Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 2 · Verse 4
Verſ. 4.
He brought me into the Banquetting houſe, and his Banner over me was love.
The great Kings, and noble Princes of the world, doe uſe to entertaine one another in ſumptuous and royall banquetring houſes, in which they doe uſe to ſet before them all the dainty things which can be gotten for money: So here, the moſt high and glorious King of Kings, bringeth his beloved Spouſe into the banquetting houſe, which doth excell all the banquetting houſes of earthly Kings.
In this verſe, wee have a narration of the plentifull proviſion Chriſt makes for his Church: wherein are uttered two glorious favours, and manifeſtations of Chriſts love unto her.
Firſt, By his conveying her into the Banquettinghouſe, or, by a ſpeciall adjunct termed, The houſe of Wine.
Secondly, By his ſpreading his banner over her, termed from the effect, dilection Or love.
He hath brought me, &c.
By this forme of ſpeech ſhe declareth her owne inabilitie, foreign Venit, unde in High. foreign Venire fecit adduxit, introduxit.to come unto this heavenly banquet, that Chriſt had provided for her, and doth withall declare the ſweetneſſe and efficacie of Chriſt's grace, working by the ſecret operation of his ſpirit inclining her heart, and ſwaying of her will, and ſo maketh her partaker of all his heavenly treaſure.
Hence, Obſerve,
That wee cannot partake of the heavenly treaſures which are in Chriſt, but through the operation of his owne ſpirit. He (to wit Chriſt) brought me, &c. No man (ſaith he) commeth unto me, except the Father that ſent me draw him, Joh. 6. And the Apoſtle doth fully ſhew, that al the grace we receive from Chriſt, is from the powerfull working of his Spirit, 1 Cor. 2. It is Chriſt that doth comfortably and ſweetly introduce his beloved Spouſe into the houſe of ſpirituall delicates.
The Church nameth the place into which Meſſias brought her.
To the banquetting houſe.
In the originall it is, Beith haijn, domum vini, the houſe of wine: it muſt needs be meant of the wine-celler, the place where wine is kept; or the banquetting houſe where wine is drunk, for Cellers are called the Treaſuries, or store-houſes of wine, in Chron. 27. 27. now becauſe a wine-Cellar is a low vault under the ground, dark, and cold, it may rather be taken for the banqeutting-houſe, alluding to Kings of the earth, who uſe to entertaine one another in ſumptuous and royall banquetting houſes.
Now wine is very comfortable to the nature of man it ſlacketh his thirſt, it cheareth his heart, Pſal. 104. 15. it cauſeth him to forget his ſorrow and miſerie, Prov. 31. 6. 7. it comforteth the ſick by cheriſhing and augmenting the vitall ſpirits, it is alſo ſaid to be delightfull to God, becauſe it was offered up in ſacrifice, (as I obſerved in Chap. 1. verſ. 1.) by a Synechdoche, it is put for all fragrant, ſweet, and comfortable things in the world. Now by this, the Church ſignifies an increaſe of grace from Chriſt; the ſhadow of Chriſt was a comfort unto her. but to be fed under that ſhadow with delectable fruit, that cauſed greater comfort: but now to be brought into a banquetting houſe and to be refreſhed with fragrant wine, this muſt needs be exceeding, and farre more comfortable unto her; foraſmuch as the fruit of the Vine excelleth the fruit of the Apple-tree, and is much more comfortable unto the heart.
Hence, Obſerve.
That Chriſts love unto his Church, increaſeth more and more.
It is like Nilus and Jordans waters overflowing their banks, not that Chriſts love doth admit of any increaſings, or decayings: but in reſpect of the manifeſtations thereof, it is ſometimes augmented for the ſpirituall conſolation of his Church: for ſo ſaith the Apoſtle: For as the ſufferings of Christ abound in us, ſo our conſolation alſo aboundeth by Chriſt, 2 Cor. 1. 5. And Iſraell ſhall grow from ſtrength to ſtrength, Pſal. 84. 7. Chriſts love never leſſenneth, nor decayeth; but it is conſtant and firme, it is like the water of the ſanctuarie, which abounded more and more, it begins in a drop and ends in an Ocean; and like a ſparke converteth into ſuch a flame, as that it ſhall conſume all droſſe and ſtubble before it.
