S
O N G O F S O L O M O N
CHAP. VI.
In
this chapter, I. The daughters of Jerusalem, moved with the description which the church
had given of Christ, enquire after him, ver. 1. II. The church directs them
where they may meet with him, ver. 2, 3. III. Christ is now found of those
that sought him, and very highly applauds the beauty of his spouse, as one
extremely smitten with it (ver. 4-7), preferring her before all others (ver.
8, 9), recommending her to the love and esteem of all her neighbours (ver.
10), and, lastly, acknowledging the impressions which her beauty had made upon
him and the great delight he took in it, ver. 11-13.
1 Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest
among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with
thee. 2 My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of
spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. 3 I am
my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
Here is, I. The enquiry which the daughters of Jerusalem made concerning
Christ, v. 1. They still continue their high thoughts of the church,
and call her, as before, the fairest among women; for true sanctity is
true beauty. And now they raise their thoughts higher concerning Christ: Whither
has thy beloved gone, that we may seek him with thee? This would be but an
indecent, unacceptable, compliment, if the song were not to be understood
spiritually; for love is jealous of a rival, would monopolize the beloved, and
cares not that others should join in seeking him; but those that truly love
Christ are desirous that others should love him too, and be joined to him;
nay, the greatest instance of duty and respect that the church's children can
show to their mother is to join with her in seeking Christ. The daughters
of Jerusalem, who had asked (ch. v. 9), What is thy beloved more
than another beloved? wondering that the spouse should be so passionately
in love with him, are now of another mind, and are themselves in love with
him; for, 1. The spouse had described him, and shown them his excellencies and
perfections; and therefore, though they have not seen him, yet, believing,
they love him. Those that undervalue Christ do so because they do not know
him; when God, by his word and Spirit, discovers him to the soul, with that
ray of light the fire of love to him will be kindled. 2. The spouse had
expressed her own love to him, her rest in that love, and triumphed in it: This
is my beloved; and that flame in her breast scattered sparks into theirs.
As sinful lusts, when they break out, defile many, so the pious zeal of some
may provoke many, 2 Cor. ix. 2. 3. The spouse had bespoken their help
in seeking her beloved (ch. v. 8); but now they beg hers, for they
perceive that now the cloud she had been under began to scatter, and the sky
to clear up, and, while she was describing her beloved to them, she herself
retrieved her comfort in him. Drooping Christians would find benefit
themselves by talking of Christ, as well as do good to others. Now here, (1.)
They enquire concerning him, "Wither has thy beloved gone? which
may must we steer our course in pursuit of him?" Note, Those that are
made acquainted with the excellencies of Christ, and the comfort of an
interest in him, cannot but be inquisitive after him and desirous to know
where they may meet with him. (2.) They offer their service to the spouse to
accompany her in quest of him: We will seek him with thee. Those that
would find Christ must seek him, seek him early, seek him diligently; and it
is best seeking Christ in concert, to join with those that are seeking him. We
must seek for communion with Christ in communion with saints. We know whither
our beloved has gone; he has gone to heaven, to his Father, and our
Father. He took care to send us notice of it, that we might know how to
direct to him, John xx. 17. We must by faith see him there, and by prayer seek
him there, with boldness enter into the holiest, and herein must join
with the generation of those that seek him (Ps. xxiv. 6), even with all
that in every place call upon him, 1 Cor. i. 2. We must pray with and for
others.
II. The answer which the spouse gave to this enquiry, v. 2, 3. Now she
complains not any more, as she had done (ch. v. 6), "He is gone,
he is gone," that she knew not where to find him, or doubted she had lost
him for ever; no,
1. Now she knows very well where he is (v. 2): "My beloved
is not to be found in the streets of the city, and the crowd and noise that
are there; there I have in vain looked for him" (as his parents sought
him among their kindred and acquaintance, and found him not); "but he
has gone down to his garden, a place of privacy and retirement."
The more we withdraw from the hurry of the world the more likely we are to
have acquaintance with Christ, who took his disciples into a garden, there to
be witnesses of the agonies of his love. Christ's church is a garden enclosed,
and separated from the open common of the world; it is his garden,
which he has planted as he did the garden of Eden, which he takes care of, and
delights in. Though he had gone up to the paradise above, yet he comes down to
his garden on earth; it lies low, but he condescends to visit it, and
wonderful condescension it is. Will God in very deed dwell with man upon
the earth? Those that would find Christ may expect to meet with him in
his garden the church, for there he records his name (Exod. xx.
