Exposition of Song of Solomon, Chapter 5 · Verse 7,8,9,10
VERS. 7, 8, 9, 10, &c. to the end of the Chapter.
I charge you, O daughters of Jeruſalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him that I am ſick of love.
What is thy beloved more then another beloved, O thou faireſt among women? What is thy beloved more then another beloved, that thou doeſt ſo charge us.
My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefeſt among ten thouſand.
His head is as the most fine Gold, &c.
IN the former part of the Chapter, we have heard how the Bridegroom calling and knocking to raiſe his Spouſe out of her ſleep, even from her carnall ſecurity, what excuſes ſhe made, how unkindly and undutifully ſhe dealt with him. Moreover we have heard how he for the ſame unkindneſſe, did withdraw himſelfe from her; ſhe ſeeketh after him, and falleth into the hands of the watchmen, even into the hands of falſe Paſtors, which dealt with her very cruelly, they beat her, they wounded her, and tooke away her Vaile from her. But what doth the Spouſe now? Doth ſhe give over ſeeking her beloved? No verily, ſhe goeth on in her ſearch ſtill, and is more vehement then before: when ſhe was under the power of the fleſh, ſhe thought it ſomewhat unreaſonable to ſeeke after her beloved, and began to excuſe her ſelfe, ſaying, I have put off my Coat, how ſhall I put it on? I have waſhed my feet, how ſhall I defile them? Chriſt ſeemeth to require that at her hands which was without all reaſon, but after he had touched her inwardly by his ſpirit, ſhe doth not ſay, I have ſought him, and by ſeeking him have been beaten, wounded, and diſgraced, how ſhall I ſeeke him any longer? There is now a fire kindled in her which none can quench, the fleſh now with all the excuſes which it can make, is put to ſilence.
Hence Obſerve in the generall.
That the Saints doe never more priſe Chriſt, nor ſeek after him with more affection, then in the time of hot perſecution. The practiſe of the Spouſe here doth plainly demonſtrate this, beſide all experience ſheweth the ſame. It was to this purpoſe that Chriſt put in his hand at the hole of the door, & left that ſweet myrrhe with which his fingers did drop. The truth is, that though Chriſt ſeemed to withdraw, and to abſent himſelfe from his Spouſe, yet by the inward workings of his ſpirit, by putting in his hand, he is very neer unto them, and doth by his wiſdome, power, and goodneſſe, exceedingly ſupport and comfort them. Now let us deſcend downe to the particulars themſelves. And firſt take a generall reſolution of this latter part of the Chapter.
The Spouſe having thus long ſought her beloved, and not finding him, no not among the watchmen that ſhould have given her beſt inſtruction; yet becauſe of that never dying affection in her, ſhe doth nor let her beloved goe altogether, but ſtill ſeeketh him, even among ſuch friends as know him not ſo well as her ſelfe, as one that will refuſe no meanes to find him. So at laſt by degrees, firſt uttering her earneſt deſire, and making diligent ſearch after him, ſhe findeth comfort in her ſelfe.
In theſe words we have therefore.
Firſt, the Spouſe enquiring among her acquaintance, for her beloved, verſ. 7.
Secondly, they make anſwer, as if they knew him not, verſ. 8.
Thirdly, ſhe maketh unto them a deſcription of him, how he might be knowne from other men. This deſcription is made.
Firſt, In generall, My beloved is white and ruddy, &c. verſ. 9.
Secondly, She deſcends downe to that which is more particular, ſetting him forth by all the members and lineaments of his body; and doth ſet him forth (as we uſe to ſay) from top to toe, beginning at his head, which is the moſt eminent part of the body, ſaying, His head is as moſt fine gold, &c. verſe 10. &c. and ſo to verſe 15. and ſo concludeth in a generall commendations of him, ſhewing that he was precious and amiable in his whole ſelfe; ſaying, He is altogether lovely, or, he is lovely in all parts, yea, he is all over lovely, he is wholly delectable, crying out with an exclamation? This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jeruſalem.
