Verse \2. A garden inclosed is my sister,
Christ, having admired his church's faith and love, her language, and her dress; proceeds to give farther commendations of her, and makes use of new metaphors to describe her by; in which he represents her as a well-watered and fruitful garden.
First. He says, she is " a garden enclosed:" the titles he gives her, " my sister, my spouse," have been explained in ver. 8, 9. I shall only here enquire why she is called a garden, and that an enclosed one. And she is said to be a garden, 1. Because a garden is a piece of ground distinguished and separated from others for the owner's use: the church of Christ is distinguished and separated from others by electing and redeeming grace; by efficacious calling grace saints are also made to differ from others, and do in their lives and conversation live separate from them; and being set apart tor God's own use, service, and glory, are a peculiar people to himself. 2. In a garden is a variety of flowers, herbs, and plants: in Christ's church are many members, and those of different sorts; they have gifts ditfering from one another, and grace also; some have greater gifts, and larger measures of grace than others have; but in them all there are many of those sweet flowers and precious plants. 8. In a garden, flowers, herbs, and plants, do not grow up naturally of themselves, but are either set or sown; nothing but weeds grow u]) of themselves; so in Christ's garden, the church, and in the members of it, thegraces of the Spirit do not grow up of themselves; they are sown, jdauted, and raised up by the Spirit of God;
for iu their hearts naturally grovv nothing but the weeds of sin and corruption. 4. The ground must be dug and prepared for the setting of plants and herbs therein: the hearts of God's people before conversion are like fallow- ground; God is the husbandman, and they are his husbandry, this ground must be dunged, as well aa dug, before it becomes good ground, or ever these flowers, herbs, and plants will grow there, which method Christ takes with his garden, and the several parts thereof. 5. To keep a garden in order, requires a deal of labour and care; the stones must be gathered out, the plants must be watered, the trees pruned, the ground dunged, and the fences kept up: all this, and much more, does Christ to his garden, the church; he gathers out those things which offend and hinder the growth of his plants; he watches over them night and day, and waters them every moment; he lops off the fruitless bi'anches, and prunes those that are fruitful, that they may bring forth more fruit, and keep up the fences thereof, that " the wild boar of the forest" may not enter in, and destroy his garden. 6. Gardens are places where persons delight to walk: Christ walks in his garden, the church; in the midst of his golden candlesticks; you frequently hear of him in this song, that " he is gone down into his garden, to feed" there, and " to gather lilies;" nay, he not only takes his walks, but takes up his residence in his church. 7. A garden is usually but a small piece of ground; and so is C-irist's church, iu cjmparison of the wilderness and waste places of the world; it is a little flock, a small remnant, a. few that shall be saved. 8. A fruitful and pleasant place; and so is the church, when compared with the world, " which liethin wickedness," and is overrun with the briars and thorns of sin.
Also the church is said to be a garden enclosed, 1. For distinction-sake: the church is by God distinguished from others; the fence with which it is enclosed, and by which it is made to differ from others, is the free, special, and distinguishing grace of God. 2. For protection; Christ's church, as it is distinguished by God's grace, so it is protected by his power; he is " a wall of fire round about it, and the glory in the midst of it;" a noble fence indeed! a glorious enclosure! Jerusalem with all its mountains, and Zion with all its bulwarks, were not so well fenced as this. 3. For secrecy: it is hidden from, and is not seen and known by the world; it is like a garden that is walled around, and closely locked and barred,^ whose flowers emit a sweet and fragrant odour, but are not seen; the saints, though they are exceeding useful in the world, yet are not known by the world; but are hid and shut up till the resurrection-morn, when regius, qui liortus conclusus dicitur; hortus erat in suburbauis Jerusalem muris undique septus and obfirmatus; atque sicut paradisus arborum, fructicam, herbarum, aromatum, florum, fructuunique ub- it shall appear what they really are, for at present it does not. 4. It is compared to a garden enclosed, or locked and barred; for so the word"* properly signifies, because it is not pervious to every one, neither ought it to be; every one has not a right to enter there,it should remainenclosed, bolted, and barred, to all but those who believe in Christ; none ought to walk here but those who come in at the right door, Christ Jesus; and every one that climbs up, and gets into this garden any other way, is reckoned by Christ as a thief and a robber. 5. It is said to be a garden inclosed or locked up, because it is only for Christ's use; therefore, iu ver. 16, she desires him to " come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruit;" for this garden is only his, and the fruits of it for his use alone: in chap. v. 1, agreeable to her request, he tells her, that he was come into his garden, had gathered the fruits of it, and had eaten; it being his sole property, which others had no right uuto, he keeps it enclosed, locked, and bolted. The allusion perhaps is to a garden near Jerusalem, which Adrichomius' calls liortus regius, \\\z.king' sgarden, which was shut up, and was only for his use and pleasure; which is much more likely than what Mr. Maundrel relates,'' that at a little distance from Bethlehem, are pools of water; and below those runs a narrow, rocky valley, enclosed on both sides with high mountains; which the friars will have to be the enclosed garden alluded to.