24); they must attend upon him in the ordinances which he has instituted, the
word, sacraments, and prayer, wherein he will be with us always, even to
the end of the world. The spouse here refers to what Christ had said (ch.
v. 1), I have come into my garden. It is as if she had said, "What
a fool was I to fret and fatigue myself in seeking him where he was not, when
he himself had told me where he was!" Words of direction and comfort are
often out of the way when we have occasion to use them, till the blessed
Spirit brings them to our remembrance, and then we wonder how we overlooked
them. Christ has told us that he would come into his garden; thither
therefore we must go to seek him. The beds, and smaller gardens,
in this greater, are the particular churches, the synagogues of God in the
land (Ps. lxxxiv. 8); the spices and lilies are particular
believers, the planting of the Lord, and pleasant in his eyes. When Christ
comes down to his church it is, (1.) To feed among the gardens,
to feed his flock, which he feeds not, as other shepherds, in the open fields,
but in his garden, so well are they provided for, Ps. xxiii. 2. He comes to
feed his friends, and entertain them; there you may not only find him, but
find his table richly furnished, and a hearty welcome to it. He comes to feed
himself, that is, to please himself with the products of his own grace in his
people; for the Lord takes pleasure in those that fear him. He has many
gardens, many particular churches of different sizes and shapes; but, while
they are his, he feeds in them all, manifests himself among them, and is well
pleased with them. (2.) To gather lilies, wherewith he is pleased to
entertain and adorn himself. He picks the lilies one by one, and gathers them
to himself; and there will be a general harvest of them at the great day, when
he will send forth his angels, to gather all his lilies, that he may be for
ever glorified and admired in them.
2. She is very confident of her own interest in him (v. 3): "I
am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine; the relation is mutual, and the
knot is tied, which cannot be loosed; for he feeds among the lilies,
and my communion with him is a certain token of my interest in him." She
had said this before (ch. ii. 16); but, (1.) Here she repeats it as
that which she resolved to abide by, and which she took an unspeakable
pleasure and satisfaction in; she liked her choice too well to change. Our
communion with God is very much maintained and kept up by the frequent
renewing of our covenant with him and rejoicing in it. (2.) She had occasion
to repeat it, for she had acted unkindly to her beloved, and, for her so
doing, he had justly withdrawn himself from her, and therefore there was
occasion to take fresh hold of the covenant, which continues firm between
Christ and believers, notwithstanding their failings and his frowns, Ps.
lxxxix. 30-35. "I have been careless and wanting in my duty, and yet I
am my beloved's;" for every transgression in the covenant does not
throw us out of covenant. "He has justly hidden his face from me and
denied me his comforts, and yet my beloved is mine;" for rebukes
and chastenings are not only consistent with, but they flow from
covenant-love. (3.) When we have not a full assurance of Christ's love we must
live by a faithful adherence to him. "Though I have not the sensible
consolation I used to have, yet I will cleave to this, Christ is mine and I
am his." (4.) Though she had said the same before, yet now she
inverts the order, and asserts her interest in her first: I am my
beloved's, entirely devoted and dedicated to him; and then her interest in
him and in his grace: "My beloved is mine, and I am happy, truly
happy in him." If our own hearts can but witness for us that we are his,
there is no room left to question his being ours; for the covenant never
breaks on his side. (5.) It is now her comfort, as it was then, that he
feeds among the lilies, that he takes delight in his people and converses
freely with them, as we do with those with whom we feed; and therefore, though
at present he be withdrawn, "I shall meet with him again. I shall yet
praise him who is the health of my countenance, and my God."
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The
Church's Confidence in Christ; The Love of Christ to the Church.
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4 Thou art beautiful, O my love, as
Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is
as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. 6 Thy teeth are
as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth
twins, and there is not one barren among them. 7 As a piece
of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. 8 There
are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without
number. 9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is
the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her
that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens
and the concubines, and they praised her. 10 Who is she that
looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and
terrible as an army with banners?
Now we must suppose Christ graciously returned to his spouse, from whom he had
withdrawn himself, returned to converse with her (for he speaks to her and makes
her to hear joy and gladness), returned to favour her, having forgiven and
forgotten all her unkindness, for he speaks very tenderly and respectfully to
her.
