Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 4 · Verse 9
VERS. 9.
Thou haſt reviſhed my heart my Siſter, my Spouſe, thou haſt raviſhed my heart with one of thine eyes, with one Chaine of thy Necke.
IN this verſe, as alſo in thoſe that follow, is ſet down and declared how deeply Chriſt ſtands affected towards his Spouſe, and how much his heart is taken with her.
Chriſts ſingular love to his Church, which he declares with a marvailous earneſt affection, is ſet forth with grave and weighty exclamations.
1. By that ſimpathy of like mind and affection, which is betweene them, from that ſtrong impreſſion which her beauty had made upon him, whereby ſhee had (as it were) wounded and pierced his heart, in theſe words, Thou haſt raviſhed my heart, &c. which expreſſion is doubled, to ſhew the vehemency of his affection towards her.
2. His affection is declared by ſhewing how neer ſhee is unto him, for which in nature he bindeth himſelfe to love her.
Firſt, by the bond of conſanguinity, ſhee is his Siſter.
Secondly, by the bond of conjugall amity, ſhee is his Spouſe.
3. His affection is expreſſed by the commendable things which he ſaw in her, which made him ſo fix and ground his affection, the comelineſſe of her perſon, and the Ornament wherewith ſhee was decked.
1. Her beauty is deſcribed, With one of thine eyes.
2. Her Ornaments ſet forth, by adding, With one Chaine of thy Neck.
Thou haſt raviſhed my heart, thou haſt raviſhed my heart.
Such repetitions as theſe imply in the Hebrew phraſe a ſuperlative excellency, and hereby is ſet forth how exceedingly Chriſts heart and affections were overcome with the love of his Spouſe. It is the manner of the Hebrews to repeate the ſame things againe, in prayers, to manifeſt the zeale of him that prayeth, as where Chriſt ſaith, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Matth. 26. And in Prophecies, to ſnew the certainty of performance of that which is revealed. In ſimple narrations the ſame words are repeated to confirme and aſſure mens hearts that the matter is true.
This phraſe doth admit of diverſe readings. Some read it, Thou haſt ſnacht or taken away my heart, as it were, by violence and force. Others read thus, Thou haſt pierced or wounded my heart. The Chaldee (ſaith Maſter Ainſworth) Expoundeth it, Thy love is fixed in the Table of mine heart. The Hebrew is but one word, and uſed onelyonly in this place, and ſignifieth a moſt raviſhing foreign In pihil: Incordiaſtime, & rapuiſti animum meum, vel. traxiſti animummeum.and delightfull drawing of the heart by love. I cannot expreſſe it neerer the Originall word, then to ſay, Thou haſt unhearted me, that is in effect thus, Thou haſt wounded, or, taken away my heart from me, thou haſt even raviſhed and overcome me with thy love. Chriſt ſpeaketh here to his Spouſe as a man overcome with love, for it doth exceedingly ſet forth the paſſion of love when the Bridegroome ſhall tell his Bride that ſhee hath gotten away his heart. Hereby appeareth the ſuper-abounding love of Chriſt towards his Spouſe, in that there be not any words ſufficient fully to expreſſe the ſame.
Hence Obſerve,
That Chriſts heart and affections are exceedingly taken with his people. Hence it is ſaid that the Lord will rejoyce over his people as the Bridegroome rejoyceth over the Bride, Iſa. 62. 5. Like unto this is that where the Lord ſaith in Zeph. 3. 17. The Lord thy God in the midſt of thee is mighty, he will ſave, he will rejoyce over thee with joy, he will reſt in his love, he will joy over thee with ſinging: That is, he will reſt well-pleaſed, and much delighted in his love, and he will rejoyce over his Spouſe with the higheſt pitch of joy; yea, he will rejoyce with ſinging, which is the higheſt expreſſion of joy and delight. So then, the heart of Chriſt being thus taken, is meant his exceeding love whereby he rejoyceth over his people, according as it is ſaid in Iſa. 43. 4. Since thou waſt precious in my ſight, thou haſt been honourable, and I have loved thee, &c.
Thus Chriſt hath declared how neer and deare his Spouſe is unto him, by the ſimpathy of like mind and affection, which is betweene him and his Church. Now it followeth, that he ſhews how neerly they are related one to the other, by the band and conſanguinity, and conjugall amity.
My Siſter, my Spouſe.
My Siſter, ſo Chriſt calleth his Church out of that reſpect and love he bears unto her. We are told in Heb. 2. 11. That both he that ſanctifieth, and they that are ſanctified, are all of one, for which cauſe he is not aſhamed to call them brethren. This tearme needs no explanation, but let us obſerve hence.
That Chriſt ſtands neerly related to his people, as a Brother, &c. This relation of brotherhood betweene Chriſt and his people, is two-fold.
1. By the right of nature, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Foraſmuch as the Children were partakers of fleſh and blood, he alſo likewiſe tooke part with them, that he might deſtroy through death him that had the power of death, which is the Devill; for he in no ſort tooke on him the nature of Angells, but he tooke the ſeed of Abraham, wherefore it became him in all things to be made like his Brethren, Heb. 2. 14. 16. So that Chriſt tooke our nature, and was cloathed with our fleſh, to be made like unto us his brethren, and in the ſame fleſh.
