Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 4 · Verse 14
Verſ. 14.
Spikenard and Saffron, &c.
Spikenard, this is ſpoken of already in the former verſe. And ſaffron, a thing precious, and profitable to comfort the heart, and helpeth digeſtion, &c. Saffron hath its name in Hebrew, …arcom, becauſe of its yellow colour.
Calanius, or Cane, or reed, it is like this is meant of that which is called Calanius Aroniaticois, or odoratus, for the excellent ſmel it had; and was wont to be brought out of Arabia felix, into Judeah, and was appointed to be uſed in the confection of the holy oyle, Exod. 30. 23. It helps the paſſages of urine, and alſo the wombe in conception.
This word Calamus hath its name after the Greek, in Hebrew Caneh, it is a ſweet reed, bought and brought out of farre Countries, as apeares, by Jer. 2. 20. And alſo Iſa. 43. 24.
Cynamon, This is alſo farrefetcht, and of great price and excellency, This aromaticall Cynamou, commeth of the Hebrew name Kinemon, and it is the barke of a Tree, uſed for ſweet odours: This was alſo uſed in the confection of the holy Oyle, Exod. 30. 23.
With all the Trees of Frankincenſe, that is, all Trees bearing incenſe, or matter that yeildeth a ſweet ſmell or ſavour, whereof alſo he reciteth two in the following words, as myrrhe and Aloes. Frankicenſe, was uſed in the holy perfume or incenſe, Exod. 30. 34, 35. And is good to help and reſtraine ulcers, gouts and fluxes of blood, &c.
Myrrhe, This was of an excellent ſavour, as appeares, Pſal. 45. 8. Myrrhe is the ſweet gumme that iſſueth from the myrrhe Tree: it was one of the firſt of the chiefe ſpices that was put into the holy Ointment, which was made, Exod. 30. 23. It hath its name of the Hebrew Mor: no gum is preferred before it, Pliu. hiſt. lib. 12. cap. 15.ſaith Plinie. With myrre the dead body of Chriſt was embalmed, John 19. 39. And with it the wiſe men honoured him at his birth, Mat. 2. See this more largely opened in Chap. 1. 13.
And Aloes, this is a certaine kind of ſweet and precious wood, which, in regard of its fragrancy is put with Myrrhe, in Pſal. 45. 8. And is alſo uſed to annoint dead bodies, John 19. 30. 40. Aloes comes of the Hebrew Ahaloth, it was ſuch a ſweet wood wherewith perfumes were alſo made. It is a tree growing in Arabia, & India which giveth a very ſweet odour, and is like the thine wood ſpoken of in Revel. 18. 12. He concludeth by adding,
With all the chiefe ſpices.
In the Hebrew it is, with all the heads of ſpices, that is, with all moſt coſtly, ſweet, and pretious things, the principall, and moſt excellent of ſpices: See the like foreign Cum omnibus capitibus aromatum, Arius Mont.in Ezek. 27. 22. Now by theſe fruits are ſignified the ſpirituall graces of the Saints, which are precious and ſweet before God, and man, ſuch are the fruits of the Spirit, mentioned in Gal. 5. 22. 23.
Hence Obſerve.
That the Spouſe, Chriſts garden is full of ſweet and pleaſant fruit.
Hence the graces in her are compared to every ſweet Tree, & to every rare & coſtly thing. The Saints are the goodly plants of the Lords, and they doe beare all theſe ſweet and delectable fruits before mentioned; what a goodly garden hath the Lord planted to himſelfe, where all pleaſants grow? never had any earthly Prince ſuch a garden with plants of pomegranates, with ſweet fruits, as Camphire, Spikenard, ſweet Calamus, and Cynamon, with all the Trees of incenſe, myrrhe, and Aloes, and all chiefe ſpices: All this tendeth to the commendations after this ſort. That as thoſe gardens be moſt excellent, and worthy to be beloved and eſteemed, that have the moſt rare, beſt, and precious things grow in them: ſo theſe excellent graces and fruits of the Church, doe commend the ſame to God and men, and make Chriſt the Bridegroome (as it were) inamoured with the love thereof. The Church then as the Spouſe of Chriſt is beautified and adorned with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, even as a plentifull and pleaſant garden, with infinite numbers of rare and pleaſant ſimples, as they call them, or fruits, whereby ſhee is made commendable, ſpreading her ſame far and nigh, inſomuch that Chriſt her huſband is even, as it were, raviſhed with her love: yet notwithſtanding ſhe hath nothing of her owne to move him to that affection, but all that ſhe hath commeth from him, as appears in Ezek. 16. 14. So much for the firſt part of the Chapter, wherein Chriſt did ſo highly commend the Spouſe: the ſecond part followeth, wherein the Spouſe makes ſome returns of Chriſts praiſes to him.