Exposition of the Whole Bible

the Targum and R.Sol. Jarchi exi)l;iin it: aud it may be an allusion to a custom used in the eastern nations, in strewing the nuptial bed with green Iraves and Cowers; and with the Latins, torus, a bed, is so called from tortis herbis} from herbs writhed and twisted together, aud put under the shoulders of those that lay on them; and il was usual to strew (hem with green herbs, grass, aud leaves of trees.'' A numerous increase of converts, which makes the bed, the church, look so green and flourishing, was frequently promised and jjrophcsied of in the Old-Testament; and had a glorious fultilment in the first dawn of the gospel, when three thousand souls were converted under one sern)on; and will be gloriously and completely fulfilled in the latter day, when the church shall say, " the place is too strait for me, give place to me that I may dwell."

These are either the words of Christ, inviting the chHrch iuto their house, which was so firmly and delightfully built; or else the words of the church, continuing the praise of Christ, aud all that were about him, or belonging unto him; or rather, they arc the words of the bride and bridegroom, and the virgins her companions, all joiuing together in a chorus, to set forth the glory and excellency of the church: in which may be

I. ^Vhat is meant by this house, which they seem to have a common interest in, and therefore call it " our house."

II. What those beams are which are said to be cedar.

III. ^Yhat those rafters are which are said to be of fir.

I. I shall consider what is meant by the " house, whose beams are cedar," and whose rafters are of fir. R. Sol. Jarchi understauds it of the tabernacle, the glory and praise of which, he thinks, is here set forth; and so the Targum refers it to the temple built by Solomon, but yet acknowledges that that which shall be built in the days of the king Messiah, sliall be much more glorious and beautiful. But it is much better to understand it, either,

1st, Of"" our house, which is from heaven,'"' which saints know that after their dissolution they shall enter into. The word in the Hebrew is in the plural number " our houses,"™ and so may intend those many mansions whicli are in Christ's Father's house, preparing by him for all his people for their everlasting entertainment; and the beams and rafters of these houses being of cedar and fir, which are trees of a sweet smell aud durable nature, may represent that fulness of joy, and those delightful pleasures which are in " Christ's presence, and at his right hand for evermore;" it shows that this " house is not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens;" that these habitations which Christ has prepared for them, and will bring them into, are everlasting; and that that inheritance which they are born heirs unto, and shall certainly enjoy, is " incorruptible, undefilcd, and fadeth not away."

Now if we suppose these to be the words of Christ, his design then seems to be, by eomniendiug the endless joys aud never-ceasing pleasures of the saints above, to raise the atl'cctions and quicken the desires of his church after the enjoyment of the same, that they with him may eiiter the nuptial chamber, and spend an eternity in everlasting communion with each other; but if they arc the words of the church, then they seem to intimate the comfortable views she had of the heavenly joys, aud her interest iu them; she knew that when this " earthly house was dissolved, she had an house not made with hands," firmly built and delightfully furnished, which she should have admittance into, and which is " eternal in the heavens;" as also, the earnest desires of her soul to be there; she saw this house afar off, what a goodly structure it was, what soul-ravishing delights it was filled with, therefore longed to be within the walls of it, and " groaned earnestly, being burdened with a body of sin and death, desiring to be clothed upon with her house, which is from heaven;" likewise she seems to speak of this house with the utmost thankfulness to her Lord and spouse, and adoration of his grace, that had provided so convenient and delightful an habitatiou for her.

2ndly. By this house may be meant the church of God here below, which seems most agreeable; for so it is called in 1 Tim. iii. 15, where the ajjoslle promises Timothy to instruct him how he should " behave himself in the house of God, which, says he, is the church of iheliving God, the pillar and ground ofthelrnth;"'.«o believers are said to be Christ's house, in Heb. iii. 6; " but Christ, as a son over his own house whose house are we, if we liold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." Now the church may be said to be Christ's house, 1. Because it is of his building: the ministers of the Gospel are instruments in building up his church; but he is the great Master-builder: the materials of this building are" lively stones," which are the saints; but he himself is both the " foundation and the corner-stone; it is upon this rock he builds his church, aud the gates of hell sliaU not be able to prcrail against it." 2. Ilaviug built it, he dwells in it, and makes it the place of his residence: the church is the habitation of all the Three Persons, and particularly of Jesus Christ; saints are built up " for an habitation of God tlirough the Spirit;" they are the temples of the Holy Gliost, and in tlicir hearts Christ dwells by faith: the church is the liabitation of his holiness, and the place where his honour dwelieth; here he delights to be, and condescends to show himself; liere souls may expect to find him, and enjoy his presence; for he has promised to be here until tlie end of time. 3. Here he eats, feeds, and feasts with his people; it is not an empty house he keeps, but having built it, he furnishes it with suitable provisions, which are called " the goodness and fatness of his house: here he makes a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines ou the lees well refined: this is his banqueting house," into which he brings his people, and sups with them, and they with him. 4. Here he takes his rest with the church, his bride: " this, says he, is my rest for ever: here will I dwell, for I have desired it;" here he solaces himself, and takes the utmost delight and pleasure: as houses are not only to feed in, but to rest iu, so this use does Christ make of his church. 5. Here he lays up his treasure, and what he esteems his portion, and the chief part of his riches; for " the Lord's portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance;" the saints are his jewels and peculiar treasure, and these he brings into and preserves safe in his house below, imtil he removes them into his house above. 6. As his house, he tills, repairs, and beautifies it at pleasure; he fills it with members, and these he fills with gifts and grace suitable to their places in this house, for he is "ascended to fill all things;" when any breaches are made, he makes them up; whea it is fallen to decay, he repairs it, by bringing in a large number of converts, and beautifies this house of his glory with his own presence. 7- He is the Master of it, and manages all the affairs of it; the key of it is in his hands, and the government of it upon his shoulders; he is sole King and Ruler here; he enacts laws, demands obedience to them, and places officers here to see Ihem put in execution; he is " the high Priest over this house of God," and transacts all affairs between God and his people: he is the great Prophet that teaches and instructs them; the careful Husband and indulgent Father that provides all for them; in short, " of him the whole family in heaven and earth is named;" so that the church may be very well calleJ Christ's house.

But then this house is said to be the church's also; " the beams of our house," &c. Saints are the materials of this house; Christ is the builder, the foundation, and the Corner-stone: but they are the lively stones which are laid on this foundation, and so " are built up a spiritual house, an holy " Foliot. in loc. " So liidore, Alcuiu, aud priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ; they have a right to, and are in the enjoyment of all the privileges of this house; they are " fellow -citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;' ' here they are bora and brought up, have their food and education; " thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side," Isa. Ix. 4: here they dwell, rest, feed, feast, and enjoy sweet communion with Christ Jesus; and therefore they may say, as David did. Psalm Ixxxiv. 4; " blessed are they that dwell iu the house, they will be still praising thee;" as they have a great deal of reason so to do.

Also the word being in the plural nuruber, and rendered, our houses, may intend the particular churches of Christ, which aie all his houses, where he dwells; his golden candlesticks, among whom he walks, which hold forth the word of light and life to others; and his gardens where he delights to be, eating those pleasant fruits, and feeding among those lilies, which grow there; for there is but one " general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven," yet there are many particular churches and congregations of saints here on earth.

II. The beams of this house are said to be of cedar. By cedar beams we are not to understand angels, who encamp about, protect and bear up tlie saints, and are ministering spirits to them, which is the opinion of some;° but rather, the ministers of the Gospel," who may be called pillars iu Christ's house, as James, Cephas, and John were; who by their exemplary lives, savoury doctrines, and undaunted courage, add much strength and glory to the church of Christ; as by rafters afterwards may be meant weaker believers, who have all their proper places, work, and usefulness iu the house of God: or else, by cedar beams may be meant in general, the saints and people of God, which ar-e all beams and pillars in this house, and serve to support it; for being " fitly framed together, they grow up unto an holy temple in the Lord;" and being joined and cemented to each other in faith and love, they worship the Lard " with one shoulder, or with oue consent;" and these are compared to cedars in scripture; see Psal. xeii. 12, Numb. xxiv. 5, 6; and may be very well compared unto them, I. For the height and talluess of them; the cedar-tree is a very tall tree, as may be learnt from 2 Kings six. 23, Amos. ii. 9. The saints, though they are mean, abject, poor, aud low by nature, even beggars on the dunghill, yet by divine grace they are raised on liigh, set among princes, and made to inherit the throne of glory; they are higher than others in their gifts and graces, faith, knowledge, and experience, as well as ia their privileges and attainments; they are growing up higher still in their head Christ Jesus, and are I'caching forwards aud upwards in their affections and desires, in hope of enjoying " the prize others in loc.

of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." 2. For their straightness and uprightness; for which reason perhaps the righteous are said to grow not only like the palm-tree, but also the cedar in Lebanon: the saints are upright, both in heart and conversation; they both speak and walk uprightly. 3. For its durableness; PlinyP ascribes even eternity unto it; it is used for immortality;<) it will not rot, nor admit any worm into it; the saints will endure for ever; for though they have much corruption in them, yet they themselves shall never corrupt; they have that grace in them which will keep them from putrefaction, and which will never decay itself: for it is incorruptible, immortal, and never-dying seed. 4. For the sweet odour which it sends forth;' it is of an excellent smell; so are the persons of the saints to God the Father, being clothed with 'the garments of salvation, and robe of Christ's righteousness, which " smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia;" so are the graces which are wrought in them by the Spirit to Christ himself; see chap. iv. 10; and so are all their sacrifices of a sweet- smelling savour, being ofifered up in Christ's name, and perfumed with the sweet incense of his mediation. 5. The cedar-tree is well rooted, always green, and the older the more fruitful: believers are rooted in Christ Jesus, so as all the winds and storms of sin and temptation cannot tear them up: they are always green, and their leaf doth not wither, because they are " planted by rivers of water;" where, being refreshed with continued supplies of divine grace, they bring forth fruit.in old age, because the Lord, he is upright, he is their rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

