Song of Solomon 1

Notes

Ver. 2. Blessed Jesus, upon whom I have been meditating, by thy Word and Spirit give me intimate fellowship with thee in thy ordinances, and full assurances of thy friendship: for the manifestations of thy redeeming love are more pleasant, reviving, and strengthening to my soul than any created enjoyments. 3. Such is the pleasant and powerful influence of thy mediatorial excellencies, offices, relations, and fulness of spirit and grace, that sincere and holy souls cannot but love thee with their whole heart. 4. By thy almighty influence direct and bring me into the nearest enjoyment of thyself, that I, and others excited by me, may pleasantly comply with thy alluring power, and follow hard after thee in the paths of duty.—Jesus, the King of his church, has already brought me into the most ravishing nearness to and spiritual intimacy with himself; therefore will we rejoice in him as our All and in All; we will think of, believe, and extol his love above all created delights: for every candid and sincere professor heartily esteems, loves, and delights in thee. 5. In myself, and in respect of manifold infirmities, scandals, reproaches, and persecutions, I am deformed; but in my Head Christ, and as clothed with his righteousness, and endued by his Spirit, gifts, and graces, I am truly comely, O ye nominal professors and weak believers:—I am outwardly mean, but inwardly rich and glorious. 6. Look not therefore upon me with disdain, disaffection, or delight in my distresses, nor stumble at religion on account of them; for sore persecutions, tribulations, and temptations are befallen me: hypocritical professors, false teachers, and my own inward corruptions, enraged at my connection with Christ, and my cleaving to him, have oppressed me with the basest drudgery, and entangled me in carnal cares and secular affairs, which have hindered me from, or retarded me in, the due improvement of my own office, opportunities, gifts, and graces. 7. But, O all-compassionate Redeemer, whom I love with my whole heart, and above everything else, discover to me, by thy Word and Spirit, which is thy true church, and which are those assemblies wherein thou art remarkably present, and to whom thou affordest spiritual support and consolation amidst all their scorching persecutions and troubles: for why should I, whom thou hast redeemed, and who have sincerely devoted my whole self to thee, be left to associate myself with empty professors, false teachers, and inward idols, who, notwithstanding their pretences of friendship, are thy enemies and rivals on earth!

Christ. 8. O ye excellent ones of the earth, beautified with my salvation, righteousness, and grace, and whose church state is adorned with my ordinances, if your knowledge of duty be still indistinct, inquire after, observe, and follow the example of the saints in former and present ages; and let weak believers and young converts, with their weak or languishing graces, carefully attend my public ordinances dispensed by my faithful pastors. 9. And be encouraged in my love; for, notwithstanding the weakness which you feel, and the self-deformity which you discover, I your Redeemer and Husband have, and will render you comely and active, and will give you sufficient strength and courage to withstand and conquer your spiritual enemies, if you will only be faithful. 10. Whilst your church state is beautifully adorned by divine oracles, ordinances, gifts, and graces, professors, and ministers, your particular conversation before the world appears beautifully marked with a variety of precious and holy qualities, and your faith, by which you are united to my person as your Head, is precious and glorious in itself, and is productive of every good word and work. 11. And I, my Father, and the blessed Spirit will for ever continue and increase these spiritual ornaments in true believers.

Believers. 12. O that we may enjoy these blessed and ornamenting operations of thy grace! For, whilst thou, Jesus, dost converse familiarly with us in thine ordinances, how pleasant are thy promises and truths to our heart, and how vigorous and active, and acceptable to thee, are our implanted graces. 13. And, even during the night of trouble or time, how delightfully art thou, our beloved Husband, found in the public and private ordinances of thy grace, and art entertained by the most cordial embracements of our faith and love! 14. O what an inexpressibly delightful and precious system of excellencies, fountain of graces, source of blessings, repository of promises, treasure of pardoning, healing, comforting, nourishing, quickening, and refreshing influence, art thou to our heart!

