Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 2 · Verse 16,17
VERS. 16, 17.
My beloved is mine, and I am his; he feedeth among the Lilies.
Ʋntill the day breake, and the ſhadows flee away; turne my beloved, and be thou like a Roe, or young heart upon the mountaines of Bether.
THe Church having finiſhed Chriſts ſpeech, ſhee now concludeth this divine act with a kinde of a triumphant acclamation upon the former paſſages, for now ſhe begins to feele ſome comfort from Chriſts drawing neer unto her, after her ſoule-ſicknes: Hence ſhe breaketh out.
Firſt, With praiſe, verſe 16.
Secondly, With prayer, verſe 17.
Firſt, Wee have the praiſe of Meſſiahs love, and feeding: his love is laid downe.
Firſt, In the gift of himſelfe to his Spouſe, expreſſed in theſe words, My beloved is mine, &c.
Secondly, In that ſhe was made his: And I am his. He being hers, ſhe therefore became his.
Laſtly, She praiſeth his feeding, affirming that to be among the Lilies.
In theſe words, My Beloved is mine, and I am his: there is a mutuall intercourſe and viciſſitude of claiming intereſt betwixt Chriſt and his Church; the Church indeed glorieth in this, but not ſo much in her ſelfe, as in her beloved, according to that of the Apoſtle, He that glorieth, let him glorie in the Lord, 1 Cor. 1. 31. And obſerve what it is ſhe glorieth in, namely, in that communion which is betweene her and Chriſt, and this ſhee declareth by a paſſionate expreſſion of comfort, and that from the higheſt pitch of affection, from a heart enflamed with love, ſaying, I am my Beloveds, and my beloved is mine.
Firſt, Note from theſe words, My beloved is mine, &c. That there is a union betweene Chriſt and his Saints, from whence ariſeth all ſweet communion.
Chriſt is the head of his Spouſe, and ſhe by the Spirit united unto him as his myſticall body: he is Chriſt the giver of all ſpirituall influence to his Church: Chriſt is alſo the Churches, as by marriage, if the perſon of the Husbands be the wives, his goods, and titles of honours are hers alſo, he having paſſed over the right of his owne body unto her: ſo is it in the myſticall marriage betweene Chriſt and the Spouſe, that union and conjunction of perſons betweene them, doth intitle the Church in the communion of all his graces.
Now from this union of perſons, comes a communion of all good things: ſo that the Church can ſay if Chriſt be mine, all that he hath is mine, what he hath done, and what he hath ſuffered is mine, and why? becauſe he is mine, for union is the foundation of all bleſſed communion. And ſo againe on the other ſide the Church can ſay, I am his, my perſon, my life, and ſtrength, and all is his, to glorifie him: ſo there is a union and communion mutually betweene Chriſt and his Church. The originall and ſpring hereof is Chriſts uniting and communicating himſelfe firſt to his Church, for the Spring begins to the ſtreame, what hath the ſtreame, but it firſt was in the Spring? Now there is an evidence of right and propriety that Chriſt doth communicate unto his Saints, whereby they have a comfortable intereſt in him.
Firſt, In all his workes and performances, they are in a peculiar reſpect for every Saint, his making of the world, ſetling of policies and governments, rooting up of Kingdomes, executing of judgements in the earth, rewarding ſome, and puniſhing others, and the like, all theſe, and in all other generall providentiall workes of Chriſt, the Saints have a kinde of intereſt and proprietie in; next unto his owne glorie, Chriſt aimed at the good of his Church in all theſe things, and doth alwayes make them inſtrumentall for her welfare, in which ſenſe are the words of the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 3. 21, 22. All things are yours, (ſaith he) whether Paul or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things preſent, or things to come; all is yours.
