Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 1 · Verse 11 – Verse 12,13,14
Verſ. 11.
Wee will make thee borders of gold, with ſtuds of ſilver.
Chriſt having ſhewed the preſent happineſſe of the Church, in reſpect of her ſtrength and comelineſſe; he now declareth what ſhould be her future happineſſe; namely, a further encreaſe of her graces, and ſome addition of rich Ornaments. Shee is richly decked already, but her decking ſhall be yet more and more: ſhee ſhall have the moſt excellent Ornaments of gold and ſilver, which wrought together doe ſet forth each other.
In the words obſerve two things.
Firſt, the maker or framer of theſe works, Wee, ſpoken in the Plurall number.
Secondly, the worke thus framed or made, which is conſidered in two degrees.
1. In borders of gold.
2. In ſtuds of ſilver.
We will make, &c.
By the Plurall number wee, moſt doe underſtand of the Father, Sonne, and Spirit: as in Geneſ. 1. 26. Let us make man, which is meant of thoſe three in Heaven, the Father the word, and the Spirit, 1 John 5. 7. Hereupon he is called God our maker, Job 35 10. and ſo the Apoſtle wiſheth, Grace and peace from the Father, Sonne, and holy Spirit, Rom. 5. 7. And the Apoſtle ſpeaking of the diverſities of gifts, in 1 Cor. 12. 4, 5, 6. ſaith, that the diverſities of gift are of the Spirit, and the diverſities of miniſtries to be of the Lord, that is of Chriſt; and the diverſities of operations, meaning the effectuall working of the Spirit, to be of God.
Againe, the effectuall teaching and Revelation of the glorious Goſpell is attributed to the Father, Son, and holy Spirit, as a joint worke belonging to them all.
1. The Father revealeth the Myſtery of the Kingdome: thus Chriſt tels Peter in Mat. 16. 17. Fleſh and blood hath not revealed thus unto thee, but my father which is in heaven, And againe ſaith he in Joh. 6. 45. It is written in the Prophets, they ſhall be all taught of God, every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father, commeth unto me.
2. The Sonne likewiſe teacheth the ſame glorious Myſteries unto men, and is therefore called the Angell of Gods Covenant, Malach. 3. 1. And ſaith he, No man hath ſeene God at any time, the onelyonly begotten Sonne, which is in the boſome of the Father, he hath declared him, John 1. 18. And therefore is ſaid to be a Teacher ſent from God, John 3. 2. And the Lord which ſpeaketh from Heaven, Heb. 12. 15.
3. The holy Ghoſt is alſo a revealer of theſe Myſteries unto men; hence the Apoſtle ſaith, The Spirit ſearcheth all things, even the deep things of God, 1 Cor. 2. 10, 11. And therefore it is called the Law of the Spirit of life, Rom. 8. 2. The miniſtration of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 3. 8. the revelation of the Spirit, Epheſ. 1. 17. And no man can call Jeſus Lord but by the Spirit, 1 Cor. 12. 1. And ſo for the ſending of the holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Father is ſaid to ſend the holy Spirit. For I will pray the Father (ſaith Chriſt) and he ſhall ſend you another comforter, &c. And the comforter, which is the holy Ghoſt, whom the Father will ſend in my name, &c. John 14. 16. 26. And Chriſt ſaith, that he will ſend the Comforter. Iohn 15. 26. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will ſend you from the Father, &c. The Father ſends the Spirit in Chriſts name, and Chriſt ſends him from (or in the name of) the Father.
Laſtly, the Comforter is ſaid to come of himſelf, Ioh. 16. 7. Thus it was in the creation of the world, Gen. 1. 1. God, or Elohim created the heaven and the earth. In which place the verb bara, being of the ſingular number, doth ſignifie the moſt ſimple eſſence of God: and the Subſtantive, Elohim, being of the plurall number, notes out unto us, the Father, Sonne, and Spirit. So all the works of creation, redemption, calling, glorification, are joyntly, and alſo variouſly and promiſcuouſly attributed to the Father, Son, and Spirit. So here, we will make, &c. The Father, Son, and Spirit do joyntly work in the adorning of the ſoule. Hence obſerve,
Firſt, That workes of grace are very glorious works.