Fourthly, Theſe Daughters of Jeruſalem are inamored with Chriſt, as well as the Spouſe herſelfe, and deſire to joyne with her in ſeeking him out, as appeares in the following words, Whither is thy beloved gone, that wee may ſeeke him with thee?
Fifthly, and laſtly, it was made knowne to her at length, where he is to be found: My beloved is gone downe into his garden, &c.
Now to the firſt verſe that I read.
I charge you, O ye Daughters of Jeruſalem, if yee finde my beloved, that yee tell him that I am ſick of love.
In theſe words obſerve.
Firſt, A charge given, I charge you.
Secondly, The Perſons charged, The daughters of Jeruſalem.
Thirdly, The particular thing wherewith they are charged, that is, if they find Chriſt, to tell him, ſhee is ſick of love.
But firſt of the charge given.
I charge you
The Spouſe having eſcaped the injurious watchmen, now meetteth with her friend, The Daughters of Jeruſalem, layeth this weighty charge upon them, ſaying, I charge you, that is, by oath, or, I adjure you: that is, I lay a very ſtrict and weighty charge on you, as it were by an Oath, which forme alſo the Spouſe uſeth, both to teſtifie her unfeined love towards her head Chriſt, and to provoke them, with whom ſhee dealeth, to deale faithfully in doing her meſſage. Now from the charge, or manner of the ſpeech of the Spouſe, Obſerve.
That the Saints are reall and ſerious in their affections towards Jeſus Chriſt.
Here the Spouſe layes a weight upon the daughters of Jeruſalem, ſaying, I charge you, &c. She was very reall and cordiall in her affections, and in this weighty charge, ſhe doth but breath out by hearty expreſſions, that thoſe in ward affections of her ſoule were. Thus much for the charge it ſelfe: The next thing is the parties charged.
O daughters of Jeruſalem.
The Spouſe was ill intreated of her enemies, as appeareth verſe 6. therefore now ſhe ſpeaketh unto her friends, looking to find favour and courteſie amongſt them: the daughters of Jeruſalem were her felllow-members, of whom wee have ſpoken of largely from chap. 2. 7. And alſo chap. 3. 5. Now this verſe being the beginning of the ſecond part of the Chapter, containing a dialogue between the Spouſe, and the damoſels or daughters of Jeruſalem; which ſheweth that the Spouſe leaveth the watchmen, and enquires for her beloved among her owne friends, her owne Members.
Hence Obſerve.
That the Lord doth many times convey comfort and ſatisfaction to his people, by poore, weake, diſpiſed inſtruments.
The Spouſe expected more help from theſe poore diſpiſed daughters of Jeruſalem, her owne members, then from the watchmen of the walls. What comfort could the Saints receive from the falſe Prieſts and Prophets in the time of the Law? or, what ſatisfaction may the godly receive from the Scribes and Phariſees in Chriſts time? and as little may the Saints expect now from many, that pretend to the Office of Prieſthood, or miniſtry. Surely, many a Saint knows by experience, that more ſatisfaction and comfort is to be had from many a poore diſpiſed Member of their congregation, then from the great Rabbies and Doctors of the world: and no marvaile; for, God ordaineth ſtrength out of the mouthes of babes and ſucklings, Pſal. 8. And he hath choſen the fooliſh things of the world, to confound the things that are mighty: and the baſe things of the world, and things that are diſpiſed, hath God choſen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no fleſh ſhould glorie in his preſence, 1 Cor. 1. 27, 28, 29. No fleſhly nor carnall man ſhall boaſt in Gods ſight; and therefore by his wiſedome and power he will overturne the wiſedome and power of fleſh: that his owne ſpirit, wiſedome, power, and righteouſneſſe might be exalted in his Saints. Now followeth the thing it ſelfe given the charge.
If yee finde my beloved, tell him that I am ſick of love.
If yee finde my beloved, which ſheweth they had but little knowledge of Chriſt, they had not the cleare manifeſtation of his love and favour; they apprehended him but darkely, being ignorant almoſt of him, as appeares by their anſwer in the next verſe.
