Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 4 · Verse 17
VERS. 17.
I am come into my garden, my Siſter, my Spouſe, I have gathered my myrrhe with my Spice, I have eaten my honeycombe with my honey; I have drunke my wine with my milke; eate O friends, drinke, yea, drinke abundantly O beloved.
THe effect of the Churches prayer was, that Chriſt would accept from her the fruits of ſervice, praiſe and thankſgiving. In this place he makes anſwer, wherein wee may Obſerve.
Firſt, Chriſts condeſcending to his Churches requeſt, he is preſent in his garden, and perfometh thoſe Offices ſhee prayed for, I am come into my garden.
Secondly, A ſweet compellation given to the Church, My Siſter, my Spouſe.
Thirdly, Chriſt declareth the workes he doth, being come into his garden, receiveth the fruits, with acceptation to himſelfe, I have gathered my myrrhe with my Spices, I eate my honey-comb with my honey, I dranke my wine with my milke. Then
Fourthly, He inviteth others to the participation of this divine and magnificent banquet, in ſaying, Eate O friends, drinke, yea drinke abundantly, O beloved.
I am come into my garden, &c.
I am come, or, I have come: but the Hebrews often uſe the time paſſed for the time preſent, what is meant by garden, you have already heard in verſe 12. and 16.
Now here is the gracious anſwer of Chriſt, that his Church can no ſooner pray for his preſence, but he ſaith, I am come into my garden. Now God is ſaid to come into his garden, when he manifeſts his preſence there: ſo the Lord is ſaid to come downe to deliver his people out of Aegypt, that is, by the manifeſting of power and wiſedome in their deliverie, Exod. 3. 7, 8. and ſo the Lord is ſaid to come downe to ſee the Tower of Babel, Gen. 11. 5. that is, he came in a manifeſtation of his judgement upon it: So here when he ſaith, I am come into my garden, it is his manifeſting of himſelfe in grace and acceptation, to make ſweet diſcoveries of himſelf, in the communication of all good things, in keeping of a heavenly banquet of divine dainties, wherein he expreſſes his own delight, and the comfort and bleſſing of the Spouſe. Now in that theſe words are in anſwer to the prayer of the Church in the former verſe;
Obſerve.
That God anſwers the deſires of his owne Spirit in his Saints.
God doth ſometimes heare, and anſwer the naturall deſires of men, that pray or crie to him as creatures, as the Ninivites, and the Children, and Beaſts of that Citie: for out of his merciemercy and goodneſſe, he makes his Sun to ſhine upon the juſt and unjuſt. How much more will he anſwer the voice of his owne ſpirit, when it ſhal prepare the heart to pray, as it is in Pſa. 10. 17. Thou haſt heard the deſire of the humble, thou wilt prepare their hearts, thou wilt make thine care to heare. So in Rom. 8. 26. The ſpirit helpeth our infirmities; for wee know not what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it ſelfe maketh interceſſion for us, with groanings that cannot be uttered: that is, wee of our ſelves know not what to aſke, but the ſpirit reveales to us the will of God, by its ſweet manifeſtation of God, which cannot ſo well be uttered by the fleſh: and the Spirit maketh interceſſion according to the will of God, or according to God, (as the Greeke hath it) and ſo aſking, According to his will, he heareth us, 1 Joh. 5. 14.
Againe, In that Chriſt is thus ready to come into his garden, in a larger manifeſtation of love and grace then before, and that upon the Churches invitation.
Hence obſerve, Secondly.
That Chriſt doth more and more manifeſt himſelfe to be preſent with his people, upon their deſires after him.
The Lord hath been alwayes preſent with his people in ſome appearance or other: the Arke, Tabernacle, and Temple were all ſignes of his preſence: but his glorious preſence in the fleſh of Chriſt did exceed all the former ſhadows: and after Chriſts departure, he is preſent by the returns of his ſpirit, and this preſence hath with it, life, light, comfort, ſtrength and all. Thus the Lord doth reveale himſelfe, from grace, to grace, from glorie, to glorie.
Laſtly, In that he ſaith, I am come into my garden, he declares how much delight he takes to appeare in his Saints, and make his Tabernacle with men.
Hence obſerve, Thirdly.
That Chriſt taketh pleaſure in manifeſting of himſelfe in his Saints.