IIL The rafters of this house are said to be of fir. By rafters may be aicaut the ordinances of the Gospel, which are administered in the church, and are for the comfort and edification of it. The Hebrew word here, translated rafters, is in Gen. XXX. 38 — 41, and Exod. ii. 16, rendered gutters and troughs of water, where sheep used to be watered; and some of the Jewish writei's' would have it understood in this sense here. R. Aben Ezra observes, that if it is taken in this sense, then the word rendered fir, should signify marble stone, and be read thus, " our canals are of marble stone."" Now these canals or gutters of water are called O'lom, rahatim,'^ from the Chaldee word T2ni rehat, which signifies to run, because waters run in them. The grace of the Spirit is frequently, both in the Old and New Testament, represented by water; which, for its gurine version, so some in Vatablus; impluvium purity and purifying nature, is called clean water; for its quickening virtue and efficacy, water of life aud living water: and for its plenty and abundance, " rivers of water:" this grace is commonly conveyed aud communicated to us in the use of ordinances; these are the canals or conduit-pipes in which this water runs, aud is brought unto us; the first conveyance is usually this way: faith, conversion, and every grace that attends it, come by hearing, and hearing by the word of God; and as this, so other ordinances are the means of increasing faith, joy, aud comfort, and of conveying fresh supplies of grace and strengtii. Christ's fulness is the fountain from whence all grace springs; and his ordinances are the golden jiipes, through which the golden oil and grace of divine love run and empty themselves into our- souls. Also the same word is translated galleries, in ch. vii. 5, " the king is held in the galleries." 11. David Kimchi says,'' that they were buildings in high houses, ia which they walked from houce to house, or from one part of the house to the other; they were such as our balconies; and they may be called by this name, because they run along the sides of houses; agreeable to this, Junius and Tremellius translate it, ambuluchra nostra, our tcalking places. Now the ordinances are the galleries, or walking-places, where Chiist and believers walk and converse together; here he grants them fellowship with himself, tells them all his mind, aud discloses the secrets of his heart unto them; in these galleries they behold "the king inhis beauty;" here he showsthem his covenant-love and grace, and from hence they take a prospect of the good " land that is very far off." But the word may be very well translated rafters, which arc joined together, and run in each other; and so the Targum renders it; and in this sense is the word used both in the Misnah^ and in the IMidrash.* Now as rafters are for the strength and support of buildings so are the ordinances to the church of Christ; by them oftentimes saints are supported and refreshed; and whilst they are waiting on Christ in them, they renew i\w\r strength, tlicy mount up with wings as eagles, they run and are not weary, they walk and faint not, as it is promised to them in Isa. xl. 31.

Now these rafters are said to be of fir. The word is only used in this place, and is so rendered by Arias Montanus, Pagniue, and others, and is so understood by many of the Jewish writers;» the word being by the change of a single letter to wit, ID into n, which is used in the Chaldee and Syriac languages, the same with that which in loc. K. David Kinichium in lib. shorash. rad. ma and Elias Levit. Methurgeman.

is commonly used for the fir; and this, Pliny says,'' is the best and strongest wood for roofing and raftering: now these rafters, the ordinances of the Gospel, may be said to be of this, because, 1. The fir-tree is, hilaris aspectu,'^ of a pleasant, cheerful, and delightful look; the ordinances of the Gospel are exceeding delightful to believers, when they have the presence of Christ with them, and the communications of his love unto them; tbeu are those tabernacles amiable and lovely; wisdom's ways are then ways of pleasantness; their souls are filled with joy and pleasure; nothing so desirable to them as these, neither does any thing give them such satisfaction and contentment; and therefore with the disciples they think it is good for them to be here, and would always abide under such a roof as this, whose rafters are of fir. 2. It is a very shady tree, folio pinalo dansa, ut umhres non transmittat,'' it is so thick with leaves, that it will not let through showers of rain; the ordinances of Christ are a delightful shade, under which saints oftentimes sit with pleasm'e, have much spiritual consolation and refreshment; in which being protected from the enemies of their souls, they serve the Lord with liberty and enlargement of heart. 8. It is always green," and never casts its leaf, and therefore is called the " green fir-tree," in Hos. xiv. 8. Ordinances are those green pastures, into which the great Shepherd leads his sheep, and in which he causes them to lie down; which being blessed and o\vned by the Spirit of grace unto believers, make them fat and flourishing, fruitful in every good work, even in old age; so that their leaf does not wither ia the winter season.

Others think that the cypress-tree is here intended, and so read the words, and our rafters or galleries of cypress; so the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Tigurine versions, David de Pomis, and others. Now these rafters may be said to be of this wood, because the cypress-vvood'is very lasting and durable; it admits of no worms, it will not rot, nor is it sensible of old age; which may be expressive of the durableness and continuance of Gospel-ordinances, until the second coming of Christ; for as long as Christ has an house on earth, these cypress-rafters will last; it will never need new roofing; as long as there is a church, there will be those ordinances, which are now in force, and will continue so to the end of lime, without any change or alteration in them. This wood is also of a very pleasant smell;B which may signify the delight and pleasure which believers take in ordinances, and how grateful they are to them.

Others think that the brutins-tree is meant; so Ainsworlh, Brightman, Junius, Cocceis, and Michaelis; and it may be that which Pliny'' calls hruta, which some take to be the tree of monuments to perpetuate the memory of things were

Paradise; and its name is near in sound to the Hebrew word hrolim here used, the singular of which is brot; which, Pliny says, is much like the cypress, and of a smell like ce'dar; and being applied to the ordinances of the Gospel, may signify, as before, the durableness and delighlfulaess of them; and now who but would desire to dwell in such a house, and under such a root as this? What enconragemeut is here, and what an inducement should this be, to souls to come into the house of the Lord, and wait upon him there, the beams of whose house are cedar, and the rafters of fir?

Here begins a new colloquy between Christ and his church; in which they alternately set forth the excellencies of each other, and express their mutual affection for, and the delight and pleasure they take in each other's corap.iny. Christ seems to begin, in an account of himself and his own excellencies, and of the church in her present state, ver. 1, 2. Then she in her turn praises him, and commends him above all others; relates some clear proofs she had of his love to her, and communion with him in his house and ordinances, to such a degree as t9 overcome her, ver. 3 — 6; and then either he or she gives a charge to the daughters of Jerusalem, not to disturb either the one or the other in their sweet repose, ver. 7. Next tbe church relates how she heard the voice of Christ, and had a sight of him on the hills and moaiitains at some distance; then more nearly behind her wall, and through the lattices; ver. 8, 9; and expresses the very words in which he spake to her, and gave her a call to come away with him; making use of arguments from the season of the year, the signs of which are beautifully described, ver. 10—13; and requests that she would come out of her solitude, that he might enjoy her company, whose countenance and voice were so delightful to him; and gives a charge to her and her friends, to seize on such as were hurtful and prejudicial to their mutual property, ver. 14, 15; and she closes the chapter with expressing her faith of interest in Christ; and with a petition for his speedy approach to her, and continued presence with her, ver. 16, 17.

Verse 1. I am i/ie rose of Sharon, and the lily of the vallies. Here begins a new colloquy between Christ and his church, in which they alternately set forth the praises and excellencies of each other, discover the strength of their mutual affection, and express the delight and pleasure they take in each other's company: but who begius this colloquy is not so easily determined. What is here said, may be applied either to Christ or to the church; and therefore I shall consider the words iu both senses.

First. The words may be considered, as the words of the church expressing the excellency of her grace, loveliness, and beauty, which she had received from Christ; and at the same time in- tiraatiug lier being exposed in the open field and low vallies to mnny dangers and enemies; and therefore tacitly desires his protection over her, which he seems to promise in ver. 2. That these are the words of the chnrch, seems to be the general opinion of the Jewish doctors," and is also embraced by some Christian interpreters.'' And

1st, The church may be compared to " the rose," 1. For beauty; it is called the beautiful flower y"^ its colour is beautiful and delightful: the figure is exceeding just; nothiug is more common in poems of this kind, than to set forth the beauty of women by the rose; such as Hero,'' Aspasia,' and others; some have had the name of Rhoda from hence; and Helena for her beauty was called Vodoxpos.' The church may be fitly compared to it; no "rose of Sharon" can be move beautiful in colour, and delightful to the eye, than the church is in the eyes of Christ; as she is clothed with his pure and spotless righteousness, adorned with the graces of his Spirit, and standing at his right-hand in cloth of gold, bespangled with the sparkling gems of divine grace; Jier beauty is desirable to him, she being in his eye " the fairest among women."

2. Por its sweet odour;8^ the church and all believers are as the fragi-ant and sweet-smelling rose; their persons are so as considered in Christ, and all their graces, especially when in exercise; and all their duties and services, when performed in faith, and perfumed with Christ's mediation; see chap. iv. 10, Phil. iv. 18, Rev. v. 8, and viii. 3, 4. 3. For its delight in sunny places;'' it thrives and flourishes the best there, and has the most fragrant smell: Christ is " the Sun of righteousness," under whose warming, comforting, and refreshing beams, believers delight to be, and under which their souls grow, thrive, blossom exceedingly, and bring forth much fruit. 4. For its blossoming and flourishing, " the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; ' the church may be said to do so, when there is a large increase of members, and these much in the exercise of grace, and " fruitful in every good work:" then may the church be said to be as the blossoming rose.

