Exposition of the Whole Bible

I. The tenth and last particular instance of Christ's beauty, or distinguishing character of

him, whereby he niielit be known from all other beloveds; " his mouth is most sweet," or " sweetnesses."

II. A comprehensive summary of all his excellencies and glories; " yea, he is altogether lovely."

I. She here describes him by his mouth, whicli, she says, is most sweet;" yea, sweetness itself, and that in the highest degree of it; sweetnesses, as the word may be rendered."' And by Christ's moulh here may be meant, either,

Isf. The words of his mouth.* In this sense is the word used, in Prov. v. 3, and viii. 7: and by them may be meant, the " doctrines of the gospel;" which are " the gracious words that proceed out of Christ's mouth; and are sweet to a believer's taste, administer spiritual refreshment to his soul, and are preferred by him to his " necessary food -." likewise the " precious promises " of it are the words of Christ's mouth; which, if ever spoken to any purpose to a believer, they are spoken by Christ; and when they are so, they are exceeding sweet, and fill the so\il with an unspeakable satisfaction. The kind invitations of the Gospel also are not to be excluded, such as Isaiah Iv. 1, Matthew xi. 28, Rev. xxii. 17; which manifestly speak out the love and grace of Christ to sinners; and when applied with power by the blessed Spirit, are eicseding sweet, comfoi table, and refresliiug to the consciences of distressed sinners. ]\Iorcover the comforts which Christ speaks to his people, either by his Spirit or by his ministers, may be included here; as well as his commands, which also are the words of his moulh, which he has enjoined us the observation of, and which are no ways grievous, but joyous to a believer; especially when he has the presence of Christ, the discoveries of his love, and is under the influences of the Spirit of grace, whilst he is engaged in acts of obedience to them: these " statutes and judgments of the Lord," as they are right and just in themselves, so they are to believers " more to be desired than gold, yea, than fine gold; sweeter also than tlie honey or the honey-comb;" for such is the grace of Christ, that what he has made the believer's duty, he also has made his privilege; and hence it is, that all wisdom's ways are " ways of pleasantness " to him, and the words of Christ's mouth are carefully regarded by him. Or,

2ndly. The kisses of Christ's mouth may be here iatended, or the sensible manifestations of his love and grace to souls, which are what the church earnestly desired, in chap. i. 2; than which nothing can be more delightful to the sainis: these give them more pleasure and satisfaction than all the things this world can afford; but both these seem t» be intended before, namely, the words of his mouth by his lips, and the mani- festa*ions of his love by his checks; and therefore perhaps something different from these is designed here. And,

3rdly. Some^ think, that Christ's voice in his ministers is here meant; this is not omitted in that glorious description of Christ which John gives, in Rev. i., and which bears some resemblance to this, and is there said to be as the sound of many waters: now if it is not intended here, it does not appear in this whole description; and whether the word be translated, " the throat, mouth," or " roof of the mouth," as it may be either, they are all the iustruments of the voice, and so may be expressive of it: moreover, nothing is more common with lovers, than to admire each other's voice; Christ was taken with the church's voice, and therefore desired to hear it, in chap, ii. 14, saying, " Let me hear thy voice — for sweet is thy voice;" and no wonder then that the church should admire Christ's voice, and that it should make such sweet music in her ears, as it seems from hence it did -. his mouth or voice is most sweet; I am charmed with it, and so would you, 0 ye daughters of Jerusalem, did ye but hear it.

The voice of the law is harsh and unpleasant; it pronounces guilty curses and condemns; it is a voice of wiath and terror; it is a soulcuttilig and soul-killing one; it is a voice of words, and of words that are not grateful; and therefore those who had once heard it, entreated that it might not be spoken to them any more: but the voice of Christ in the Gospel is exceeding sw^et, delightful, and alluring; and no wonder it is so, for it is a voice of love, grace, and mercy; it speaks peace and pardon, and brings the agreeable news of life and salvation by Christ to lost sinners; it is also the voice of the church's beloved, of him whom she loves with all her heart and soul, and therefore must needs be sweet unto her; it is what she is well acquainted with, perfectly knows, aud can distinguish from a stranger's; nor is she ever more delighted than when under the sound of it; hence, in chap. viii. 13, she says, as it is commonly understood, " O thou that dwellest in the gardens? where the companions hearken to thy voice," and are charmed and ravished with those warbling notes of thine, cause me also to hear it; for no concert of music whatever is equal to it.

