Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 5 · Verse 14
VERS. 14.
His legs are as Pillars of marble, ſet upon ſockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars.
IN this verſe two parts are commended in Chriſt.
Firſt, his legs.
Secondly, his. countenance.
His legs are as Pillars of marble, &c.
Legs, and Thighs, may both be here comprehended: The legs are inſtruments to goe withall, and to beare and ſuſtaine the body, and to carry it from place to place: ſo the legs of man are mentioned (in Pſal. 147. 10.) to ſignifie mans ſtrength and ſwiftnes. This denotes, that Chriſts wayes are full of majeſty and power, and therfore ſhe ſaith, that his legs are as pillars of marble: that is, conſtant and firme, durable as marble. In Rev. 1. he is ſet out, as having legs of braſſe to trample his enemies in pieces: but here in reſpect of his conſtant truth and goodneſſe towards his Saints, his legs are ſaid to be as Pillars of marble, by which ſhe doth not only note his ſtrength, but aſo his comelines. For marble (though there be ſundrie ſorts thereof) are counted ſuch ſtones, as are commended for ſeverall colours and ſpots in the ſame, and hath its name in the Greeke tongue, for a certaine kinde of glittering greene. She addeth.
Set upon ſockets of fine gold.
Chriſts feet, as they are like marble: ſo they have ſockets of gold, to ſuſtaine them and beare them up: whereby he walks ſafly, and his foot ſtumbleth not, as in Prov. 3. 23. with theſe feet of juſtice he treadeth downe his enemies, Pſal. 110. 1. Alſo with theſe he bringeth glad tydings of peace unto his people, Nah. 1. 15. Thus Chriſt in his wayes of truth and goodnes towards his people, is ſound, ſtrong, conſtant and durable: for ſo is marble amongſt ſtones, and fine gold amongſt other mettals: ſo that Chriſt's feet being compared to marble and gold, ſignifie, that they never turne back, but are ſtedfaſt and ſure, he halteth not in his proceedings, neither doth he tread awry: he is not ſubject to change, but without ſhadow of turning, whereas men are variable and uncertaine in all their projects and deſignes.
Hence Obſerve.
That Chriſts wayes of truth and righteouſneſſe towards his people are firme and ſtable,
All Chriſts paſſages and wayes are conſtant and firme, even as Pillars of marble, that have ſockets of gold to ſuſtaine them. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which was, which is, and which is to come, Revel. 1. 8. He is yeſterday and to day, and the ſame for ever, Heb. 12. 8. He is not like the image, which Nebuchadnezzar dreamedof, Whoſe head was gold, breaſt & armes ſilver, belly and thighs braſſe, legs of Iron, and feet part of Iron, and part of clay, Dan, 2. 32. That Image ſtood upon a weake foundation, the kingdomes figured by that image, were not of long continuance, but the Kingdome of Chriſt is everlaſting.
It followeth.
His countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars.
As his feet were beautifull in bringing glad tydings of peace: ſo his countenance is moſt pleaſant and delightfull. By his countenance is meant the appearance and forme of his perſon, he is like, in ſtature and tallneſſe, to the Cedars of Lebanon: for it is, as if ſhe ſhould have ſayd, looke upon my beloved, view his ſtature, which is like the goodly tall Cedars of Lebanon.
Lebanon was a goodly mountaine in the North part of the Land of Canaan, ſee the ſame mentioned in chap. 4. 8. He is not only ſet out by this goodly mountain; but alſo by the excellent Cedars that grew there. Chriſt is choice, excellent, as the Cedars, that is, goodly, excellent, flouriſhing, and continuing in vigour: as it is ſaid, the juſt man groweth as a Cedar in Lebanon, Pſal. 92. 13. This notes the preſence and majeſty of Chriſt.
Hence note.
That the ſight and preſence of Chriſt is full of majeſty and glory.
The ſight of Chriſt is full of glory to the Saints, as in John 1. 14. Wee ſaw his glory, as the glory of the only begotten, full of grace and truth: for, indeed he was the brightneſſe of Gods glorie, Heb. 1. It was the glorie of God, that ſhined through Chriſt. It was God manifeſt in the fleſh, and tooke our nature to diſcover his glorie by it. Now this ſight and preſence of Chriſt, as its glorious to the Saints; ſo it is full of majeſty to the wicked: when God was pleaſed to let out ſome of his glorie through Chriſt, men were not able to beare it, as thoſe that came to apprehend him, when he ſaid, I am he, they fell downe backward, his countenance was too dreadfull for them to behold it. So the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh, when God appeares, The mountains flow downe, and the hils melt at his preſence; that is, the great mountains of fleſh, and great ones of the world, are not able to ſtand before him.
It followeth.