2ndly. She may be compared to the " lily of the vallies:" some women have their name from the lily, as Susanna; and so Sysigambis is the rame of the mother of Darius,' which sigruQes tlie Arcadians was railed cpo/i^aXov, that is, sweetsmelling, Timacli, ides apud AlhenaM Deipnosophist, the whife lily;^ to which for beauty women are sometimes compared -. and v^'ith propriety enough may the church be called a lily.' She is comj)ared to the " lily among thorns " in the next verse, and saints are frequently compared to lilies in this Song. And, 1. She may be likened to a lily for the glory, beauty, and sweet odour of it. Christ says. Mat. vi. 29, of the lilies of the field, that " Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these;" and for the same reasons that she is compared to the beautiful and sweet-smelling rose, is she likewise to the lily; which Pliny"" says, rosce nobii'date pro.vimum est, " is next iu nobleness and excellency to the rose." 2. For its whiteness; there are various sorts of lilies, and they are of different colours; some are of red and purple colours, others are white; and it seems to be the white lily which is intended here, for this seems best to express her beauty; for the red rose and the white lily make her look somewhat like her beloved, " white and ruddy," a perfect beauty; and of the white lily, Pliny"'' says, candor ejus eximius, that its whiteness is singularly excellent; the church, and all believers in Christ, are very aptly resembled by tlie white lily, who are clothed with " fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of the saints " wronght out by Christ, imputed by God the Faher, and laid hold on by faith; this is so exceeding white, that being arrayed with it, they are all fair, and there is no spot in them." 3. For its fruitfulness; Pliny" says, nihil est fmcundius, una radice qaitiqiiagenos scrpe emittente biilbos: " nothing is more fruitful, for oftentimes one root sends forth fifty bulbs:" and as fruitful are believers when the Sun of righteousness shines upon them, and Christ is as the dew unto them; for then " they grow as the lily, and cast forth their roots as Lebanon; their branches spread, and their beauty is as the olive tree." The church brings forth many souls to Christ; and these bring forth much fruit, to the glory both of him and his Father. 4. For its height, for which it is comraended: the lily grows very high; PlinyP says, nee ulli florum excehitas major, interditi cubitorum trium; " no flower exceeds it in height; for in the day-time," (that is, when it erects itself,) " it is three cubits h'gh." Believers are trees of righteousness, and plants of Christ's Father's planting, which do not run along the ground, and cleave to earthly things, douiina suit magis alba niea, Propcrtius, 1. 2. so Venus is compared to a lily by Anecreon.

but lift up their heads heaven- wards, aud grow np on high in their desires and aCfections, having their hearts above, where their treasure is: be • lievers are like the flowers of the lily, open towards heaven, but shut towards the earth. 5. For the weakness of its body, and largeness of its head: Pliavn says of the lily, languido semper coiio et noil sufficienle capitis oneri; that it has " a weak neck, or body, which is not sufficient to bear the weight of the head." Christ is the Head of the body, the church, and far greater than that; he is not supported by it, but he supports it: the church's strength lies in her head, as Samson's did in his locks; she is weak in herself, but strong in Christ her Head, and therefore says, " surely in the Lord have I righteousness and strength." 6. The church may be compared, not only to a lily, but to " a lily of the vallies:" there is a lily which is called liliiim convaHiicm, "the lily of tlie vallies:" but this seems not so much to intend tiie distinguishing name of some particular lily, as it does the place where it grows. And, 1. Vallies are low places; and, when the church is called "the lily of the vallies," it may be expressive of the low estate aud coudition which he is sojietimes iu: believers are Christ's myrtle-trees, and these aje sometimes in the bottom, in a low condition; but he grants his presence with them, and the discoveries of his love to them; they are his doves, and they are often " like doves of the vallies, mourning every one for their iniquity, being humbled and pressed down in their souls under a sense of sin and unworthiness; they are not only humble in themselves, aud low in their own eyes, but are often in the deeps of affliction, sorrow, and distress, and out of these depths cry unto the Lord; see Psal. csxx. 1. 2. Lilies that grow in the vallies are exposed to danger; they are liable to be plucked np by every one ihat ])asses by, to be trodden upon, and eaten by the beasts that feed there, aud also to be washed away, and destroyed by hasty showers of rain, that run from the hills and niouutaius down into the vallies with force aud violence; so the church of Christ here on earth, in her low estate, is ex posed to the rage of her adversaries, to be trodden under the feet, aud torn iu pieces by the teeth of those bulls of Baslian, that beset her around, and to be carried away by the flood of persecution, which " Satan the old serpent casts out of his month after her." Now it is a glorious instance of God's mighty grace and power in protecting and defeuding his church, that this lily grows aud abides in the Vallies, notwithstanding all this danger. 3. Lilies of the vallies have more moisture, verdure, and greenness in them, than fhose upon the hills and mountains; becr.use the snn has not that power over them, as R. Sol. Jarchi observes, to scorch and dry them up, and therefore are much more beautiful and excellent; so believers, being planted by " rivers of water," are green, flourishing, and fruitful; whilst others look like " the heath in the desert," dried and parched up. Christ is to the saints as " rivers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land -," by the oue he refreshes them, and makes them fruitful; and by being the other he shades from that which would scorch them, aud make them barren aud unfruitful: and thus is the church the "lily of the vallies," as well as " the rose of Sharon." And the Targum here renders it, " the rose iu the plain of the garden of Eden:" and some interpreters think the rose is meant; and we sometimes read of roses in vallies,'' and certain it is there were roses iu the vale of Sharon. But,

Secondly, the more commonly received opinion is, that these words are the words of Christ, owning all the glory and praises the church had given him in the former chapter, and setting forth more largely the beauties aud excellencies of his person the more to effect, enamour, and ravish her soul, and make her seek and long fur him: and indeed it seems best to understand them of Christ, for self-conimendation does not so well agree with the church as with him. What Solomon says, Prov. xxvii. 2, is worth regarding, " let another praise thee, and not thine own month: a stranger, and not thine own lips:" though it is lawful fur the saints to speak of their glory, beauty, and excelleucy, as considered in Christ, in order to magnify the riches of his grace, for the instruction and encouragement ofotliers, and in viudication of themselves against the calumnies of the world, aud to obviate their mistakes concerning them, as iu chap. i. 5, she says, " I am black but comely;" but her chief province and design in tliis Song appears to be, to set forth his praises, and not her own; and indeed the majesty and a;^reeahleness of the style with Christ's language in the New Testament, such as, " I am the door, I am the good shepherd, I am the vine, T am the way, the trutii, and the life," &c., as well as the connection of the words with tiie following verse, as one well observes,' manifestly bespeak them to be the words of Christ, who may very well be called,

1st, " The rose of Sharon." Christ fitly compares himself to a ruse, which, as Bishop P.strick observes, is still one of the goodliest things to which a great prince can be likened in fhose Eastern countries; and gives an instance of it in the great Mogul complimenting one of our kings, as being like a rose in a garden; in the Misnah' mention is made of the king's lily, or the king's rose, being the king of flowers, and fit for a king, and an emblem of one; so the men of the. great congregation of Ezra are compared to roses in the Tar^ura of Cant. vii. 2; and the ances- tors of Melissus the Theban, after many calami - ties, are compared to the flourishing rose, for the heijjht of lionour and power they arrived unto." Nor is this simile unfitly used by the bridegroom of himself, since it is sometimes given to men by their lovers;"'^ and is very properly used in a Song of love, as this is, seeing the rose, as Philostratus calls it, is epwros <pvTov, the 'plant of love; and Auacreon calls it to poZovTwv epurraiv, the rose of loves; it was sacred to love; the graces are represented, one of them as having a rose, anotlieramyrlle-hranch;^ and a crown of roses, was consecrated to the muses i^ all this because of the beauty and loveliness of the plant. And to it Christ may be com])ai"ed, 1. Because of its red colour; which may be expressive of the truth of liis humanity, and signify that he is really and truly man, having taken part of the same flesh and blood, that his people are partakers of; as also of his bloody sufferings in the same nature, on the account of which he is said to be " red in his apparel:" likewise both these together, the red rose and the white lily, make up that character which is given him, chap. v. 10: that he is " white and ruddy," a complete beauty, like the charming lily and blushing rose, " fairer than the children of men." 2. lie may be coml)ared to the rose for its sweet smell, as for the same reason he is in the former chapter to spikenard, myrrh, and camphire: his person, sacrifice, grace, and righteousness, have a delightful odour in them; no rose smells so sweet, as Christ docs to believers: this Sharon-rose refreshes them, quickens their spiritual senses, and ravishes and delights their souls. 3. The rose is of a cooling nature,' and therefore useful in burning fevers, inflammations, &c., Christ, by the effusion of his blood, by the oblation of himself, and by his dying in the room and stead of sinners, has appeased and removed his Father's fierce and burning wrath from them; and it is only an application of this Sharon rose, the person, blood, and righteousness of Christ, which can cool and comfort the consci.mce of a sinner set on fire, and terrified by the law of God; the discoveries of his love and grace can only remove those dreadful tenors, and fire of divine wrath, which is kindled by a " fiery law," and cure those inflammations raised tbereliy. 4. He is called " the Rose of Sharon," for the excellency of it; the roses which grew there perhaps were the best of any/ Sharon is the name of a fruitful plain or country, where herds and flocks were kept, as appears from 1 Cliion. xsvii. 29, Isa. xxxv. 2, and Ixv. 10; this plain or country lay between Cassarea and

Joppa, beginning at Lydda; hence they are joined together. Acts ix. 35, and reaching to the j\rediterranean sea • hence the Jews in their writings say," from Lydda to the sea in the vale; and this was so very fruitful, that the Targnmist on this place rcndera it, " by the garden of Eden:" and Sharon is described in the Jewish map,*" as fat and fertile, having in it very desirable fields, fruitful vines, and abounding with flowers and roses. Tiiere are various sorts of roses in different places, some better than others; those of tlie first class with the Greeks,"^ were those of Oleuum, and next those of Megara Nisea, and then those of Phaselis, and then of others; with the Romans, the best were those of PrEcneste and Campania, and then others:"' but of the roses in Judea, the rose of Sharon seems to have been tlie best, and therefore to that the comparison is made; there was a garden of roses in Jerusalem, 'but not to them, but to those in Sharon, is the allusion. The word for a rose is only used in this place aud iu Isa. XXXV. 1, and is so called, either from the collection and compression of leaves in it, or from the shadow of it; for the word seems to be compounded of one, that signifies to hide and cover, and another that signiSes a shadow; so Gussetins;' and so may be rendered, " the covering shadow:" but why a rose shoiild be so called is not easy to say; unless it can be thought to have the figure of an umbrella, or that the rose of Sharon was so large as to be remarkable for its shadow, like that MontfauconS saw in a garden at Ravenna, under the shadow of the branches of which more than forty men could stand. Christ is sometimes compared to trees for their shadow, which is pleasant and reviving, as in ver. 3, Hosea xiv. 7; but he here seems to be compared to the rose of Sharon on another account, even the excellency and fragrancy of it; for, Pliny says,"^ that the rose does not delight in fat soils, rich clays, or well-watered grounds, but thrives the best in poor lean ground; and that those are of the sweetest smell which grow in dry places, for ruderatum agrum amai, " it loves rubbish earth." Now such dry and rubbish earth was that which was about the city of Sharon; for we read of such a place as inhabited. Acts ix. 35, as the Talmudic doctors assert; who also tell us,' that those who built a brick house in Sharon, had no benefit of the law, mentioned in Deut. xx. 5, because the earth thereabout was not fit to make bricks of, nor would houses made of them continue long. Hence they also say,"" that the high priest, on the day of atonement, prayed particularly for the Sharonites, that their houses might uot become their graves. Now these beiug the best and sweetest roses which grew ia this soil, and Christ beiug compared to one of them, deuotes the cxcellcacy and preferableuess of Christ to all others.

