Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 1 · Verse 17
Verſ. 17.
The beams of our houſe are Cedar, the Rafters are of Firr.
Here is commended their houſe which they dwell in; and the commendations is from the matter which it is built of: which is expreſſed by two adjuncts, beams, and galleries.
The beams of our houſe.
The word Tranſlated beams, ſignifies beams or Rafters, foreign Occurit, Inde. foreign Tignum.which beare up the roofe of the houſe, or any timber or ſtone, whereof any ſuch prop is made. Beams are for ſtrength and ſuſtentation of the houſe: by theſe beams may be meant thoſe that are ſtrong; as James, Cephas, and John, are called Pillars of the Church, Gal. 2. 9. becauſe theſe by the preaching of the doctrine of faith, did, as it were, ſtay and uphold the Churches of Chriſt.
Of our houſe.
Our houſe) Or the houſes of us, for the Catholick body is diſtinguiſhed into ſundry particular Congregations, or Churches, in every of which (as in ſundry Nurceries) the Saints are brought up and Nurſed. The Church is called the houſe of God, 1 Tim. 3. 15. which is Interpreted to be the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth. And ſo the faithfull are called, the houſe of God, Heb. 3. 6. But what is this Palace? It cannot be ſo properly meant of Heaven, in which the Saints ſhall dwell for ever but rather of an houſe while they are yet in this World, and this houſe is the Church of Chriſt, ſhe is the Temple of the living God. Every faithfull ſoule is the habitation of Chriſt; and hence it is, that the Pſalmiſt calls upon men to open the doors of their heart to receive Chriſt: Lift up your heads yee gates, and be ye lift up yee everlaſting doors, and the King of glory ſhall come in Pſal. 24.
The beams of our houſe are Cedar.
The beams of this ſpirituall houſe are ſet forth by the matter they were of, they were of Cedar: Cedar is a Tree very common in Mount Lebanon; and (as ſome ſay) like unto Juniper, or rather to Cypres for leafe; but for the Tree it ſelfe, it is tall, and ſtrong, and the wood of permament nature, and of a very ſweet ſmell, and it rotteth not, nor admitting any worme. Now the Saints (who are the beams, rafters, and materialls of this houſe) are compared to Cedars, in Pſa. 92. 13. And Balaam likeneth the Tabernacles of Iſrael unto Cedar trees beſide the waters, for goodlineſſe, Numb. 24. 5, 6. This wood was uſed in Solomon's Temple, 1 K. 6. 36. And he made Cedars like Sycamore Trees, which are in the val', for abundance, 1 Kings 10. 27. Prefiguring the Saints of whom the ſpirituall Temple of the Lord was to be built: the Saints are as living ſtones, put into the edifice or building of Chriſts ſpirituall Temple. Thus is commended the matter of the beams of this houſe, wherein is ſet forth the ſtability and ſtrength of this houſe or houſes. Now followeth the ſeting forth of the excellency and ſtatelineſſe of this houſe.
And the rafters (or gallerirs) of firr.
Rafters) or Galleries, as the word borrowed from running intendeth: Galleries were certaine walking places, which were built on the tops of houſes. Now in ſuch Galleries as theſe, men were wont to walke and converſe together: So here, theſe Galleries in Chriſts houſe may ſignifie the ſweet converſing the Saints have with Chriſt, in the communication of all his graces. Theſe Galleries are ſet forth by the matter they were of.
Of Fir
Our Tranſlation ſaith of fir, ſome others Cypres; the Hebrew Brothim (whoſe ſingular for the forme of its Characture, may be Brut) is turned by the Latine word Bruta, which was a Tree (as Pliny recordeth) Plinie in Lib. 12. Cap. 17.like to a broad Cypres tree, with whitiſh boughs, of excellent ſweet ſavour, much like unto Cedar. This ſets out unto us the excellency of Chriſts Galleries, wherein he doth ſweetly converſe with his people, and wherein his people doe contemplate of divine things.
