Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 2 · Verse 9
VERS. 9.
My beloved is a Roe, or young Hart: behold he ſtandeth behinde our wall, he looketh forth at the window, ſhewing himſelfe through the lattice.
THe firſt clauſe of this verſe, would better have been placed in the eight verſe, it being the ſame for ſubſtance with it; and only an illuſtration thereof, we have the manner of Chriſts comming ſet forth, by a compariſon taken from a Roe, or young Hart.
Chriſt in approachings, and drawing nigh to his Church, is firſt compared to a Roe for ſwiftneſſe, becauſe the Roe is a creature light of foot, as appears, 2 Sam. 2. 18. And ſo is a Fawne or young Hart, as appears, 2 Sam. 22. 34. where David praiſing God for victories, ſaith He maketh my feet like Hindes feet, that is, very ſwift and nimble. So that what the Church declares by this compariſon, is, that Chriſt is ſwift and nimble, like a Roe, or young Hart, to draw neer and comfort her.
Hence Obſerve,
That Chriſt is ready, and maketh much ſpeed to helpe and comfort his Church. Whither we take the meaning of the words for Chriſts approaching neer the ſoul in the diſcoveries of his love and grace, or Chriſts comming in the fleſh, for the more generall comfort of his Saints, yet in both, Chriſt is ſwift and ready, and delayeth not when the appointed time is come. Chriſt is more ready to helpe his Saints, then they can imagine, he is neer unto them that doe not thinke of him, and he is moſt ſtrong when his people are moſt weak: Hence it is, that the Prophet crieth out in his extremity, ſaying, Haſt thee O God to deliver me, make haſt to helpe me O Lord, Pſal. 70. 1. And againe he ſaith, I ſtretch forth my hands to thee, my ſoul gaſpeth after thee as a thirſty Land: Heare me O Lord, and that right ſoone, for my Spirit waxeth faint, hide not thy face from me leſt I be like one which goeth downe to the pit: O let me heare of thy loving-kindneſſe betimes in the morning, Pſal. 143. 6, 7, 8. And in Pſal. 9. 4. O ſatisfie us early with thy mercy, ſaith the Pſalmiſt; that is, early in the morning, after the darke night of afflictions. Thus the Church liſtning and looking after Meſſiah's approaching, ſhee having ſeene him, but afar off: now in the next words ſhee exulting-wiſe ſeeth and declareth him to be far neerer, and introduceth him in a familiar way ſpeaking unto her.
Behold he ſtandeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the window, ſhewing himſelfe through the Latteſſe.
The Church doth here ſignifie a more neer communion with Chriſt then ſhee had before, when he was leaping upon the Mountaines and Hills; and yet not ſo neer, but the ſight ſhee now had of him was imperfect; there was ſtill a wall betweene her and him, which ſeparated them. The Church within, doth ſee Chriſt but as under her walls, looking in by the windowes and grates.
This neer ſight, and yet imperfect ſight, which the Church had of Chriſt, may be conſidered three wayes in reſpect of the impediments to the ſight.
1. In reſpect of the Wall.
2. In reſpect of the Windows.
3. In reſpect of the Grates.
All which impediments were betwixt Chriſt and his Church.
Behold he ſtandeth, &c.
Behold, is a word of attention, as you have heard in the former Verſe.
He standeth.
Or he waiteth, or miniſtreth: for the word that ſignifieth foreign Stetit, perſtitit, manſit.to ſtand, metaphorically is put for waiting, or miniſtring. It is ſaid in Nehem. 12. 44. that Judah rejoyced for the Prieſts, and for the Levites that waited, or ſtood: that is, that ſtood and miniſtred in the Prieſt's Office. And ſo in 1 Sam. 16. 21. 21. David came and ſtood before Saul, and Saul deſired that David might ſtand before him: that is, to wait and miniſter before him. This may well be applyed to Chriſt, who is the miniſter of the true Tabernacle, to wait and miniſter unto his people; he waits how, and when he may be gracious unto his Saints.
Hence Obſerve,
That Chriſt waiteth to doe his people good. Standing is a poſture of one that waiteth; Chriſt is often ſaid to ſtand and wait upon us for our good, as Revel. 3. 20. Behold I ſtand at the doore and knock, &c.
Behind our Wall.
Some underſtand by this Wall the Incarnation of Chriſt, when he appeared in our fleſh, John 1. 14. The word was made fleſh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the onelyonly begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. For Chriſt incarnate, ſtood as it were behind the wall, becauſe his God-head was hidden in his Man-hood: ſo that his deity being hidden under our fleſh, he is ſaid to ſhew himſelfe, not fully, but through the windows and grates.
Secondly, others underſtand it of the wall of mans heart, for ſuch an expreſſion we have in Jer. 4. 19. the Prophet bewailing the deſtruction of the walls of the City, ſaith, I am pained at my very heart: it is in the Orig. I am pained at the walls of my heart. Agreable unto this is that ſaying, Behold I ſtand at the doore and knock, &c. Rev. 3. 20. Meaning, at the doore of the ſoul. The heart is called a Wall and a Door, becauſe of the power and Authority of it, it rules and ſwayes the whole body. As in Cities, the ſtrength of the City is in the gates and the walls, & there were their ſeats of juſtice in ancient times, and there was munition ſtored up for war, ſo that open the gates to the enemy, and you give them all. Now all the naturall ſenſes and underſtanding of our hearts are as a wall to hinder us from Chriſt, till they be pulled downe, and made conformable to the will of Chriſt. The luſts and reaſonings of our ſouls are called ſtrong holds, that exalteth it ſelfe againſt the knowledge of God, 2 Cor. 10. 5.