Secondly, By this banquetting houſe, is noted all thoſe rich and coſtly things which Chriſt and his Church doth banquet withall, which are not traſh and droſſe, and beggarly ſcraps, but thoſe rich and precious delicates of Heaven.
Hence Obſerve,
That Chriſt communicateth all his ſweet gifts to his Church.
Chriſt doth communicate his Spirit unto his Saints, with all the fruits thereof, as love, joy, peace, long-ſuffering, gentlenes, meekneſſe, temperance, Gal. 5. 22. 23. And the Saints are never ſatisfied untill Chriſt have filled their ſoules with divine graces, which they are made partakers of by faith: they feed upon Chriſt Crucified. My fleſh is meat indeed, and my blood is drinke indeed, John 6. That is, true ſpirituall food. In Chriſt there is all fullneſſe, whom then can the Saints want? For if there be light in the Sunne the Aire cannot be darke: if there be ſap in the ſtock, the branches cannot be dry: if there be fullneſſe in the Fountaine, the ſtreams cannot be empty. Chriſt is the Olive-tree that ſtandeth before the ruler of the whole Earth, and emptieth it ſelfe by the pipes and Conduits of his word, into the golden Candleſticks of his Church, Zech. 4. Light and grace in the miniſtration of holy Ordinances flow from him; for in him there's righteouſneſſe, there's life, there's peace, there's joy, even unſpeakeable and glorious, as the Apoſtle ſaith, I Peter 1. 8.
Thirdly, by this houſe of wine we may underſtand it of the Scriptures, or of the aſſembly of the Saints who are the houſe of God, and unto whom is afforded all ſpirituall comforts ſignified by wine. And thus wiſedome (which is meant of Chriſt) is ſaid to have built her houſe, Prov. 9. 1. That is, Chriſt who is the ſupreame wiſdome, yea, wiſdome it ſelfe, hath prepared him a Church, and 'tis added, ſhee hath hewn out her ſeaven pillars: that is, he hath many chiefe props and ſtayes which are principall parts of his Church: his houſe being built, in Verſ. 2. he prepares for to make a great Banquet, the Text ſaith, She hath killed her Beaſts, ſhee hath mingled her wine, ſhee hath alſo furniſhed her Table. Wiſdome is compared to a ſtately Queene that makes a Feaſt, and keeps open houſe (as we uſe to ſay) for all commers: So is the Kingdome of Heaven likened to a King that married his ſonne, Mat. 22. 2. And they are bleſſed and happy which are called to this ſupper, Revel. 19. 9. And in that it is ſaid, ſhee hath mingled her wine, it alludeth to the cuſtome of the Jewes, who, becauſe of the hotneſſe of their Countryes, did uſe to powre out, or mingle their wine with water, to allay the heat of it. So doth Chriſt quallifie and fit heavenly food, and makes it ſuitable to our appetites. Now wiſdome hath built her houſe, and mingled her wine, &c, inviteth the ſimple to come, and eat of her bread, and drinke of her wine, Verſ. 5. And ſo Chriſt in Song 5. 1. ſaith, Eat O my Friends, drinke yee, drinke abundantly, O beloved. Thus much for the firſt favour of Chriſt towards his Spouſe, to wit, his conveying her into the houſe of wine. The ſecond favour manifeſted by Chriſt to his Church followeth.
And his banner over me was love.
The ſpreading of a Banner, or the lifting up of a Standard, is mentioned in Iſa. 49. 22. Behold (ſaith the Lord) I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and ſet up my ſtandard to the people, &c. The end of Gods ſeting up his ſtandard here is noted to be for the drawing in of the Gentiles, which banner muſt needs be meant of the diſplaying of the Goſpell. And Chriſt layed open in the Goſpell is ſaid to ſtand for an Enſigne of the people, and to him ſhall the Gentiles ſeeke, Iſa. 11. 10. And he ſhall be ſet an Enſigne for the Nations, Verſ. 12. This Banner or Enſign hath alluſion to the manner of Captaines, who by their ſetting up of their Enſigne doe gather their Souldiers together. So Chriſt the Captaine of our ſalvation, doth gather and draw a people to himſelfe by the ſetting up his Standard of the Goſpell, and by diſplaying the colours of his truth. The ſtandard of his word of life he lifts up among his people, calling them by the diſplay of his banner unto himſelfe.