Christ. 15. How comely and glorious is my church, as endowed with ordinances, and reformed by my Word and Spirit; and how adorned with intelligent, sincere, peaceful, peace-proclaiming, and faithful pastors, who search into gospel truths, and watch over, direct, and go before every individual member of it. And how certainly, and eminently comely, is every believing soul clothed with my righteousness, and endowed with my grace! How quick and discerning their spiritual understanding! How chaste, sincere, and single their affections, without the least glance of spiritual whoredom!

Believers. 16. But, blessed and divine Husband, what is all my derived comeliness in respect of thine, in thy person, offices, relations, and grace? How delightful are all these to my heart! How pleasantly glorious is thy promise, and the ordinances of thy gospel, for the conversion and consolation of souls, and for rendering them fruitful in good works! 17. And strong, durable, and lasting is thy church, in which I am honoured to dwell, and consists of such parts and members as keep the faith; and permanent are all her oracles, ordinances, and offices.

Ver. 2. The word me shows that the bride 'the Lamb's wife,' Re. 21.9, is the first speaker; thy, addressing her, shows that the virgins, the church in her state of waiting and progress, reply. See Mat. xxv. C.

Ver. 5. I am black as the tents of Kedar—an humble acknowledgment of sin, in which words the bride speaks; but comely as the curtains of Solomon, a recognition of the sin, but an assertion of the beauty of faith and repentance, in which words the virgins speak. C.

Ver. 6. Look not upon me, &c. She speaks as a village maiden, accustomed, as all village maidens are in the East, to work in the vineyards; and so exposed to the burning sun that her skin was dark when compared with the fair daughters of Jerusalem. Though tanned with the sun she was still beautiful. What a noble figure of the church! Bearing the marks of the world's toils and persecutions; yet showing on every feature the lineaments of heaven. P.

Ver. 7. There is here a new picture, changing from a banqueting-house to a shepherd gone after his flocks. 'Why should I be as a stranger by the flocks of thy companions?' Why should I, as a stranger, follow any teacher, any spiritual feeder, but my Lord? C.——Eastern shepherds always lead their flocks to some shady spot, if possible beside a fountain, and leave them to rest there for one or two hours during the fierce noonday heat. This is a favourite time for the shepherds themselves to meet with their friends and to recline under shade of tree or rock. P.

Ver. 9. I have compared thee, O my partner. Not for personal accomplishments, but for costliness and beauty of ornaments; 'even the ornaments of a meek and quiet spirit, which is, in the sight of Heaven, of great price.' C.

Ver. 10. The maidens of Palestine wear an ornament composed of gold coins strung together in a row so as to overlap like scale-armour. It passes over the head, down each cheek in front of the ear, and is fastened under the chin. Instead of coins, thin discs of gold and silver were used in ancient times. They also wear numerous chains of gold or silver round the neck. The words of the text are therefore descriptive of a maiden decked in her ornaments. It is also worthy of note that fully caparisoned horses have their bridles covered with little plates of the precious metals, and have also numbers of chains and amulets strung round their necks. How graphic therefore are the words, 'I have likened thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots!' P.

Ver. 14. Camphire. The camphire is a plant, the Lawsonia inermis of botanists. Of the dried leaves an unguent is made, called henna, with which the females of Syria and Egypt dye their nails. Its flowers have a sweet perfume, and eastern maidens often place bunches of them in their bosoms. The plant is still found at Engedi. P.

Reflections.—How precious and pleasant Christ is to believing souls! Ardently do they pant after further communications of his grace; sensible that they can do nothing of themselves, but Jesus must do all in them and for them. He takes the sweetest delight in speedily answering their prayers, and satisfying their souls with his loving-kindness; though often, amidst his kind visits, their outward state is such as lookers-on are apt to stumble at. With what pain and grief do lively saints lament the want of frequent and intimate fellowship with him and his people in the ordinances! But he is ready to direct and comfort them in this condition. He has done, and will do, for them the most amazing things, in furnishing them with his righteousness, his grace, and his glory. All their life, their strength, their grace, their comfort, their happiness come from him. His heart is full of high esteem and unbounded affection for them. And, through familiar fellowship with him, they receive and enjoy his comforting, sanctifying, and blessed influence.