I. He pronounces her truly amiable (v. 4): Thou art beautiful, O my
love! as Tirzah, a city in the tribe of Manasseh, whose name signifies pleasant,
or acceptable, the situation, no doubt, being very happy and the
building fine and uniform. Thou art comely as Jerusalem, a city compact
together (Ps. cxxii. 3), and which Solomon had built and beautified, the
joy of the whole earth; it was an honour to the world (whether they
thought so or no) that there was such a city in it. It was the holy city, and
that was the greatest beauty of it; and fitly is the church compared to it,
for it was figured and typified by it. The gospel-church is the Jerusalem
that is above (Gal. iv. 26), the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. xii. 22);
in it God has his sanctuary, and is, in a special manner, present;
thence he has the tribute of praise issuing; it is his rest for ever, and
therefore it is comely as Jerusalem, and, being so, is terrible as
an army with banners. Church-censures, duly administered, strike an awe
upon men's consciences; the word (the weapons of her warfare) casts down
imaginations (2 Cor. x. 5), and even an unbeliever is convinced and judged
by the solemnity of holy ordinances, 1 Cor. xiv. 24, 25. The saints by faith overcome
the world (1 John v. 4); nay, like Jacob, they have power with God and
prevail, Gen. xxxii. 28.
II. He owns himself in love with her, v. 5. Though, for a small moment,
and in a little wrath, he had hid his face from her, yet now he gathers her
with very surprising instances of everlasting lovingkindness, Isa. liv.
8. Turn thy eyes towards me (so some read it), "turn the eyes of
faith and love towards me, for they have lifted me up; look unto me,
and be comforted." When we are calling to God to turn the eye of his
favour towards us he is calling to us to turn the eye of our obedience towards
him. We read it as a strange expression of love, "Turn away thy eyes
from me, for I cannot bear the brightness of them; they have quite overcome
me, and I am prevailed with to overlook all that is past;" as God
said to Moses, when he interceded for Israel, "Let me alone, or I
must yield," Exod. xxxii. 10. Christ is pleased to borrow these
expressions of a passionate lover only to express the tenderness of a
compassionate Redeemer, and the delight he takes in his redeemed and in the
workings of his own grace in them.
III. He repeats, almost word for word, part of the description he had given of
her beauty (ch. iv. 1-3), her hair, her teeth, her temples
(v. 5-7), not because he could not have described it in other words,
and by other similitudes, but to show that he had still the same esteem for
her since her unkindness to him, and his withdrawings from her, that he had
before. Lest she should think that, though he would not quite cast her off,
yet he would think the worse of her while he knew her, he says the same of her
now that he had done; for those to whom much is forgiven will love the
more, and, consequently, will be the more loved, for Christ has said, I
love those that love me. He is pleased with his people, notwithstanding
their weaknesses, when they sincerely repent of them and return to their duty,
and commends them as if they had already arrived at perfection.
IV. He prefers her before all competitors, and sees all the beauties and
perfections of others meeting and centering in her (v. 8, 9): "There
are, it may be, threescore queens, who, like Esther, have by their
beauty attained to the royal state and dignity, and fourscore concubines,
whom kings have preferred before their own queens, as more charming, and these
attended by their maids of honour, virgins without number, who, when
there is a ball at court, appear in great splendour, with beauty that dazzles
the eyes of the spectators; but my dove, my undefiled, is but one, a
holy one." 1. She excels them all. Go through all the world, and view the
societies of men that reckon themselves wise and happy, kingdoms, courts,
senates, councils, or whatever incorporations you may think valuable, they are
none of them to be compared with the church of Christ; their honours and
beauties are nothing to hers. Who is like unto thee, O Israel! Deut.
xxxiii. 29; iv. 6, 7. There are particular persons, as virgins without
number, who are famed for their accomplishments, the beauties of their
address, language, and performances, but the beauty of holiness is beyond all
other beauty: "My dove, my undefiled, is one, has that one beauty
that she is a dove, an undefiled dove, and mine, and that makes her excel the
queens and virgins, though they were ever so many." 2. She included them
all. "Other kings have many queens, and concubines, and virgins, with
whose conversation they entertain themselves, but my dove, my undefiled,
is to me instead of all; in that one I have more than they have in all
theirs." Or, "Though there are many particular churches, some of
greater dignity, others of less, some of longer, others of shorter, standing,
and many particular believers, of different gifts and attainments, some more
eminent, others less so, yet they all constitute but one catholic church, are
all but parts of that whole, and that is my dove, my undefiled."
Christ is the centre of the church's unity; all the children of God that are
scattered abroad are gathered by him (John xi. 52), and meet in him (Eph. i.
10), and are all his doves.