Secondly. He says that she is " a spring shut up, and a fountain sealed;" I put these to^-ether, because they seem to intend much one and the same thing; though perhaps the one may be more strongly expressive of the church's fulness aud excellency than the other; a fountain may intimate a larger qantity of water than a S])ring, and sealing signify a stronger security than bare shutting; but are both designed to inform us, that Christ's garden was well watered, and that there is no danger of the herbs, flowers, aud plants withering and perishing.
The Septuagint render the first of these expressions as before, Krjiros KeK\ei(T/xeyos, " a garden enclosed," or shut up; and so do the Vulgate Latin and Tigurine Versions, reading 1] for b:; Cocceius translates, " a he:ip locked up:" and thinks the church is compared to a heap of spices or fruits, which are locked up in a private place, that they may not be spoiled nor stolen away from the owner: Christ's church congregated together is a heap, but not a confused one; it is like an heap of spice or fruit laid in order; nor is it a heap of anything, but of sweet-smelling spices and ])leasaut fruits, such as are mentioned in ver. 13, 14; to which add also, it is an heap that is valu°d and cared for, and therefore kept up safe under lock ertate amoenus; mukendisque ac fovendis sensibus conveniens, and ad secessus voluptuarios idoueus; in quo erat inclytus ille sons Rogel and lapis Zoeieth, &c. Adrichomii Theatrum Terrje Sanctae, p. 170. 1. Vid. 2 Sam. xvii. 17. 2 Kings xxv. 4, ^ Journey and key. The other version of " a spring shnt np," is more usually received and acknowledged, both by Jewish' and Christian Expositors, which also onr Trauslalors follow.
Now the church is said to be a spring and a fountain from whence waters flow, to water all the plants in Christ's garden; which are either, 1. The graces of the Spirit, which are in her as " a •well, and rivers of living water, springing up unto eternal life," John iv. 14, and vii. 88,39; and are called waters, because they are of a fructifying and reviving nature; the plants in Christ's garden being watered with these, revive and lift np their heads, and become'green, flourishing, and fruitful; the souls of God's children drinking them in, and being filled with them, become like a watered garden, whose springs fail not. Or else, 2. The doctrines of the Gospel: the Gospel is thought to be the fountain, spoken of in Joel iii. 18, which should " come forth of the house of the Lord, and water the valley of Shittim:" it is with its gracious truths that the faitiifid ministers of the Gospel water Christ's garden; the Spirit of grace does it I efficaciously, they do it miaisterially; Paul plants, j and ApoUos waters, but God gives the increase; the doctrines of grace oftentimes flow in the ministry of the word, like floods of water upon the dry and parched ground, which soften, moisten, and make it fruitful; souls are refreshed, grow, and flourish thereby; their graces are revived, quickened, and drawn forth into exercise, and every thing looks gay and beautiful, as in a fruitful and pleasant garden. Now we are not to suppose that the church is so properly this spring or fountain, as Christ and his Spirit are; she has not an indeficient supply in herself, she receives all from another; but because of the abundance of grace and the means of it, which Christ is pleased to grant unto his church, therefore he calls her a spring and fountain; though she has grace enough to ascribe all the glory to him, and own him to be the alone spring and fountain from whence she is supplied, as in ver. 15, will be made more manifestly to appear.
