to be preferred, making to speake the lips of those that be asleep; That is the most drowsie, and at other times of little speech, but now most talk ative, being inebriated with this spirituall wine, that was said in the words before to move aright for so the words foreign may well be rendred, and this is spoken according to the common saying, Whom Foe…u…di calice… qu…m non fecere disertum. Ep…es. 5. 14. E…a. 26. 19.have not full cups made eloquent? And it is noted of the Apostles, when they were filled with the Spirit, that they spake so, as that their Auditours said, they were full of new wine. The sleepers here spoken of are such, as before this wine entring into them slept in sinne, who are bidden to awake, and to awake and sing, being sleep, or dead in sinne, and mute in respect of the things of God, as all men are before they be thus awaked, as is commonly to be seene in most; they are full of talke, when they meet about other things, but of things pertaining to godlinesse not a word cometh from them, which argueth them all to be thus dead; although Note. they heare Sermons, as the best wine most delightfull, yet none of them enter in, but are to them as precious liquor of the Grapes, spilt upon the ground.
I am my beloved's &c. A repetition of that which was said before, chap. 6. 3. and spoken now by the Spouse out of her joy, for her being made compleat by the Vers. 10.calling of the Jewes, as is before said.
Come (my beloved) let us goe into the field, let us tarry in the villages, let The eighth speech of the Bride. Vers. 11. 12. Gregor.us goe up early to the vine-yards, let us see whether the vine flourisheth; whether the tender grapes appeare, and the Pomgranats bud forth, there will I give thee my loves. Hereby saith Gregory, is set forth, how the faithfull soule having tasted of the sweetnesse of the knowledge and love of Christ, is desirous that others, who have not yet attained to this knowledge, may be brought unto it also; for what is the field into which she desireth Christ to goe with her, but the wide world, wherein are innumerable Townes, and Villages wanting this knowledge? therefore she desireth him to goe with her amongst them, to preach unto, and inlighten them every where, that are yet in darknesse, for so it is said in the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, the field is the world. He cometh into the field then, when his coming into the world, by being conceived by the Holy Ghost in the wombe of the Virgin Mary, this holy Seed being sowne therein, as in a field, is preached and taught; and into the Villages, when he was preached amongst the Gentiles; and he goeth into the Vine-yard to visite it, when after his Resurrection, ascending up into Heaven, he sitteth there in Majesty and Power, defending his Church, his Vine-yard in all places, being with his every where, to the end of the world.
And what else doth the Lord here? visite to see whether the Vine flourisheth, what accession of soules is made daily to the Church, that shall be saved, and for such as be added, if they be tender and young Christians newly come in, whether any increase of knowledge and grace appeareth in them, set forth by the tender Grapes; if they be more perfect ones, whether they be still going on to more perfection, as the Apostle Paul did; for the Lord hath an eye to all that are in his Phil. 3.Church, and lookes that there should be in every one a proficiency, according to his proportion, and stature in Christ, there I will give thee my loves; the Vulgar, my breasts; which the Church gives to Christ, when to his members, by holding out unto them the two Testaments yeelding sincere milke for their nourishment unto eternall life. Of going to see whether the Vine flourisheth, and the Pomgranats budded, he spake before, Chap. 6. 11. which, as was there expounded, was spoken by way of Prophesying of the conversion of the Jewes; now the same is more particularly set forth, and in what order it should be; First, the Gospel should goe out into all the world, for this is the field here spoken of, into which Christ went with his Apostles, when sending them to reach and baptize all Nations, he went with them, accompanying their teaching with Miracles, and then they abode, and lodged, as it were, in the Villages of the Gentiles, when their going to preach amongst them, tooke effect to their conversion. Then to shew, that after this, the Jewes, who at the first rejected it, should imbrace the Gospel also, it is said, Let us goe into the vine-yard, &c. for what is the vine-yard of Esa. 5.the Lord of Hoasts, but Judah, as the Prophet speaketh? and here then shall the vine flourish, and the tender Grapes put forth, and the Pomgranats bud, by the coming in of the common sort, like tender children in knowledge, and of the more perfect and expert in the Word of God, that is, Rabbins and Teachers; and this being done, the Church giveth unto Christ her Loves, or Breasts, he being as much delighted here-with, as a man with the love of his deare Wife, who after going astray, turneth againe unto him with all her heart, and doth all Offices of love and subjection to him; or as a childe, by sucking most sweet milke out of the Mothers breasts, although he hath no need of it, but the Church to sucke the breasts of his consolations.
The Mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant Vers. 13. Gregor.fruites, both new and old, which I have laid up for thee my beloved. By the Mandrakes Gregory understandeth fruites, both medicinall and sweet, and by them all such in the Church of God, as by their good fame yeeld a sweet favour, being publicke persons, set forth by Gates, because there such used to sit: but here it is to be applied to publicke Teachers, who are as Phisitians, by their wholsome Doctrines healing the diseases of mens soules, and have Store-houses, out of which they bring forth to these Gates, or publicke places, instructions out of the New Testament, and out of the Old, according to the one, teaching Christs Incarnation, Death, and Resurrection, as they are plainly herein set forth, and out of the other, opening the same, by shewing the mysticall understanding of all the Sacrifices, and old Rites, and types of the Old Testament: and these are said to be aid up for Christ, because he is here-with well pleased, as men with the sweetest fruites which can be kept for them, and brought forth and presented to them.
To the same effect Justus Orgel. but he will have such compared to Mandrakes Justus Orgel.also, for their being deep rooted, and grounded in the love of Christ, as Mandrakes are in the ground.
Ainsworth referring us to the History Gen. 30: 14. of Mandrakes found in the Ainsworth.wheat harvest in the fields, saith, that they set forth fruites, both sweet and pleasant to behold, exceeding those that we have now adaies, and that the Graces of God in his Church are hereby set forth, and are said to be at our doores, in opposition to the fields, wherein those grew of old, the faithfull having them every where amongst them, when by heavenly teaching, and godly living, they give a sweet smell; and such fruites laid up for Christ were the faithfull of old, and those newly springing up, and brought forth under the Gospel anew. And they are said to be laid up for Christ, because that in the holy Scriptures their famous acts and vertues are recorded, all tending to guide us to him, for which our Lord saith; Every Scribe instructed to the kingdome of Heaven, is like unto an Housholder, Matth. 13. 52.that bringeth out of his treasury things both new and old.