V. He shows how much she was esteemed, not by him only, but by all that had
acquaintance with her and stood in relation to her. It would add to her praise
to say, 1. That she was her mother's darling; she had that in her, from a
child, which recommended her to the particular affection of her parents. As
Solomon himself is said to have been tender and an only one in the sight of
his mother (Prov. iv. 3), so was she the only one of her mother, as
dear as if she had been an only one, and, if there were many more, yet she was
the choice one of her that bore her, more excellent than all the
societies of men this world ever produced. All the kingdoms of the world, and
the glory of them, are nothing, in Christ's account, compared with the church,
which is made up of the excellent ones of the earth, the precious
sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, and more excellent than their
neighbours. 2. That she was admired by all her acquaintance, not only the
daughters, who were her juniors, but even the queens and the
concubines, who might have reason to be jealous of her as a rival; they
all blessed her, and wished well to her, praised her, and spoke
well of her. The daughters of Jerusalem called her the fairest among
women; all agreed to give her the pre-eminence for beauty, and every sheaf
bowed to hers. Note, (1.) Those that have any correct sense of things cannot
but be convinced in their consciences (whatever they say) that godly people
are excellent people; many will give them their good word, and more their
good-will. (2.) Jesus Christ takes notice what people think and speak of his
church, and is well pleased with those that honour such as fear the Lord, and
takes it ill of those that despise them, particularly when they are under a
cloud, that offend any of his little ones.
VI. He produces the encomium that was given of her, and makes it his own (v.
10): Who is she that looks forth as the morning? This is applicable
both to the church in the world and to grace in the heart.
1. They are amiable as the light, the most beautiful of all visible things.
Christians are, or should be, the lights of the world. The patriarchal church looked
forth as the morning when the promise of the Messiah was first made known,
and the day-spring from on high visited this dark world. The Jewish
church was fair as the moon; the ceremonial law was an imperfect light;
it shone by reflection; it was changing as the moon, did not make day, nor had
the sun of righteousness yet risen. But the Christian church is clear as
the sun, exhibits a great light to those that sat in darkness. Or
we may apply it to the kingdom of grace, the gospel-kingdom. (1.) In its rise,
it looks forth as the morning after a dark night; it is discovering
(Job xxxviii. 12, 13), and very acceptable, looks forth pleasantly as a
clear morning; but it is small in its beginnings, and scarcely perceptible at
first. (2.) It is, at the best, in this world, but fair as the moon,
which shines with a borrowed light, which has her changes and eclipses, and
her spots too, and, when at the full, does but rule by night. But, (3.) When
it is perfected in the kingdom of glory then it will be clear as the sun,
the church clothed with the sun, with Christ the sun of
righteousness, Rev. xii. 1. Those that love God will then be as the sun
when he goes forth in his strength (Judges v. 31; Matt. xiii. 43); they
shall shine in inexpressible glory, and that which is perfect will then come;
there shall be no darkness, no spots, Isa. xxx. 26.
2. The beauty of the church and of believers is not only amiable, but awful
as an army with banners. The church, in this world, is as an army,
as the camp of Israel in the wilderness; its state is militant; it is in the
midst of enemies, and is engaged in a constant conflict with them. Believers
are soldiers in this army. It has its banners; the gospel of Christ is
an ensign (Isa. xi. 12), the love of Christ, ch. ii. 4. It is
marshalled, and kept in order and under discipline. It is terrible to
its enemies as Israel in the wilderness was, Exod. xv. 14. When Balaam saw
Israel encamped according to their tribes, by their standards, with colours
displayed, he said, How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob! Num. xxiv. 5.
When the church preserves her purity she secures her honour and victory; when
she is fair as the moon, and clear as the sun, she is truly
great and formidable.
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The
Love of Christ to the Church.
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11 I went down into the garden of nuts to see
the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and
the pomegranates budded. 12 Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like
the chariots of Amminadib. 13 Return, return, O Shulamite; return,
return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it
were the company of two armies.
Christ having now returned to his spouse, and the breach being entirely made
up, and the falling out of these lovers being the renewing of love, Christ
here gives an account both of the distance and of the reconciliation.
I. That when he had withdrawn from his church as his spouse, and did not
comfort her, yet even then he had his eye upon it as his garden, which he took
care of (v. 11): "I went down into the garden of nuts, or
nutmegs, to see the fruits of the valley, with complacency and concern,
to see them as my own." When he was out of sight he was no further off
than the garden, hid among the trees of the garden, in a low and dark valley;
but then he was observing how the vine flourished, that he might do all
that to it which was necessary to promote its flourishing, and might delight
himself in it as a man does in a fruitful garden. He went to see whether the
pomegranates budded. Christ observes the first beginnings of the good work
of grace in the soul and the early buddings of devout affections and
inclinations there, and is well pleased with them, as we are with the blossoms
of the spring.