Moreover the church is said to be " a spring shut up, a foimtaiu sealed;" springs and wells of water being highly esteemed, and much valued in those hot countries, were highly preserved; they used to roll a large stone at the mouth of them, and, for farther security, seal it; as fhat stone was which was laid at the month of the lions' den, in which Daniel was cast: and that at the sepulchre in which Christ was buried: now these fountains were shut lip and sealed, not only that the waters might not be bemudded by beasts, but also that they might not be converted to the use of others; thus it is reported, that among the Persians,™ were such fountains that only the king and his eldest son might drink of; it being a capital punishment for any others to do so: and perhaps Solomon might have such a spring and fountain in his garden, which was shut up and sealed, and kept for his oVvn pi'ivate use, to which the allusion is here made; either at Jerusalem, or at Ethan, where he had a pleasure house; which, for the delicate gardens, walks, and fountains, and the fruitfulness of the place, he took great delight in •." and near the pools at some distance from Bethlehem, supposed to be his, is a fountain, which the friars wall have to be the scaled fountain, here allndcd to; and to confirm which, they pretend a tradition, that Solomon shut np these springs and kept the door of them sealed with his signet, to preserve the waters for his own drinking: and Mr. Maundrel,° who saw them, says, it was not difficult to secure them; they rising under ground, and having no avenue to them, but by a little hole, like to the month of a narrow well. And if we apply this to the doctrine of tbe Gospel, it intends, 1. The secrecy and hiddennessof them to the men of the world; " for if onr Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, wh^m the god of this world hath blinded," says the apostle, in 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4: it is an hidden Gospel to some, a book sealed both to the learned and unlearned, who are in a carnal and unconverted state; from many it is hidden, as to the external ministry of it; and to others it remains a secret, in the midst of the clearest light, and most powerful ministrations of it; it is shnt up in parables, and appears to be nothing else but dark sayings to a mere natural man. 2. That they are peculiarly intended and designed for the elect of God: it is for their sakes he has sent it into the world; and for their sakes he will continue to keep it there, maugre all opposition, until every one of them are called by powerful and eflficacions grace; ■ " I endure all things," says the apostle, 2 Tim. ii. 10, " for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory;" that is, 1 preach the Gospel; and in doing it, undergo all the sufferings I do, purely upon their account; that salvation may be brought unto them, and they brought at last into the etemal possession of it; and as it is sent into, and continued in the world for their sakes, so it is only blessed to them for conversion and consolation; though the Gospel is preached to others, as well as to them, yet it does not become profitable to them, because it is not mixed with faith by them; for whilst it is the " savour of life unto life" to some, it is the " savour of death unto death " to others; and though these waters of Gospel-doctrines flow to, and fall upon others; yet is but like water that falls upon a rock, that quickly glides away, and makes no impression; and not like streams of water which run about the plants, and soak to the very/oot. The elect of God are only savingly converted.
refreshed, and comforted by Gospel-doctrines; they are peculiarly designed for them, and eminently blessed to them; they are only for their use, and are to them " a spring shut up, and a fountain sealed."
And if we apply it to (he grace of the Spirit, it denotes, 1. That it is hidden, unknown, and is not communicated to any but to the elect of God: the natural man knows not the things of the Spirit, namely, the grace of the Spirit in regeneration and effectual vocation; these things are mysteries to him; he is a stranger to them, and unacquainted with them; they are only communicated to, and wrought in those to whom God would make known the exceeding riches of his grace: thus things are said to be shut and sealed up, which are kept secret and hidden, aud are not conveyed to the knowledge of persons, as iu Esther viii. 16, Dan. sii. 4 — 9. 2. That it is safe and secure • the grace of God's people is shut up aud sealed; it can never be taken away from them; their life, and all their grace, and the fulness of it, " are hid with Christ in God; aud what is given forth unto them, and wrought in them, is an immortal seed, aud that good part which cannot be taken away. 3. It may intend the confirmation of it to the saints; so things are said to be sealed, when they are ratified, confirmed, and made sure; grace and glory are both so to the saints; the Spirit is the author of their grace, and the earnest aud pledge of their glory, by whom they are " sealed unto the day of redemption." 4. It may signify Christ's special property in his church, aud her inviolable chastity to him; and this I take to be the most proper sense of all these expressions; she is " a garden enclosed, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed;" she is Christ's garden and none but his; Christ's spring aud fountain, to which none has a right but himself; she is his spouse aud bride, and no other's; and being espoused unto him, as a chaste virgin, by mighty grace is kept so. The Jewish writers? geue rally understand it of the modesty and chastity of the daughters of Israel; and this sense seems to be abundantly confirmed from Prov. v. ]5 — 18. "Drink waters out of thiue own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well," &c. Let thy fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Ver. 13, 14. Thy plants are an orchard nf pomegranates, xoith pleasant fruits, camphire with spikenard. Spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnatnon, vnlh all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the chiif spices.