Secondly, The Saints have a claime alſo in the dignities and honours of Chriſt. There is a reciprocation (as it were) betweene him and his people; they are mutually and interchangeably glorified in one another: as Chriſt is glorified in them, Joh. 17. 10. ſo they are unſpeakably digniſied, and graced by him. The glorie of Children (ſaith Solomon) are their Fathers, Prov. 17. 6. If the father be heroicall, or any way excellent, this is the Sonnes glorie, unleſſe he degenerate: now the Saints are called the Seed and the Children of Chriſt, whatſoever therefore he excels in, it is their dignitie, and their glorie: Beſides, Chriſt doth impart of his glorie and honour to them, making them like himſelf: Is Chriſt a ſonne, and heire of all? ſo are thy ſonnes, and heirs, and Co-heirs with Chriſt; ſhall he judge the World? So ſhall they in ſome ſort: Doth he breake in pieces the Nations with a rod of Iron? ſo doe they: is he aſcended into glory? ſo ſhall they aſcend: there is not any whit of his glory, unleſſe it be that which is utterly incommunicable, but they have a touch of it, if I may ſo ſay; yea, and that which is incommunicable, redounds to their glory alſo.
Thirdly, the Saints have intereſt in the Offices of Chriſt. Every Saint may ſay of Chriſt, he is my Prophet and Teacher, he is my Prieſt and Reconciler, he is my King and Governour: yea, the Saints have ſuch an intereſt in theſe Offices of Chriſt, that vertue comes out of him to make them even Prophets, and Prieſts, and Kings alſo. Prophets in ſome meaſure, to teach themſelves and others, Prieſts to offer ſpirituall Sacrifices, acceptable to God by Chriſt; and Kings to rule over their owne luſts and corruptions.
Fourthly, the Saints have intereſt in the graces of Chriſt: he that hath the field hath alſo the treaſure that is hid in it. It was the greateſt conſolation and joy of the Spouſe that ſhee could ſay, My Beloved is mine. So all that is in Chriſt a Believer may appropriate to himſelfe; he may ſay, his riches, his love, his goodneſſe, his greatneſſe, his power, and all that is his, is mine; I have intereſt in all thoſe tranſcendent graces of his, his mercy, his truth, his promiſes, they are all mine. Thus the Saints have a peculiarity and right in Chriſt, which is as the Spring of all mutuall love betweene them.
Now to joine the words together (My Beloved is mine and I am his) they imply,
1. A mutuall intereſt; as Pſal. 73. Whom have I in Heaven but thee, and what is there in Earth in compariſon of thee? He is mine, yea, and I am his, there is propriety with peculiarity and intereſt.
2. The words imply a mutuall love; Chriſt is the object of the Saints beſt affections, and the Spouſe is the very Center of Chriſts love, his love reſts on the Church, and ſcatters not to other objects. Thus the Apoſtle applyes the love of Chriſt, ſaying, He loved me, and gave himſelfe for me, Gal. 2. 20. And we love him becauſe he loved us firſt, 1 John 4. 19. So that the Church may ſay, Chriſt is mine, and his love is mine, and I am Chriſts, he hath my ſoule, my affections, and all that I have, is his, he hath my love to the uttermoſt.
3. The words doe alſo imply mutuall familiarity; Chriſt is my familiar, my fellow-friend, and Companion; he diſcovers himſelfe unto me in the ſecrets of his love: So the Saints have a ſpirit of fellowſhip and familiarity with God in Chriſt, ſo that they can unboſome and let open their hearts to him upon all occaſions, as unto a familiar.
4. And laſtly, they imploy complacency or reſting one in the other. Chriſt hath a complacency and reſting in his Spouſe, he is well pleaſed in her, taking the greateſt ſatisfaction and content in her that poſſible can be thought on. So the Church hath a complacency or well-pleaſedneſſe in her beloved, whereby ſhee doth approve and like of all that is in him, reſting in his goodneſſe, as in the moſt lovely and deſireable object in the World. Hence ſhee ſaith in Chap. 1. Verſe 1, 2. Thy love is better then Wine. Becauſe of the ſavour of thy good Ointments powred forth, therefore doe the Virgins love thee. This ſhews what a pleaſing and delightfull object Chriſt is to a believer: what more acceptable to the taſt then fragrant wine? Chriſt is far more acceptable to a Saint. What more pleaſing to the ſmell then ſweet Ointments of an exquiſite compoſition? Chriſt is the ſame, and far ſweeter to the heart of a believer, ſo that the Saints, from this complacency and wel-pleaſedneſſe in Chriſt, doe ſweetly acquieſce and reſt in him, as in the lovelieſt object in the world.