4thly. The word translated mouth, may be rendered taste, as it is in chap. ii. 3; or rather, " the palate or roof of the mouth," which is the instrument of tasting, as it is in chap. vii. 9; and as the roof of the church's mouth is there commended by Christ, why may not the roof of Christ's mouth be here commended by the church? Christ has a palate or taste, that, as Job says, chap. vi. 30, can discern perverse things; dis-

•lulcedines, Pagninus. Montanus, Marckius, Jlichaelis. " So the Targuni iind 11. Solomon Jarchi in tinguish between the precious and the vile, knows the difference between the good and b;id, and can tell what food is best for his people, and what a portion of it is necessary for them; and therefore gives to every one of them their portion of meat in due season: he has a taste that disrelishes all carnal and earthly things, even in his own people, as well as others; that savours nothing but what is spiritual; a believer being a compound of flesh and spirit, the spiritual part of him savours the things of the spirit, and the carnal part the things of the flesh, but Christ having uo flesh, no Carual part in him, savours nothing but the things of the Spirit; hence he provides no food for his people but what is wholesome in itself, and savoury to them; and they may very safely eat of it, when Christ, whose taste is most sweet, has prepared it for them, set it before them, and bid them welcome; uay more, he himself sits at the table, and sups with them, and they with him. And, " his taste is most sweet," that is the taste of him is so; " Come, taste and see," says the Psalmist, Psal. xxxiv. 8, " that the Lord is good;" and every regenerate soul finds him so: Christ and all of Christ is sweet to a believer's taste, his person, grace, and righteousness; what he is in himself, and what he has done for his people, are all so; and hence the church could say, in chap. ii. 3, by good experience, his fruit was sweet unto my taste.

5thly, and lastly. By Christ's mouth may be meant, the breath of his mouth:' which being most sweet, wonderfully recommends him to the church's love and afl'ection. Job's breath was strange to his wife; but Christ's is sweet to his people, nay, sweetness itself; and by it we may understand, either, 1. The expressions of Christ's love to his people: wicked men breathe out threatenings, cruelty, ruin, and destruction to God's children; but Christ breathes out nothing but love, grace, and mercy: fury is not in him, but mercy is; for vvith the Lord is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption; it is true, " the breath of the Lord is like a stream of brimstone," even an overflowing stream to destroy the wicked, for with' the breath of his lips shall he slay them; but it is like an overflowing stream of love, grace, and mercy, which abounds and superabouiids towards his people in their everlasting salvation. Or, 2. It may be understood of Christ's mediation: the prayers of believers are called their hrealldyig, in ' Lam. iii. 56. Christ's prayers, mediation, and intercession, upon the account of his people, may bear the same name. Now this is most sv^eet, and is therefore compared to incense; it is sweet and acceptable unto God, and what sweetens and perfumes the saints' sacrifices of prayer and praise; and hence it is, that the prayers of the saints are called odours; see Rev. V. 8, and viii. 3, 4. Though, 3. A late writer'

' Bishop Patrick in loij. B,\»i twt0i<fjLia. Sei;t. totus ipse thinks, that this may as well be referred to Christ's breathing upon his apostles, when he bid them receive the Holy Ghost: which was one of the finishing actions of his life on earth, as this is the finishing part of his description here: and indeed, Christ's breathing the gifts and graces of his Holy Spirit upon his apostles then, and upon his churches and ministers in all ages since, he having the fulness of it with him, renders him exceeding amiable and lovely to them.

II. She sums up the vihole character, and closes the description of him, in saying, " Yea, he is altogether lovely; or, he is all desire,"'' as the Septuagint read it; or, " all desires," as it is in the Hebrew text: he is exceeding desirable to believers; there is none in heaven or in earth they desire besides him; and one of the characters which he was known by, under the Old-Testament, was, "the desire of all nations." And now what makes him so desirable to the church and to all believers, are. The divine excellencies and perfections which appear in his person; for, " in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily:" there is no perfection or excellency in the Deity, but what may be found in Christ; and if so, there can be nothing that is excellent in any creature, either in heaven or earth, but what is eminently so in him; and therefore, he must needs be a desirable person. 2. The mediatorial qualifications he is possessed of; he has a fulness of the gifts and graces of the Spirit in him, which qualify him as Man and Jlediator for his oSice; he has a fulness and fitness for it, and a fulness of abilities to carry him through it; which render him a suitable and a desirable High-priest unto us. 3. The fulness of grace, life, and salvation in him. makes him altogether desirable to souls; when they can see nothing in themselves, and all in Christ, an emptiness in the creature, and a fulness in him; that it is in vain to expect salvation elsewhere; but that there is enough iu him to answer all their wants, present, and future; every thing that will make them comfortable here, and happy hereafter; how can he be otherwise than exceeding desirable to them? 4. His agreeable carriage and deportment towards souls render him so; which is so wise and prudent, so loving, tender, and compassionate, so meek and humble, so courteous and affable, and attended with such an air of familiarity; that it at once fixes our eyes upon him, attracts our affections to him, aud makes him all desires uuto us. 5. The names and titles which he bears: he has a name that is above every name, which awes and commands our fear, being full of majesty; and he has a name wiiich draws our love, being full of sweetness, which is that sweet and precious name Jesus; which is as ointment poured forth, and therefore do the virgins love him; and so are all those names which are given him, in Isa. ix. 6.