The excellency of the worker ſets forth the excellency of the work: God made all things very good at the firſt: And as for man, let us (ſaith God) make him in our owne image (which phraſe in our image, ſignifieth the unity of the eſſence of God) now this image was very glorious, and is called the glory of God, Rom. 1.
Now all the works of God are glorious: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament ſheweth his handy-worke, Pſal. 19. 1. But much more glorious is the work of grace, or the new creation made upon the ſoule, which is the renewing of it, according to the image of God, Col. 3. 10. And a changing of the ſoule into the ſame image, 2 Cor. 3. 18. This image is a glorious image, and it is a glorious work to frame it upon the ſoule. This work is ſo glorious, that it commends the work-man and framer thereof; and the worker of this grace is ſo glorious, that his worth magnifies the works that he doth.
Secondly, obſerve, That all our graces, both in the beginnings and encreaſings of them, are from God. Chriſt is called the beginner and finiſher of our faith, Heb. 12. 2. He is the Alpha, and Omega, the firſt contriver, and the laſt finiſher of all our work: hee that hath begun a good worke in us, is the ſame, that muſt perfect that worke untill the day of Chriſt. Every good gift, as alſo the increaſe thereof, is from God, Jam. 1. 17. The Apoſtle attributes all praiſe to him, that is able to doe exceedingly abundantly above all that we aske or thinke, according to the power that worketh in us, Eph. 3. 20. It is a magnificent power that worketh in us, and that power only can worke abundantly more for us. As our bodies came naked into the world, ſo did our ſoules, Ezek. 16. 4. It is the Lord that decketh and adorneth us with grace, verſ. 12. 14. It is from Chriſt we muſt receive gold to enrich us, and white raiment to cloath us, Rev. 3. 18. We put on the new man, as garments, which are additions to our nature, given us of Chriſt; wee are poore, it is hee that doth enrich us; naked, he cloaths us; deformed, he beautifies us; miſerable, he makes us happy: in a word, he works all our works for us.
Borders of gold, with ſtuds of ſilver.
Now we have the work it ſelfe commended to us in two degrees.
1. In borders of gold.
2. In ſtuds of ſilver.
Borders, or rowes, the word is the ſame that wee had in the former verſe, and ſignifies an orderly diſpoſition of things, ſetting of them in frame and order, as in a row.
Rowes of gold.
The word Zahab is rendered gold, from the clearneſſe foreign Aurum. foreign Splendor coeli, qui ſimilis eſt colori auri.and brightneſſe of the colour of it; for the clearing of the Heavens comming from the North, is like the colour of gold. This ſheweth the excellency of the matter, from which this form is made, to wit, of gold. Rows of gold: he ſpake of rowes in the former verſe, but here hee addeth rowes of gold, which implyeth an addition and enlargement of grace.
With ſtuds of ſilver.
The word tranſlated ſtuds, ſignifies ſome little point or print. fathing, coming of fixing or faſting a thing. foreign Ʋnde. foreign Punilum a figendo vel inſigendo: plurali foreign Puncta, Buxt. in lex. foreign.The Greek tranſlation readeth it thus, wee will make likeneſſes for thee; with prints of ſilver. The Apoſtle uſeth the word, ſtigmata, marks; ſpeaking of ſuffering, hee calls them the marks of the Lord Ieſus, Gal. 6. 17.
