The Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon 5
Chapter V · Vol. II, pp. 1133–1134
1 Christ awaketh the church with his calling. 2 The church having a taste of Christ's love is sick of love. 9 A description of Christ by his graces.
1 I ama come into my garden, bmy sister, my spouse: I chave gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat,d O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly,1 O ebeloved.
2 Ig sleep, but my heart 2waketh: hit is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Openi to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: jfor my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
4 Myl beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door,3 and my bowels were moved for him.4
l Ps.110.3; 84.2. Is.26.8,9. Ac.16.14.
3 The garden-doors in Palestine have the lock inside. The lock is of wood, and in order to open it the hand? with the wooden key? thrust through a small square hole in the door, and the key then inserted in the lock. The description here is thus minutely accurate.—P.
4 Or (as some read), in me.
5 In rose up to open to my beloved; oand my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet-smelling5 myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.
6 Ip opened to my beloved; qbut my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone; rmy soul failed when he spake: sI sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
7 Thet watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my vail from me.
t Ps.141.5. Ho.6.5. Je.18.18. Ac.20.29. Is.56.10,11. 2 Co.11.13.
8 Iu charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that6 ye tell him, that I am sick of love.
9 Whatv is thy beloved more than another beloved, xO thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?
10 Myy beloved is white and ruddy,7 the chiefest8 among ten thousand.
y ch.2.1; 1.16. Jn.1.14. Ro.9.5. He.7.26; 2.10. Ep.1.21. Lu.24.26. Phi.2.6-11.
7 This single passage should have convinced any commentator that this book had no reference whatever to Solomon the son of David; for it is utterly impossible that the most unlimited vanity could compose and publish such a personal panegyric; but as an emblematic description of Messiah it well corresponds in glory with that exhibited to John the Divine, Re.1.13-16.—C.
12 Hisb eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set:1
b ch.1.15; 4.1. Re.1.14. 2 Ch.16.9. Ps.119.132; 5.5. He.4.13.
1 Heb. sitting in fulness, that is, fitly placed and set as a precious stone in the foil of a ring.
13 Hisc cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet 2flowers; dhis lips like lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh:
14 Hise hands are as gold rings set with the beryl; ghis belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires:
15 Hish legs are as pillars of marble set upon sockets of fine gold; ihis countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars:
Notes
Christ. 1. At thy request, believing soul, I vouchsafe my special presence in my church and ordinances. I have with pleasure observed thy lively preaching, and cordial application of my precious and soul-nourishing truths. I have particularly observed and accepted the graces and services of believers. Let them also feast abundantly on my gospel provision, and take the comfort of their graces and works, as evidences of their faith and great salvation.
Believers. 2. Alas! the dull and lukewarm frame in which Jesus often finds his churches when he comes to bless them! And how slothful and secure my animal nature had made me, even while my spiritual endeavoured to hear and entertain him! Amidst much deadness and unconcern, I felt some impressions made upon my heart by his Word, Spirit, and rod; while he, in the kindest manner, besought me to exercise my faith and love, and to remove whatever hindered his most intimate approaches, as he was closely related to me, had suffered much for me and from me, had waited long for my opening to him, and was much grieved with my neglect of him! 3. In the most pitiful manner I evaded compliance with his kind invitations, as a thing I was not at present fitted for, and which I could not do without crossing my corrupt inclinations and troubling my flesh. 4. By the immediate power of his Spirit, Jesus touched my heart through his Word, and kindly stirred up my affections to a concern for my former slighting of him, and to an earnest desire after his presence. 5. Repenting of my former stupidity and indifference, and actuated by his influence, I prepared myself to entertain his visit; my faith and other graces put themselves into active and vigorous motion for the removal of everything that tended to hinder his access to my soul. 6. Notwithstanding my vigorous actings of faith upon his self-giving promises, and panting desires after him, I did not obtain any sensible manifestations of his presence. My heart was then filled with pain, grief, and shame at the remembrance of his slighted invitation. I carefully attended his ordinances, public and private, in order to seek and find him: but met with nothing but frowns and disappointments. 7. When ministers touched my case in their discourses, they but raised my hopes and increased my anguish: by their harsh reproofs, calumnies, and persecutions, they wounded and distressed my soul. They whose duty it is to prevent everything tending to disturb the peace and edification of the church questioned the truth of my profession, and charged me with the vilest hypocrisy. 8. O! my fellow-professors, I beg and charge you, that if this my Lord Jesus allow you any sensible intimacy with himself, you will represent to him the distressed case of my soul, and entreat him speedily to visit me, who earnestly desires him, and am at the point of death for want of his sensible presence.
