Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 4 · Verse 11
VERS. 11.
Thy lips, O my Spouſe, drop as the honey-combe: hony and milke are under thy tongue, and the ſmel of thy garments is like the ſmel of Lebanon.
HEre are in this verſe two things highly prayſed in the Spouſe.
Firſt, Her ſpeech.
Secondly, Her ſweet ſavour.
Her ſpeech is compared.
Firſt, To the ſweet droppings that diſtill from the honey-combs, in theſe words, Thy lips drop as the honey-combs.
Secondly, Her ſpeech is not only moſt ſweet, but wholſome and nouriſhing, which is expreſſed in theſe words, Honey and milke are under thy tongue.
Laſtly, The ſweet ſavour of the Spouſe is commended, in that it is added, And the ſmell of thy garments is like the ſmel of Lebanon.
Thy lips drop as the honey-combe, &c.
By the lips of the Spouſe, is meant her ſpeech, both private and publique, whereby ſhee uttereth moſt ſweet and delightfull words, to wit, of faith and holineſſe: ſuch words of preaching his doctrines, extolling his praiſes are as pleaſing to Chriſts eares, as the honey-comb it ſelfe is pleaſant to the taſt. And he putteth the lips which are ſome of the inſtruments wherewith a naturall voice is framed, and words are uttered, for the ſpeech it ſelfe, or things ſpoken. By this ſimilitude of the honey-combe, the word of God is praiſed, in Pſal. 19. 10. where it is ſaid, that the judgements of the Lord are ſweeter then the Honeycomb, or the droppings of the Honey-comb: that is, that which commeth forth without preſſing, and is counted the ſweeteſt and pureſt honey. Now by this compariſon is meant, that as the ſweet drops of Honey that diſtill from the Honey-combs, ſo be the words that come from her mouth.
Hence Obſerve,
That the ſpeech of the Saints in their prayers and praiſes are ſweet and gracious. Chriſt tells us, That out of the abundance of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh, and a good man out of the good treaſure of his heart, bringeth forth good things, &c. The language of Canaan is a pure language, and lips that are pure drop forth pure words. When the heart is cleane, the mouth ſpeaketh pure things. Where there are lying, ſlandrous words, taunts, and revilings, and much vaine babling, theſe proceed from the evill treaſure in mans heart. But they whoſe lips drop as the Honey-combs, have their Speech alwayes gracious, powdered with ſalt, to know how to anſwer every man, Colloſ. 4. 6. Even ſuch as miniſter grace to the hearers, Epheſ. 4. 29. As grace was powred into the lips of Chriſt, Pſal. 45. 2. So by the communication of his grace, the ſpeech of his people is made gracious. The Prophet complained, That he was a man of polluted lips, then the Seraphin flew unto him with a hot coale in his hand, which he had taken from the Altar with the Tongs, and touched his mouth, and ſaid, lo this hath touched thy lips, thine inquity ſhall be taken away, and thy ſin purged. Iſa. 6. 5, 6, 7. All our ſufficiency is of God, as ſaith the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 3. 5. And therefore all holy ſpeech proceedeth from him, for none can ſay Jeſus is the Lord, but by the ſpirit of God, 1 Cor. 12. 1. But now further, the ſpeech of the ſpouſe is not onelyonly moſt ſweet, but wholeſome and nouriſhing, which is expreſſed in the following words.
Honey and milke are under thy Tongue.
Honey and milke are for nouriſhment; it is ſaid of Chriſt in his Child-hood, Butter and Honey ſhall he eate, untill he have knowledge to refuſe evill and doe good, Iſa. 7. 15. The Land of Canaan is called in ſundry places of the Scripture, a Land that floweth with Milke and Honey meaning that it had abundance of all things, profitable and pleaſant for this life; underſtanding by Milke things of neceſſary and profitable uſe, and by Honey things of pleaſure and delight, and ſo the holy Spirit here doth meane, the ſweet, comfortable, and nouriſhing words of faith, love, and the like. Alſo we may underſtand fit food for all ſorts of Chriſtians, both for ſtrong ones and weake ones. Milke moſt properly belongeth to children, as appears, 1 Cor. 3. 2. & Heb. 5. 12, 13. And Honey to them of more ſtrength, as examples of the Scripture, and reaſon it ſelfe teacheth in Jonathan, Sauls Sonne, 1 Sam. 14. 27. And in John Baptiſt, Mat. 3. 4. Thus it pleaſeth God in the Scripture to compare the doctrine of the Goſpell, which proceeds out of the mouth of the Spouſe to Milke, to Honey, to Wine, to Water, and many ſuch like things. See Iſa. 55. 1. & Pſal. 19. 10.
