Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 1 · Verse 12
Verſ. 12.
While the King ſiteth at his Table, my ſpikenard ſendeth forth the ſmell thereof.
In this Verſe we have,
Firſt, Chriſts communion with his Church, which is implied by his ſiting at his Table with her. This communion is inlarged by the time, While the King ſiteth, &c.
Secondly, The effect of this communion, the Church hath her odour by it: My Spikenard ſendeth forth the ſmell thereof. So that Chriſt hath his communion, and his Church hath her odour.
While the King ſitteth, &c.
Here we have the Kingly feeding of Chriſt with his people; his repaſt or feeding is not expreſſed in the Text, but neceſſarily implied: for the words according to the Hebrew, verbatim, run thus: While the King was in his circle (or in his compaſſe) which phraſe al foreign Circuivit, circumivit, Ʋnde foreign Accubitus, icrcularis proprie, in orbem enim antiquitus ad menſain ſede bant: Buxt, in Lex.ludes to the Jewiſh forme of ſitting at Table, which was round about, as it were in a circumference or circle. Now by this ſitting round, it cannot be meant of Chriſt ſitting alone, but a ſeſſion with others; towit, with all his faithfull gueſts, that together with Chriſt doe environe this Table.
The King is Meſſiah, who is Lord and head over his Church; they that aſſociate with him are the Saints gathered from all parts of the World: the place of their ſeſſion is at the Table, for that is meant by the round or circle here ſpecified. The Hebrews were wont to ſit round, or in a circle, as was ſaid before; an example whereof we have in 1 Sam. 16. 11. when Samuel deſired Jeſſe to ſend for David his youngeſt Son, he ſaith, We will not ſit downe untill he come hither: in the Hebrew it is, Becauſe we will not round untill he come hither. That is, Wee will not ſit downe to Feaſt before he foreigncome. The Table that theſe ſit at is to be conſidered according to the place, and that is two-fold.
1. The place of Chriſt's ſiting may be meant of Heaven; and if ſo, then it ſets forth the wonderfull ſweetneſſe of Chriſt, even whilſt he is in the Heavens; then the ſence would be as much as if the Church ſhould ſay, now while the King ſits in Heaven, compaſſed with his holy Angells, and I here on Earth below, there is a wonderfull diſtance between us, and yet his ſweet ſavour commeth unto me; yea, I doe ſmell his ſweetneſſe though at a great diſtance, even as it were the precious Spiknard, Myrrhe, and Camphyre.
2. We may take it for Chriſt's feaſting with his people while they are here on Earth; of his ſpirituall Banquet with his Saints, feeding them with his word and graces: for thus he ſaith, Behold Iſtand at the doore and knocke, if any man heare my voice and open, I will come in and ſup with him, and he with me, Revel. 3. 20. This ſpirituall communion that Chriſt hath with his Church, is called, The Table of the Lord, Mal. 1. & 1 Cor. 10. 21. and it ſignifies that bleſſed, ſweet, and heavenly communion betweene Chriſt and his Church.
Hence Obſerve,
That there is a mutuall feaſting betwixt Chriſt and his Church. The unity and communion that we have with Chriſt is ſet forth to us, in our ſiting downe with Chriſt at his Table, to the end we may partake with him of his ſpirituall dainties, and heavenly Manna, with which he feeds and refreſheth his Saints. It is moſt true, that we have nothing to invite or welcome Chriſt, but he ſends proviſion of his owne, and comes (as we uſe to ſay) at his owne coſt; he firſt ſends a ſpirit of faith, a ſpirit of love, a ſpirit of holineſſe, a ſpirit of humility; and then comes and makes a feaſt of ſuch proviſions as himſelfe ſends. Now what ever may be ſaid in the praiſe and commendations of a plentifull Feaſt, the ſame and much more may be ſaid in the high commendations of this Feaſt that Chriſt makes for his Saints.
1. In Feaſts there are the chiefeſt proviſions of meat and drink, &c. So in Chriſt we have the chiefeſt food in all the World. My fleſh is meat indeed, and my bloud is drinke indeed, ſaith Chriſt, John 6. 55. That is, his fleſh is that ſpirituall Manna that came downe from Heaven, with which our ſouls are fed to eternall life. The Crucified fleſh of Chriſt, by which divine juſtice was ſatisfied, is the onelyonly meat to refreſh our ſouls: what greater rarity is there in all the World for the ſoul to feed on, then the graces of Chriſts ſpirit, flowing out abundantly upon our hearts.