Having ſpoken of the union and communion betwixt Chriſt and his Church, where was ſet forth the mutuall intereſt and owning between Chriſt and the Church. Now it will be neceſſary that I ſpeake ſomething of the order of this union. Chriſt is firſt ours, then we are his, My beloved is mine, and I am his.
Hence Note,
That Chriſt is firſt ours, and then we are his becauſe he is ours. For this there are foure grounds.
1. Chriſt is the well-ſpring of all grace in us, our grace comes from his grace, and our love from his love, as appears, 1 John 4. 10. 9.
2. Becauſe the leſſe is firſt beloved of the greater; the nature of love is firſt to diſcend, the ſuperiour firſt loves the inferiour; as the love of a Father diſcends to his Child firſt, then the Childs love aſcends back to the Father: So Chriſt firſt condiſcends to love us, then we aſcend in our love to him againe.
3. From the attractiveneſſe of Chriſts love Magnes amoris eſt amor: love is the attractive loadſtone of love: now our nature is ſuch, that we will love onelyonly where we are firſt loved; as the heat of the Sun-beams reflect from a wall: ſo Chriſts love to us cannot but cauſe a reflexion of ours upon him; our love is but a ſparke of his. We loved him (ſaith the Apoſtle) becauſe he loved us firſt: when he reveales his love to us ſuch a fire muſt needs kindle and melt our affections, without which our hearts will be key-cold and frozen.
4. It muſt be the ſame ſpirit that tells our ſouls that Chriſt loves us, that muſt make us give up our affections to Chriſt. The ſpirit of Chriſt doth ſweetly diſplay before the ſoule, the rich, free, and liberall love of Chriſt, and alſo with the diſcovery of his love, cauſes the ſoul to love him againe.
The next thing to be enquired into, is,
1. How Chriſt comes to be ours.
2. How we come to be Chriſt's.
Chriſt becomes ours by ſuch means as theſe.
1. Chriſt is ours by the free donation and gift of the Father, as appears, Joh. 3. 16. God ſo loved the World that he gave his onelyonly begotten Sonne, &c.
2. Chriſt freely gave himſelfe unto us; ſo that Chriſt is ours by his owne conſent, he hath, as it were paſſed over himſelfe unto us. The Apoſtle ſaith, Chriſt loved me and gave himſelfe for me, Gal. 2. 20. As the Father freely gave his Sonne unto us, ſo Chriſt freely and ſpontaneouſly gave his conſent to be ours.
3. Chriſt hath paſſed himſelfe over unto his Church by Marriage; although we had nothing to bring to him but poverty and miſery, yet he tooke upon him our nature to diſcharge all, that he might marry us, and ſo paſſe over himſelfe unto us, as a huſband paſſeth over himſelfe unto his wife. Hence it is that the Lord ſaith, I am married unto you, and I will take you one of a City, and two of a Family, and I will bring you to Zion, Jeremiah, Chap. 3. Verſe 14.
4. And laſtly, Chriſt is ours by communicating o his owne Spirit to us: for the Spirit is given for thaf end, to ſhew us all things that are given us of God, whereof Chriſt is the chiefe: this is that the Apoſtle tells us, when he ſaith, No man knoweth the things of God, but the Spirit of God. Now (ſaith he) we have not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given us of God; and thus we have the mind of Chriſt, 1 Corinth. 2. 11. 12. 16.
Having declared how Chriſt is ours, and that he is ours in the firſt place, before we can be his. It followeth that we ſpeak of the reflexion on the other hand, and ſhew how we become Chriſts.
The Saints are Chriſts theſe fowre wayes.
1. Chriſt hath propriety in us by the donation of the Father. God hath made him both Lord and Chriſt, Act. 2. 36. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the Church, Epheſ. 1. 22. And now ſaith Chriſt, behold, I and the Children whom thou haſt given me, Heb. 2. Thine they were, and thou gaveſt them to me, John 17. 6. For as in reſpect of Gods juſtice we were bought by Chriſt in our redemption, ſo in regard of his love we were given unto Chriſt in our Election, that he might Redeeme us.
2. We are Chriſts by Choyſe: I have choſen you out of the World, ſaith Chriſt, John 15. 19. And the Saints are ſaid to be choſen in Chriſt, Epheſ. 1. 4. And they are called choſen, and faithfull, Revel. 17. 14.