Some' think that some other plant or flower is here intended; as the Targum readers it, " the narcissus:" of which some are white, having white leaves surrounding a yellow flower,™ and some of a purple colour;° and which Pliny" calls purple lilies: be says,"" there are two sorts of them, one that has a purple flower, and the other is of the grass kind; some, he says.i have a white flower and a purple cup. The Heathens used to call the narcissus the ancient crown of their superior deities;' and it was reckoned a beautiful flower, and of a sweet smell;' and for beauty Christ may be compared unto it: its white colour may denote the purity of Christ; and the purple, his royalty, or rather his purple blood and sufi'erings of death. The Septuagint translates the words thus, " I am the flower of the field;" as do also the Vulgate Latin and Paguine. "Now Christ may be called so,

1. Kar' f^oxv^y way of emiuency, as being the chiefest and most excellent flower in the field; there is no such flower in the heavenly paradise as he is; among all the holy angels and glorified saints, there are none to be compared with him; and ia his garden here below, no such flower grows as this: he is " the flower," the choicest, the best, and the most excellent in the whole field or garden.

2. The flower of the field is liable to be plucked up or trodden under feet by heasts; Christ was exposed to the rage and fury of his enemies, those " strong bulls of Bashan " of which he eomplaius, Psal. xxii. 13, 14. The sweet flower was laid hold on by " wicked hands," and cropped; and still his precious person, blood, and righteousness, are slighted, contemned, and " trodden under foot " by Christless and unconverted sinners. 3. This may be expressive of the meanness of Christ in the esteem of the world; a field-flower is little regarded; Christ is as " a root out of a dry ground," and therefore they say, " he hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no beauty tliat we should desire him: hence he is despised and rejected of men," they not knowing the real worth and value of this precious flower; see Isa. liii. 2, 3. 4. The flower of the field is not of man's planting, nor is it raised by his care and industry: Christ was conceived in the womb of a virgin, and born of her without the help of man: as the flower of the field, he had no father but his Father in heaven, and no mother but the virgin on earth; and so was Melchisedeck's antitype, " without father as man, and without mother as God." 5. The flower of the field is open to all; whoever will may come to Christ for life and salvation; there is liberty of access to all sorts of sinners, to come to him and partake of his sweetness and benefits; he is not a flower in an inclosed garden, that cannot be come at, but stands in the open field; every sinner that labours under a sense of sin, and is heavy laden with the weight and burden of it, may come to him, and not fear a rejection from him; he is not " a fountain sealed, but opened to the house of David, aud inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness."

2ndly. Christ may be very well compared to " the lily of the vallies," 1. For its whiteness; the lily, as has been already observed, is exceeding white, which may intend the purity and holiuessof Christ, who both in nature and life is " holy, harmless, uudefiled, and separate from sinners; he is the Lamb without blemish and without spot," without the blemish of original or spot of actual sin: for he never knew it in his nature, nor did he ever commit it in his life, either in thought, word, or deed: or else the whiteness of the lily may signify his eternity, for so his head and liis hairs are described by John, Rev. i. 14, to be " white like wool, as white as snow;" which represents liirn as the Ancient of Days, and as existing from everlasting to everlasting. 2. For its tallness; the lily grows up very high, as has been taken notice of. Christ, as Mediator, is " the rock that is higher than we are;" from whence the waters of divine grace flow, to the refreshment of our souls when overwhelmed; " he is higher than the kings of the earth; nay, he is higher than the heavens," aud all the angels there; for he is " set far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only iu this world, but also in that that is to come," Eph. i. 21. 2. For its fruitfulness; the lily is very fruitful, as has been before observed. Ciirist is " filled with all the fruits of righteousness," and is possessed of all the blessings of grace; he is like a tree richly laden with fruit, aud therefore is compared to an apple tree, in ver. 3; all the church's fruit and fruitfulness come from him; he is the green fir-tree, from whom all her fruit is found." 4. He may be compared to the lily for its excellency and glory; it being the next flower to the rose, aud which is preferred by Christ to the glory of Solomon. Christ is the brightness of his Father's glory; is now, in our nature, " crowned with glory aud honour;" and will shortly appear in his own glory and in the glory of his Father, and of the holy augeU. 5. He may be said to be the lily of the vallies, because of his wonderful humility and condescension, iu assuming our nature, suQ'eriug iu our stead, aud in humbling himself unto the death of the cross for us; his whole life was one continued series of humility, as was his death an undeniable instance of it: Ciiiist here on earth did not appear as tlie lofty cedar, but as the lowly lily, and [hat not of the Uiomitains, but of the vallies; it is with humble souls he delights to dwell; for though he is the high and lofty Oue, iu his divine nature, yet he coudescciids to dwell with such who are of an humble and contrite spirit.

^^trse 2. As the Uhj amoyig thorns, so is my luve among the daughters.

Though it may not be so evident whose are the former words, whether Christ's or the chnrch's, yet these manifestly a|)pear to be hisj and if we take the preceding verse as tlie words of the church, then we may consider this as the words of Christ, cither owning and coufirniing what she had said of herself in it; as that she was indeed the most beautiful of all the roses and lilies which grew iu fields and vallies, and that all others were but like thorns and briars wbeu compared to her; and also, at the same time that he owns and commends her beauty, puts her in mind of her present state and condition in this life, as being attended with afflictions, sorrows, nnd suil'erings: or else the w^ords may be regarded as the answer' of Christ to her complaint in the former verse, where she says, that she was indeed the blushing rose and charming lily, but then she was the rose and lily in the open fields and vallies, liable to be plucked up by every one that passed by, and to be devoured or trodden under feet by the beasts of the field; to this Christ replies here, by owning it all to be true, and promising that he will keep and preserve her safe in the midst of her enemies, " as the lily among thorns;" nay, that her very enemies should be her protection, these thorns should be as an hedge about her. But if we take the former verse to be the words of Christ, which seems most agreeable, then we are to consider these as his also; who, having in tlie former ■verse set forth his own beauties and excellencies, v>hich was proper to be done in the first place, does in this set forth his church's, iu which may be observed,

II. The title which he gives her, " my love;" which discovers his regard unto her, and afifectioa for her.

III. Her e.Tcelleney and prclerableness to all others in his esteem.

I. The church is here compared by Christ to " a lily among thorns." The Targum renders it, Uie rose; and so it is iu Zohar;" and that this is intended, some strenuously contend, for ■which, and not the lily, they say, grows among thorns: Ainsworth would have what we call the woodbind or honeysuckle here meant, which grows in hedges; and indeed this is sometimes called liliuni iiiter sphias, " the lily among thorns,"' to which the chnrch may be compared, because of its sweet smell; the flower of it gives an exceeding sweet smell; and makes those fields where it grows in abundance very delightful: believers in their persons, grace, and conversation, are like the " smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed;" being clothed with the s'weet-smelling garments of Christ's righteousness, and anointed with the savoury ointments of the Sjiirit's grace. Also the woodbind or honeysuckle cannot bear up itself, but has its dependence on others; it does not grow up erect, but for its support wraps itself about the body, branches, and twigs of other trees, convolvens se admimculis qiiibtiscunque, as Pliny" observes; therefore we call it woodbind, from its binding about other trees; and for the same reason it is in Gve.ek c&Weii periclymenon, which is also used by Latin writers: believers are weak, and cannot support themselves, and therefore by faith lean on Christ, who is their beloved; and are upheld 1 y him with the right-hand of his righteousness; they cleave close unto him, and depend upon him for all grace here, and for glory hereafter. But the word will very w^ell bear to be translated a lily, being the same that is so in the former verse; where it has been shown in what sense the church may be compared to one; and therefore I shall only obsei-ve, 1. That Christ and the church bear the same names. Is he a lily? so is she; the church being married to Christ, and they tw^o becoming one flesh, have one and the same name, hence the church is called Christ, 1 Cor. xix. 12; so the same name Jehovah our righteousness, which Christ is called by, Jer. xxiii. 6, is given to her in chap, xxxiii. 16. Again, Christ is called Israel, Isa. xlix. 3, which is the name of his church and people: for being espoused together, and having partaken of each others natures, they also bear each others names. 2. That there is a very great likeness and near resemblance between Christ and his church; for when he says, she is " as the lily," he means, she is as himself, who is, " the lily of the vallies," ver. 1; and therefore, as one well observes,y be does not say she is the lily, but as or like the lily; for as he is, so are we, that is, believers, iu this world. Christ and the church are both lilies in God's eye, and are loved by him with the same love: believers bear the image of Christ, wear his righteousness, have the same spirit, though in measure, and are exposed to the same hatred, malice, and persecution of the world, being wounded vvith those thorns even as he was: and they shall be much more like him in another world; for they shall then be like him, and see him as he is: they shall then have everlasting and transforming views of him, which will change them iuto the same image, from glory to glory; for as tbey will then have more communion with him, so they will then have a greater conformity to him, who is " the first-born among brethren." 3. That all the church's beauty and loveliness come from Christ: it is because he is the lily, that she looks like one; her beauty is not natural to her, but is derived from him, who is her Head and Husband; she is indeed a perfect beauty, but then it arises from that comeliness which he has put upon her.

