Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 2 · Verse 12,13
VERS. 12.
The flowers appeare on the earth, the time of the ſinging of Birds is come, and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land.
VERS. 13.
The Fig-tree putteth forth her greene figs, &c.
HEre wee have a particular deſcription of the Spring, by the flowers that appeare, by the ſinging of Birds, by the voice of the Turtle, by the fig-tree bringing forth figgs, and the Vines with their firſt grapes, caſting forth a ſmell, &c. The perſwaſion then being drawne from the compariſon of the times. Wee are to conſider how it ſtands in the myſticall ſenſe.
Firſt, Wee may apply this to the State of all the elect, before their calling, and then to their eſtate after regeneration. Before they be called, their hearts are even like the earth in winter, under the cold froſts and ſtormes of ſinne, where can be nothing but bitterneſſe and things unſavourie. After the Lord hath called them, there is a fragrancie, and heavenly dew of all graces upon the ſoule, then the ſweet flowers and wholeſome fruits doe bud forth.
Secondly, Wee may apply the words to the ſtate of the Church, under nipping froſts, and ſtormie threats of the Law: Now by the comming of Chriſt in the fleſh, and the publiſhing of the Goſpell of peace and glad-tydings, thoſe winter-ſhowres were changed, from windy ſhowres, to ſhowres beſeeming the Spring, then there was abundance of ſpirituall peace and joy in the holy-Ghoſt, even heavenly melodie, which is here repreſented by the ſpringings of flowers and the ſinging of Birds.
The flowers appeare on the earth, &c.
The flowers, or, the flowerings appeare. The Hebrew word ſignifies any flouriſhing thing, in Ezek. 7. 10. it is uſed for the bloſſoming of a rod: By theſe flowers wee foreign Floruit, Effloruit.may underſtand,
Firſt, the Saints themſelves, which now begin to hold up their heads, and of the fruits of the Spirit, whereby the elect give a pleaſant ſmell: and whereby they are much adorned, and comforted. Thus when the Lord promiſeth grace to his people, he ſaith, Iſrael ſhall bloſſome, and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit, Iſa. 27. 6. Though they ſeemed to have been ſo grievouſly afflicted, that they ſeeme paſt all hope of recoverie, yet they ſhall ſettle, and thrive, and encreaſe againe.
On the earth, or, in the earth, which being drie and barren by nature, (being curſed for mans ſake, Gen. 3.) foreignis by the ſupply of the raine, and dew from Heaven, is made fruitfull: ſo are the Saints by nature, but are made fruitful by grace: Hence it is the Lord promiſeth to be, As dew upon Iſrael, that he ſhall grow as the Lilie, and caſt forth his roots as Lebanon, his branches ſhal ſpread, & his beautie ſhall be as the Olive-tree, &c. Hoſ. 14. 4, 5, 6. that is, as if the Lord had ſaid, I will heale their backſlidings and love them freely: for I will ſo water them with the dew of my grace and heavenly bleſſing, that, they ſhall be like the Olive-tree, which is alwayes greene and flouriſhing as in Pſal. 52. 8.
Hence Obſerve, Firſt.
That the Saints in reſpect of their graces, are very ſweet and fragrant.
They are compared to the flowers of the ſpring, which are appointed rather to ſavour unto, then to ſeed upon: all the gracious ſpeeches, thankſgivings, and prayers, are as ſo many ſacrifices of ſweet ſmelling ſavour unto God by Jeſus Chriſt. The Prophet Zeph. in ch. 3. 9. calleth it a pure language, which the Lord would give to his people under Meſſits, the face of the earth ſhould be changed, by the calling in of the Gentiles, & by their ſanctification in heart & tongue, when they ſhould ſpeake the language of Canaan, as the Prophet Iſaiah ſpeakes, Chap. 19. 18.
Secondly, Obſerve.
That the Goſpell makes men that are barren by nature, to be exceeding fruitfull.
The flowers appeare in the earth, &c. which was naturally drie and barren. Hence the Prophet Iſaiah ſaith, The Wilderneſſe and ſolitary place, ſhall be glad for them, and the Deſart ſhall rejoyce, and bloſſome as the roſe: it ſhall bloſſome abundantly, and rejoyce even with joy and ſinging, &c. Iſa. 35. 1, 2. that is, the Wilderneſſe, and the ſolitary place, or (as it is in the originall) the land of drineſſe, or drought; that is without moiſture, ſhall be a moſt plentifull and beautifull place, by the glorie of Gods preſence in his Church. And in verſe 6. he ſaith, For in the Wilderneſſe ſhall waters breake out, and ſtreames in the Deſart; that is, thoſe that were barren before, ſhall become fruitfull in grace and holineſſe; Being (as the Apoſtle ſaith) Filled with the fruits of righteouſneſſe, Phil. 1. 11.
So much for the firſt deſcription of the Spring.
The ſecond followeth.
The time of the ſinging of Birds is come.
The time of ſinging, to wit, by Birds. The clauſe (by Birds) is not in the Originall, but is neceſſarily underſtood; ſeing not any other ſinging, but ſuch a ſinging of Birds (as afterwards, namely of the Turtle) can here be underſtood, that being one glorious effect of the Spring. The old Latine turnes it, Tempus putationis, the time of lopping or pruning the Vines.
The Hebrew word Zamir, indeed ſometimes ſo ſignifieth, as it ſignifieth alſo a ſinging; as here, it cannot be taken for cutting, but for ſinging, becauſe afterward we have Vines brought in with their fruit, and therefore cannot be the time of pruning and lopping.