Hence Obſerve.
That many Saints know but little of Chriſt.
Hence the Spouſe ſaith here, if ye finde him, that is, if you come to a more cleare knowledge and revelation of him: many Chriſtians know Chriſt after the fleſh, and after the letter, but how few know him after the Spirit? many know Chriſt, as he is ſet forth in the hiſtorie of the Goſpell, to be crucified and riſen, but few know Chriſt found in them by the ſpirit. It followeth.
Tell ye him that I am ſick of love.
Tell ye him, or, as it is in the Hebrew, What ſhall yee tell him? interogatively, which he ſpeaketh ſhortly, foreign Id eſt quid indicabilis ci.as many times lovers doe, and yet the interogation containeth more vehemency in it, and ſerveth to beautifie the ſpeech alſo: It is an earneſt and paſſionate kind of ſpeech, ſhewing her earneſt affection after her beloved. Would you know what you ſhould tell him? even that which followeth.
That I am ſick of love.
She cannot conceale the heat and vehemencie of her love, but even after the manner of lovers, declareth the ſame, who the more they be abſent one of them from another, the more their love increaſeth, and the more greatly doe they deſire to be joyned together. The truth is, that the Spouſe is ſo farre off, from keeping cloſſe her love towards her beloved, that ſhe doth not only reveale it to them, but intreateth them rather freely to open it, and declare the ſame, eſpecially to her beloved. But what will yee tell him? This demanding queſtion, ſheweth that her love did ſo appeare, that they muſt needs if they tell him any thing, tell him:
That ſhee is ſick of love.
The Greeke rendereth it, wounded with love: that is, with languiſhing deſires after him. This is exceeding great love, that ſhe commeth to be love-ſick, as one ready to languiſh, and faint away with love, here's a ſickneſſe, but not unto death, but unto life, a ſickneſſe that ſtill bringeth comfort and ſatisfaction with it, a ſickneſſe that ſhall be cured with Chriſt, the great Phiſition.
Hence Obſerve.
Firſt, That true affections towards Chriſt, will deſire inenlargement from others.
The Spouſe here deſireth theſe daughters to tell Chriſt of her affection towards him; to the end, that Chriſt might more and more diſcover his love and favour unto her. The Apoſtle deſired that the Theſſolonians would pray for him, That he might be delivered from unreaſonable men, 1 Theſſ. 3. 2.
Secondly, Obſerve.
That there is a distemper and unquietneſſe in the affections of the Saints, in the want of the full enjoyment of Chriſt.
There is no contentment without union, and enjoyment, and the more excellent the thing is that is loved, the more contentment there is in communion with it, and where it is hindred in the leaſt degree or meaſure, there is diſquietneſſe; ſuch as is the contentment in injoying, ſuch is the ſorrow and ſickneſſe in parting. The greateſt happineſſe of the Spouſe was in the injoyment of her beloved; and the greateſt of her ſorrow and ſickneſſe is in parting with him. But now if the fleſh had borne ſway, that would have reaſoned after another way, as thus: I opened the doore, and he withdrew himſelfe, and by that occaſion I have ſuffered great calamitie, therefore I have ſmall cauſe to love him: ſeeing he doth hide himſelfe from me, and cauſe me to be thus ſtricken and wounded, why ſhould I ſet my heart upon him? The fleſh I ſay would miniſter ſuch kinde of reaſons, but the Saints are not led by the fleſh and its wiſdome, but by the Spirit which teacheth them, the more they ſuffer for Chriſt, the more to love him. This is a thing beyond the reach of humane reaſon, the Spouſe having fallen into ſo great affliction by ſeeking after her head Chriſt, is thereupon ſick of love. The Saints rejoyce in tribulation, and count it their honour to ſuffer for Chriſt, and the more they ſuffer in his name, he doth ſo ſtrengthen them, and worke in them by the Spirit, that the more they love him. Thus having heard, what the Spouſe ſaith to the daughters of Jeruſalem: let us now ſee what anſwer they doe make.