Jloreover she is not only said to be as the lily, but " as the lily among thorns." By thorns may be meant, 1. Wicked and ungodly men, sons of Belial which are " as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands," 2 Sara, xxiii. 6; these, like thorns and briars, are the curse of the earth, are worthless and unfruitful in themselves, and hurtful and grieving to the saints: David, Isaiah, and others have complained of them; righteous Lot was pricked w ith these thorns; his soul was vexed, and grieved from day to day with their unlawful deeds: also like thorns, their end is to be burned, and that by the fierceness and fury of God's wralh, who says, Isa. XXV ii. 4: " Wiio would set the briars and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together;" which he will do at the last day, when he will bind up those thorns in bundles, and cast them into *' the lake which hurneth with fire and brimstone;" where " the people shall be as the burnings of lime; as thorns eut up, shall (hey be burnt in the fire," the terror of which sometimes surprises the siu- Bers in Zion, who therefore say, " who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Isa. xxxiii. 12 — 14. 2. By thorns may be meant the reproaches, reviliiigs, and persecutions of wicked men, w^hereby they afflict and disturb the saiuts; the Targum explains these thorns, of the wicked edicts and decrees of princes, by which the cougregation of Israel was oppressed in captivity: the prophet Ezekiel is encouraged by the Lord faithfully to deliver his message to the people of Israel, though briars and thorns were with him, aud though he had his dwelling among scorpions, that is, though he was reproached, reviled, and persecuted by them for it. Christ's lily in all ages has more or less been attended with, and has grown up, among such tliorns as these; for every one that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution of one kind or another; aud yet they abide like " the lily among thorns," in their faith, purity, and holiness; so that neither the frowns nor flatteries of the world can prevail upon them to desert the Redeemer's interest, forsake the Gospel, nor turn aside from the true worship of God; to which agrees R. Sol. Jarchi's gloss on the text, which is this: "As the lily among thorns, which prick it, yet stands continually in its beauty and redness; so is my love among the daughters, who entice her to follovv after them, and go a whoring after other gods, but yet continues in her religion." 8. By thorns may be meant heretics aud lierctical doctrines, which pierce, prick, aud grieve the children of God: novv these false teachers, these wolves in sheep's clothing, may be known by their fruits, wiiich are none at all, that are good for any thing; for, " do men gather grapes off thorns, or figs off thistles!" tliere is no fiuit of faith, sound doctrine, or a gospel-conversation to be found upon them; but are like unfruitful thorns, whom God snfTers to grow up in his cliurches, that those which are filled with the fruits of righteousness might he made manifest; and in all ages, more or less, Christ's lily, the church, has grown up among, and been pricked by, and pestered with such thorns as these. 4. The corruptions of our nature may be called so: these Canaanites remaining in the land, dwelling in our hearts, are pricks in our eyes, and thorns in our sides; these grieve and disturb us, and they make us groan with the anguish our souls are filled with by them. Perhaps the breaking forth of some corruption is intended by the thorn in the flesh, and messenger of Satan, that the apostle speaks of, 2 Cor. xii. 7; though the temptations of Satan n^ay also be called by these names, which often give the saints a great deal of uneasiness, and throw them into much heaviness; and it may be that both the corruption of nature, and the temptations of Satan, whicli the apostle might labour under, are intended; and the thorn in the flesh may be expressive of the breaking out of some corruption; and the messenger of Satan may intend his temptations, by which it was stirred up and encouraged: though I rather think that both phrases are only expressive of the corruption of nature, which was wont to be called by the Jews, tlip, messenger of hell; a phrase much like this used by the apostle. So in Midrash Hanneelam,* we read that R. Hona, in his sermons, used to advise persons thus, " O ye children of men, take care of the messenger of hell: but who is this? The evil imagination, (by which the Jew^s always intend the vitiosity of nature) is the messenger of hell. Now this being a phrase that was well known, the apostle adds it by way of opposition to the thorn in the flesh, as explanative of it. Moreover, worldly cares are compared to thorns which choke the word; they are pernicious to saints, and make them barren and unfruitful, as well as grieve and (fisturbthem. Matt. xiii. 22; but though Christ's lilies here on earth grow up among, and are annoyed by those thorns of sin and corruption; yet when they are transplanted into Christ's garden above, "there shall be no more a pricking briar, nor a grieving thorn," to give them the least disturbance. II. Whilst Christ is comparing his church to a " lily among thorns," he gives her a loving and affectionate title, my love, which has been already explained in chap. i. 9; and his mentioning it here shows, that even in hei' present state and condition she was a beauty in his eye; and that her being among thorns, was so far from detracting from it, that it rather served as a foil to set it off the more; as also, that she was still the object of his love, though in the midst o( wicked and ungodly men, men of unclean lips and lives, haters of peace, religion, and godliness; though she was reviled, reproached, and persecuted by them, yet she was loved, valued, and esteemed by him; nay, though she was attended with many infirmities, sins, andcorruplions, that were grieving to her, and dishonouring to him, yet neither these, nor any thing else, should ever separate her from his love: she was Christ's love and lily still, though among thorns. The lily is often made use of in this love-song, to set forth the beauty of the church and of the saints in the eye of Christ: and his great love to them, and deliglit in them, and very justly."

III. He sets forth her excellency and preferableness to all the daughters. By whom we are to understand the nations and men of the world; for it is usual in the Hebrew tongue to call the inhabitants of countries the daughters thereof; thns we read of the daughters of Tyre, Edom, Babylon, &c., none of Avhich are to be compared with the church; these are like thorns to Christ's lily: or else carnal, hypocritical, and formal professors may be intended, whom she calls in chap, i. 6, mother's children; who made an external profession of religion, but wanted that real and internal beauty which she was possessed of, and differed only in name from the rest of the sons and daughters of fallen Adam; but she, being distinguished by divine grace from them all, was preferable to them, 1. In beauty; these looked like thorns, she like a lily; they were black and uncomely, she the perfection of beauty, and the fairest among women. 2. In harmlessness; though there are thorns about, yet none upou the lily; ungodly persons are not only uncomely in themselves, but like thorns, pricking -and hurtful to others; but as for the saints, they are " blameless and harmless, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation," like lilies among thorns. 3. la fruitfulness: no fruit grows on thorns, but on Christ's lilies grow all sorts of precious fruit; they are laden with them. 4. In their last end Christ's lilies will be gathered by himself aud his angels, and be put in his garden above; but the wicked, which are Satan's tares and thorns, shall be bundled together, and cast into everlasting burnings; the one being highly valued and prized by Christ, the other hated and rejected by him; for as much ' The lily is called ambrosia; aud is said to be the delight of Venus, because of its pleasing colour, Nicander apud Athena;uni, 1. l.'i. c. 8. p. 083. and of Juno, Clement Alex. pa;dagog. 1. 2. p. ISl.

as the lily exceeds the thorns which grow about it, so much does the church of' Christ excel the men of the world among whom it is here on earth; and as there is a difference now between them, though growing up together, so there will be one, and that far greater and more visible, when separated; the one, will be everlastingly glorified, the other everlastingly punished.

Verse 3. As the apple-tree among the trees of the loood, so is my beloved among the sons: I sat doton under his shadow loith great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

Christ having commended the church in the former verse, and declared that she was as preferable to all others, as the lily was to the thorns; she in this verse returns the commendation to him, and asserts that he as much excelled all the sons, as the fruitful apple-tree did the wild and barren trees of the wood;'' and at the same time gives an account of that sweet experience she had of his excellency, preciousaess, and usefulness to her. Now iu the words may be observed,

I. A comparison which she makes of him to an apple-tree; in which she sets forth his excellency and preferableness to all others.

II. She instances in two particular things; in which, by good experience, she found him to be so to her own soul. First, The shadow of this apple-tree was delightful to her; " I sat down under his shadow with great delight." Secondly, The fruit thereof was exceeding sweet to her; " his fruit was sweet to my taste."

I. She compares him to au apple-tree, and that no doubt of the best sort. The Targum renders it, a pome-citron, or citron-apple-tree: which, 1. Is a very large tree;" and somay be fitly used to express the greatness and excellency of Christ, who is posssesed of all divine perfections, aud is "over all, God blessed for ever." He is a Saviour, and a great One; who has, as an instance of his great love, coudescension, and power, wrought out a great salvation for great sinners. He is a High Priest, and he is a great one, both in the glory of his person, and in the virtue and efficacy of his sacrifice and intercession. He is the King of saints, and as such is higher than the kings of the earth: He is equal with God, therefore greater than angels, and more excellent than all the sous of men. 2. It is a very fruitful tree; it is sometimes so full of fruit, that it is even pressed down with the weight thereof,*^ and is, as Pliny says,* omnibus huris pomifera, " always bearing fruit:" it has at one and the same time flowers, ripe and uuripe fruit; whilst some are putting forth, others are dropping off; so Christ abounds with the fruits of divine grace; he is not the barren fig-tree, but the green fir-tree, from whom our fruit is found, and that at all tiines; for he is that "tree of life which hare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations," Rev. xxii. 2. Here may believers come at all times, aud pluck and eat; for here is not any deficiency of fruit, it is always growing, always pluclciug, and yet never lessened. 3. The fruit of this tree ' is of a hitter taste, but of an exceeding sweet smell, as are the leaves; which being put among garments, not only give them a delightful odour, but also drive away noxious creatures from them; for the same reason is Cln-ist compared to myrrh in chap. i. 13; for though his sacrifice, death, aud sufferings, are sweet and savoury, both to his Father and to his people, yet they were bitter unto him, who not only tasted of, but drank up the whole cap of his Father's wrath: and though the blessings which spring from hence are of a sweet smell, exceeding grateful and delightful to believers, yet are they eujoyed in this life with a variety of crosses, afflictions, and tribulations; this passovcr-lamb is eaten with bitter herbs. 4. It is an excellent remedy against poison. « Sin is that poison of asps which has infected all humau uature, and spread itself over all the powers and faculties of the souls of men, as well as over all the members of their bodies: now the Christ is the sovereign antidote against it; this fruit of the citron-appletree is the most proper remedy for it; his righteousness justifies, his blood cleanses, and his grace will eternally clear his people from their sins. 5. It is very good for shortness of breath, and to remove a stinking one;'' hence the Parthian nobles used to boil the kernels of it in their food for that purpose; it is the presence of Christ, and communion with him, that only can cure our panting souls when we are wearied, and almost out of breath in seeking him; and it is the sweet incense of his mediation that perfumes our prayers, which are the breath of our souls, and which otherwise would be so far from being grateful to God, that it would be strange unto him. And thus may Christ be compared to a citron-apple-tree; though perhaps the common apple-tree is here intended, which the Talmud' interprets of the Israelites, but R. Abeu Ezra understands it of the Shecinah, as do the Targum aud R. Sol. Jarchi, of the holy and blessed God, aud Lord of the world; as also does R. Chaya, in the book Zohar,'' who says, that the cougregation of Israel set forth the praises of the holy and blessed God by an apple, because of its colours, smell, and taste; so the Cabalistic doctors interpret of tiphereih, or the bridegroom, because of the same.' Christ is this Sheciuah, the holy aud blessed God, aud Lord of the world, who may be compared to an apple-tree, (1.) Because it is a

