Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 4 · Verse 10
VERS. 10.
How faire is thy love, my Siſter, my Spouſe! how much better is thy love then wine! and the ſmel of thine ointments then all ſpices.
IN this verſe, Chriſt ſheweth how delightſo me and pleaſant the love of his Spouſe is unto him: he doth expreſſe it by way of admiration, how faire is thy love! &c.
The love of the Spouſe is ſet forth,
Firſt, By the fairneſſe of it, How faire is thy love, &c.
Secondly, By the ſtrength, ſweetneſſe, cheerefulnes, in that it is preferred above wine: How much better is thy love then wine!
Secondly, the divine anointings of the Spouſe is commmended, in that the graces of the ſpirit in her, are ſet forth by fragrant and odoriferous ointment: And the ſmel of thine ointments then all ſpices.
How faire is thy love, my Siſter, my Spouſe!
Siſter, and Spouſe, are the ſame titles, as we had in verſe 9. and carrie the ſame affection as there.
How faire, or how beautifull, how gracious are thy loves! Her love is faire, becauſe in her there is no blemiſh, as was before delivered. It is, as if Chriſt ſhould ſay, how glorious and excellent, yea, and full of delight are theſe ſound affections, that thou carrieſt towards me, by which alſo I am moved, even to love thee againe: and he ſpeaketh of them in the plural number, not only thereby to expreſſe the multitude of them, but the excellency alſo.
Or, we may underſtand by loves, not onelyonly thoſe gracious affections of the Spouſe, but alſo her holy actions, which proceed from love, as the fruits thereof, as faith, hope, and the like: theſe are alſo goodly and faire in the eyes of Chriſt.
Hence Obſerve,
That the gracious affection of love, with all the fruits flowing from them, are gracious and lovely in Chriſts ſight. Hence it is, that Chriſt commendeth her love, even to admiration, ſaying, How faire is thy love, &c. The Spouſe being waſhed and cleanſed by Chriſt, and cloathed with his beauty, whereby ſhe became fair in his ſight, without ſpot or wrinkle, all her affections of love and delight towards Chriſt, muſt needs be very acceptable.
It followeth.
How much better is thy love then wine!
In the former clauſe, as the love of the Spouſe was ſet forth, by its fairneſſe and beauty; ſo here for its fragrancy and ſweetneſſe, in that it is preferred before wine.
How much better, or, how good are thy loves, better then wine; that is, they are better and more delightfull by much, then the moſt fragrant wine. It was noted foreign Quam boni ſunt. Arius Mont.in Chapter 1. 2. that wine is put for all dainty things in a Banquet, where the Church ſpeaking of Chriſts love, did manifeſt that his love was exceeding pleaſant, ſweet and comfortable: here Chriſt returns the like expreſſion concerning the love of his Spouſe towards him, rendering as it were like for like, which is an uſuall manner among lovers, and particularly in their words and ſpeeches one of them unto another. Hereby then is ſet forth unto us, how marveilous acceptable and well pleaſing the love of the Spouſe is unto Chriſt, the heavenly bridegroome.
Hence Obſerve,
That Chriſt is exceedingly delighted and wel-pleaſed with the fruits and graces of his owne Spirit in his Saints.
Chriſt cannot but delight in his owne image and grace: hence it is ſaid, that God delighteth in his Spouſe, and rejoyceth over her, as a Bridegroome rejoyceth over his Bride, Iſa. 62. 4, 5. There is nothing more pleaſant and refreſhing to the nature of man, then ſweet and fragrant wine: no more is any thing more delightfull and acceptable to Chriſt, then the graces of his owne Spirit in the Saints. Now followeth the high commendations of the Spouſe, in reſpect of her divine anointings by the Spirit.
And the ſmell of thine ointments then all ſpices!
By the ſmell of the Spouſes ointments, is meant, the ſweet and pleaſant ſmell of ſuch graces, as ſhe hath received from Chriſt.
The pleaſantneſſe that is in ointments, we may ſee in Prov. 27. 9. And Pſal. 133. 2. Under theſe earthly things, underſtanding the Spiritual graces before mentioned, is ſet forth the excellency of the divine anointings of the Spirit in the Spouſe, for it is uſuall in the Scriptures, by oyle, ointment, annointing, &c. to undeſtand the graces, and anointings of the Spirit in the Saints. See Pſal. 89. 20. alſo 45. 7. and 1 Joh. 2. 20. 27. we may remember, that the Spouſe did commend Chriſts ointments, for the ſweet ſavour of them in Song. 1. 3. Here Chriſt returns the ſame conditions unto the Spouſe in reſpect of her anointings. And he addeth.
Then all ſpices, or before all ſpices, viz. though they be never ſo coſtly and deare, becauſe there is no ſpice without ſome duſt: as gold cannot be tryed; ſo ſpice cannot be brayed in the morter without ſome loſſe. The anointing-oyle, of which we read of, in Exod. 30. 23. was made of ſweet ſmelling ſpices; and with ſuch, ſometime women were purified, Eſth. 2. 12. and the dead imbalmed, 2 Chron. 16. 14. They were meet preſents for Kings, as appeares, 2 Chron. 9. 1. 9. Now all earthly ointments were confected, and made ſweet ſmelling and coſtly ſpices; but here it is meant of divine and heavenly ointments of the Spirit.
Hence Obſerve.
That the divine anointings of the Spouſe is full ſuavity and ſweetneſſe.
Chriſt doth here preferre the annointings of the ſpirit in his Spouſe, before any earthly confection whatſoever, though made of never ſo ſweet and coſtly ſpices. What is more pleaſing to the ſmel, then ſweet ointments of an exquiſite compoſition? ſuch and much more is the Spirit and its graces in the Saints unto Chriſt.
The judgement that Chriſt hath of the ſpirituall anointing of his Spouſe, is, that it farre excelleth all delightfull and ſweet ſmelling odours in the world, ſynecdochically ſignified by ointment of ſweet ſpices, one pleaſant ſpicies or kind for all the reſt. Chriſt proceedeth in the commendations of his Spouſe, ſaying.