SON'ii OF SONGS.
and perpetuity of tlieGospul uiiuistry, and of Gospel oitliuaoces; and what a value saiuls sliould have for tlieni, aud also what use they should make of Ihem, as well as iuforms us of the vvreti^hed mistake of those jjcrsous who thiulj themselves above hearing the word, aud regardiug ordiuaufes.
therefore Christ's love, botli because he loves her, and also because she loves him.
II. Here is made, by Christ, a comparison of her, " to a company of horses iu Pharaoh's chaiiots: I have compared tliee, O my love," &c., t'liat is, I thovght aud iiaaijined thee to he like I unlo Ihem," or I have raade thee like niUo lliem; Verse 9. / have compared thee, 0 my love, to a ^vhich shows that she was not only like unlo them, " ■-"""""" —•■.'> — -..".••-» he having asserted her to be so, who must certainly know, but also that l.iis was owing to him.
coiyyaai/ of /torses inF/taiaofi's chariots. Christ having returned a suitable answer, and given proper directions to the church iu her present difficulties, euters upou a commendation of her, which is begun in this verse, and contiuued in the following one. 'In these words are,
I. An affectionate title given to her; " O my love."
II. A comparison which Christ makes of her, " to a company of horses iii Pharaoh's chariots." And,
III. It may be enquired why such a coniparisou is made and mentioned in this place.
I. Here is a very loving and endearing title given unto her, " my love;" it may be rendered " my friend;"* thtre is a mutual friendship between Christ and believers: the church oivns Christ to be her beloved and her friend, and that show as so: or to my mare, as some render ii,*^ which being a present by Pharaoh to Solomon, he might have a particular regard for it; nor is such a comparison of a woman a disagreeable one; many women have had their names from this creature, from some celebrated eseelleuce iuthem, as Hippo, Ilijipe, Hip])ia, &c., and the same figure is made use of by various writers,** Now the church is compared to a co)npany of horses to set forth her greatness and exce!lea(-y, and to Egyptian ones, which were esteemed the best, and to those iu Pharaoh's chariots, which, no doubt, were best of all: all believers may very well be compared " to a company of horses iu Pharaoh's chariots;" 1. Because the horses iu Pharaoh's chariots were a choice and select company, picked and singled
Christ welcomes his church aud people to the en- I °»^ fr^m others, peculiarly for his service: so R.
tertaiuiucnts of his grace, under the characters of his beloved, and his friends, saying, " Eat, 0 friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved;" and he not only calls them so, but uses and treats them as such; he converses with tliem, aud discloses the secrets of his heart unto them; he is a friend to them at all times, in adversity as well as prosperity, aud has given the most iucoutestible proofs of it in his suffering and dying for them. The Septuagint renders it, " my neighbour:" the church is Christ's neighbour; they dwell near to each other; he dwells in their hearts by faith, and they by faith dwell in him: he shows, tliat he regards his church as his neighbour, by loving her as hiaiself; nay, he has so loved her, as to give himself for her. Again, if we consider this title, according to our version, it well suits the church, who is Christ's love. 1. Objectively; She is the object of his love, was so from eternity, will be so throughout all time, and wiieu time shall be no more; he has given the fullest proofs of it in his undertaking, as a Surety fur her, iu his assumption of her nature, iu dying in her room aud stead, and in masing satisfaction for all her transgressions. The nature of this love has been shown already on ver. 2. 2. Siic is Christ's love subjectively; Christ's love is fixed upon her, and is shed abroad iu her heart, by tlie S])irit, aud this causes love iu her soul to him; that so as Christ loves her, she loves liini, wiih a real, liearly, sincere, aud superlative love; she is
Sol. Jarchi interprets it, " a collection of horses," which, no doubt, was a choice aud curious one; for if there were any more thau others, it is very reasonable to suppose, that they were iu PharaoJi's ciiariois. The church of Christ is a " chosen generation, a royal priest-hood, an holy nation, and a peculiar people;" they are distinguished and separated from others, by electing, redeeming, and calling grace; they arc a collection from tiie rest of mankind, made by the free, sovereign, and distinguishing grace of God: they are " a remnant, according to the election of grace," chosen aud siugledout from, others iu Christ, beforetbe fouudatiou of the world; they are " redeemed from among men, and that out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation;" whom God is pleased by his mighty, powerful, and efficacious grace to call, even ■one of a city, and two of a family, and bring to • tlie participation of peculiar favours aud privil- g's, throag'ii Christ, in the church on earth, and witli Christ for ever in glory. ' 2. These horses in Pharaoh's chariots were, no doubt, bought at a very great price; Egyptian horses went at a very great price, iu Solomon's lime; a single one was valued at a hundred and fii'thy shekels of silver: see 1 Kiiiiis x. 29; aud therefore those, which were bought for Pharaoh's service, who was kiug of Egypt, being the best, must be supposed to be bought at a very great price. Tlie church aud people of God are bought with a price, aud that with a vdry great one indeed, such a one, that auoicls and men could uever have given; they are purchased, uot with "corruptible things, as silver and gold;" no, all the riches in the world amassed together, could not have purchased a single soul, nor have given to God a ransom for it; " but they are bought with the precious blood" of tlie unblemished and unspotted Son of God; tiiey are bought for the service of the Xing of kings, and at no less a rate, thau at the expense of his own blood and life; the ransom which is giveu for them is himself; O how valuable must they be to Christ, and how much must they be esteemed by him! 3. Tiiese horses, being well fed, looked very beautiful and pleasant. Believers are fed with the finest of the wheat, with Christ and his fulness; Christ himself is;,the Bread of life, and the hidden manna, which being fed upon by faith, removes hanger, supports life, and preserves from the second death, his flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed, which give spiritual and divine refreshment to believers; his grace is represented by wine, and milk, and honey, on which his people feeding plentifully, grow and look exceeding delightful and beautiful in his sight. 