Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 2 · Verse 17
Verſ. 17.
Ʋntill the day breake, and the ſhadows flee away: Returne my Beloved, and be thou like a Roe or young Hart upon the Mountaines of Bether.
In theſe words we have the Churches Prayer, which is ſet forth by the matter, that Chriſt would returne often and viſit and comfort his Church, Turne my beloved, &c.
This is declared firſt by the time, Ʋntill the day breake, and the ſhadows flee away. Secondly, by the ſwiftneſſe of his comming, And be thou like a Roe or young Hart upon the Mountaines of Bether.
Turne my Beloved &c.
Turne, or, turne about, to wit, to comfort and ſuccour me. It is a requeſt of comfort from Chriſt, as in Pſal. foreign Circum…it.71. 21. David ſaith, Thou didſt much increaſe my greatneſſe, and dideſt turne about, and comfort mee, in the night and ſhadows of darkneſſe and ignorance.
Hence Obſerve.
That the Church deſireth comfort and ſuccour from Chriſt in the times of darkneſſe and affliction.
The day is a time of knowledge, peace, and comfort, the dawning of the day, is the ſence and feeling of this comfort, by the inward working of the Spirit, as the Apoſtle exhorteth us to take heed to the ſure word of propheſie, as unto light that ſhineth into a darke place, Ʋntill the day dawne, and the day-ſtar ariſe in our heart, 2 Pet. 1. 19. that is, untill a ſpirituall diſcoverie of Chriſt be made in the ſoule, which is as the riſing of the morning ſtarre.
Now this deſire of the Churches is declared firſt, in reſpect of the time.
Ʋntill the day breake, and the ſhadows flee away.
Ʋntill the day dawne, or, untill the day blow, or breath foreign Flavit, ſpiravit, ſuſpiravit.forth, to wit, light, as appeares by the fleeing of the ſhadows, which uſe to be diſpelled by the morning wind; as on the contrary, when the day goeth away; the ſhadows of the evening are ſaid to be ſtrethed forth, Jer. 6. 4.
Now for the day, and departing of the ſhadows, we may underſtand it, of the time of the Law preceding Chriſts incarnation, which Law was nothing elſe but a ſhadow of good things to come: Or, we may nnderſtand it of the cloudy darke time in this world, and that after Chriſts appearing in the fleſh. I ſhall ſpeake a word to both theſe.
As Chriſt was the Sonne comming forth gloriouſly as a Bridegroom: So the Law was a ſhadow of good things to come, the bodie whereof was Chriſt, Heb. 10. 1. Col. 2. 17. wherein the Apoſtle may well allude to the ſhadow (accompanying a mans bodie) which ſometimes is before, ſometimes behind, as occaſion is miniſtred by the Suns courſe: even as ſhadows went before Chriſts comming in the fleſh, ſome other followed after. And as the Apoſtle calleth all a ſhadow: ſo Solomon here uſeth the plurall, ſhadows, as comprehending all types and ſhadows.
Now for divine ſhadows, they may be conſidered as perſonall, or as ſacramentall.
Firſt, For perſonall ſhadows; Adam was the firſt, called the firſt man, being a ſhadow of Chriſt, called the ſecond man, or Adam, 1 Cor. 15. 45. Adam was firſt in execution, but Chriſt firſt in intention: the firſt was but a type of the ſecond. The Second Henochs, whoſe name (in Engliſh, taught or dedicated) holds forth Chriſt, taught of the Father, and dedicated to his fathers will; and he increaſed in wiſedome and ſtature, whereby he was one with Henoch. Melchiſedech was another eminent type of Meſſiah, who was firſt King of righteouſneſſe, and King of peace, ſhadowing forth him, who was the fountaine of all juſtice and righteouſneſſe, and the Prince of peace, Iſa. 9. 6. Aaron, whoſe name ſignifieth a high mountaine: ſhadowed for Chriſt, who is ſet on the top of mountains and exalted above the hils, Iſa. 2. 2. Thus I might ſhew how Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, Moſes, Joſhua, Samſon, with many other Prophets, Prieſts, Kings, and other of the men of God, they were all but types and ſhadows of the Meſſiah.
And as for ſacramentall ſhadows: as the ſacrifices ſhadowed forth Chriſts mediation for his people. Circumciſion was a type of the blood of Chriſt, without which blood is no remiſſion, Heb. 9. 22. The ſtriking of the blood of the Lamb on the Poſts of the doors, where the Iſraelites dwelt was a token and aſſurance to them, that the deſtroying Angel ſhould paſſe over them, and ſmite only the firſt borne of the Aegyptians: now what elſe did that blood preſigure, but the blood of Chriſt? wherewith the Saints being ſprinkled, the deſtroyer cannot hurt them. The Pillar of the cloud by day, and of fire by night was the type of Chriſt, leading and guiding his people continually. The water of the Rock, and the Manna in the Wilderneſſe were ſignes, that Chriſt ſhould ſpiritually feed and refreſh his people. The Serpent of braſſe lifted up by Moſes, ſignified that he ſhould be their Phyſitian and healer. In a word, all the ſacrifices under the Law did typiſie, that Chriſt ſhould make attonement for believers.