By under the tongue, ſeemeth to be meant the ſecret and inward parts, as the mind and heart. Thus David is ſaid to exalt God under his tongue, Pſal. 66. 17. declaring his uprightneſſe and ſincerity thereby. It is ſaid in Prov. 5. 3. The lips of a ſtrange woman drop as an Honey-Comb, and her mouth is more ſmooth then Oyle. Now by this ſhee is ſaid to intice men to folly, and as it followeth in the next verſe, The end of her is bitter as worme wood, ſharp as a two-edged Sword her feet goe downe to death, &c. And the Apoſtle ſaith, that ſome by good words and faire ſpeeches, deceive the hearts of the ſimple, Rom. 16. 18. And the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh thus, The words of his mouth were ſweeter then Butter, but war was in his heart: his words were ſofter then Oyle, yet were they drawne Swords, Pſal. 55. 21. And Adders poyſon is under their lips, Pſal. 140. 3. Of the wicked it is ſaid, Their throat is an open Sepulcher, they have uſed their tongues to deceit, the poiſon of Aſpes is under their lips, their mouth is full of curſing and bitterneſſe. By theſe ſpeeches are meant the deceitfullneſſe of the wicked. So on the contrary, when it is ſaid, Honey and milke are under her lips, it is meant of the ſincerity of her graces. So that the words of faith and holineſſe, which proceed from ſincerity and uprightneſſe of heart, are very comfortable and nouriſhing words.
Hence Obſerve,
That the words of the Spouſe, which proceed from faith and ſincerity, are not onelyonly gracious, but nouriſhing words. The Apoſtle Peter deſireth the Saints to drinke of the ſincere milke of the word, that they might grow thereby, 1 Pet. 2. 2. That is, the word of the Spirit, given out by the Saints. The plenty of grace in the times of the Goſpell is promiſed under the ſimily of abundanee of milke, and that every one ſhould eat butter and honey, Iſa. 7. 22. Gracious and heavenly words proceeding from the Spirit of God in the Saints, ſuch adminiſter grace to the hearers, Epheſ. 4. 29. So much for the ſweet, wholeſome; and nouriſhing Speech of the Spouſe: now followeth the praiſe of her ſweet ſavour.
And the ſmell of thy Garments is like the ſmell of Lebanon.
Lebanon was a place where grew moſt ſweet Trees, and Herbs, concerning the pleaſantneſſe whereof, we have ſpoken before. The Lord promiſeth his people that their ſmell ſhould be as Lebanon, through the dew of his grace, Hoſ. 14. 5, 6, 7. As Lebanon was more ſweet then all other woods, ſo is the grace of the Spouſe above all worldly graces. Now in that he ſaith, Thy Garments ſmell, &c. he ſeems to allude to a Speech borrowed from Iſaac when he bleſſed Jacob, where it is written, He came neere and kiſſed him, then he ſmelled the ſavour of his garments, and bleſſed him, and ſaid, behold, the ſmell of my Sonne is as the ſmell of a field, which the Lord hath bleſſed, Geneſ. 27. 27. So here, he commendeth the ſmell of the Garments of the Spouſe, meaning, that the graces and gifts wherewith he had adorned the Church, as particularly her faith, doctrine, and converſation, and adminiſtrations were the ſame, as in reſpect of pleaſant delight, yea, more to him by much, then ſweet ſmelling Garments were, to joyne lovers together.
Hence Obſerve,
That the Spouſe is perfumed with ſuch graces, that all her Garments have a ſmell of ſweet odours. This is not meant of bodily cloathing, for many of the Saints have lived in poverty, cloathed in ſimple apparrell: but it is to be underſtood of the ſpirituall cloathing, where the filthy raggs of the old man are put off, and the new man put on, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him, Col. 3. 9, 10. This is the cloathing, of which it is ſaid, Thou haſt a few names in Sardis, which have not defiled their Garments, and they ſhall walke with me in white, for they are worthy, Rev. 3. 4. He was caſt forth from the marriage that wanted the wedding Garment, Mat. 22. for the Garments of the Bride are ſweet, even as the ſavour of Lebanon, where pleaſant and odouriferous Trees, Herbs, and Spices grew in abundance. The Garments of Zion are called beautifull, Iſa. 52. 1. And the righteouſneſſe of the Saints is ſaid to be of White linnen, cleane and bright, Revel. 19. 8. for they have put on Chriſt, Gal. 3. 27. God maketh manifeſt the ſavour of his knowledge (by them) in every place, for they are unto God a ſweet ſavour in Chriſt, 2 Cor. 2. 14, 15. But as Jacob was cloathed with the Garments of Eſau, his elder Brother, which gave ſuch a ſent, by which he got the bleſſing; ſo the Spouſe is cloathed, not with his owne Garments of fleſhly wiſdome, or legall righteouſneſſe, but with the glorious Garments of Chriſt, being cloathed with the anointed: ſo that in commending her Garments, he commendeth but his owne anointings in the Spouſe, wherewith ſhee is cloathed. Thus have we ſeene very great commendations of the Church, but yet here are further, for it followeth.