Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 5 · Verse 4
VERS. 4.
I roſe to open to my beloved, and my hands dropped with Myrrhe, and my fingers with ſweet ſmelling Myrrhe, upon the handles of the lock.
THe Spouſe ſtayeth not in bare motions of the mind (as many have ſome touch off, but they vaniſh againe) but ſhe ariſeth to open the doore unto her beloved: it is not now grievous to her to put on her Coat, and to put her feet into the dirt, being quickned by the Spirit of Chriſt.
In this Verſe we have,
Firſt, a gracious action of the Spouſe, ſhe ariſeth to open to her beloved.
Secondly, the grace that followeth this action, her fingers drop pure Myrrhe, &c.
I roſe up to open, &c. or, I my ſelfe roſe up. She is no more negligent and ſluggiſh, but active and ſtirring to open to her beloved: ſhe acts now, becauſe ſhe is acted by the Spirit of Chriſt.
Hence Obſerve,
That the Saints are very active for Chriſt, when they act in the power of the Spirit. Its like the Spouſe had much ſtirring with fleſh and blood before, but ſhe was never able to ariſe and open to her beloved, till ſhe moved in the ſtrength of the Spirit of Chriſt. Chriſt tells his Diſciples, The fleſh is weake, but the ſpirit is (ſtrong) and willing. Nothing but the power of the ſpirit can make us open our hearts wide for Chriſt the King of glory to come in. In the next words ſhe magnifieth the graces of her beloved, ſaying,
And my hands dropped with Myrrhe, and my fingers with ſweet ſmelling Myrrhe, upon the handles of the lock.
She could touch nothing with her hands, nor lay her fingers upon nothing, where he had put in his hand, but all did drop with Myrrhe, even with pure Myrrhe: for her meaning is this, that her beloved did but put in his hand, and yet he had left even by his touch, ſuch abundance of ſweet graces, that whereſoever ſhe toucheth, her hands drop with the ſame.
My hands dropped Myrrhe, or, the Oyle of Myrrhe, which diſtilleth out of the Myrrhe tree. What Myrrhe is, hath been ſhewed before in Chap. 1. 13. She meaneth, that Chriſt left ſuch a plentifull and pleaſant ſmell behind him, that even ſhe comming after his departure, had ſuch abundance of it, as if ſhe had ſuch ſtore of Myrrhe, as would have made her hands to drop.
And my fingers with ſweet ſmelling Myrrhe, or, paſſing foreign Tranſivit.myrrhe, that is, thin and pure myrrhe, that is, more fragrant and ſweet: by this paſſing or pure myrrhe, is commended the excellency of Chriſts graces, as that before the abundance of them. This ſeemes to denote the ſweet odour of her ſervices, that her longing and ſeeking after her beloved was acceptable with the Lord, and of ſweet ſmell in his noſtrils; for by her hands wee may underſtand her holy actions, anointed with the oyle of myrrhe, that is, the ſpirit of Chriſt, as the holy in the Sanctuarie was made of pure myrrhe, which did preſigure the ſame, Exod. 30. 23. or wee may underſtand it of the grace of Chriſt, which he left behinde him, as a ſweet odour, to draw her to himſelfe, when he put in his hand at the hole of the doore, which ſhe is now ſenſible of.
Upon the handles of the lock, that is, thoſe fleſhly locks or barres, which kept out Chriſt from entering, which are now beaten downe by the power of the ſpirit, and of thoſe divine anointings of Chriſt, her heart being anointed by Chriſt, all thoſe barres of oppoſition, that the fleſh with all its reaſon and wiſedom, are now beaten down and ſubdued: ſo that Chriſt may freely enter and come in, and take the whole command of all the affections of the ſoule, and reigne as Lord and King: this is the vertue and power of the Spirit.
Hence Obſerve.
Firſt, That the Spirit and its graces, are very ſweet and fragrant.
They are pleaſant and ſweet, and therefore compared here to myrrhe. The graces and prayers of the Saints are ſaid to be ſweet, as it is, Revel. 8. 4. Chriſt ming leth them with his owne ſweet odours, and ſo perfumes them before his Father. The wicked are abhomination to the Lord, becauſe he abhorrs them, their ſervices, and whatſoever in them is; but, the righteous man is his delight, Prov. 15. 8. Chriſt will burne up ſinne, and conſume all the droſſe of his Saints, and accept that which is ſweet of his owne ſpirit in in them. All the actions of the fleſh are nothing but ſinfull workes, but the actions wrought by the hand of Chriſt, the finger of God, and power of Spirit: theſe actions are ſweet, holy, and gracious.
Secondly Obſerve.
That the ſweetneſſe of the Saints proceeds from Chriſts ſweetneſſe.
Chriſt firſt leaves myrrhe, and the fingers of the Spouſe drop myrrhe. He was anointed with the Oyle of gladneſſe above his fellows: and out of the fulneſſe of his divine annointings we receive, & grace for grace. The head being anointed, the oyle ranne downe to the skirts of Aarons garment, wee have all from our head, grace for his grace, love for his love, priviledge for his priviledge, he is a ſonne, ſo are wee ſonnes, we are heires of heaven, as he is heire of God, all his dignities, offices, priviledges, graces, and preferrements are ours: So that looke whatſoever grace or priviledge is in the head, it deſcends downe to the Members, who ſhare with the head in every vertue; ſo that all our graces are from his grace, our life from his life, our myrrhe from his myrrhe.
It followeth in the next verſe.