Arius Montanus renders it, Tempus cantus, a time of ſinging.
Birds in Scripture are conſidered
| Sometimes in a good | part |
| Sometimes in an evill |
1. They are taken in the evill part, Matth. 13. where the Birds of the Aire ſteale away the ſeed of godlineſſe.
2. They are taken in a good ſenſe, as Levit. 12. 6. where Doves and Sparrows are an analogical Sacrifice to God; as alſo in flocking of Fowles, for ſuch ſupply of oblation, unto Noah's Arke.
Now for the firſt ſort of Birds they are ſuch as John ſpeaks of in Revel. 18. they be a Cage of uncleane and hatefull Birds, whoſe Song is vanity and diſcord: but for the ſinging here introduced, intimates unto us the Song of Chriſts people, who feeling the comforts of the Goſpell and of the Spirit, doe ſing his praiſe; and with Pſalmes, and Hymmes, and ſpirituall Songs, doe ſing and make melody in their hearts unto the Lord, Epheſ. 5. 19. The holy Ghoſt here alluding to the ſweet accents of Birds. Let us Obſerve hence. Firſt,
That the Goſpell of Christ fills mens hearts and mouths with joy and praiſes. The Goſpel is cal'd good tidings, Iſa. 61. 1. And tidings of great joy, Luk. 1. 19. & 8. 1. Rom. 10. 13. And thus we have the Prophet, ſaying. They ſhall lift up their voyce, they ſhall ſing for the majeſty of the Lord, &c. From the utmoſt parts of the Earth, have we heard ſongs, glory to the righteous, Iſa. 24. 14, 16. And againe, ſpeaking of the times of the Goſpell, he ſaith, Then ſhall the lame man leap as an Hart, and the tongue of the dumb ſing, &c. Iſa. 35. 6. That is, they ſhall ſing Songs of joy and praiſe to the Lord; when the Gentiles began to appeare a Church, then ſhee began to ſing the praiſes of Meſſiah.
Secondly Obſerve,
That the miniſtration of the Goſpell is much more comfortable then that of the Law. The Law was the miniſtration of the Letter, of death, and of condemnation: but the Goſpell, of Spirit, of Life, and of righteouſneſſe, 2 Cor. 3. The Law was given with terrible ſound of thunder, the Goſpell in forme of delectable ſinging: the firſt Song was an Elegie or ſad dump, the ſecond an Eulogie, an Hymme, a Pſalme of joy and gladneſſe. The Goſpell puts Songs of joy, and notes of delight into our mouths.
So much for the ſecond deſcription of the Spring. The third followeth.
The voyce of the Turtle is heard in our Land.
This Bird in the Originall called Tor, which word foreign Diſpoſitio, forma, & gurtur.appellatively is order, as if this Bird above others were a Bird of order. This Bird is a kind of Dove, addicted to the Deſart and ſolitary places; true to his Mate, whoſe Song is mixed with ſadneſſe, in the winter ſeaſon couched in ſome hollow Tree, comming forth in the Spring with his mournfull Song.
By this Bird is ſometimes meant the Church, as in Pſal. 74. 19. O deliver not the ſoul of thy Turtle Dove unto the multitude of the wicked. That is, deliver not the life of thy Church to be pierced by the wicked, ſhee being mournfull, weake, and timerous, and unable to helpe her ſelfe. And ſo the Church is called in Song 2. 14. & 5. 2. but here it cannot be meant of the Church, ſeing ſhee is ſtirred up to ariſe by the voice of the Tirtle. What Bird of order can this be then, but that which was appointed for a burnt Sacrifice in Levit. 1. 5. even Chriſt himſelfe, who during the time of the Laws winter, was couched under ſhadows, and therein lay as dead; but when his Goſpell was to be ſet up, when he ſhould appeare in the fleſh, and ſhow himſelfe in our nature, then he ſung perſonally to the Jewes, and to the firſt fruits of the Gentiles, afterwards by the glorious and plentifull miſſion of his ſpirit: for thus Chriſt's ſpirit is reſembled to a Dove, as at his Baptiſme, Mat. 3. 16. So then by the voyce of the Turtle Dove is meant the voyce of the Spirit, whereby they are refreſhed, and doe mutually comfort one another, and doe jointly praiſe God with, and for his graces.
Hence Obſerve,
That the voyce of the Spirit of Chriſt ſounding in the Goſpell is very comfortable. And therefore the comfortable givings out of the Spirit in the days of the Goſpell is compared to the voyce of the Turtle Dove in the Spring, who had hid her ſelfe in the holes of Trees all the winter before: So Chriſt that was hid under types and ſhadows, to appeare in the plentifull powrings out of the Spirit, this muſt needs be very comfortable. The Spirit is called the Oyle of gladneſſe, Pſal. 45. And the Comforter, John 14. and all the effects of the working of the Spirit in the ſoul, are of joy and peace; and the joy of the Spirit is like the interceſſion of the Spirit, unſpeakable and glorious, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 1 Pet. 1. 8.
Thus we have the firſt part of Chriſts Spring deſcribed.
1. By the flowers.
2. By the ſinging of Birds.
Now followeth ſome further fruits of the Spring, repreſented to us by the Trees fruit. 1. Of the Figtree. 2. Of the Vine-tree, and theſe fruits make up the Springs perfection, and ſtand for a prologue to the Summer ſeaſon, as in the following words.