6. The characters he bears, and the relations he stands in to his people, make him exceeding desirable to thera; and indeed, how can he be otherwise than so unto thera, when he stands in the relations, and bears the characters of a tender Husband, an indulgent Father, a loving Brother, and a faithful Friend? He is all things to them,'^ even all in all.

Again, if we read the words as they are translated in our bibles, " he is altogether lovely," we may observe, 1. That Christ, and all of Christ is lovely to believers; he is so in his person, in all his offices, in his people, and in his ordinances; nay, the worst of Christ, or what may seem tlie most scaring and frightful to others, is lovely to the saints; as the cross of Christ, reproaches and sufferings on his account; for though they are not lovely in themselves, yet they are for his saiie; and are therefore preferred by believers to the pleasures of sin, and profits of this world; see Heb. xi. 25, 26. 2. That there is a perfect lovelicess in Christ, every thing in him is lovely, and there is nothing lovely but what is in him; he is comprehensively so: if the church is a perfection of beauty, and is perfectly comely, "through the comeliness " which Christ has put upon her; he must needs be so from whom she has it, even " altogether lovely." 3. That he is so to all: he is lovely to his Father, as he is his own Son, the dear Son of his love; and as he is Man and Mediator, engaged in our cause, as having assumed our nature, and obtained eternal redemption for US' he is so to all the holy angels, many of whom (fcsceuded at his incarnation, and sang bis praise, ministered to him in his state of humiliation, attended on him when tempted in the wilderness, and when iu his agonies in the garden; and gazed with wonder and delight upon his glorious person, as they accompanied him in his ascension to glory: hence this is said to be one branch of the *' great raysteiy of godliness," that God, who was " manifest in the flesh, was seeri of angels," and appeared lovely to them: and so he is to all the saints, for '' to them that believe, he is precious;" and indeed he is so to all but Christless sinners, who see no beauty, form, nor comeliness in him, wherefore they should desire him. 4. As Christ is lovely in himself, and lovely to all others, so it is he that makes all the saiuts lovely to God: there is nothing in tliem, nor done by them, that can make them grateful to him; they are only accepted with him " in the beloved;" he is pleased with Christ and his righteousness, and with them as considered therein: He must needs be lovely, yea, " altogether lovely," that makes all the saints lovely too.

Now the church having given such an ample description of her beloved to the daughters of Jerusalem, they might from henceforward cease to wonder, why she, who was " the fairest among women," was so deeply fallen in love with Christ; why she made such a stir about him, was so much concernedat hisabsence,wasso diligent in herseareh of him, and gave them so strict a charge concerning him: as well as they need not now be any longer at a loss to know who and what he was, he having given such distingnishiug characters of him: and having done this, she closes all with claiming an interest in him, and appropriates him to her own soul, in the latter part of this verse; she having a clear sight of him, and her faith more strengthened in him.

Verse 16. Latter part. — This is my beloved, and this is my friend, 0 dauyhters of Jertisalem.

The church having given a large description of Christ, in the preceding verses, to the satisfaction of the enquiring daughters of Jerusalem; closes the account of him with a comfortable appropriation of him to her own soul, and a holy boastiug of him before others; which she does, by consideriug him under those two characters:

I. She points him out to the daughters of Jerusalem, and distinguishes him from all other beloveds; and boasts of him iu the views of her iu • terest in him, under the character of her beloved: which shows, 1. That her love and affection to him were strong and ardent, such as many waters could not quench nor any thing separate from; though she was forsaken by him, and had suffered much from the watchmen and keepers of the wall for the sake of him; she had sought him with a great deal of care and diligence to little purpose; she had called aloud, and with great importunity herself, and had made use of the interest of others with him, and yet could not prevail upon him to show himself; she could neither see him, nor hear him, nor get any tidings of him: yet notwithstanding all this, he is her beloved still. 3. It bespeaks the strength of her faith in him; for notvvithstauJiug the sense of sins and infirmities, which she now had, the desertions, temptations, sufferings, &c., which she was attended with, yet she could say, " This is my beloved;" this is the trial of faith, and herein lies the glory and excellency of it, when a soul can believe in the dark, or as Abraham did, believe "in hope against hope;" herein the church acted in some conformity to Christ, her Head; who, when upon the cross, iu the agonies of death, deserted by his friends, ami forsaken by his God, yet nevertheless could say," " ]My God, my God, why Last thou forsaken me?'' 3. This shows that Christ only was her beloved; that she had singled him out from all others; and that he was in her esteem preferable to all others: there is none among all the angels in heaven, nor any among all the sons of men on earth, neither, is thereany creature-enjoyment whatever, comparable to Iiim, and it is as if she sliould say, Let others take their beloveds to themselves, the idols of their ovvu hearts, their carnal lusts, and sensual pleasures, whom they have chosen; for my part, I ingenuously confess that this exceUeut person, whom I have just now described unto you, is only " my beloved;" him I have chosen, and I desire no other; and now I leave you to judge whether there is any comparison between him and others.'' But having met with his character already in this song, I shall not any longer insist on it now; but proceed,

