Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 5 · Verse 15
VERS. 15.
His mouth is moſt ſweet, yea, he is altogether lovely: this is my beloved, and this is my friend, O Daughters of Jeruſalem.
HIs mouth or his palate, is ſweet or ſweetneſſe, that is, his mouth is as ſweet things: or, wee may reade it, The roofe of his mouth is moſt ſweet, for there commeth nothing out of his mouth, but that which is ſweet. The mouth is an inſtrument of nature, whereby the voice is formed, viz. the roof of the mouth, even the voice it ſelf, and the words uttered there with: and by ſweetneſſe, which ſhe uſeth in the plurall number, ſhe meaneth both the pleaſantneſſe of his word, which as David ſaith, was more ſweet unto his taſt, then the honey and the honey-comb, Pſal. 19. 10. and alſo the abundance, and wonderfull plenty thereof. Now the Spouſe doubleth this commmendation, ſhe had ſaid before, his lips were as lilies dropping ſweet myrrhe, hereſhe ſaith again of his mouth, it is moſt ſweet, to ſhew, that this is the chiefe loving thing in Chriſt. By the mouth, wee muſt underſtand the ſame as by his lips, to wit, the ſweet, gracious, and heavenly doctrines of Chriſt, the word of eternall life, that proceedeth out of his lips, only the repetition of this part, ſheweth the excellency thereof.
Hence Obſerve.
That the heart and affections of Chriſt, uttered by his mouth is moſt ſweet unto the Saints
It is Chriſt himſelfe that ſaith, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh, and that which commeth out of Chriſts mouth, is nothing but the opening of his heart, and the unboſoming of himſelfe unto his Saints: it is God, ſpeaking his own affections through Chriſt unto his people: this muſt needs be ſweet and the ſweeteſt, when many of Chriſts followers left him, he turnes to his Diſciples, and ſaith, will ye alſo forſake me? Peter anſwers for himſelf and the reſt, Lord, whither ſhall wee goe, thou haſt the words of eternall life, Joh. 6. 68. as if he had ſaid, Lord, if wee forſake thee, we forſake our owne happineſſe, our owne comfort. The Spouſe having commended the ſeverall parts of her beloved, ſhe now addeth a generall commendation of him, by ſaying.
He is altogether lovely.
He is altogether, or, all of him is deſires, that is, moſt to be deſired, he is wholly delectable; as if ſhe ſhould ſay, I will not ſtand to proſecute every part, but he is altogether from top to toe (as we uſe to ſay) amiable, deſireable and lovely, he is all glorious and excellent.
Hence Obſerve.
That as Chriſt is lovely in all parts, ſo he is lovely in his whole ſelfe. There is not any thing in Chriſt, but its lovely, he is lovely in particular, and he is lovely in generall, he is lovely in all parts, and altogether, yea he is altogther lovely: as if the Spouſe ſhould ſay, what ſhall I ſay more of my beloved? he is all over, and altogether lovely. Chriſt is lovely to God, to Angels, to Saints: he is lovely as God, and as Mediator, being Prophet, Prieſt, and King, in all offices, and graces, in all the operations of his Spirit: he is the brightneſſe of Gods glory, the ſhining of Gods face, he muſt needs then be moſt excellent, moſt glorious. Therefore if wee doe but take a view of all the high perfections, and ſupereminent excellencies of Chriſt; if wee doe anatomiſe him in every particular, and particulariſe him in every excellency, wee ſhall find him to be lovely in all parts, to be altogether lovely, to be wholly delectable. Now the Spouſe having thus deſcribed her beloved, both in generall and particluar, ſhe concludeth with an exclamation.
This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jeruſalem.
This being the cloſe of her commendations of her beloved, I ſhall not ſtand on it, becauſe wee had occaſion to ſpeake of the ſame termes before. She ſaith, This is my beloved, viz. that I have deſcribed unto you, O yee daughters of Jeruſalem, and this is my friend: as if ſhe ſhould ſay, he is ſuch a one, as I have painted out unto you, in this excellent ſhew and beauty, that yee may eaſily know him in and among others. And this doubling of the words, that are here uſed, was not only profitable to expreſſe her earneſt affection towards him, but alſo to move them, with whom ſhe talked, both to the loving, and liking of him. And by calling him her beloved and friend, ſhe meaneth, that as Chriſt had diſcovered his affection to her; ſo ſhe retu… love for his love, making him (as it were) her … ling and beſt beloved, on whom ſhe could … heart, and beſtow all her affections, and her … ſelfe upon. Now in the Spouſes thus ending … phatically, with ſuch an exclamation, This is … &c. ſhe giveth us to underſtand, that not being able by any figures, phraſes, metaphors, ſimilitudes, words or ſpeech to deſcribe him to the full, ſhe would in a word, as it were, ſhut up all, that he himſelfe within and without, both generally, and every part of him, was altogether amiable, and exceeding worthy to be affected, both of her ſelfe, and alſo of all thoſe, that either ſhould heare of him, or ſee him. The Spouſe having ſuch a lover as this, whom ſhe hath deſcribed, hath ſhe not good cauſe to ſeeke after him, yea, to be ſick of love for him? This is my beloved, &c.
Hence Obſerve.
That the Spouſe is exceeding large in her affections, in ſetting forth the high praiſes of her beloved.
The Spouſe being entred in a commendation, knows not how to make an end: ſhe begins in generall, and from thence deſcends downe to particular parts, and thinking not that enough, ſhe alſo concludeth with a generall commendation, and at laſt ſhuts up all with a repetition of all againe, ſaying, This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jeruſalem. The Spouſe is now ſetting forth the excellencies of her beloved, and her tongue is as the pen of a ready writer, her heart and affections are enlarged, ſhe is now dilating upon a copious Theam, and therefore ſhe cannot tell where to breake off, or make an end. The Spouſe is willing to ſhew, that there was ſome cauſe of her ſeeking and ſearching after her beloved, and why? ſhe was ſick of love; it was for one that was moſt worthy, moſt excellent. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, &c.
But when wee ſhall ſee the ſucceſſe of this excellent commendations of the Spouſe, concerning Chriſt, it will appeare it's not all in vaine: for, hereby ſhe doth abundantly draw out the affections of the daughters of Jeruſalem, and therefore to whet their affections the more, ſhe ſhews what an excellent perſon Chriſt was in his Government, counſells, purity, ſweetneſſe, inward affections, in all his wayes, actions, and adminiſtrations, he was holy, juſt, and righteous, &c. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O Daughters of Jeruſalem. The ſucceſſe of this excellent diſcourſe, followeth in the next Verſe.