Some underſtand here by the borders of gold the foundation of a Chriſtians hope, the very ground work of his faith; and the ſtuds of ſilver to be the ſuperſtructure put into the edifice or building, according to that of the Apoſtle, where he exhorteth the Hebrewes not to ſtay at the foundation or ground-work, but to goe on to perfection, Heb. 6. 1. And becauſe wee are ſaved by the foundation, and not by the edifice built thereon, according to 1 Cor. 3. 10. So referring the firſt to our juſtification, and the ſecond to our ſanctification, as to the fruits flowing from our ſanctification; that is, works of ſanctification.
Others underſtand the words for the increaſing of graces, and the bringing of the Saints from glory to glory, 2 Cor. 3. 18. From one degree of grace to another, and this is taken from the nature of Gold, becauſe it will be beat out to a very large ſubſtance. And as for the prints of ſilver, they make it an alluſion to that place in Prov. 25. 11, 12. where it is ſaid, a word ſpoken in his place (or aptly) is like apples of gold, with pictures of ſilver. As an ear-ring of gold, with an ornament of fine gold, ſo is a wiſe reprover upon an obedient eare. Which doth declare unto us, that reproofs well given, and well taken, are as beautifull ornaments unto the Saints.
Or wee may underſtand it of the glorious Ordinances and graces, that ſhould be diſpenſed in the times of the Goſpel, and how they ſhould far exceed thoſe carnall ordinances under the Law: according to this the Lord ſpeaks in Iſa. 60. 17. For braſſe I will bring gold, & for iron I will bring ſilver, and for wood, braſſe, & for ſtones iron, &c. This was a promiſe, that the Lord in the dayes of the Goſpel would make all things better, and make a through-alteration of Ordinances; hee would demoliſh all carnall Ordinances, and ſet up thoſe that are ſpirituall. We may underſtand the words to be a promiſe of a new ſupply of graces and ſtrength, that Chriſt would give unto his Church; or of the glorious ordinances and graces diſpenſed unto the Saints in the days of the Goſpel: all thoſe carnall Ordinances of meats and drinks, and diverſe waſhings ſhould be turned into a more ſpirituall adminiſtration. The Apoſtle telleth us that thoſe rites and ordinances under the Law, ſtood only in meats and drinks, and diverſe waſhings, and carnall ordinances impoſed on them, untill the time of reformation, Hebr. 9. 10. The Apoſtle ſums up all legall rites and ſhadows whatſoever, calling them carnall ordinances, of juſtifications of the fleſh, becauſe they did ſanctifie only to the purifying of the fleſh, freeing of thoſe who uſed them from legall pollutions: And ſaith he, theſe were impoſed untill the time of reformation: that is, untill Chriſt came in the fleſh, who ſhould reform all ſuch carnall rites and ceremonies, with all thoſe legal obſervations & ſervices, exhibiting the truth and reality of ſpirituall things ſignified by them, and by inſtituting a more holy and ſpirituall worſhip. We may take either of the two laſt interpretations, either of the encreaſe of grace unto the church then preſent, or of thoſe plentiful meaſures of grace, and ſpirituall adminiſtrations under the Goſpel.
Firſt, if wee take the meaning of the words for an increaſe of grace, oberve,
That where ever the Lord begins a work of grace, hee doth adde new ſupplies of grace to ſuch beginnings.
This is that the Apoſtle was very confident of in behalfe of the Philippians: That hee that had begun a good worke in them, would finiſh it untill the day of Chriſt, Phil. 1. 6. And he ſaith in Heb. 12. 2. Chriſt is the author and finiſher of our faith. When God had made the world, he did not ceaſe from exerciſing his power; but it is ſtill at work for the upholding of the creation: ſo concerning the work of the new Creation, I mean the work of grace in the ſoule: Chriſt doth not only begin this work, or work ſome ſmall degrees of it, but he doth proceed to maintain what he hath begun, and to encreaſe that which he maintains, and to perfect what he doth encreaſe, carrying the ſoule from glory to glory.