2. A Feaſt hath all ſorts of proviſions: So Chriſt is variety of food unto the ſouls of his people. All the promiſes are yea, and in him amen, 2 Cor. 1. 20. There are promiſes ſuitable to every condition and relation of his people: there is moſt pretious and pure blood to waſh away their guilt, there is ſtrength to ſupport them in weakneſſe, there is a Garment of righteouſneſſe to cover the ſhame of their nakedneſſe, a Spirit of truth to lead and guide them into all truth; ſweet mercies and conſolations to comfort them in all their droopings; Gold, and Pearles, and pretious ſtones to enrich them. In a word, there is a plenitude and fullneſſe of all grace to feed and fill, their empty and deſtitute ſouls. And thus we have the Apoſtle in 1 Cor. 1. 30. leaſt we ſhould not be too much caſt downe with our owne folly, ſaith Chriſt is made unto us of God, wiſdome; and for our uncleanneſſe and corruption, he is made unto us holineſſe and ſanctification: and for our miſery and bondage he is made unto us redemption. The Spirit of the Lord anointed Chriſt, and did ſolemnly deſigne him to be home unto every Saints condition, and to be made (as the Apoſtle ſaith of himſelfe) all things to all men: Hee was anointed to preach glad tidings to the meeke, to bind up the broken hearts, to proclaime liberty to captives: to appoint beauty for aſhes, joy for mourning, and garments of feſtivity and praiſe for ſad and heavy ſpirits, Iſa. 61. 1, 2, 3. So that Chriſt hath in him ſufficiency relative and ſuitable to all the conditions of the Saints, they may feed on him with all ſorts and varieties of good things.
3. In Feaſts there is great plenty of Meats and Drinks, and ſuch like proviſions, ſo that none uſe to goe away hungry from a Feaſt. So there is abundance of ſatisfaction in Chriſt; yea, in him is a redundancy and an overflowing of all good things: when Chriſt giveth his people good things, he gives them in abundance. As for our redemption, the Apoſtle ſaith we have it according to the riches of his grace, Epheſ. 1. 7. That is, we have a full and bountifull redemption by him. And the glory that Chriſt gives to his people is cal'd riches of glory, Epheſ. 3. 16. And Chriſt is ſaid, to give us all things richly to injoy, 1 Tim. 6. 17. And to powre his Spirit richly into our hearts, Titus 3. 6. If Chriſt gives of his Spirit, he gives abundance of it; if he gives us peace, he gives it in abundance, yea, he fills the ſoule with good things.
4. A Feaſt is intended for joy and rejoycing; So Chriſt doth rejoyce and make glad the hearts of his people: he feeds them with inward tranquillity and joy in the holy Ghoſt, ſhedding abroad his owne love in their ſouls. It is true that the world feeds the Saints with the bread of affliction, but Chriſt gives them to drinke the wine of conſolation: In the world (ſaith Chriſt to his Diſciples) yee ſhall have tribulation, but be of good cheere I have overcome the world, John 16. 33. Hence it is, that the Apoſtle exhorteth Believers to rejoyce, in Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce alwayes in the Lord (ſaith he) Foraſmuch as you have the true cauſe of joy, you may take it upon good grounds, and therefore I ſay againe rejoyce. Chriſt doth make a feaſt of triumph and rejoycing with every ſoule that is brought home unto him, an inſtance whereof we have in the Prodigall Son, Luke 15. 24. The Father of the Prodigall brought his fatted Calfe and kill'd it, to eat & make merry with his Friends. O what greater joy and rejoycing can there be then that ſweet harmony betweene the ſoule and God reconciled unto it through Jeſus Chriſt! The ſoule that was dead is now alive, and that was loſt is now found, and ſweetly entertained by the Father: what peace and joy is like that which flows from the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt?
5. At a Feaſt there is a meeting of many friends together: So here is a good company at Chriſts Table, it is ſurrounded by Chriſt and all his faithfull Servants. The Father himſelfe is preſent at this Feaſt, for ſaith the Apoſtle, Our fellowſhip is with the Father, and with the Son Jeſus Chriſt, 1 John 1. 3. The Saints being united to Chriſt by faith, have fellowſhip with him, and by him they are united to the Father, whereby they have communion with him alſo. The Angells are likewiſe at this feaſt, rejoycing with the Saints.