II. To consider the other character which she gives of him; " this is my friend."^ There is a mutual friendship between Christ and believers; he calls them his friends in v. 1 of this chapter, as the church calls him in this; and it is worthy of observation, that tlie very same characters of beloved and friend, which Christgivesto his church there, are given to him by his own church here; it being usual for them in this song to take up each other's words, and return thesi. This character of a friend, undoubtedly suits well with Christ; in opening of which, I shall endeavour, First. To give some instances aud proofs of Christ's friendship to his people. Secondly. To show the transcendent excellency of this friend. Aud Thirdly. Consider in what manner the church here delivers herself.

First. It will be proper to give some instances of Christ's friendship to his church and people; from whence it will manifestly appear, that he justly deserves such a character. And, 1. His engaging as a Surety for them, is a manifest indication of it; when our cause was desperate he ensaged in it: when justice was ready to give the blow our transgressions deserved, he interposed and averted it, and took it upon himself; when he knew that we should run through all our stock, aud become bankrupts, he became our Bondsman, and engaged to pay the whole debt: when he saw that we should fall into the depths of sin and misery, he undertook to bring us out of them, cleanse us from all sin, clothe us with his righteousness, and safely conduct us to glory; aud must not all this be esteemed a proof of Christ's friendship to us? 2. His dying for us is another; this is the greatest act of friendship among men, for one man to die for another; " Greater love hath no man than this," says Christ, John xv. 13, " that a man lay down his life for his friends;" but Christ has given a greater instance of friendship than this, in that he has laid down his life for liis enemies; for " when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son;" O matchless love! unparalleled friendship! 3. He has paid all our debts; our sins are called so in scripture; and a large score of them we h^ve run; we owe " tea thousand talents," and have not one farthing to pay; and to prison we must have

° Suus rex reginje placet, Plautas in Sticho, act. 1.

gone, wliere we should have lain until we had paid " the uttermost farthing," had not Christ engaged to do it; which he has actually done, by making satisfaction to law and justice; on the account of which, God the Father has cancelled the bond, crossed the debt-book, and discharged both sinner and surety: it was an act of friendship now to be bound for us, but still a greater to pay the whole debt. 4. He has purchased our persons, and procured all thiugs needful for us; we are " not our own," but " are bought with a price;" which price is not " corruptible things, as silver and gold," but the " precious blood " of Christ Jesus, which he has shed for the ransom of us: for a king to give a large sum of money for the ransom of any of his subjects out of Algiers, or any other place of slavery, is an instance of his beneficeuce, humanity, aud friendship to them; but was he to give himself a ransom for them, it would be an unheard-of one; but Christ has done this for his people, and thereby redeemed them from the slavery of the law, sin, Satan, and the world; and not only this, but has washed them from their sins " in his own blood," stripped them of their " filthy garments," and clothed them with " change of raimeut:" nay, has procured an inheritance for them, of which he now gives them the pledge and earnest, and ere long will put them into the full possession of it: and now, to do all this for persons who are entirely undeserving of it, is an instance of friendship indeed! 5. Not only so, but he is alsj gone to glory, to take possession of it in our name, room, and stead; that so we may not be under any fear of losing it, nor of being by any means deprived of it: and in so doing, acts the part of a loving brother, a trusty co-heir, and faithful friend; a3 well as he is gone thither also to prepare a place for us, that it may be ready for us, when we, by his Spirit and grace, are made ready for that. 9. His acting the pait of an Intercessor and Advocate for us with the Father, is another instance of his friendship: " he appears in the presence of God for us," presents our services aud petitions to him: pleads for every blessing we stand in need of, for converting, pardoning, adoption, sanctifying, and glorifying grace, and answers all Satan's charges aud accusations: and in so doing, shows himself friendly to us. 7. He suijplies all our wants: he has all grace treasured up in his person for this purpose, aud he does not withhold it from his people: but at proper times, cheerfully and freely distributes it, according as their wants aud necessities require: and this he does, not merely for their importunities sake, but because they are his friends: when disconsolate, he comforts them; when tempted, he succours them; when distressed he relieves them; when hungry, he feeds them; wheu sick and wounded, he heals them, and dis- iste socius mens, Montanus, Mercerus; and is est meus censors, Tigurine version.