2. If wee underſtand the words of thoſe glorious things, that were to be exhibited by Chriſt in the time of the Goſpel
Obſerve hence,
That the Doctrine of faith, and ordinances of the Goſpell, with the graces accompanying them, are much more glorious and excellent, then thoſe under the law.
This glorious Goſpel the Apoſtle ſets forth at large in 2 Cor. 3. from verſ. 7. unto verſ. 11. But if the miniſtration of death written and engraven in ſtones, were glorious, &c. how ſhall not the miniſtration of the ſpirit be more glorious. He calleth the law the miniſtry of death, becauſe the letter killeth, becauſe it doth not communicate an ability to man to keep the ſame, neither makes any promiſe of forgiveneſſe unto the tranſgreſſor; for tſte tenour of it runs thus: Curſed is every one that abideth not in all the things which are written in the law. It convinceth us of ſinne, and therefore it's called the miniſtration of death and condemnat…on: but the Goſpel is the miniſtration of the Spirit, and of life and righteouſneſs; becauſe the Goſpel doth not only ſhew the way to life by Chriſt, but it is accompanied with the power of the holy Spirit, whereby wee are raiſed from the death of ſinne, and quickned to the life of holineſſe; and it doth alſo crown us with righteouſneſſe, adminiſtring the ſame unto us by Jeſus Chriſt. Hence ſaith the Apoſtle in verſ. 10. For that which was made glorious, had no glory in this reſpect, by reaſon of the glory that excelleth. That is, all thoſe legall adminiſtrations, which had ſome kind of glory upon them, yet they had no glory comparatively: as the light of a candle ſhines very bright in the night, but it is obſcured in the day-time; ſo is the light of the Moone obſcured by the light of the Sunne, ſo likewiſe is the glory of the Law obſcured by the light of the Goſpel, that it ſeems to have no glory or light at all.
Indeed the law was glorious in two reſpects eſpecially.
1. In reſpect of the promulgation of it, as the Apoſtle ſhewes, Heb. 12. 18, 19. There was fire, and blackneſſe, and darkneſſe, and tempeſt, and the ſound of a Trumpet, and the voyce of words, &c. The Lord came in great Majeſtie to give the Law, even as the Kings of the earth do put on their garments of State when they goe to enact Laws: but Chriſt diſcovered more glory upon the Mount; at his transfiguration, there was Moſes and Elias, and the voyce of God from heaven, and the appearance of the holy Ghoſt deſcending upon him, &c. And hence it is, the glory of Mount-Sion exceeds the glory of Mount-Sinai
2. In reſpect of the matter of the Law, it was glorious: it contained the image and glory of God, which at firſt was ſtamped upon mans heart, and after written in the tables of ſtone; but now the Goſpel holds forth this image as ſtamped upon Chriſt, and ſo repreſented to us again. This the Apoſtle teſtifies unto us in 2 Cor. 4. 4. ſaying, Leſt the light of the glorious Goſpel of Chriſt, who is the image of God, ſhould ſhine into their hearts. And Chriſt is called the expreſſe forme or image of his perſon, Heb. 1. 3. This is ſpoken not only in reſpect of his divine nature, but alſo in regard that hee is God manifeſt in the fleſh, by whom the glory and righteouſneſſe, grace, mercy, goodneſſe, wiſddome and power of God is revealed unto us.
Again the Apoſtle telleth us, that the glory of the miniſtration excelleth that of the law, becauſe that of the law is to be done away, and that of the Goſpel was to remain, 2 Cor. 3. 11. All thoſe carnall rites and ordinances of the Law were to be aboliſhed; and the Lord promiſes that in their ſtead, he wil create new heavens, and a new earth: and the former ſhall not be remembred, or come into mind, Iſa. 65. 17. The Lord would ſo alter and change the ſtate of his Church, that it ſhall ſeem to be a new world: and the ſpirituall excellency thereof ſhall ſo much exceed that which was before, that the conſideration of the one, ſhall ſeem to drown and aboliſh the memory of the other. The Apoſtle doth argue the aboliſhing of the old Ordinances, and the continuance of the new, thus: In that he ſaith a new covenant (ſpeaking of the promiſe of God) hee hath made the firſt old: now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vaniſh away, Heb. 8. 13. That is, the old legall adminiſtration ſhall be diſannulled, or abrogated at the comming in of that which is new.
