Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 4 · Verse 6
VERS. 6.
Ʋntill the day breake, and the ſhadows flee away, I will get me to the mountains of myrrhe, and to the hill of frankincenſe.
CHriſt having in the former five verſes, ſet out the praiſe of the Spouſe.
Firſt, In that generall ſpeech, Thou art faire, And
Secondly, In particular proofes drawne from the parts and effects of her nature: he now commeth to give an anſwer to a former requeſt, which ſhe had made before in chap. 2. 17. There ſhe deſired him to draw neere unto her, and let her enjoy communion with him, though it were a time of darkneſſe and ſhadows …here he anſwereth, Ʋntill the day breake, &c. I will goe into the mountains of myrrhe, &c.
In which anſwer Obſerve.
Firſt, The time ſpecified, Ʋntill the day breake, &c.
Secondly, The place of Chriſts appearing, I will get me to the mountains of myrrhe, &c.
Ʋntill the day breake, and ſhadows flee away.
By the dawning of the day, is meant the breaking forth of light and glorie, when Chriſt ſhall gloriouſly diſcover himſelfe to be the Sonne of righteouſneſſe in his brightneſſe.
By the ſhadows, as it reſpects the Jewiſh Church, are meant all the ſhadows of Moſaicall ceremonies and types: but as it reſpects the Church in generall, it is meant of all ignorances, infirmities, and troubles whatſoever. For the words ſee them expounded at large before in Chap. 2. 17. there being only this difference, betweene this and that place, that there the Church deſireth a ſweet communion with Chriſt during the time of thoſe ſhadows and darkneſſe ſhe was under: and here Chriſt promiſeth her his preſence, ſo long as ſhe ſhould remaine in that condition. I ſhall not ſtand now to open, what theſe ſhadows are, having ſpoken of them already, in chap. 2. 17. But to proceed to the promiſe of Chriſt, which is as followeth.
I will get me to the mountaines of myrrhe, and to the hill of frankincenſe.
What may be that mountain, and this hil? according to the letter, it muſt be ſuch a mountain as hath his name of myrr, and ſuch an hil as hath his denomination from incenſe, either becauſe there it was gathered, or elſe offered unto God; what mountaine in Iſrael brought forth myrrhe, is hardly knowne, except it were Moriah, which at firſt might be ſo called of the Hebrew word Mor, in engliſh myr, in Greeke Myrrhe. What hill is that that brought forth incenſe or frankincenſe, it is evident from many places, and even from this text, where the word tranſlated incenſe, is in the originall Lebonah, which may be termed Lebanon: ſo Moriah and Lebanon, may be the places here meant, according to the letter.
But according to the myſterie, Moriah may be both the one and and the other, becauſe the Temple was builded on Moriah, 2 Chron. 3. 1. and there myrrhe and incenſ ewere dayly offered up to the Lord. It was on this mountaine, that Abraham offered up his Sonne Iſaac for a ſacrifice, for it was ſaid, In the mountaine of the Lord, it ſhall be ſeene, Gen. 22. 2. 14.
Now if we take the words for the litterall Temple of Solomon, with all the myſticall adjuncts of divine ſervice, namely, from the odours dayly burned there, then we may underſtand Meſſiahs ſpeech better in more words thus: O my beloved Spouſe, thou longeſt to ſee my appearance in the fleſh: ſatisfie thy ſelfe for a ſeaſon, for in the fulneſſe of time thou ſhalt ſee me, but till a certaine time determined of my Father, that muſt not be. In the meane time I will walke under types and ſhadows, under Moſaicall ceremonies, and ſpiritually make my reſidence at Jeruſalem, where ſweet odours are continually burned, and offered up unto me.
Againe, If wee take it for the ſpirituall Temple, towit, the Saints under the new-Teſtament, who are the houſe of God and Temple of his Spirit: then Chriſts ſpeech may be thus reſolved: Sweet Spouſe, thou art willing to looſe my bodily preſence, for it is appointed of my Father, that I goe unto him, and ye ſhall ſee me no more, but the comforter ſhall come, and teach you all things, bring all things to your remembrance, and lead you into all truth: and though I am abſent in reſpect of my humane nature, yet I will alwayes be preſent in my divine nature.
Thus, take the ſpeech of Meſſiah to be delivered unto the auncient Church before Chriſt, longing after his incarnation; or take it to be his Speech to the Church under the Goſpel ſince the aſſumption of our fleſh, they yeild us this obſervation.
That Chriſt doth ſpiritually appeare unto his people, under every diſpenſation of his unto them.
Chriſt was ſeen ſpiritually, by his people of old under the loweſt diſpenſation, under legall types and ſhadows, under oblations and ſacrifices of burnt offerings. The Lord appeared to the Iſraelites in the Tabernacle in the Wilderneſſe, which was made by the direction of God given to Moſes. This was a type.
Firſt of Chriſt, who is ſaid to pitch his Tabernacle among us, Joh. 1. 14.
And Secondly, The Church is called the Tabernacle of God, Revel. 21. 3. The Lord went out of his Tabernacle into the Temple, which was built according to the direction of God given to Solomon. This was a type of Chriſts body, as appeares by his owne words, deſtroy this Temple, &c. and alſo the Church is called The Temple of the Lord, Epheſ. 2. 21. After this the Lord appeared in the miniſtrie of John Baptiſt, who was Chriſts fore runner to prepare the way, he came baptiſing with water, which baptiſme had a neer reſemblance to the legall waſhings under his Law. But after all this God appeares in his Sonne, in whom all fulneſſe was, as appeares, Col. 2. 9. Chriſt was full of the divine annointings of the Father. Now when Chriſt was to goe out of the world, he makes a ſupply of his corporall abſence, by returne of his Spirit, and therefore he ſaith, I will not leave you comfortleſſe, I wil come to you. When the world ſeeth me not, yet ye ſee me. This noteth the preſence of Chriſt by his Spirit with his Church: but there is more then a preſence, there is an inhabitation. At that time you ſhall know, that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you, Joh. 14. 18. 20. This is the moſt glorious manifeſtation of Chriſt, namely, in the ſpirituall diſcoveries of himſelfe unto his Saints. I intend not to enlarge on theſe things but proceed to the next words.