' Solin and Tlin. iu locis citatis.

very fruitful tree. There are various sorts of fruit which it bears; Christ is full of fruit; he is Joseph's Antitype, who is called " a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall:" all the fruits of righteousness grow on him, every grace is in him; he is that " tree of life which bears twelve manner of fruits;" there are justifying and pardoniug grace, sanctifying and adopting grace in him; all that a believer can waut here, and all that can make him happy hereafter: aud as fruitful boughs beud downwards, being laden with fruit, and may be easily reached, so Christ, being full of grace and truth, gives to sinners the utmost liberty of access to him for grace from him; for though as God, he is " the high and lofty One," yet as man aud ^Mediator, he is meek and lowly, and condescends to take notice o.f and admits into familiarity, poor, mean, and abject creatures; he gives them a gracious allowance to approach near unto him; that appletree, whose fruitful boughs of divine grace hang so low, that the hand of faith may easily reach them, where the poor sinner is heartily welcome to pluck and eat at pleasure. (2.) It is of a very beautiful aspect when laden with fruit, and especially as growing among the trees of the forest. Some have thought that the fruit of this tree is what was forbidden our first parents; which being so " pleasant to the eyes," was a temptation to the woman to eat thereof; therefore is iu Latin called malum, evil, because sin entered into the world hereby: though others think it was another sort of fruit. The Jewish writers differ much about it; some say it was the fig-tree, so R. Sol. Jarchi, aud some others in R. Aben Ezra on Gen. iii. 6; which they gather from Adam and Eve's immediate sewing of tig -leaves together, as soon as they had siuued, to cover themselves with: others, that it was the pome-citron, or citron-apple tree, so Baal Hatturim in Gen. i. 29, but the same author on Numb. v. 3, seems to intimate as if it was the grape, the fruit of the vine; which is also the opinion of the Jews in Zohar,"" who think that it is particularly the black grape; though others have thought it to be the apple, as the author of the old Nizzachon;" which was either his own and the opinion of some other Jews, or else he took it from the common notion of Christians. But whether it was the apple -ti'ee or no, which was so pleasant aud desirable to the eyes of the woman, yet it is certain that this is very pleasant and delightful to the sight, when laden with fruit. Christ as Mediator is a beautiful sight to believers, as he stands in all his endearing characters and relations; as he may be viewed undertaking their cause, assuming their nature, suff"cring, bleeding, and dying in their stead, rising again for their justification, ascending into heaven, and entering there with their names and i T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. ssTT >■ In Lev. fol. 30.

for " to which of the angels said lie at any time. Sit thou at my right-hand?" Or else by them may be meant the saiuts, who are the sons of God by adopting grace: Christ, the eterual Son of God lias the pre-eminence in, and over these; he is their Ci-eator and Redeemer, their Lord and King, their Head and Husband, their everlasting Father and glorious Mediator, to whom they are infinitely obliged for all the needful supplies of grace here, and lor all the glory they expect hereafter. Or else by them may be meaut the men of the world, the sons of Adam; and these Christ infinitely excels, as much as the apple-tree does the trees of the wood; for he is " fairer than the children of men;" there is noue like him in all the armies of heaven, nor any to be compared with him among all the iuhabitauts of the earth; if both vvoilds were to be searched with the utmost scrutiny, not one single individual person could be found comparable to him: and perhaps particularly by these may be meaut the great princes aud monarchs of the world, who are sometimes in scripture compared to large aud lofty trees; see Ezek. xxxi. 3, 5, 0, 8, Dan. iv. 20—22. But Christ is far preferable to these in beauty, glory, aud majesty; he is " higher than the kings of the earth, they receive their crowns aud kingdoms from him;" they are at his command, aud under his dominion; he sets them up, and puts them down at pleasure; these must all submit to his awful judgment, even as the poorest peasant; and will be equally as fearful of " the great day of his wrath," which when come, they will call to the rocks and mountains to fall on them, and hide them from the face of this omnipotent Judge. Moreover, with respect to the saints, the fruits of Christ's grace are to them far preferable to the kingdoms, crowns, aud sceptres of the greatest monarchs, nay, reproach, for Christ's sake, is more highly esteemed of by them, aud accounted greater riches than all the treasures of this world. Though it seems as well as to be understood in general of all wicked, Christless, and unconverted sinners, who are like to the trees of tlie wood, wild, barren, and unfruitful; and what fruit they do bring forth, is sour, wild, and unprofitable; aud though like the trees of the wood, lliey may run up a great height, yet they shall be cut down and thrown into everlasting burnings: for, " the ax is laid to the root of the trees; therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire," Matt. iii. 10. Thus the church, by this comparison, sets forth the excellency and preferableness of Christ to all others. But.

II. She instances iu two excellent properties of this apple-tree, of which she had had some comfortable experience.

First. The shade of it was delightful to her, " I sat down under his shadow with great dc-

° The apple was sacred to love, Scholiast. In Aristoph. Nubes p. 1«0. the statue of Venus had aa apple m one liaiid, and a poppy in the otlier. Pausau. Corinth, sive 1. 2. p. 103.

persons upon his heart, and there ever living to make intercession for them: Christ, as possessed of all the blessings of the everlasting covenant, being the Surety, Mediator, and Messenger of it, is exceeding delightful to the eye of faith; " his glory is as the glory of the only begotten of the Father, when he appears to souls full of grace and truth. (3.) The fruit which grov.s upon the apple-tree, as it is of various sorts and of a beautiful aspect to the eye, so it is of a cooling aud comforting nature. Christ has cooled, turned awaj, and appeased the fierceness of his Father's fiery wrath, by his death aud blood; and does by his mighty grace sweetly cool and refresh the heart of a poor sinner, inflamed by a fiery law, and commands serenity aud peace in its conscience filled with wrath and terror; and when his people are ready to faint aud sink, he comforts them with his apples, the sweet discoveries of his love and grace, of which the church having had some experience, aud desiring some renewed instances thereof, says, in ver. 5, " comfort me with apples;" where I shall more largely take notice of this, as well as ol their pleasant and delightful smell. (4.) The apple-tree has been accounted an hieroglyphic of love," under it lovers used to meet, with the fruit thereof they entertained each other, under its delightful shade they sat; to which perhaps an allusion is not only made in this verse, but also in chap. viii. 5. "I raised thee up under the apple-tree." Christ aud his church are throughout tliis song introduced as lovers, and the subject of their whole conversation is love: He, who if the apple-tree is tlie church's beloved, whom she loves and prefers before all others; it is his love her soul is ravished with; his fruit siie feeds upon; his shade that she with so much content and pleasure sits under, where she is delighted with his love and grace, and sensibly feels her soul all enamoured with him. Some other things might have been taken notice of, particularly the fruit and shadow of this tree, which are both mentioned in the text; but these will be considered under another head.

Now Christ, whom the church here compares to an apple-tree, is by her preferred to all others; and she signifies, that as much as the apple-tree excels the wild and unfruitfLil trees of the wood, so much does Christ excel all the sons: by whom may be meant either the angels, so the Targum, who are by creation the sons of God; but not in so high and eminent a sense as Christ is: he has a more excelleut name aud nature than they; as God, he is their I-ord and Creator, and the object of their highest worship and adoration; and as Mediator, they are obliged unto him, being upheld aud secured by his grace in that state wherein they are: aud though iu his human nature he was, made a little lower than they, yet now in the vei'y same nature he is exalted above them;

light." Secondly. The fruit of it was sweet unto her; " his fruit was sweet to my taste."

First. The shade of this apple tree was very delightful to her: " I sat down under his shadow with great delight:" in which may be inquired, 1st. What is meant by the shadow nnder which she sat. 2ndly. What her sitting there intends or supposes. Srdly. What she desired to sit there for. 4thly. From whence that pleasure and delight arose, which she was filled with.

1st. It will be proper to inquire what is meant by the shadow of Christ, under which she sat. Some'' have thought that the ceremonial law, with its festivals, is here intended, which was a shadow of good things to come, of which Christ was the sum and substance; under this shadow the Old Testament saiuts sat during the legal dispensation, where tlieir souls were much delighted and sweetly refreshed by viewing Christ represented in the types and sacrifices of that law. The Targum understands it of the shadow of God's Shecliinah, or Divine JMajesty, under which the congregation of Israel desired to sit, when God gave the law on mount Sinai: but that dispensation was not so desirable; the law which was then given, was a fiery one; and the words which were then spoke were such, that they that heard them, intreated that they should not be spoken to them any more: therefore it may be better understood of the Gospel and the ordinances of it, than either of the moral or ceremonial law; under this refreshing shadow saints delight to sit; here they enjoy sweet communion and fellowship with Christ; the sound of the Gospel is joyful to them; the truths and doctrines of it are nourishing; the ordinances of it are comfortable and delightful; these tabernacles are amiable and lovely; and all wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness; and therefore it is no wouder that souls desire to sit nnder this shadow, aud when they do, it is with delight.