Thirdly, we may underſtand by the wall, thoſe ancient, legall ceremonies, called by the Apoſtle a ſtop, and the partition wall, Epheſ. 2. 14. For Chriſt and the New Teſtament-Church, were parted by that wall of Sacrifices, and other Leviticall Ceremonies, during the continuance of that ancient Prieſt-hood. It was a joy to thoſe under the Old Teſtament to ſee Chriſt ſtanding behind the wall of oblations, ſprinklings of blood and waſhings: and to ſee the light of the world, behind the Sanctuaries Lamps daily burning: ſuch a ſight of Chriſt was comfortable, though it was but an obſcure and glimmering ſight of him. This was the firſt impediment of the Churches ſight of Chriſt.
The ſecond followeth.
He looketh forth at the window.
Looketh forth, or looketh in at the window: this word foreign Inde Hiphil. foreign Proſpexit, aſpexit cum conſideratione.Tranſlated looking is found but three times in Scripture, and it ſignifieth to looke with diligence and obſervation, making dilligent ſearch, looking narrowly, and with intentive obſervation. So that it noteth to us the care Chriſt hath over his Church, to ſee how ſhee doth receive his word.
The windows here mentioned may be meant of the opening and expounding of the word, whereby the Ceremonies were cleared up unto the people; to which windows the Prophet tells us, that the Lords Doves doe flie and flock together, Iſa. 6. 8. The wall was a ſtop, and theſe windows are a ſtay, but leſſe impeding then the former. Theſe windows were made (as the Temple windows were) for the letting in of light: that is, by miniſtring the knowledge of the Ceremonies, that ſo the people might know the end and uſe of them, who through them did contemplate and ſpiritually behold Chriſt as behind them: for what can a man behold through a wall but by the windows? This was the ſecond dim repreſentation of Chriſt unto his Church.
The third followeth.
Shewing himſelfe through the Latteſſe.
Shewing) or flouriſhing, or bloſsoming: that is, ſhewing himſelfe as a flower, ſweet, pleaſant, and amiable, to ſhew, that Chriſt commeth not to his Church empty handed, but brings all graces with him. The Greek Tranſlateth it looking in, according to the former word.
The word Tranſlated Latteſſe or Grates is not found in any other place. The Greeks turne it, by the nets. foreignThe Chaldee uſeth the word for windows. This may be applied according to the windows, for Grates are alſo to let in light. Now by all this is ſhewed forth the manifold and diverſe diſcoveries of Chriſt from time to time. 1. There is a wall of partition betweene Chriſt and his Church. 2. The Windows. 3. The Grates. The firſt kept them moſt a ſunder, the ſecond leſſe, the third leaſt of all.
Hence Obſerve.
That Chriſt hath let out his light unto his people, by little, and little, till by degrees he make the Sun of righteouſneſſe to ariſe upon them.
Chriſt did not at the firſt exhibite, and ſhew himſelf preſent unto his Church, but he ſtandeth as it were behind the wall: thus Chriſt hath approached from the mountaines to the hils, from the hils to the Temple-wals: thence to the windows, and laſtly, to the Grates or Lattice. In the times of the old World, he was upon the mountaines, a farre off: in Abrahams time, as upon the hils, ſomething neerer in the diſcoveries of his grace: in Moſes time behinde the partion wall of ceremonies, and legall rites: in Daniels time, as at the Windows: yet all the godly under the Law, ſaw him, but as under types and ſhadows: Now, the new Teſtaments age are beholding him through the grates, ſince his comming in the fleſh; this the Apoſtle teſtifieth, But wee all (ſaith he) with open face, beholding, as in a glaſſe the glorie of the Lord, are changed into the ſame image, from glorie to glorie, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3. 18. Here the Apoſtle declareth, that the Goſpel is full of light, tranſforming of us with its glorious beams; and that wee have a free acceſſe to God by the Goſpell, which is not like the darke vaile, that Moſes put upon his face, but pure reſplendent glaſſe, wherein the glorious countenance of God is ſeene by us: and we are thereby renewed, & as it were glorified in our minds, according to the ſame image of God: and this worke of his is ſtill in progreſſe here in this life, ſo as wee grow from grace to grace, and from glorie to glorie, untill wee be perfect as Chriſt is perfect. But yet the Church knoweth Chriſt but in part; for we ſee him but foreign through a glaſſe darkely, for what wee ſhall doe hereafter,: here wee ſee God but by reflections, as it were, and at ſecond hand, as in Ordinances and in creatures, but then wee ſhall ſee him face to face: The Lord telleth Moſes, that he will ſpeake to him, Mouth to mouth, and by viſion, and not in darke words, Numb. 12. 8. Such is the difference betweene the knowledge we have of God now, and that wee ſhall have hereafter, as is betweene the propounding the ſame thing in the obſcurity of a riddle, and declaring of it in plaine and familiar termes: or the ſeeing of a thing in its perfect ſhape, and the ſeeing of the ſhadow of a thing in a glaſſe.
Now the cauſe of this imperfect ſight of Chriſt is not to be imputed to God, but to our Apoſtaticall nature, covered with the vaile of fleſhly underſtanding, to which infirmitie of ours, God hath applyed himſelfe, in ſhining out of his glorie unto us; yet ſo, as wee ſee but the image of his glorie in a glaſſe: neither can wee contemplate in that glaſſe, the pure and naked image of God, but it is clothed and wrapped about with an intricacie of words, and corporall ſignifications, according to our underſtandings and reaſonings: for the brightneſſe of his glorie, no fleſh can behold and live: but hereafter, Wee ſhall know him as wee are knowne: that is, wee ſhall know him fully and perfectly.
Thus much for the Churches rejoycing in her ſight of Chriſts approachings towards her.