The ſecond right is of adoption; for it is ſaid, when the fulneſſe of time came, God ſent his ſonne, made of a woman, and made under the Law, that he might redeeme them that were under the Law, that wee might receive the adoption of Sonnes, Gal. 4. 45. And againe the Apoſtle ſaith, As many as are led by the Spirit of God, are ſons of God Ro. 8. 14. whence the Apoſtle reaſons thus, If wee be Children, we are alſo heires annexed with Chriſt, Rom. 8. 17. So that the Saints lay claime to the riches and treaſures of glorie, by right of adoption, and brother-hood with Chriſt.
Thus much for the band of conſanguinitie. That of conjugall amitie followeth.
My Spouſe.
Chriſt calleth his Church, Spouſe, named in Hebrew Callath, of the perfection of her attire and ornaments; as was intimated in verſe 7. of this Chap. The Spouſe is one, that is alreadie maried unto her husband: ſo that this title of Spouſe, ſhews how the Church is to Chriſt. The Spouſe is moſt deare to her husband (ſaith Solomon) for ſhe is the crowne of his head, Prov. 12.
Hence Obſerve.
That the Church is the Spouſe of Chriſt.
Hence it is that ſhe is called the bride, the Lambs wife; who is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, Revel. 21. 2. 9. And the Lord ſaith, I have married thee to my ſelfe, in righteouſneſſe, judgement, merciemercy and compaſſion, Hoſ. 2. 19. Wee are not to take the words in a carnall ſenſe, but that God hath framed words to our capacitie only, for what termes could be more effectuall to expreſſe his love, then the names of Siſter and Spouſe?
The laſt thing in this verſe, wherewith Chriſt was ſo much taken in his affections with his Spouſe, is by the commendable things which he ſaw in her, which made him ſo to fix and ground his affection.
Firſt, The comelineſſe of her perſon.
Secondly, The ornaments wherewith ſhe is decked.
With one of thine eyes, and the chaine of thy neck.
With one of thine eyes, or one looke from thine eyes. The eyes of the Spouſe were commended in verſe 1. where they were likned to Doves eyes, for being ſimple, chaſt, pure: by this is meant the chaſt eye of faith, whereby the Saints looke up to Chriſt.
Hence Obſerve.
That Chriſt is much taken with the leaſt looke of faith from his Saints.
For Chriſts beholding of the faith of the Spouſe, it maketh ſuch deep impreſſions in him of her idea and forme of beautie, that his affection is ſo rooted in her heart, that it cannot be removed nor concealed. It is added.
And the chaine of thy neck. The chaine of the neck is an ornament added to naturall beautie: and doth often ſignifie Gods Laws and Ordinances, as appeares, Pro. 10. 9. and alſo ſignifies the graces of the Spirit, and fruits of faith, as was opened at large in chap. 1. 10. So he meaneth by the chaine of the neck, the ornaments of the Spirit, and of grace, which is the Law of Chriſt in the inner man.
Hence Obſerve.
That it is Chriſts owne graces in the ſoule, that he is ſo much affected with in his Saints.
God cannot delight in any thing, beſides himſelfe, and therefore it is, the manifeſtation of himſelfe in his Saints, that draweth ſuch high expreſſions of love and delight in him towards them. Therefore he indueth his Church with gifts of his owne ſpirit, to make her ſeeme beautifull, where he ſaith, I have cloathed thee with broidered worke, ſhod thee with badgers skins, girded thee with fine linnen, covered thee with ſilke, decked thee with ornaments, put bracelets on thy hands, and a chaine upon thy necke, Ezek. 6. 10. By theſe outward ornaments are meant the inward graces of the Spirit, which proceed Si ergo dona dei ſint bona merita, non deus coronat merita tua tanquam tua, … ſed tanquam dona ſua; Auguſt. de gratia et lib. arbit. cap. 7. Dona ſua coronat deus, non merita tua. cap. 6.from God, and not from the Spouſe: according as a Father ſaith, if the good things which be in us, are the gifts of God, God crowneth thoſe good things not as ours, but as his owne. And againe he ſaith, God crowneth his owne gifts, not thy deſervings. And therefore wee have the Prophet ſaying. Thy name was ſpread among the Heathen for thy beautie, for it was perfect through my beautie, which I had ſet upon thee, ſaith the Lord, Ezek. 16. 14.
Laſtly, in that he ſaith with one eye, and one chaine. Obſerve, That where Chriſt ſeeth the leaſt grace, he is much taken with it. It is, as if Chriſt had ſaid, if I ſee but one of thine eyes, to wit, one ſingle, chaſt, pure looke of faith; and if I ſee but one chaine, to wit, one ſpirituall diſcoverie of my ſelfe, it is enough for ever to take up my heart and affections.
Now Chriſt proceedeth to ſhew the ground of his deep affection towards his Spouſe, and that by a diſcoverie of the properties of her beautie and goodneſſe, all which is expreſſed with a vehement and paſſionate crying out, and repetition of the former title; ſaying