6. The Maſter of a Feaſt doth uſe to welcome and cheare up his Gueſts. It was the cuſtome of the Jewes to welcome their Gueſts by powring out precious Oiles upon their heads, as appeareth in Luke 7. 46. & John 12. 3. Hence it is, that David alluding to the Jewiſh cuſtome, ſaith, Thou prepareſt my Table, and thou anointeſt my head with Oile, Pſal. 23. 5. Thus Chriſt as the Maſter of this heavenly Feaſt, cheereth up his Gueſts by powring forth the Oile of grace, and of gladneſſe upon the heads of his people, and by filling of their hearts with joy and gladneſſe. Thus we find Chriſt welcomming of his Church, in Song 5. 1. ſaying, Eat O my friends, drinke yee, drinke abundantly, O Beloved. Thus Chriſt feaſteth with his people, and conveyeth all the dainties of ſalvation unto them; and thus his people come to injoy Chriſt, and all his comforts and graces; here they have a Feaſt of grace, and at laſt ſhall come to a Feaſt of glory.
My Spikenard ſendeth forth the ſmell thereof.
Here we have the effect of this communion, My Spikenard ſendeth forth the ſmell thereof. Chriſt hath his communion with his Church, and his Church hath her odour from that communion.
Spiknard is a very pleaſant fruit: Some of the Rabbins thinke that Nardus was like to Saffron. It ſeems there was diverſe ſorts of it: One ſort is called Nardus celtica, which the French-men call Lawand, and we in a terme not far from theirs call it Lawander. Another ſort was called Nardus aſſiria, of which was made an ointment of all others moſt precious; and (ſaith Pliny) of all other ſpices Spikenard is of greateſt eſtimation: the ointment of Spikenard was very precious, which Plin. l. 12. cap. 12.they uſed to powr out and anoint men with; ſuch was the ointment that Mary anointed Chriſt with, as hee ſate at Table, and the houſe was filled with the odour of the ointment, John 12. 3. Mar. 14. 3. This Spiknard was very coſtly and precious, as may appeare, in that it grew in India, or in Aſſyria. And for this moſt precious oyle which was made of this ſweet plant of India, it had the nature of a warming, piercing, digeſting. The herb it ſelf is hot in the firſt degree, and dry in the ſecond, whereby it falleth out that it is of an excellent comforting nature, and alſo repercuſſive.
Now under this odoriferous nard, we may miſtically underſtand the moſt precious gifts and graces of the ſpirit of Chriſt, either
Firſt, as the ſweetneſſe of them flows from him, unto the Saints, or
Secondly, as they are planted in the hearts of his people, ſending forth a ſweet ſavour from thence.
Firſt, we may underſtand this ſweet ointment made of Spikenard, to be meant of Chriſts graces in himſelf, from which a ſweet and redolent ſavor deſcends down to all his Saints. The words in the originall will indifferently bear a double tranſlation, becauſe the letter which is the affix, ſometimes formeth the adjective, and ſo wee may tranſlate it thus; that which is of ſpikenard gave the ſmell thereof. And ſo Junius renders the words. According to this tranſlation, the Church praiſeth the ſweetneſſe of Chriſt, ſetting forth how Nardinum edit cdorem ſuum. Jun.ſweet he is unto her: as if ſhee ſhould ſay, even now while the King my Beloved is ſitting in the Heavens, compaſſed about with his holy Angels, and I here upon earth below; there is a wonderfull diſtance between us, and yet the ſweet ſavour of him commeth unto me: yea, I doe ſmell his ſweetneſſe, even as it were the precious ointment made of Spiknard, or
Secondly, Wee may take the words as they are in foreign Mea nar dus.our tranſlation, My ſpikenard, ſo Arius Montanus renders …t: And then wee may underſtand the graces of Chriſt in the Saints, as the fruits of faith, love, and all the ſacrifices of prayers and praiſes of the Saints: theſe and many ſuch like fruits the Saints ſhew forth by vertue of their communion with Chriſt. The Apoſtle in Rom. 6. 3, 4. ſets forth this communion of the Saints with Chriſt, under an elegant metaphor, repreſenting unto us, that as Plants engraffed, do receive moyſture, juyce, and nouriſhment from the ſtock, whereby they ſprout out, budd, and bear fruit: ſo the Saints, being as it were in ſerted into Chriſt, doe receive vigour and life from him, whereby they walke in the ſpirit, and become ſpirituall, holy, gracious, & active in all good works. Now good and gracious works flowing from the Spirit of Chriſt, are called fruits, which ſignifie not only an iſſuing from the ſtock, but the ſweetneſſe and pleaſantneſſe of them. And thus the Wiſe man ſaith, A good name is better then ointment, Eccl. 7. 3. becauſe it hath a good ſavour with it: And on the contrary, the Iſraelites ſaid to Moſes and Aaron, Yee have made us ſtincke before Pharaoh and his ſervants: That is, in their credit, good name, and eſtimation. And again in Prov. 15. 8. The ſacrifice of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. That thing is moſt abominable to the Lord, which the wicked think to be moſt excellent, and whereby they think to be moſt of all accepted: but the prayers and praiſes of the godly are delightfull in his eares, they have the ſavour of a ſweet odour before him.
