Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 4 · Verse 7 – Verse 8,9,10,11,12,13,14
VERS. 7.
Thou art all faire my love, there is no ſpot in thee.
IN theſe words wee have another commendation of the Churches beautie: ſo that though Chriſt did not name all particular parts of his Spouſe, to give them their ſeverall commendation, as he did in divers, yet he aſcribeth a full perfection of beautie unto them all, when he ſaith, Thouart all faire, &c.
The beautie of the Church is deſcribed.
Firſt, By the adjunct, that it is, whole and perfect, Thou art all faire my love.
Secondly, By the contrarie: There is no ſpot in thee.
Thou art all faire, &c.
The Spouſe was called faire, before in chap. 1. 15. and in chap. 4. 1. That which is added here is that Chriſt ſaith, ſhe is all faire, that is, her beautie is perfect, and compleat. And it alſo ſignifies ſhe is faire in every part. Chriſt commended her in ſeverall Members, and therefore inſtead of naming the reſt, he ſums up all in one word ſaying, Thou art all faire, &c. And he addeth.
There is no ſpot in thee.
The word tranſlated ſpot, is mum, from whence the Greeke foreign, which ſignifieth any blemiſh in the bodie, as blinde, lame, or deformed in any limb or part, Levit. 21. 17. 18. And it is applyed to the blemiſhes of the ſoule, namely, thoſe vices and ſinnes, that Chriſt is ſaid to purge his people from, as in Revel. 1. 15. He hath loved us and waſhed us from our ſins in his owne blood. Chriſt himſelfe is called the Lamb, 1 Pet. 1. 19. that is, without ſpot. The word properly ſignifies one without fault or blemiſh, Th is commendation Chriſt gives the Church ſhe is not culpable or blame worthy ſuch is that perfect beautie, that Chriſt doth cloath his Spouſe withall, that he ſees no deformitie at all in her.
Hence Obſerve.
That Chriſt doth cloath his Spouſe with perfect beautie.
The Church is made beautifull with the cloathings of Gods owne righteouſneſſe, and that muſt needs be compleat beautie: Hence it is, that thoſe that ſtand with the Lamb on Mount Zion, are ſaid to be without blemiſh before the Throne of God, Revel. 14. 1. 5. And thus the Apoſtle ſaith, that Chriſt gave himſelfe for his Church, that he might ſanctifie it, and cleanſe it by waſhing of water through the word: that he might make it unto himſelfe a glorious Church, not having ſpot or wrinkle, or any ſuch thing: but that it ſhould be holie without blame' Epheſ. 5. 25, 26. By theſe ſpots here mentioned, wee may underſtand them of any ſinfull worke, or greater ſort of ſinnes, and by wrinkle, leſſer ſinnes, and thoſe infirmitie, which are ſome blemiſh to our ſpirituall beautie: So that Chriſt cleanſeth his people from all ſinne, according as it is ſaid, in 1 John 1. 7. Thus Chriſt is ſaid to have reconciled his people unto God, through faith, in the bodie of his fleſh, that he might preſent them holie, and without blemiſh, and unreprovable in his ſight, Col. 1 21, 22. But here it will be ſaid, how agreeth this with her owne ſpeech in the firſt Chapter, where ſhe ſaith, I am black, &c. and that ſhe was fun burnt? And how doth it agree with all thoſe places of Scripture, which teſtifie ſo plainly, that all the Saints while they live here, be full of ſpots and deformities? The anſwer is, That the Spouſe is not to be conſidered, as ſhe is in her ſelfe, after the fleſh, and corrupted nature: but as ſhe ſtands perfectly juſtified in her head Chriſt: So that though the Spouſe be not freed from perſonall imperfection, ariſing from the fleſh; yet as ſhe ſtands cloathed with the righteouſneſſe of God, made out to her through Chriſt; ſo ſhe is perfectly righteous and holy, and without ſpot or wrinkle in Chriſts ſight.
VERS. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Come with me from Lebanon (my Spouſe) with me from Lebanon: looke from the top of Amana, from the top of Shever, and Hermon, from the Lions dens, from the mountains of the Leopards.
Thou haſt raviſhed my heart, my Siſter, my Spouſe, thou hast raviſhed my heart, with one of thine eyes, with one chaine of thy neck.
How faire is thy love, my Siſter, my Spouſe! how much better is thy love then wine! and the ſmell of thine ointments then all ſpices!
Thy lips, O my Spouſe, drop as the honey-comb, honey and milke are under thy tongue, and the ſmel of thy garments is like the ſmell of Lebanon.
A garden incloſed is my Siſter, my Spouſe: a ſpring ſhut up, a fountaine ſealed.
Thy plants are an Orchard of Pomegranates, with pleaſant fruits, Camphire, with Spikenard.
Spikenard and Saffron, Calamus and Cynamon, with all the Trees of frankincenſe, myrrhe, and aloes, with all the chiefe Spices.
ALL theſe verſes that I have read unto you, are the words of Chriſt, wherein he goes on in commending and comforting his beloved Spouſe. Chriſt having in the former verſes of the Chapter commended his Spouſe in her ſeverall Members, concluding with a generall praiſe of her perfect beautie, now he calleth her to a higher pitch of glorie and dignitie, in this eighth verſe. And in theſe following verſes, he declares how deeply he ſtands affected towards his Church.