Now all theſe were darke, ſacramentall reſemblances, wherein God did appeare unto his people of old, therefore they deſired the neereſt approach of his unto them, untill theſe ceremoniall ſhadows ſhould vaniſh away.
Now concerning the new Teſtaments ſhadows, they are baptiſme, and breaking of bread: and unto theſe two it was that the Ancients had reſpect, when as they ſaid, the ſide of Chriſt was pierced, that ſo the doore of life there might be ſet open, from whence the Churches ſacraments have iſſued; underſtanding by water, baptiſme; and by blood, the Lords ſupper. Now for theſe, they are but outward reſemblances, which lead unto Chriſt; ſo that when Chriſt which is our light ſhall appeare in the glorious diſcoveries of himſelfe, and as it were ſwallow up his people in ſpirit and glorie, then theſe ſhadows muſt alſo vaniſh away, becauſe when the truth it ſelfe appeareth, the figure and outward reſemblance muſt ceaſe: even as an Emperours image hath authoritie in his abſence, but being preſent, the Image hath no ſuch power: Therefore wee are to make uſe of the ſhadows, ſo farre as Chriſt is abſent from us: and againe, ſo farre as we have the ſubſtance, wee need not catch after outward repreſentations and ſhadows. Thus much for the comming of Chriſt, declared by the time: Ʋntill the daybreake, and ſhadows flee away, &c.
Now followeth in the ſecond place the manner of his comming, by his ſwiftnes.
And be thou like a young Roe, or a young Hart upon the mountains of Bether.
Here are two things obſervable.
Frſt, The Creature whereto he is reſembled, namely, a Roe, or young Hart.
Secondly, The place of his abode, that is, the mountains of Bether.
Of the Roe, and Hinde, wee have ſpoken of before in verſe 7. 9. But concerning the mountains of Bether ſomething is to be ſpoken.
Bether is here taken by ſome for the proper name of a place ſo called: of others it is taken appellatively, and ſo it ſignifies, the mountains of diviſion. If we take it for a place, it is called Bithron, which was on the outſide of Jordan, 2 Sam. 2. 29. called partition, becauſe it parted by the River Jordan, from the Land of Judea: And on thoſe mountaines, Harts and Roes uſed to runn, as appeares by the Scripture. Now we muſt underſtand by theſe mountaines, myſtically to be the partition wall, which divided betweene Jew and Gentile, untill the comming of Chriſt, who then of two were made one. Or elſe wee may underſtand the mountains of diviſion, by that ſin, or ignorance whereby wee are hindred from the full fruition of Jeſus Chriſt, for not only the Churches ſacramentall ſhadowes ſhall vaniſh; but alſo the night of ſinne, the workes of darkeneſſe, the ſcale of ignorance, and blindneſſe, and the ſhadow of death, ſhall flee away.
From this verſe thus opened obſerve.
That the Saints here are overclouded with many miſts and ſhadows, much ignorance of God, and the like.
Chriſts diſcoverie to the people of the Jewes, was but under veiles, and types, there light was an obſcure and glimmering lights to our: now Chriſt hath flowed in upon his people in greater abundance of revelation then before his comming in the fleſh; yet our light is that we ſee now but foreign through a glaſſe darkely, for what wee ſhall doe hereafter.
Secondly Obſerve.
That it is the deſire of the Saints to have cloſe communion with Chriſt, while they are under ſhadows.
Hence it was, that the Church deſired Chriſt to draw neer unto her, and to come ſwiftly whilſt ſhe was under the ceremoniall ſhadows, and that he would be with her, untill they did vaniſh away: even ſo the Church now deſireth, while ſhe is in the wildernes, that he would come ſwiftly unto her, to comfort her in all her blindneſſe and tribulation.
Thirdly, and laſtly, Obſerve.
That the glorious morning of Chriſts comming to his people, will expell the darkneſſe of the night of ſinne, and ignorance.
This the Apoſtle teſtifieth, when he ſaith, But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part ſhall be done away, 1 Cor. 13. 10. When the ſubſtance is come, there is no need of the ſhadow, and therefore ſo farre as the Lord ſhall diſcover himſelfe unto us in ſpirit; outward reſemblances ſhall vaniſh away. So endeth the ſecond Chapter.