Theſe Cedars and Brutine trees, may both be applied unto the perſons of the Saints; and alſo unto the doctrine of faith, wherewith the Curch is built upon Chriſt the chief corner Stone, as in 1 Cor. 3. 9, 10, 11, 12. where the Apoſtle ſaith, No man can lay any other foundation then that which is laid, which is Christ: Now (ſaith he) if any man build upon this foundation, Gold, Silver, precious ſtones, &c. That is meant of the Saints, who are the ſuper-ſtructure, built upon Chriſt the foundation: thus was the building of the new Jeruſalem, whoſe twelve gates were of pearles, and the ſtreet of the city was pure gold, Rev. 21. 21. Now all theſe ſimilitudes doe ſet forth thoſe holy perſons and graces wherewith the Church ſhould be adorned: all thoſe things, ſignified by the houſes of Cedar, and by the Galleries of fir, are ſtrong and firme and very redolent and ſavory, unto the comfort of the Saints, and the glory of Chriſt.
In the Verſe before Chriſt and his Church ſung the prayſe of their Bed, here they ſing the praiſe of their Houſes.
Hence Obſerve,
1. That the Saints are Chriſts houſe.
They are called, the houſe of God, 1 Pet. 4. 17. and the Temple of God, 2 Cor. 6. 16. Heaven is his houſe, where he manifeſteth his glory, and the world is his houſe, where he manifeſteth his power and wiſdome; but the Saints are his houſe, where he manifeſteth his eſpeciall grace and favour. The Lord dwells with the humble ſpirit, Iſa. 57. 15. That is, he is preſent with them, to cheare and comfort them with his grace and ſpirit.
Now the Lord maketh uſe of the Saints as men doe of their houſes.
1. Men uſe to abide and be reſident in their houſes; a houſe is a place of reſidence. So Chriſt is alway preſent with his Saints, by his Spirit unto the end of the world, Matth. 28. 18. And lo (ſaith he) I am with you unto the end.
2. Men doe refreſh themſelves by eating, and drinking, and the like, in houſes: thus Chriſt is ſaid to feaſt and ſup with his Saints, Revel. 3. 20. Chriſt doth converſe familiarly, chearfully, and comfortably with them, as friends uſe to Feaſt and make merry one with another.
3. Men doe take great delight and contentment in their houſes, as being a part of their worldly excellenency: So Chriſt taketh great contentment and delight in his Saints: The upright are his delight, Prov. 11. 20.
4. Men lay up their greateſt treaſures and their moſt precious Jewells in their houſes: So doth Chriſt, he comes into the ſoule (his houſe) to beſtow his Jewels, and to ſpread his treaſures of grace there; he makes the ſpirit of glory to reſt upon his Saints, 1 Pet. 4. 14.
Now as the glory of Chriſts houſe is ſet forth, ſo alſo is the glory of the beams or rafters thereof commended unto us. You heard that theſe beams were applied to the perſons of the Saints, wherewithall the houſe of Chriſt is builded. Chriſt is the Foundation, and the Saints are the ſuper-ſtructure put into the building. This is that the Apoſtle tells us, 1 Pet. 2. 4, 5. To whom comming (that is unto Chriſt) as unto a living ſtone: yee alſo (ſaith he) as lively ſtones are built up as ſpirituall houſe, an holy Prieſt-hod, to offer up ſpirituall Sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jeſus Chriſt. So Gods houſe is built of Saints, of lively ſtones, ſuch as have received life from him, & this houſe is Gods dwelling place, where he communicates both grace and glory. And it is called a ſpirituall houſe, becauſe it is built up by the Spirit of God.
Now as Chriſts houſe is commended by the beams thereof; ſo the beams or rafters, are ſet forth by the matter they are of and that is Cedar.
Hence note,
That the Saints (who are the materialls of Chriſts houſe) in reſpect of their excellency, are called Cedars. Cedar was uſed in Solomons Temple, 1 Kings 6. 36. and did prefigure the Saints under the Goſpell Church. And the Saints are compared to Cedars. Pſal. 92. 13. Now the Saints may well be compared to Cedars, in diverſe reſpects, but eſpecially in theſe that follow.