Christ having compared his church to a garden, and observed that it was well watered, having in it a spring and fountain; he proceeds to show the fruitfuluess of it, that it abounded with the choicest trees, the most pleasant fruits, aud the chief of spices. In explaining these words, it will be proper,
I. To inquire what are iuteuded by the church's plants.
II. Why these plants are said to be " an orchard of pomegranates."
III. Take notice of the several trees, fruits, and spices here mentioned, aud what may be meant by them.
I. Who are meant by the clnirch's plants. The Targum and Jarchi expound of the young men in Israel; and it is not unusual in scripture to call children plants; see Psalm cxxviii. 3, and cxliv. 12; therefore, by her pkmts, may be intended the members of the church, her children, young converts, believers in Christ, who are " planted iu the house of the Lord, and flourish in the courts of our God;" these are not mere education plants, who spring up in the churches, aud join themselves to them, because their parents did; and espouse religion, because they were brought up in it: these are not mere outward profession-plants, who have a name to live, and are dead; have lamps, but no oil in their lamps; aud have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof: such plants as these are fruitless ones; they are like the barren Cg-tree, from which three years successively fruit was sought, but none found; if ever there was any appearance of fruit on them, it never came to any thing, but withered away; and whatsoever fruit they do bring forth it is to themselves, and not to God: like Israel, of whom it is said, Hosea x. 1, tliat he is " au empty vine, and brings forth fruit to himself;" and the reason of this is because they have not the root of the matter in them; nor are they engrafted into, and rooted in Christ Jesns; and therefore are like the stony ground-hearers, who heard and received the word with joy, but did not last long, because they had no root in themselves; and such being none of the Father's planting, shall be plucked up, according to what Christ says, jNIatt. xv. 13, " Every plaut which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up;" aud shall be buudled together, as fit fuel for the fire, like the unfruitful and withered branches, or like the taicsin the end of the world, but these plants iu the text are such who, 1. Are by divine grace transplanted from the wilderness of the world; they are Christ's vines, which he briugs out of Egypt; his fir aud myrtle trees, which he causes to spring up instead of briars aud thorns; these he either takes out of the wilderness, or else makes it a fruitful garden by planting them there; he calls them out of the world, and translates them into his own kingdom, whereby he enlarges his church, aud of a garden makes it an orchard. 2. Who have the grace of the Spirit planted in their hearts; who works in them every sort of grace, which he raises, cherishes.
and at last brings to perfection. 3. Who are engrafted into Ciirist Jesus: by nature they belong to, and grow upon the wild olive: but are by grace broken off from that, and are engrafted into the true olive, Christ Jesus; they are planted into the likeness of his death, and into the likeness of his resurrection, and so receive the benefits of both; they abide in him, as the branch iu the vine, and receiving sap and nourishment from him, become fruitful souls. 4. They are such who have received the ingrafted word; it has been planted in them, and powerfully impressed upon them; they have received it in the love of it; it has effectually wrought in them, and brought forth fruit in them from the very day they heard and received it. 5. Such as these who are transplanted from the wilderness of the world, and are planted in Christ, and have had his word and grace planted in their souls, have a right to be planted ministerially iu his church; and being planted there, will grow and flourish. Now such plants as these are choice and select ones; they are plants of renown, and pleasant ones to God and Christ; th.;y are planted in a fruitful soil, and by rivers of water, therefore their leaf is always green; neither do they cease from yielding fruit; hence they shall never be plucked up; iieither sin, nor Satan, nor the world can do it; and Christ Jesus never will; for they are his Father's planting, in whom he is, and will be glorified, and then is he so, when they bring forth much fruit.