Moreover, some' think that an allusion is here made to the nuptial ceremony of spreading the skirt, used by the Jews at the time of marriage; of which see Ruth iii. 9; and to which an allusion is made in Ezek. xvi. 8; or to that veil, which being borne up with four rods or staves, was carried over the heads of the new-married couple, at the time that the bridegroom brought home the bride into his own house, where the whole solemnity was finished; this nuptial ceremony perhaps may give the best light to Luke i. 35, " the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee:" so that this phrase of sitting under Christ's shadow, may be expressive of the church's being married to Christ, and of that delightful communion which she enjoys with him as her husband, when brought home to his own house; of which we have an account in the next verse, where she is entertain-

1 Sanct. iu loc. and so R. Simeon Ben Joachi ed after a noble manner: and has as much of his love manifested to her, as she is capable of bearing, nay so much, that she is overcome with it. But I rather think that the metaphor is continued from the former part of the verse; and that tlie allusion is made to the shadow of an appletree, such an one as Christ was; whose shadow arises from his person, blood, and righteousness; which shadow is, 1. A protecting one from heat; such as Jonah's gourd was to him, or as the pillar of cloud was to the Israelites in the wilderness, or as a great rock to a weary traveller in a hot country. Christ and his righteousness are a shadow, which protfect souls from the heat of his Fatlier's wrath; he, by making atonement for sin, and satisfaction to divine justice, hath delivered his own people from the wrath to come, and will eternally screen them from it; for though showers of divine wrath will fall on Christless sinners, yet those that are under this shadow of Christ's righteousuess, shall not have one drop of it fall on them; for being justified by his blood, they shall be saved from wrath through him; also it is this, laid hold on by faith, which screens from the curses of a fiery law, aud from the heat of that wrath which it sometimes works in the conscience; which is only rightly removed by the sprinklings of that blood which speaks peace and pardon, and by the application of that righteousness which justifies from all sin, aud produces a peace which passeth all understanding: likewise Christ is the shadow which protects and shelters from the fiery darts of Satan; he is as a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones, those fiends of hell, is as a storm against the wall; his blood and righteousness keep ofi" Satan's fiery darts, preserve from his suggestions, and protect from the violence of his temptations; and ths soul is still more secured by the prevalent mediation and intercession of Christ in heaven, which is founded upon his blood and righteousness; so that what faith makes use of on earth to oppose to Satan's temptations, Christ does in heaven to secure his people from his false charges aud accusations: to this might also be added, that he is the shadow which protects from the heat of persecution, under which he causes his flock to rest at noon; when this sun smites them with the greatest violence, he is then their shade on their right hand, so that the sun shall not smite them by day; and this is their comfort and support under all their fiery trials, that they have such a shadow to have recourse to. 2. It is also a refreshing one; for if it is a shadow from the heat of God's wrath, the terrors of the law, the temptations of Satan, and the persecutions of the world, it must needs be so; what can be more refreshing to a weary traveller, that is almost scorched, and ready to faint v\ith heat, than a cooling and delightful shade? so refreshing is Christ to poor sinners, seems to understand it in Kxod. vol. 43. 1.

who is as " the shadow of a great rock ia a weary laud;" nay, is a large spreading apple-tree, that at once furnishes them with an agreeable shelter and suitable provisions. 3. It is a fructifying one: the shadow3 of some trees, as Pliny' informs us, are very hurtful aud noxious to some plants that grow under them, and others are very nourishing and fructifying: Christ's shadow is such an one; for " they that dwell under this shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine; the scent thsr^of \shall be as the wine of Lebanon," Hos. xiv. 7; and indeed all the fruitfulness of those who are the Lord's planting comes from Christ* for, unless they abide in and under him, they can bring forth no fruit. The shadows of some trees are injurious to men that lie under them;' not so Christ's shadow; but there are others' very delightful and wholesome, to which he may be compared.

2ndly. Tt may also be inquired what her sitting under this shadow is expressive of, or does suppose. And, 1. It shows the sense she had of herself, and present condition, and the need she stood in of Christ as a shadow; she was not only scorched with the sun of persecution, with afflictions, temptations, &c., but she was likewise sensible thereof, and therefore, betook herself to a proper shade. 2. It manifestly appears from her sitting under this shadow, that she looked upon Christ to be a suitable one for her in such cases; and that as the idolaters in Hos. iv. 13, sacrificed on mountains, aud burnt incense under oaks, poplars, and elms, " because the shadow thereof was good;" so the church here sat under this shadow of Christ's, because she looked upon it to be a good one, and preferable to all others. 3. It is expressive of her faith and confidence in Christ; the vain confidence of the Israelites in an arm of flesh, is called their " trust in the shadow of Egypt," Isa. xxx. 2, 3; and the holy confidence and faith of God's children in him, is frequently called a " trusting in the shadow of his wings;" see Psalm xxxvi. 7, and Ivii. 1; which seems to be the same with sitting under it here: the church did not sit idle uuder Christ, but her faith was in exercise upon him; and she was rejoiciug alone in him, having " no confidence in the flesh." 4. It seems to intimate that security, peace, quietness, and satisfaction of soul, she enjoyed; here she sat as under her own vine and fig-tree, and none to make her afraid; where being safe and secure from all her enemies, she solaced herself under this delightful shade, enjoying much peace of conscience, and satisfaction of mind: for she did not sit here with any manner of uneasiness, but with the utmost delight aud pleasure. 5. It denotes her continuance here; faith takes up its dwelling in Christ; it will not move from hence, and is desirous of always enjoying sensible communion with him; " he that dwellelh in the secret of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty," Psal. ici. 1. But

3rdly. What was it she desired to sit here for? For thus may the words be rendered, " I desired, and I sat down;"" that is, I desired to sit down, and I did sit down, I had what I wished for; and what was that? no doubt, protection from heat, rest, and refreshment for her weary and fainting soul; that she might be comforted with those apples w'hich grew on this tree, and be revived by tasting of and feeding upon the sweet fruit thereof, as well as be comforted with its delightful shade.

4thly. She sat here with delight; and indeed it could not be otherwise when its shade was so agreeable, and the fruit so sweet: this pleasure and delight of hers arose from the enjoyment of Christ's presence, " in whose presence is fulness of joy, and at whose right-hand arc pleasures for evermore;" from the discoveries of his love to her soul, which is better than life, and all '.he comforts of it; and were had in th^ exercise of faith upon him, in the actings of which grace the soul is filled with " joy unspeakable and full of glory."

Secondly. The fruit of this apple-tree was sweet unto her taste: by this fruit are either meant the fruit of his doings, what his hands have wrought out, and his blood has procured for sinners, even all the blessings of grace, such as peace and reconciliation, justification, sanctification, pardon of sin, adoption, nearness of access to God, &c. or else, the fruit of his lips; such as his word and Gospel, preached by himself, which is sweet to a believer's taste, and is preferred to his necessary food; his promises, which are exceeding great and precious, and are highly valued by believers, for his mouth is most sweet, from whence they proceed; and his ordinances and commands, in which they enjoy sweet communion with him, and have the discoveries of his love to their souls; and therefore " are more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than the honey or the honey comb."

These are called his fruits; they are his in a covenant-way; all the blessings of grace, which make up the everlasting covenant, are in Christ's hands, and at his dispose, being placed there for that purpose by God the Father; and they are also his, being procured by him; for though they are all the gifts of free grace, yet are they all obtained by Christ, and come to us through his blood: likewise they may be said to be his, because in his possession; every grace in its fulness is in him, he is full of grace and truth, and

Jloribus et dulci aspiraus complcctitur umbre, Virg.

is communicated to us from him, for from him all our fruit is found; remission of sin, justifying righteousness, adopting grace, &c., come to us through and by him; and we are indulged with the gospel-promises and ordinances, as instances of his grace to us.

Now these are all sweet to the taste of a believer, though not to a natural man, who hath a vitiated taste, and calls evil good and good evil: puts bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter; he savours the things of the flesh; sin is his food, from whence he receives an imaginary pleasure; aud therefore disrelishes all spiritual things, looks upon them as poor aud insipid, and finds no more taste in them than in the white of an egg; which arises from the predominancy of sin, that hinders from tasting any sweetness in divine things, and will do so whilst their taste remains in them, and their scent is not changed; but as for a spiritual man, he savours the things of the Spirit, and disrelislies others; sin is rendered odious, hitter, and unpleasant to him; it is in some measure expelled, so that he can taste that the Lord is gracious: and therefore every thing he says or does is sweet unto him; for as his state can discern perverse things, so it can relish spiritual ones: such as the fruit before-mentioned is, which grows upon and drops from tlie apple tree, Christ Jesus: this delightful shade and eicellent fruit, which believers find in Christ, render hira very acceptable to them, and preferable to all others. Now when souls at any time have some experience of Christ's love aud grace, in such a way and manner, it is very proper to speak of it, for the glory of Christ, and the encouragement of other souls, as the church does here; which she also continues to do in the following verse, where she meets with a larger display of it.

A'erse 4. He brought me to the lanqueting -house, and his banner over me was love.