A man taketh much delight and pleaſure in walking in his garden: ſo doth Chriſt in making out of his preſence in his garden of the Church: wee have many ſcriptures tending this way, as it is witten, The Lord loveth the gates of Zion, above all the inhabitants of Jacob, glorious things are ſpoken of thee, O thou Citie of God, Pſal. 7. 8. 2. 3. And The Lord hath choſen Sion, and loved to dwell in it, this is my reſt for ever, here will I dwell, for I have delight therein, Pſal. 132. 13. 14. Againe, Mount Zion lying North-ward, is faire in ſituation, it is the joy of the whole earth, and the Citie of the great King, Pſal. 48. 23. And, as God taketh delight there, ſo muſt men alſo, becauſe God is there. David ſaith, He ſhall lead me into the pathes of life, in his preſence is fulneſſe of joy, at his right hand is pleaſure for evermore, Pſal. 16. 11. Now followeth the deſcription of the Church, and the ſweet compellation which Chriſt giveth her.
My Siſter, my Spouſe.
Here is both affinitie, and conſanguinitie, all the neereſt bonds of relation, that may binde Chriſt and his Spouſe faſt together. This hath been ſpoken of already in the 9. verſe of this Chapter, and therefore I ſhall not ſtand on it now: only thus much, this ſheweth the excellencie of the Spouſe, in that ſhe is neerely related unto Chriſt, that ſhe is his Siſter by blood, (as I may ſo ſpeake) having one nature, one Spirit, and one father; hence it is, Chriſt ſaith to his Diſciples, I goe to my Father, and to your Father, to my God and to your God, Joh. 20. 17. Chriſt became our Brother by incarnation, bone of our bone, and fleſh of our fleſh. And wee are made his Brethren by adoption, having received of the ſame ſpirit with him, crying, Abba Father: Hence it is, he is not aſhamed to call us Brethren, Heb. 2. For wee are with him, made partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. And againe, by marriage wee are his Spouſe, and that by gift of the Father, and alſo by his owne conſent: ſo that there is a ſweet conjunction and union, a ſweet intercourſe of love and communion betweene Chriſt and the Spouſe: ſo that by this myſticall union, and ſweet communion, Chriſt is to his Spouſe a friend, a head, a Brother, and a Husband. So much for the compellation.
Now followeth the actions of Chriſt, being come into his garden.
I have gathered my myrrhe with my Spice, I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey, I have dranke my wine with my milk.
The Spouſe before intreated Chriſt to come into his garden, and eate his pleaſant fruit: he accordingly comes in, even to her deſire, and did not only feaſt on the Churches proviſion, but alſo brought more with him.
I have gathered my myrrhe with my Spice, &c.
For myrrhe, it was one of the chiefe ſpices (as you have heard) uſed in the compoſition of the ſweet ointments, Exod. 30. 23. with ſuch ointments they uſed to annoint their friends at feaſts; this was more largely expounded in Ch. 1. verſe 13.
With my ſpice, that is, with my other ſpices, or aromaticall fruits, meaning all the ſeverall fruits of the ſpirit, which are all ſw…eaed by an influence from the Spirit: As in nature there is one common influence from heaven; but yet variety of flowers and ſweete ſpices in their ſeverall kinde, with a different kinde of ſweetneſſe: ſo all graces have their originall from a common influence of Chriſts ſpirit, though they differ one from another, and are all accepted of God, from whence they come.
I have eaten my honey-comb, &c.
The word & doctrine of Chriſt, which flow from his Spirit, are likned to honey, and the honey-comb, to wine and milke, Pſal. 19. 11. and 119. 103. Iſa. 5. 51. 1 Pet. 2. 2. for as milke and honey nouriſh and ſtrengthen, and wine increaſeth ſpirits: ſo the doctrine of the Goſpel, the ſpirit of Chriſt, and the ſence of his love, is far more comfortable and ſweeter to the ſoule. Under theſe ſeverall ſorts he meaneth ſtill, the ſweet, pleaſant, and profitable fruits that the Church did yeild unto him, declaring thereby, that he did moſt favourably accept his owne graces in his Spouſe, and that he was much delighted therewith, yea, more then any man is, or can be in gathering moſt ſweet and ſmelling hearbs and ſpices, or in eating honey, yea, though he eate it ſo greedily, that he doe withall devoure the combe, or in drinking the beſt wine and pureſt milke.
Hence obſerve.
Firſt, That God accepts of his owne graces in his Saints, and delights in them.