Firſt, obſerve hence from the firſt interpretation,
That the graces which are in Chriſt, cast a ſweet odour and perfume into the hearts of all believers. Ointment and perfume rejoyce the heart, ſaith Solomon, Prov. 27. 9. So all Chriſts graces, which are the anointings of the Father upon him, are ſweet, rejoycing the hearts of the Saints. Chriſt was anointed with the oile of gladneſſe above his fellows, Pſal. 45. 7. His graces were matter of joy and gladneſſe to himſelfe, and to all his Saints. Chriſt's love is better then wine, becauſe it revives, ſtrengthens, and refreſheth the hearts of his ſervants. All Chriſts graces are very fragrant and redolent, refreſhing the ſences of the ſoule; his very word and Goſpel is a ſavour of life unto life, 2 Cor. 2. 16.
Secondly, according to the latter interpretation, obſerve,
That the graces of the Saints are very ſavoury and delightfull.
Their graces are delightfull,
1. To God.
2. To Man.
1. They are delightfull to God, as being the fruits of his own Spirit: God loves and delights in none but in himſelfe; but when hee communicates any of the graces of his Spirit, they are part of himſelfe, and hee greatly delights in them. As a Father delights in his Child, becauſe he ſeeth part of himſelfe in his Child: ſo the Lord conveyeth his owne grace and image into our hearts, and then delights to ſee them there
2. The graces of faith, love, prayer, and praiſes of the Saints are acceptable to God by the mediation of Jeſus Chriſt. Thus the Apoſtle ſaith, his preaching of the Goſpel was unto God a ſweet ſavour of Chriſt, in them that are ſaved, and in them that periſh, 2 Cor. 2. 15. Hee alludeth to the ointment of the Prieſt, and the ſweet incenſe which they offered unto the Lord. And David prayeth, that his prayer might be directed before the Lord, as incenſe, Pſal. 141. 2. He meaneth ſuch incenſe or perfume, which was a confection of ſweet ſpices, made after the Art of the Apothecary, pure and holy, and was by the Prieſts burned upon the golden Altar, every morning before the Lord, Exod. 30. 34, 35, 36. Which Incenſe was a figure of the prayers of the Saints, acceptable to God, through the mediation of Jeſus Chriſt.
And thus it is ſaid of Noah's burnt-offerings, which he offered, after the deluge of waters ceaſed, that the Lord ſmelled a ſavour of reſt in them, Gen. 8. 20. And Chriſt is called that Angell that ſtood before the Altar, having a golden Cenſor, and there was given unto him much incenſe, that he ſhould offer it, with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar, which was before the Throne, Rev. 8. 3. That is, Chriſt the Angell of Gods preſence, who had a golden Cenſor, as the High Prieſt had, to offer Incenſe, Heb. 9. 4. unto whom was given much incenſe, like thoſe ſweet ſpices which the Prieſts burnt upon the golden Altar, Exod. 30. 34. which he was to offer with the prayers of the Saints, mingling the ſweet odour of his own merits with their prayers, and ſo offering of them up upon the golden Altar, to wit, his own ſelfe, which was figured out by that golden Altar upon which Incenſe was offered, Numb. 4. 11. and overlaid with gold, Exod. 30. 3. And thus hee makes our prayers acceptable unto God, that hee ſmels a ſweet ſavour in them.
2. The graces of Chriſts ſpirit in the Saints, are not only ſavoury and delightfull to God by Jeſus Chriſt, but they are ſavoury to men alſo. To this purpoſe tends that of the Apoſtle Peter, when he exhorts us to have our converſation honeſt among the Gentiles, that they which ſpeake evill of us, as of evill doers, may by our good works which they ſhall ſee, glorifie God in the day of their viſitation, 1 Pet. 2. 12. This odour is bonae famae, the ſavour or ſmell of a good name: for a good name is better then ointment, Eccleſ. 7. 3. And this the Apoſtle calls pure religion, and undefiled before God, even the Father, to viſit the fatherleſſe and widows in their adverſity, and to keepe our ſelves unſpotted of the world, Jam. 1. 17. And the Apoſtle Paul willeth u… to walke wiſely towards them which are without, Coloſſ. 4. 5. That is, wee ſhould walk in-offenſively towards them, giving of them no offence, but rather to win them by a ſweet, holy, and godly converſation.