II. These plants are said to be an orchard, or like unto an orchard of pomegranates. The word for plants, is by the Cabalistic doctors,") rendered waterings or rivulets; which, being derived, make her a garden of pomegranates, as full as an orchard is of til 2m: and it may be rendered gardens;' particular churches, which make an orchard, or are like one; even a paradise, as the word is rendered by the Scptuagint, and in other versions;' it is generally thought to be a Persiac word; see Netiem. ii. 8, but Hillerust derives it from TiD, to separate; it being a garden separate and enclosed, as before; one like Eden's garden, exceeding pleasant and delightful; and not like an orchard of any sort of trees, but of pomegranates; of which there was plenty iu the land of Canaan; called " a land of pomegranates," Deut. viii. 8; many places in it had their names from thence, Josh. XV. 32, and xix. 13, and sxi. 24. And the church," with her plants, may be called so, in allusion to the garden of Eden, the earthly paradise of our first parents; where the " Lord God made to grow every tree that was pleasant to the sight,
" Possunt haec etiam iu ecclesia intilligi, ut ea melius accipiamusta.'iquam prophetica indicia precedentia futuronim; paradisum scilicet ipsani ecclesiam. sicut de ilia Icgitur in Cautico Canticorum;
and good for food;" in the midst of it stood the tree of life, and out of it went a river to water all the garden, and was on all accounts exceeding pleasant and delightful: in Christ's garden, the church, are planted all manner of trees of righteousness, which are both pleasant aud profitable; in the midst of this paradise of God, stands the tree of life, Christ Jesus: but with this difference from the tree of life in Eden's garden; for Adam might not put forth his hand, and take of that; but of this, whosoever will, may pluck and eat, and happy is every one that does so: here runs a river of boundless love and grace, the streams whereof water and refresh all the plants herein, and upon all accounts is an Eden of pleasure, a paradise which Christ has made for his own pleasure and delight," and for that reason bears this name: but these plants are not only said to be an orchard, but an orchard or paradise of pomegranates, that is, in which pomegranates grew in great plenty. The church, like the land of Canaan, is a land or orchard of pomegranates; and the church's plants, believers in Christ, who are planted and grow there, may be compared to pomegranates, that is, not to the fruit and shell, as in ver. 3, but to the trees, 1, Because there are various sorts of them,* which bear fruit differing from each other; which may denote the difference there is in saints, by reason of their gifts and graces; they have grace and gifts differing from each other; one has more grace and larger gifts than other's have; they are not all of an equal size and bigness; they have not all alike measure of the Spirit, aud yet they are all pomegranates, trees of righteousness, of the right planting. 2. Pomegranate treesinsomecountriesarevery large; and so they were in the land of Canaan, as appears from 1 Sam. xiv. 2, and perhaps may here denote such who excel others in gifts aud grace; who are officers in churches, and are set over others in and by the Lord; as by other trees, fruits, and spices, after mentioned, may be intended lesser saints, who are of a lower form in the church of Christ. 3. They are very fruitful trees: the fruit they bear, as it is full of a delightful juice, so of grains or kernels; which may denote the saints being full of grace, aud all the fruits of righteousness aud good works, as the Targum and Jarchi observes here. 4. They grow up straight and upright, and so denote the samts uprightness, both in heart and life; they are men of upright hearts, and of upright conversations; are looking upwards to, and growing up into their Head, Christ Jesus. 5. Tliey do not grow any where, in any soil; the wilderness, through which the Israelites travelled, could not furaish thetc i with any, though the land of Canaan couL' when they came thither; these plants or trees of righteousness, do not grow anywhere; they are not to be found every where; they grow in Christ's garden; in his house they are planted, and in his courts they flourish.
III. Here are several other trees, fruits, and spices, which are said to be in this garden or orchard; for it is added, with all pleasant fruits; that is, whatsoever is valuable, precious, and desirable, such as those after mentioned; as camphire with spikenard; both these have been observed in chap. i. 12, 14, but are here mentioned in the plural number, ci/p-esses, or cyprusses tcith nards;^ the camphire, or cypress, on the account of its fruits or berries; and the spikenard, because there are various sorts of it, as nardus Italica, nardus Cellica, and nardus Indica, which last is the right spikenard; and it may be, because the leaves which grow out of the root, are like a bunch of ears of corn: saffron: it is no where else mentioned in scripture: we call it by this name from the Arabic, zaffran; it is called so on account of its yellow and goljen colour; its nature and usefulness are well known among ns; according to Schindler,^ it seems to have been read carcos, the same with crocus, which has its name from Corycus^ a mountain in CiLcia; so Pliny, lib. 21, c. 6, where it grew, aud was the best: it is propei'ly joined with spikenard, since itself is a spice, and is called spica Cilissa i^ it bears a blue flower, in the midst of which are three stylets, or little threads, of a fine red colour, which are what is called saffron: calamus and cinnamon; both these were ingredients in the holy anointing oil, Exod. XXX. 23; both grow in India, and in Arabia,"^ and in Ethiopia; calamus is the sweet cane, mentioned in Isa. xliii. 