God muſt needs accept of ſuch graces that are his owne, and delight in ſuch ſervices that come from love. God firſt accepts of Chriſt, and then of us, and what comes from us in him. The Apoſtle willeth us, To offer up our ſelves a holy and acceptable ſacrifice to God, Rom. 12. 1. God doth not only accept, but he delights in the graces of his Spouſe; hence it is he comes with new ſupplies of grace, enlarging his love and benefits, as it is in Matth. 25. 29. To him that hath ſhall be given. And in Rev. 22. 12. I come, and my reward is with me. Chriſt never comes into the ſoule, but he brings rewards with him, of the increaſings of thoſe graces that were in the ſoule before. Thus we ſee that Chriſt upon the deſire of the Spouſe doth come unto her, with acceptation of the fruits of his owne ſpirit in her, and with new increaſings thereof.
Secondly, Obſerve.
That Chriſt doth accept of, delight in, and increaſe the leaſt of his owne graces in the Saints.
All the graces of the Spouſe, though never ſo little or ſmall are accepted, not only her honey, but her honey-comb: not only her wine but her milke; her weake ſervices as well as her ſtrong, becauſe the ſpirit flowing from Chriſt unto her, ſweetneth all. Chriſt doth extol his owne grace, O woman! great is thy faith, Matth. 15. 28.
Now followeth Chriſts invitation of others unto this banquet, in theſe words.
Eate O friends, drinke, yea, drinke abundantly, O Beloved.
In theſe words Chriſt ſpeaketh, as at a Feaſt, chearing up his friends, as partaker with him of all thoſe divine graces, and fruits of the ſpirit before mentioned. Chriſt is the Maſter of this heavenly banquet, and it is he that here cheereth up his gueſts. It was the cuſtome of the Jewes to powre ointment on their gueſts, to ſhew their welcome, and cheere them up: So Chriſt doth powre out the ointment of his grace and ſpirit, to welcome and cheere up his Saints, as appeares in theſe words, Eate O friends, &c.
Hence Obſerve.
That there is a mutual feaſting between Chriſt and his people.
Chriſt provides a heavenly banquet of all ſpirituall dainties, Of fat things, and the marrow of fatneſſe, wine, and wine on the Lees, Iſa. 25. 6. and then cals his Saints (as his friends) to partake of thoſe dainties. Chriſt is the fountaine, ſtreaming it ſelfe forth, to refreſh the Citie of God.
Secondly Obſerve.
That Chriſt doth abundantly ſatisfie his people with all good things. Eate, yea, drinke abundantly, &c. that is, be ye plenteouſly filled with my grace and ſpirit; no man goeth hungry from a feaſt: in Chriſt there is not only abundance, but a redundancy and overflowing of all good things; Chriſt is able, yea is willing to doe for us farre more abundantly then wee are able to thinke or ſpeake, Epheſ. 3. 20. Chriſt doth not beſtow ſome ſmall meaſure of grace, life, peace, &c. on his people, but he gives it in abundance. It followeth.
O friends, O beloved!
Chriſt out of the abundance of his affections doth multiply new titles for his Spouſe, calling her, friend, and beloved. They that doe his commandements, are his friends, Joh. 15. 14. Abraham is called the friend of God, Iſa. 41. 8. friendſhip is the ſweetneſſe and ſtrength of love, therefore he addeth, O beloved! ſo plentifull and kind hearted is the Lord, that he cannot keep his joy within himſelfe, but ſtirreth up his friends and companions, to eat, and drinke, and rejoyce with him. Thoſe good things, that neither eye hath ſeene, nor eare heard, that are above our reach to conceive of, are for thoſe that love him, 1 Cor. 2. 9. Now in that Chriſt doth invite his Spouſe to this heavenly banquet, by new Titles of love and friendſhip.
Hence Obſerve.
That there is ſweet love and friendſhip, between Chaiſt and his Saints.
All kinds of love and friendſhip, meet in Chriſt towards his Spouſe, and ſo againe, in the Spouſe towards him, here is the friendſhip of all relations in the world, as of husband, brother, friend, &c. here is a free opening his boſome to the Saints, and they againe opening of their hearts to him. Here's mutuall delight in one anothers good and happineſſe: Chriſt is much delighted in all the good and hapineſſe of the Spouſe, and ſhe is as much delighted in the happineſſe and glorie of Chriſt. So much for the fourth Chapter.