To conclude, in the times of reſtauration of the Goſpel, all things ſhall be altered for the better, as in Iſa. 30. 26. The light of the Moon ſhall be as the light of the Sun, and the light of the Sun ſhall be ſeven-fold, as the light of ſeven dayes, &c. That is, every adminiſtration of the Goſpel ſhall farre exceed in glory and light all thoſe of the Law. And in this reſpect the Prophet ſaith, The Sun and the Moon ſhall be aſhamed, when the Lord of hoſts ſhall rule in Zion, &c. Iſa. 24. 23. That is, the light and glory of the Sun, and of the Moon ſhall be darkneſſe in compariſon of the light and glory of God, that ſhall ſhine in his Church under the Goſpel. See alſo in Iſa. 60. 19, 20. where the Lord ſaith, Thy ſun ſhall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightneſſe ſhall the Moone give light unto thee, but the Lord ſhall be unto thee an everlaſting light, and thy God thy glory: thy Sun ſhall no more goe downe, neither ſhall thy Moone withdraw it ſelfe, &c. If we underſtand theſe words of the firſt times of the Goſpell, then by the Sun and Moone we muſt underſtand all legall rites and ſhaddows, which were the lights of thoſe times. But if we underſtand the laſt reſtoration of the Goſpell, which ſhall be after the generall Apoſtacy, and falling away, by reaſon of the over-ſpreading of the darkneſſe of Antichriſt. I ſay if it be meant of this laſt reſtoration, then we muſt underſtand by the Sun and Moone all outward and worldly meanes, whereby God hath conveyed any light unto his people: ſuch outward and worldly meanes ſhall ceaſe, and the Lord will communicate light and grace into the hearts of his people, by ſome higher, and ſome more ſpirituall way, then he hath done formerly.
Thus much for Chriſt's embraceing, commending, and promiſing unto his Church, wherein he ſets forth her excellency in reſpect of the time then preſent, and alſo in reſpect of the time to come. Now it followeth that the Church doth endeavour to ſet forth the excellency of her Beloved.
VERS. 12, 13, 14.
While the King ſitteth at his Table, my ſpikenard ſendeth forth the ſmell thereof.
A bundle of Myrrhe is my Beloved unto me, he ſhall lye all night betwixt my Breaſts.
My beloved is unto me as a cluſtre of Camphyre in the Vineyard of Engedi.
IN the three laſt Verſes, Chriſt ſet forth the excellency of his Church, in reſpect of the time that then was, and alſo in reſpect of times that ſhould come after: now the Church in theſe three Verſes ſets forth the excellency of Chriſt, with the excellent effects of all thoſe graces which he had beſtowed on her, and that ſhee being ſo adorned by her Beloved, the odour of his Spirit in her, iſſued and flowed forth with ſuch a fragrancy, as it did very much delight her ſelfe and others with the redolency thereof. The Church doth, as it were, anſwer her Beloveds commendations of her, by returning the like praiſes and commendations unto him, as before he had commended her. The Church ſetteth forth her Beloved Meſſiah, not barely or ſimply, but what a one he is to her; that he is one of excellent ſweetneſſe and redolency. Now the ſweetneſſe of all Chriſts heavenly graces unto her, and in her, are ſet forth to us by three excellent compariſons: towit,
Spikenard,
Camphyre,
& Myrrhe,
We have the effects of all his graces and ſweetneſſe as our graces from his graces, and our ſweetneſſe from his ſweetneſſe. And we have the cauſe of all this, namely, our union and neere communion with him, all which is contained in theſe three Verſes.