Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 2 · Verse 2
Verſ. 2.
As the Lilie among Thorns, ſo is my love among the Daughters.
Now Chriſt utters the commendations of his ſpouſe, where he confirmeth and amplyfieth the former ſpeech, preferring her above other people, as the Lilie is above Thornes and Thiſtles; and withall ſiignifying how ſhe is afflicted and pricked with them, as with Thorns.
In this verſe we have Chriſts compariſon betweene the Church, and ſuch a Lilie, as growes among Thornes.
Now let us conſider,
Firſt, What and who is this Lili.
Secondly, The Thorne.
Thirdly, The love.
Fourthly the Daughters.
Firſt, what this Lilie is; it may neceſſarily be concluded of the Church; notwithſtanding Chriſt himſelfe was compared unto the Lilie in the former verſe.
It is not unuſuall in Scripture for Chriſt, and his Church to be ſet forth, by one and the ſame thing: Chriſt is called the light, Joh. 1. 7, 8. his Church is called the ſame, Matth. 5. 14. So in the former verſe, Chriſt is termed a Lilie, which for a new conſideration the ſame terme is given unto the Church, and that in theſe reſpects.
Firſt, in reſpect of ſpirituall beauty, the Church is compared to a Lilie that is white of colour, and very beautifull: The Church is waſhed, and ſanctified, and juſtified in the name of Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Cor. 6. 11.
Secondly, The Saints rely upon God, as Lilies are ſaid to be glorious by his providence. Why care ye for rayment ſaith Chriſt? learne of the Lilies of the field, how they neither labour nor ſpin, yet I ſay unto you, that Solomon in all his glorie, is not clothed like one of theſe, Matthew 6. 28. Hence we ſhould be taught to relie wholly upon God, caſting all our care upon him.
Thirdly, It is incident to this delicate and daintie flower, to grow among the perverſe and unbeleevers; the Saints, as Lilies, flouriſh and ſhine among the Thornes. Hence it is that the Apoſtle ſaith, Wee muſt be blameleſſe, and pure, as the Sonne of God, without rebuke in the midaeſt of a naughty and crooked generation, among whom yee ſhine, as lights in the world, Phil. 2. 15.
Secondly, what and who theſe thornes be, is eaſily decided. The naturall thorne is no tender herbe or flower, but a ſturdie hard Tree, not ſmooth as the Lilie, but knotty and full of dangerous pricks; who theſe thornes be, let David declare, in that he ſaith, The wicked be every one thornes, 2 Sam 23. 6. where the word wicked is expreſſed in the originall by the word Belial, which well declareth the nature of wicked men, for that they be (as ſome expound the word) Beli. gnol, without yoake, that is ſuch as will not come under the yoake of obe di ence. Others derive it of Beli and Gnalah, not aſcending, becauſe their matters proſpered not, or, becauſe they were ſuch as aſcended not to the Temple, nor to Mount Zion, the Tabernacle of the Lord. Such baſe earthly ſpirits, ſuch beaſtly rude libertines, they be theſe Thornes.
Now wicked men are compared to Thornes, and that in theſe reſpects.
Firſt, Bryers and Thorns were the fruit of God's curſe upon the earth, Gen. 3. 17, 18. So are the wicked men of the world.
Secondly, Bryers and Thornes, they are of a perplexing nature, being full of dangerous prickles; ſuch thornes are the wicked, who are continually pricking and fretting, and galling the people of God. Hence it is, that when the Lord promiſeth to free his people from ſuch, he ſaith, There ſhall be no more a pricking bryer to the houſe of Iſrael, nor any grievous thorne, of all that are round about them, that deſpiſed them, Ezek. 28. 24.
Thirdly, Bryers and thornes, the beſt uſe that is commonly made of them, is but to hedge and fence in: So it is, that God often times makes uſe of theſe Bryers and thornes for the good of his people, ſo as by this meanes, he keeps them from wandring and ſtragling abroad, as Cattle doe out of unfenced paſtures. Thus the Lord tells his people in Hoſea 2. 6. Therefore Behold I will hedge up thy way with thornes, and make a wall that ſhee ſhall not find her paths. A like place we have in Numb. 33. 55. If yee will not drive out the Inhabitants, &c. Thoſe which ye let remaine of them ſhall be pricks in your eyes, and thornes in your ſides, and ſhall vex you in in the Land wherein you dwell.
Fourthly, The end of bryers and thornes is to be burned, Heb. 6. 8. they ſhall be dried and made fit fuell for the fire, and at laſt burned, for which ſee 2 Sam. 23. 6. They ſhall be burnt together. Such will be the end of all ungodly ones, and ſuch as dye in their ſin: Who would ſet the Briars and thornes againſt me in battaile (ſaith the Lord) I would goe through them, I would burne them together. Thus we ſee what and who theſe thornes be, and in what reſpect wicked men are ſo called: Now it followeth that we enquire concerning the love here ſpoken of.
3. The love here ſpoken of is the Church (as before foreign Socius amious, … … …in Chap. 1. 9. My love, companion, or fellow-friend) who loveth Chriſt becauſe he loved her firſt, 1 John 4. 19. and whoſe love is kindled by the flames of Chriſts love. The love of Chriſt is as a lilie among the thornes.
4. and laſtly, as for theſe daughters amongſt whom ſhe converſeth, they be as thornes: by Daughters may be meant the great multitudes of people, as the Scripture mentioneth, The daughters of Babylon, Pſal. 137. The Daughters of Iyrus, Pſal. 45. So here we may underſtand multitudes of falſe brethren, hard hearted and knotty conditioned, being full of prickles, ſuch as are very offenſive to the Saints.
This then is the condition of the Church of Chriſt: though ſhe be as faire and glorious as the lilie; yet it is allotted to her to ſuffer perſecution and hard entreaties of the wicked, even as Chriſt did before her: Chriſt is a lilie in the open fields of Sharon, expoſed to the wild Beaſts that be there: ſo is his Church as a lilie among thornes by whom ſhe is perſecuted and prick'd; but yet ſhe remaines paſſing glorious and beautifull, though among thornes.