The church here goes on to give an account of some larger experiences of Christ's love, which she had met with from him; for she is not only indulged with his shadow, and refreshed with his fruit, as in the former verse, but is also brought into his bauqueting-house, where she is entertained by him, of which she gives an account iu this: where may be observed,

I. "What is meant by the banqueting-house.

II. What by being brought into it.

III. The manner in which she was brought; " his banner over me was love."

I. I shall inquire wliat is meant by the banqueting-house, into which the church was brought: it is in the Hebrew text, a house of wine:" by which may be meant, either the wine-cellar," the place where wine is kept under ground; or else the places' where wine is poured out, and where it is drank, according to R. Aben Ezra; and so may very well he rendered a banqucting-house. Thus we read of a banquet of wiue which Esther invited kiug Ahasuerus and Haman to; and wine, being much used at feasts, may be put syncchdochically, for all the other accommodations thereof; by which we may understand either, 1st. The covenant of grace; this is built for a bauqueting-house for souls; it is a superstructure of grace and mercy, whose foundation is the person of Christ; it is well stored with all needful provisions for a nobler entertainment; it is ordered in all things, and sure;" it is full of Christ, his love and grace; it is well stored with spiritual blessings, aud precious promises, which will serve as an everlasting banquet for those who are interested iu it. Or else,

2ndly. The Sacred Scripture, which is a true banqueting-house: here is a variety of food, and plenty of it; here is milk fjr babes; and meat for strong men; which is exceeding pleasant and delicious, sweeter to the taste than the honey or honey-comb; revives and refreshes those who participate thereof, and is also exceeding wholesome to the souls of men: though there are vast numbers daily feasted here, yet there is no want; it abounds with the bread of Gospel-truths, with the wine of Gospel-promises, and is full of Christ, the hidden Manna, who is also the Bread of Life; he is the Alpha and Omega of the scriptures, the sum and substance of them, on whom faith lives, and by whom, from time to time, it is sweetly refreshed. Or else,

3rdly. The church is this banqueting-house. Tlie Targum refers it to the house of the school, where the Israelites learnt the law at mount Sinai from the mouth of Moses; R. Alshech understands by it Sinai itself, aud so it is interpreted in Yalkut; R. Sul. Jarchi tbiuks^the tabernacle of the congregation is intended, where the sense and explanations of the law were given; but it may much better be understood of the church of Christ, which is a house built by widsom, and furnished with all the necessary provisions of grace; here is " a feast of fat things prepared, of wines on the lees well refined. Christ is the Master and Provider of the feast, and he himself is the chief entertainment; his flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed; to all which he gives his people an hearty welcome; meets them himself at his well-furnished table, aud feasts with them; gives them spiritual appetites, and blesses all the provisions of his grace to them; hence those are the blessed persons who have admittance into, and a dwelliug-place in this house, for these shall be continually " satisfied with the goodness and fatness thereof;" hence it is that souls are so desirous of being here, and are so well-pleased with their habitation, because it is a ban^uetiug- y Locum con vivii, Junius house unto them; and no wonder then is it, that those who are " Planted in the house of the Lord, flourish in the courts of our God."

II. What it is to he " brought into' this banqueting-house;" which may be considered according to the several senses before given. And

1st. Seeing by the banquetiug-house may be meant the covenant of grace, it may be proper to inquire, What it is to be brought into that, and by what means? And now here observe, that water-baptism, and a submission to it under the New-Testament, give a person no right unto, nor interest him in the covenant of grace, even as circumcision did not, nor could uuder the Old; instances of both might be given of persons, where there is no reason to believe they have any shai'c or lot in this matter; neither does charch-fellowship bring a person into it, nor a mere submission to any or all the ordinances of the Gospel, for " they are not all Israel which are of Israel:" nor are they all instances of covenant-grace, who are church-members; for there are tares as well as wheat grow in Christ's field below; and goats as well as sheep are folded in his fold on earth, the church; there are foolish as well as wise virgins, snd there are " sinners in Zion," as well as the " living in Jerusalem;" neither are faith and repentance terms and conditions of a man's entering into this covenant; for they are some of the blessings of grace contained iu it; they do not bring a person into it, but are evidences of his being there before; but what brings a person into it, is an act of sovereign and unchangeable grace before all time; all, interested iu the everlasting covenant, before the world began, did by electing grace *' pass under the rod of him that telleth them;" for when God made a covenant of grace with his Son on the account of these chosen ones, he brought them all into the bond of it, and put all grace and blessings into the hands of his Sou for them. Now the Spirit of God in time does in conversion take and apply this covenant grace to those persons, for the quickening, pardoning, justifying, and sanctifying them; he shows them the covenant, and their interest in it, and enables them to lay hold upon it; and every time he does do so, he may be said to bring a soul into the covenant, as an effect and fruit of that original, ancient act, made before the world began; which is what the church might experience here, to wit, a fresh manifestation of her covenant-interest; for " the secret of the Lord is with them that fear hira, and he \\ ill show them his covenant -." Christ led her into his banqueting-house, and there feasted her with his royal dainties; for to bring, is to lead one to an entertainment.*

2ndly. If we understand the scripture by the banqueting-house; then to be brought into it is to have the understanding opened, so as to behold wondrous things out of it; the heart affected with the glorious truths thereof, so as to taste the spreetness of the " sincere milk of the word;" and distinguish the doctrines of the Gospel from those which are not so, and be capable of appropriating the promises of it to the comfort and satisfaction of our souls; and when we are enabled thus to do, we shall find the scripture to be a delightful banqueting-house indeed! Now all this Christ docs by his Spirit; who is the Spirit of truth, wlio guides and leads his people into all truth. But

Srdly. If by the bauquetiug-house we understand the church of Christ: then to be brought into it, is to be made a partaker of all the privileges of it, as those who are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow- citizens of the saints aud of the household of God. Christ first calls men by his grace, then by his ministers invites them to come in, that this house may be filled; and by his Spirit powerfully works upon their souls, sweetly inclining them not only to give up themselves to him, but likewise to one another by the will of God; he, as an instance of his distinguishing grace, takes one of a city, and two of a family, and brings them to Zion, where he invests them with all the privileges and immunities thereof; here he grants them his gracious presence, sheds abroad his love in their hearts, and often entertains tbem with a delightful banquet. Now Christ's thus bringing his church into his banqueting-house, shows, 1. Inability on her part; we cannot bring ourselves into the covenant of grace, nor can we take views of our interest in it at pleasure; but he who of his own grace placed us there, must show it us; nor can we of ourselves know the depths and mysteries of the sacred writings; they will remain a sealed book to us, unless the Spirit of Christ open the book, and our understandings to look into it: nor will his church, with all the ordinances of it, be a banqueting-house unto us, unless he himself be present with us. 2. Wonderful grace and condescension on his side; that he, who is the King of kings, and Lord of lords, should take one thus mean into his own apartments, and there entertain her with the best his house could afford. But this will still appear more manifestly, if we

III. The manner in which she was brought; " his banner over me was love." It was in a very stately and majestic manner, as well as a loving one, that she was brought; and for the illustration of this, it will be proper to consider the use of banners, and how they may be applied here. And

1st. The use of banners, standards, or ensigns, is to gather and keep persons together: thus Christ himself was lifted up on the cross, and is now lifted up iu the Gospel, as an ensign to gather snuls unto him: and so his love, being displayed in the preaching of the Gospel, has a power and efficacy in it to draw souls after him; for as a fruit aud

■ Ad prandium me adduxit, Plautus.

effect of everlasting love, " with loving kindness " he draws them: and in the same way and manner Clirist here drew the church unto himself, and held her fast; and constrained her to keep close to him, and follow hard after him; see 2 Cor. V. 14.

2ndly. A banner displayed, or a standard set up, is an indication of war; it is to prepare for it, and to animate to it,'' see Jer. li. 12, 27. This may serve to inform us, tliat the church of Christ here on earth is militant, and therefore in chap, vi. 4, is represented as formidable and terrible as an army with banners: she has many enemies to enpiage with, as sin, Satan, and the world, and yet has the greatest encouragement to fight, for she is bannered under the Lord of hosts; Christ is Commander-in-chief; he is given to be a Leader and Commander of the people, and is every way fit for it; he has courage enough to appear at the head of his armies, and conduct enough to lead them on, and bring them off at pleasure; those that are under him are well provided for; their bread is given them'in due season, and their water is sure: they are furaished with the Travo-srAia, or whole armour of God; they may be assured of a crown and kingdom as soon as the battle is over, and even of victory beforehand, for they are more than conquerors through him that hath loved them; likewise tne motto, which is written upon the banner, under w-hich they are, is love: and if all this will not encourage them to fight, what will?

Srdly. A banner displayed is also a sign of victory; sometimes when a town, city, or castle is taken, the flag is hung out as an indication of it; see Jer. 1. 2. Christ has gotten the victory over all his and our enemies; he has conquered sin, Satan, and the world; and given his ciiurch and people a share in all his conquests; and as an evidence of it, has set up his banner over them. Or this may principally intend the conquest, which he, by love, had gotten over her heart; she surrendered herself into the victor's hands; and now, as an instance of his mighty grace, he introduces her into his own house, under the banner of love, by wliich she was conquered.

4thly. A banner is for protection and defence; hence Moses built an altar, and called it Jehovah «/wi, that is, the Lord is my banner; because the Lord had been on the side of him and the people of Israel, and defended them from the Amalekites. The church was now enjoying sweet communion with Christ in his banqueting-house: and that she might be safe and secure fi-ora her enemies, and abide there during his pleasure, without any molestation or disturbance, he sets up his banner over her: thus " when the enemy comes in like a flood," to disturb our peace, joy, and comfort, " the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard against him," Isa. li.x. 19.

^ Vexillum proponendum, quod eratinsigne quum ad arma coueurri oporteret, Caesar, de Bello Gallic.

5thly. It is to direct soldiers where to stand, when to march, and whom to follow; see Numb, i. 52, and ii. 2, which may teach us, who are enlisted in Christ's service, not to fly from our colours, but adhere closely to Clirist and his Gospel, his cause and interest, his church and people, and to follow him, the Standard-bearer, wherever he goes; and nothing can more strongly engage us to do so than love, which is the motto of his banner; this first drew us to him, this animates us in his service, and keeps us close to his person and interest.

Ctlily. It is to distinguish one band from another; see Numb. ii. 2. As one band has one motto upon its banner or ensign, by which it is distinguished from anotiier; sothe motto on Christ's banner is love, by which his band or company is distinguished from all others: it is this wliich has made them to differ from others; has distinguished them in electing, redeeming, and calling grace; and will keep them a distinct and peculiar people to all eternity; it is not any works which they have done, but Christ's boundless love and grace alone, that make the difference between them and others. The allusion may be to the names of generals being inscribed on the banners of their armies; so Vespasian's name was inscribed on the banners throughout his armies.^