24; it grows in India and Arabia; and is said to scent the air, where and while it is growing, with a fragrant smell; and cinnamon is the middlemost bark of a tree that grows in Ceylon in the East Indies; it is mentioned in Prov. vii. 17, as the harlot's perfume, and in Rev. xviii. 13, as part of the wares or merchandise of the whore of Babylon: some say,"^ what we call cinnamon is the cassia of the ancients; Herodotus' fabulously relates, what, from the Phojnieians, is called cinnamon, are stalks or barks, which the Arabs say, are found in the nests of certain birds. " With all trees of frankincense, myrrh;" frankincense chiefly grew in one of the Arabias, hence culled thurifera;' and is said to come out of Syria;8 it was used in the holy perfume, as was myrrh in the anointing oil, Exod. ssx. 23 — 34, which is a gum, from a shrub in
Arabia, of a bitter taste, but fragrant; and with both these the church is said to be perfumed, chaii. iii. 6, and aloes; either the ling-aloes, so the Targum here, of which mention is made in Numb. xxiv. 6, called agallochium, an aromatic plant, which grows in India and Arabia, and is of a sweet odour, as Isidore*" says; or the herb aloes, which is of a bitter taste, but of a sweet smell, and with which garments were perfumed, Psalm xlv. 8, Prov. vii. 17; together with all chief spices, or precious ones; Solomon's gardens might be furnished with these from Arabia Felix, -where all sorts of spices grew, hence called aromatifera, the spice country:' and be they what they will, they are all to be found in Christ's garden, or what is auswerablc to them. Now by these may be meant, the several graces of the Spirit, which are to be found in all those who are plants or members in Christ's church; which are called by these names, and compared to these fi-uits, herbs, and spices. 1. Because the graces of the Spirit are many, and therefore many herbs and siiices are mentioned;. see Gal. v. 22. 2. They are various, of different sorts; for as it makes for the pleasantness of a garden or orchard to have many trees, plants, herbs, and flowers, so to have them of different sorts; for if there were never so many, and all of one sort, it would not be so deliglitful: the church of Christ, and believers in Christ, as they have many, so they have various graces; there are faith, hope, love, &c.; faith is a grace differing from hope, and hope differs from faith, and love from them both. 3. They are rare aud excellent; the herbs and spices here mentioned, such as spikenard, saffron, camphire, cinnamon, &c., are not to be found everywhere: they do not grow in every garden; they are very rarely to be met with: the graces of the Spirit do not grow any where, in any heart; there are but few that have them; they are exceeding rare, valuable, aud precious. 4. These herbs and spices are all of them of a sweet smtU: and so are the graces of the Si)irit to Christ; they are a sweet perfume to liira: the smell of these ointments is preferred by him to all spices, in verse 10. 5. Some of these herbs aud jilants cheer the heart,'' and revive the spirits, as saffron, cinnamon, and camphire: the Spirit of God, in his operations of grace, and in exciting and drawing forth grace into exercise, wonderfully chders our hearts, revives our spirits, and keeps us from fainting and swooning fits; in the multitude of cur thoughts within us, his comforts delight onr souls. 6. Some of them preserve from putrefaction, as myrrh and aloes; and therefore were used in embalming dead bodies, Johu xix. 39, the grace of the Spirit is of such a nature;
it is by this our dead souls are quickened, by this they are kept in life, and are preserved from putrifying and rotting in sin. 7. Some of them are green in winter-time; as saffron and the aloe -.'' grace is always alive, and ever green, even in winter-storms and tempests, though it does not always appear so to ns; it is an immortal seed which never dies. 8. Some of these grow up higher and taller than others; the calamus,™ cinnamon, myrrh, and others, grow up taller than the spikenard and saffron: now these may intend the graces of the faith, hope, and love, which rise upwards in their actings on the Lord Jesus Christ; and the latter, the graces of humility, meekness, lowliness of mind, &c. 9. All these emit the most fragrant odour, when they are either cut, bruised, or burnt; so do the graces of the Spirit, when they are exercised and tried in the furnace of affliction. 10. They are all, one way or another, more or less medicinal, and are healthful to the bodies of men; and so are the graces of the Spirit to the souls of men. Solomon understood the nature of all sorts of herbs and plants, and no doubt these are aptly chosen to set forth the graces of the Spirit by; and had we but his wisdom, we should know better how to apply them.