Secondly, the diſplaying of a Banner ſignifies terrour to the adverſaries, and victory to the Church; ſhee is ſaid to be terrible as an Army with Banners, Cant. 6. 4. 10. And the Church in ſigne of victory, ſaith, Wee will ſhout joyfully in thy Salvation, and in the name of our God we will ſet up the Banner, Pſal. 20. 6. The Iſraelites were every one to pitch by his owne Standard, Numb. 2. 2. So muſt the Saints pitch under Chriſts Standard of victory and defence.
Hence Note,
That Chriſt obtaineth victory over all his enemies, and is a defence to his owne people. But we are farther told whereof this Enſigne was made and ſet up, and that was of Love, His banner over me was Love. Love, here is meant of that wherewith Chriſt hath loved us, 1 John 4. 10 by which he redeemed his Church, Epheſ. 5. 26. This love is the Enſigne, that he diſplayes over us for provoking us to come unto him; yea, all his ſeverall loves are diſplayed in his glorious Goſpell, as an Enſigne or Banner to gather together unto him all his Saints.
Hence Obſerve,
That all the Saints and choſen of God are drawne unto Chriſt by his love. For the love of Chriſt is the Enſigne ſpread, by which he draweth all his Saints unto him: and none are drawne, but thoſe onelyonly over whom the ſame Enſigne is diſplayed. Now this banner is ſpread, when the Goſpell is preached, and the riches of Chriſt's love laid open, whereby the faithfull are drawne to Chriſt. What love is like to his, who hath given himſelfe for us, when we were his Enemies? Rom. 5. Who waſhed us in his owne blood, Rev. 1. Here then is the principle and ground of all our obedience, or of our praiſe, and that is love, which love is wrought in our hearts by the diſplaying of the banner of Chriſt's love over us. All that we can doe is nothing if there be not this principle of love: hence ſaith the Apoſtle, The love of Chriſt conſtraineth us, 2 Cor. 5. 14. And we read of the woman in the Goſpell which waſhed the feet of the Lord with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head: from whence proceeded all this? Was it not becauſe ſhee loved much? And why did ſhee love much? Becauſe (ſaith Chriſt) Many ſins were forgiven her. Shee had felt the banner of his love ſpread over her in forgiving her many ſins, and this did draw her to love him exceedingly. The Apoſtle doth reckon up all the fruits of Chriſts ſpreading of his love abroad in the hearts of the Saints, ſaying, We rejoyce in tribulations being juſtified by ſaith, knowing that tribulation bringeth patience, patience experience, experience hope, hope maketh not aſhamed, becauſe the love of God is ſhed abroad in our hearts, by the holy Ghoſt which is given to us, Rom. 5. 3, 4, 5. When the ſoul comes to the aſſurance of faith, by the diſplaying of Chriſts banner of love in the Goſpell, then neither tribulation, nor anguiſh, perſecution or famine, nakedneſſe, or perill of ſword, ſhall be able to ſeparate them from the love of Chriſt, but they ſhall be more then Conquerours through him that loves them, as the Apoſtle ſaith.
Hence learn what is the chiefe duty of the Miniſters of the Goſpell, namely, to ſpread before men the Banner of Chriſt's love; yea, to publiſh and lay open the riches of his love to mankind, in offering himſelfe to be a ranſome for the ſins of the world, to draw men out of carnall miſery, unto a moſt happy, ſpirituall, and bleſſed condition. Then extoll and lift up the Enſigne of Chriſt's love, and diſplay the banner thereof, that men may be gathered in unto it. The Miniſters of the Goſpell ſhould ſpend their whole force this way, that men may be drawne to Chriſt; who will ſeek after that which he knows not of? And who would not ſeeke after ſome precious Jewell? O then! tell people where this Jewell, this pearle, this treaſure is, that they may ſeeke after it: Diſplay the Enſigne of Chriſt's goodneſſe, mercy, grace, and love, that people may be provoked to praiſe Chriſt, and yeild obedience unto him. So far concerning the narration of Chriſt's favours; now followeth the Churches requeſt.