Daughters. 9. Distressed, but precious and lovely saint, what means this so solemn charge? What singular and transcendent excellency is in this Jesus, the beloved of thy heart?
Believers. 10. Boundless and incomparable is his excellency! A glorious Godhead and a suffering manhood, a holiness of heart and life, and a bloody suffering, a glorious exaltation, and a humble debasement, mercy towards his people, and judgment against unbelievers, concur to render him in every respect a miracle of beauty! He is infinitely more dignified, kind, rich, and glorious, than all the ten thousands of created beings in heaven and in earth; and, as the great standard-bearer, he goes forth, attended by angels and saints, conquering and to conquer. 11. In his divine nature, and as he is the Head of government and influence to all people, he is pure, precious, substantial, glorious, useful, enriching, and unchangeable! Lasting and immutable is his comeliness! Beautiful, mysterious, and majestic are his well-connected purposes and providences! And ever fresh and comely those societies of saints which are rooted and grounded in him! 12. Pure, penetrating, pleasant, beautiful, and comforting is his all-seeing knowledge and his tender pity and care! 13. Delightful the manifestations of his love, glory, and grace! His words are gracious and comfortable, continually refreshing, quickening, and supporting to the souls of his people! 14. Perfect, glorious, and lasting, and all managed with infinite skill, are his munificent liberality, almighty power, and marvellous works, particularly of grace! Sincere, lasting, and wisely ordered for the good of all people, are his great purposes of love, his tender bowels of mercy and compassion, and his sympathizing intercession! 15. Sufficient and wisely exerted are his strength and power to bear or act in the work of our redemption!? Skilfully contrived, and firmly fixed on the precious and durable foundations of his grace, are the dispensations of his providence! Elevated, stately and pleasant, always verdant and refreshing, is the full manifestation of him in all his excellencies! 16. Pleasant is his Word and the sensible communications of his love! Nay, all that is in his person, offices, relations, names, blessings, and ordinances is inexpressibly desirable; and nothing is truly desirable but as in or connected with him. This, this, O fellow-professors, is my spiritual husband, and my constant and sympathizing lover and benefactor.
Ver. 1. This verse complies with the closing invitation of the preceding chapter, and represents Christ delighting in the feast of his church, and inviting all that follow him to participate in his joy, Jn. 3. 29. C.
Ver. 2. Open to me, my sister. The emblem of our Lord standing at the door and knocking, and waiting for the opening of the closed door, Re. 3. 20. C.
Ver. 3. Two excuses easy to be understood by those who observe that it is not Christ personal but Christ representative that now knocks for admission, see Mat. 25. 40, 45. And when the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, and the imprisoned have knocked and called, how few will be able to plead that they have never hesitated to rise, and never invented a plausible excuse for neglecting to open the door! C.
Ver. 7. The watchmen that, by their faithful preaching of the truth, found out (detected) the lately negligent, but now aroused and anxious seeker; they smote, they wounded the conscience, and they took away the vail of every plausible excuse. C.
Ver. 16. He is altogether lovely. Independent of its inspiration and its emblematic object, this description must present to the eye of an unprejudiced artist an imagery of most unequalled range, the product of a mind fraught with universal information. Its chief topics of comparison are (1) Colours; (2) Officered armies, ver. 10; (3) Precious metal; (4) Ornithology, ver. 11, 12; (5) Botany, ver. 13; (6) Jewelry, ver. 14; (7) Architecture; (8) Landscape, ver. 15; (9) Attractive eloquence, ver. 16. Every province of nature and art thus furnishing its tribute to the King, the 'Lord of all!' C.
Reflections.—Quickly, when entreated, does Jesus come to comfort the hearts and supply the wants of his people; and brings with him for their refreshment the fulness of promises, grace, and joy. Enlarged appetites after spiritual blessings are necessary for gospel hearers. But it is strange that even saints should refuse his gracious visits, for which they had earnestly prayed and patiently waited. Hard is the heart that remains untouched by his affectionate calls; base is the temper which renders men careless about him and his influences; and shameful and frivolous are the best excuses which can be made for evading his visits. It is indeed impossible for people wholly to exclude him from their heart; and they procure for themselves great grief and toil by neglecting to entertain his offered kindness. But it is base for ministers to act imprudently and untenderly towards those whose spirits the Lord has wounded. More dutiful and profitable is it to strive in prayers for one another. And how pleasant when, even under desertion, saints maintain the most exalted view of Jesus' person and fulness, and the most assured faith of their interest in them; and when even curious inquiries concerning him draw forth the warmest commendations of him!