1. The Cedar is a very tall and high tree, all other trees are but ſhrubs unto them. So are the Saints, in their gifts, in their graces, in their priviledges and attainments; they are above the men of the world, and therefore they are taller then the people by the head and ſhoulders, as it was ſaid of King Saul. Solomon confirmeth this and ſaith, The righteous is more excellent then his Neighbour, Prov. 12. 26.
2. Cedar is a tree of incomparable ſtrength: So the Saints are made ſtronger then their enemies; they are ſo ſtrong that they are become more then Conquerours, through him that loved them.
3. Cedar is a very durable wood: So the Saints are ſuch as endure to the end; they ſtand faſt in the faith of Jeſus Chriſt, and are not moved away from the hope that is in them. Though they walke in the midſt of temptations, yet they never give over their hope: Though thou kill me (ſaith Job) yet will I truſt in thee. And though the Saints walk in darkneſſe and have no light at all, yet they will truſt in the name of the Lord, and ſtay themſelves upon their God, Iſa. 50. 10.
4. Cedar rotteth not; no more doe the Saints decay in their graces. Indeed there may be ſome ſpirituall languour or deadnes befall them, by reaſon of ſome deſertion or temptation, and the like: but for the graces of the Spirit in them, they never periſh nor decay.
5. Cedar (as ſome report) will not admit of any worme; no more will the Saints admit of any worm of coveteouſneſſe, or any worldly thing to conſume them, or eat them out.
6. Cedar is very ſweet of ſmell; So the Saints are odoriferous and redolent of ſavour, in all their Sacrifices to God by Jeſus Chriſt: and to man in their lives and converſations.
7. Cedar (as ſome ſay) will putrifie and kill things that are living and reſtore and conſerve that which is rotten: So the Saints have received power and grace from Chriſt to kill and mortifie all their luſts, and have alſo received power from him to live and revive, although dead before. This Chriſt himſelfe tells us, John 5. 25. The dead ſhall heare the voyce of the Son of God, and they ſhall live.
8. And laſtly, the Cedar is more fruitfull in age then before; and for this cauſe are the Saints compared unto Cedars, in that as Cedars they grow from perfection to perfection, bearing moſt fruit in their age: as it is in Pſal. 92. 14. a Chriſtian is a Cedar, ſet in Chriſt the chiefe Cedar, he is a plant that grows in him, he hath eternall root, and therefore he flouriſheth eternally.
Laſtly, from the Galleries of converſe and contemplation: Obſerve, That Chriſt doth ſweetly converſe with his people, in his Galleries of contemplations. Galleries are for walking, and walking for converſe: Chriſt hath his Galleries where he doth converſe with his Saints. Now it is by faith we muſt aſcend up into theſe Galleries, and being there, we may with Abraham ſee Chriſts day afar of, and rejoyce. It is in theſe Galleries, where we may, with Jacob, ſee a Viſion of Angells aſcending and deſcending upon the Son of man. Here is that Mount that with Moſes we may ſee all Canaan before we come there: and with Peter, James, and John, we may ſee Chriſt in excellent and tranſcendent glory. In theſe Galleries it is that Chriſt reveals ſuch glorious ſecrets unto his people, which are unpoſſible to be uttered; as he did unto Paul in his rapture, 2 Cor. 12. 4. I heard things (ſaith the Apoſtle) which is not lawfull (or is unpoſſible) for a man to utter. That is, none but God foreignhimſelfe could reveale ſuch things unto me.
In a word, Chriſt doth take the ſoul into theſe Galleries, and ſheweth it all the glory, excellency, riches, and glory of heaven, and doth alſo, to the unſpeakable comfort of his Saints, aſſure them of the fruition and enjoyment of all theſe things. Thus much for the firſt Chapter.