3. The Saints are Chriſts by Purchaſe: we were in the hand of our Enemies, and could not free our ſelves from the bondage of the Law, therefore Chriſt redeemed us from under the Law, Gal. 4. 6. And the Apoſtle ſaith, we were bought with a price, 1 Cor. 6. 20. He was our ſurety, and ſtood in our ſtead, and was ſet forth to declare the righteouſneſſe of God, Rom. 3. 26. So then, we are Chriſts by right of redemption.
4. And laſtly, We are Chriſts by combination and Covenant. I entred into Covenant with thee, and thou becameſt mine, Ezek. 16. 8. That is, I did make a ſolemn Covenant or ſtipulation with thee, that I would take thee to be my people.
Thus much for the mutuall union and communion, and for that mutuall intereſt and propriety betweene Chriſt and his Church. Now it followeth, that the Church commendeth Chriſts feeding.
He feedeth among the Lilies.
After the Church had extolled Chriſt for his love, ſhee praiſeth his feeding, affirming that to be among Lilies. Theſe words are diverſly Interpreted, becauſe the Hebrew word may be taken either actively, or paſſively. If it be taken paſſively, it may be meant of Chriſts feeding himſelfe. Or, we may take it actively of Chriſts feeding, Viz. his Flock, among Lilies. Or we may take it for Chriſts feeding of himſelfe and his Church: he feeds his Church among Lilies, and delights himſelfe to be there, the one follows the other, but eſpecially it is meant of the Church, thoſe that are his Saints, he feeds them among the Lilies.
Lilies are ſuch kind of flowers as require a great deale of nouriſhment, and they flouriſh, and proſper beſt in Valleys and low ground, where the ſoile is moſt fat, and therefore when ſhee ſaith, He feeds among Lilies, the meaning is, he feeds his Church and people in ſweet, pleaſant, ſoft, and well-ſmelling paſture, he plentifully and pleaſantly intreateth thoſe that are his; for Lilies we know are faire, ſweet, ſoft, and pleaſant, and therefore the Church ſaith, that her beloved ſeedeth his flock among the Lilies, which is to let us underſtand that he feedeth her with moſt excellent things. And it is moſt ſure, that there is nothing under Heaven that can be eſteemed as a full ſhadow and reſemblance of the Heavenly Manna, wherewith Chriſt feedeth the ſouls of his.
Hence Obſerve,
That Chriſt feeds his Church and people fully, ſweetly, and comfortably. He feeds among Lilies. Agreeable to this is that in Pſal. 23. 1, 2. &c. The Lord is my Shepheard (ſaith David) or my feeder, my Pastor, and what is the uſe he maketh of it? I ſhall not want: How is this made good? why ſaith he, He maketh me to lye downe in green paſtures, or in the budding graſſe. That is, in pleaſant paſtures where greene and tender Herbs doe ſpring, he makes me to lye downe and refreſh my ſelf. And he addeth, He leadeth me beſide the ſtill waters, or, he gently leadeth me unto the waters of reſt. That is, he doth comfortably guide me, with ſuſtaining my infirmity, he nouriſheth me by the refreſhing waters of his Spirit.
The like place we have, Iſa. 40. 11. He ſhall feed his flock like a Shepheard, he ſhall gather the Lambs with his Armes, and carry them in his boſome, and ſhall gently lead thoſe that are with young. So Chriſt leads his people, as it were among Lilies, and feeds them plentifully, with ſweet and pleaſant things: and in his boſome he carries them, ſoftly, and tenderly, that ſuch as are weake may not be wronged.
Another place ſuitable to this purpoſe is Ezek. 34. 14. I will feed them in good paſtures, upon the high mountaines of Iſrael, there ſhall their fold be, there ſhall they lye in a good fold, in a fat paſture will I feed my flocke, and cauſe them to lye downe, ſaith the Lord God. I will ſeeke that which is loſt, and bring back that which is driven away. I will bind up that which is broken, and ſtrengthen that which is ſicke, and deſtroy the fat and the ſtrong, and feed them with judgement. Thus the Lord doth plentifully, comfortably, and ſweetly feed his people, as among Lilies. Thus he feedeth us, and with us, he feedeth us as a Father, but feedeth with us as a brother alſo: yea, as an huſband and amiable lover. Now followeth the Churches prayer.