II. That yet he could not long content himself with this, but suddenly felt a
powerful, irresistible, inclination in his own bosom to return to his church,
as his spouse, being moved with her lamentations after him, and her
languishing desire towards him (v. 12): "Or ever I was aware,
my soul made me like the chariots of Ammi-nadib; I could not any longer
keep at a distance; my repentings were kindled together, and I presently
resolved to fly back to the arms of my love, my dove." Thus Joseph made
himself strange to his brethren, for a while, to chastise them for their
former unkindnesses, and make trial of their present temper, till he could no
longer refrain himself, but, or ever he was aware, burst out into
tears, and said, I am Joseph, Gen. xlv. 1, 3. And now the spouse
perceives, as David did (Ps. xxxi. 22), that though she said in her haste,
I am cut off from before thy eyes, yet, at the same time, he heard the
voice of her supplications, and became like the chariots of Ammi-nadib,
which were noted for their beauty and swiftness. My soul put me into the
chariots of my willing people (so some read it), "the chariots of
their faith, and hope, and love, their desires, and prayers, and expectations,
which they sent after me, to fetch me back, as chariots of fire with horses of
fire." Note, 1. Christ's people are, and ought to be, a willing people.
2. If they continue seeking Christ and longing after him, even when he seems
to withdraw from them, he will graciously return to them in due time, perhaps
sooner than they think and with a pleasing surprise. No chariots sent for
Christ shall return empty. 3. All Christ's gracious returns to his people take
rise from himself. It is not they, it is his own soul, that puts him into the
chariots of his people; for he is gracious because he will be gracious, and
loves his Israel because he would love them; not for their sakes, be it known
to them.
III. That he, having returned to her, kindly courted her return to him,
notwithstanding the discouragements she laboured under. Let her not despair of
obtaining as much comfort as ever she had before this distance happened, but
take the comfort of the return of her beloved, v. 13. Here, 1. The
church is called Shulamite, referring either to Solomon, the
bridegroom in type, by whose name she is called, in token of her relation to
him and union with him (thus believers are called Christians from Christ),
or referring to Salem, the place of her birth and residence, as the
woman of Shunem is called the Shunamite. Heaven is the Salem
whence the saints have their birth, and where they have their citizenship;
those that belong to Christ, and are bound for heaven, shall be called Shulamites.
2. She is invited to return, and the invitation most earnestly pressed: Return,
return; and again, "Return, return; recover the peace thou
hast lost and forfeited; come back to thy former composedness and cheerfulness
of spirit." Note, Good Christians, after they have had their comfort
disturbed, are sometimes hard to be pacified, and need to be earnestly
persuaded to return again to their rest. As revolting sinners have need to be
called to again and again (Turn you, turn you, why will you die?) so
disquieted saints have need to be called to again and again, Turn you, turn
you, why will you droop; Why art thou cast down, O my soul? 3.
Having returned, she is desired to show her face: That we may look upon
thee. Go no longer with they face covered like a mourner. Let those that
have made their peace with God lift up their faces without spot (Job
xxii. 26); let them come boldly to his throne of grace. Christ is pleased with
the cheerfulness and humble confidence of his people, and would have them look
pleasant. "Let us look upon thee, not I only, but the holy angels,
who rejoice in the consolation of saints as well as in the conversion of
sinners; not I only, but all the daughters." Christ and believers are
pleased with the beauty of the church. 4. A short account is given of what is
to be seen in her. The question is asked, What will you see in the
Shulamite? And it is answered, As it were the company of two armies.
(1.) Some think she gives this account of herself; she is shy of appearing,
unwilling to be looked upon, having, in her own account, no form or
comeliness. Alas! says she, What will you see in the Shulamite? nothing
that is worth your looking upon, nothing but as it were the company of two
armies actually engaged, where nothing is to be seen but blood and
slaughter. The watchmen had smitten her, and wounded her, and she carried in
her face the marks of those wounds, looked as if she had been fighting. She
had said (ch. i. 6), Look not upon me because I am black; here
she says, "Look not upon me because I am bloody." Or it may denote
the constant struggle that is between grace and corruption in the souls of
believers; they are in them as two armies continually skirmishing,
which makes her ashamed to show her face. (2.) Others think her beloved gives
the account of her. "I will tell you what you shall see in the
Shulamite; you shall see as noble a sight as that of two armies, or two
parts of the same army, drawn out in rank and file; not only as an army
with banners, but as two armies, with a majesty double to what was
before spoken; she is as Mahanaim, as the two hosts which Jacob saw
(Gen. xxxii. 1, 2), a host of saints and a host of angels ministering to them;
the church militant, the church triumphant." Behold two armies; in
both the church appears beautiful.
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