4. These horses, being the king's horses, as they were well fed, so, no doubt, they were well taken care of; they had proper persons appointed on pm-pose to attend upon them, and to supply them with what was necessary for them. Believers in Christ have a guard of angels to attend upon them, who encamp about them, and minister to them; for those " ministering spirits are sent forth to minister for them who shall be the heirs of salvation;" also the ministers of the gospel, being furnished with suitable grace and abilities, are appointed to feed them with the doctrines of the everlasting gospel, and to give to every one " their portion of meat in due season." Moreover, they are not left merely to the care of angels and ministers, but the Lord himself likewise concerns himself for them; when his church is represented as a vineyard, he is said to be the keeper of it, who " watches over it uightand day lest any hurt it;" when it is compared to a city, he is the wall of fire round about it; and when to a flock of sheep, he is the Shepherd of it; and being here compared to a company of horses, it is owing to the food that he gives them, and the care he takes of them, that they appear " as his goodly horse in the battle," Zech. x. 3, 5. Horses have been and are much delighted in by princes; and there is no reason to question but that those which ran in Pharaoh's chariots were so by him; Solomon's fancy and inclinations ran so strongly this way, and lie took so great a delight in those creatures, that he broke through a divine command, Deut. xvii. 10, compai-ed with 1 Kings x. 29; to satisfy and indulge liis carnal pleasure; and many, other princes have run prodigious aud excessive lengths this way. Julius Cjesar set up a marble effigy of his horse in the temple;■= Antoninus Verus erected a golden image for his. Nero clothed his with a senator's robe, and told him out a weekly stipend; Poppea Sabina, Nero's wife, had golden shoes made for hers; Caligula used to invite his to supper, and held out his golden cups to him; he would have made him a consul, as he afterwards made himself a priest, and his horse his colleague; Alexander the great built a city in honour of his Bucephalus; Cimon the Athenian buried his mares by his own sepulclire; and Commodus the emperor buried his horse in the Vatican. These instances, though vain and sinful, and not to be imitated, yet show how much some princes have delighted in this sort of creatures. Now, as these creatures were tlie delight of princes, and, perhaps, of Pharaoh, so are believers the delight of Christ; he first makes them beautiful, and then delights in that beauty which he has put upon them; " the Lord taketh pleasure in his people, he will beautify the meek with salvation;" his heart is often ravished with his own grace in them, and his soul delights in that which he himself has given them; there is nothing in "them of their own which can render them acceptable to him, and yet they are his jewels, the apple of his eye, and the delight of his heart. 6. Horses are stately and majc-stic creatures, especially a company of choice and well fed ones, that run in a chariot, as these were. There is a stateliness and majesty in believers, especially when they are united together in gospelorder, in a church-state; and the majesty, stateliness, and glory of a church of Christ, do not consist in the multitude of members, nor in their outward riches, pomp, and splendour; but in their being all clothed with Christ's righteousness, and possessed of his grace; in the enjoyment of his presence in ordinances; in their walking in love and unity with each other, and wisely towards them that are without; in having their conversation as ^becometh the gospel of Christ, and the profession which they make of it, and in showing a becoming zeal for the truths and ordinances thereof: being thus blessed with these things, they may be truly said to be as stately and majestic as " a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots," which were well fed, and harnessed in a splendid manner. 7. Horses are very strong creatures, especially a company of them joined together, as these were; concerning the strength of the horse, the Lord says to Job, chap, xxxix. 19, "Hast thou giveu the horse strength; hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?" Believers are strong, not in themselves, but in Christ; their strength lies in their Head, and in their union to him; they can do nothing of themselves, but " can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth them;" having strength communicated to them from him, they can endure all hardships, go through all difficulties, withstand all temptations, and perfoi'ia all duties which he calls them lo: and next to their union to Christ, the strength of.i society and compauy of believers, or a church of Christ, lies in their union and close adherence to each other; tliey are like the bundle of sticks in tlie fable, which, wliilst kept bound together, could not easily be broken, but when separated from each other, were soon snapped asunder; which consideration should excite mutual love among believers, and an endeavour " to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;" by doing which, they will not so easily fall a prey to their enemies, but will appear " terrible as an army with banners." 8. Horses are of an undaunted courage, especially such as are well fed, as these were; an elegant description of the majesty, and undaunted courage of the horse, as given by God himself, may be read in Job xxxix. 20 — 25. Believers in Christ " are bold as a lion; whilst the wicked flee, when no man pursueth;" they remain uudanuted at all the reproaches, threatenings, and manaces of men, and cannot be deterred thereby, from the service of Christ; they fear not the wrath of kings and princes; neither can couQscatioa of goods, imprisonment of body, racks, tortures, or death itself, scare them from a profession of Christ and his gospel; but viewing all these with an undaunted courage, say, " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" instaaces of this we liave in Daniel and his companions, the apostles of Christ, the believing Hebrews, whom Paul wrote to, and thousands of martyrs for, and confessors of, the truth in all ages. 9. These horses were not employed in ordinary service, in mere drudgery, but were selected for the service of Pharaoh, to run in his chariots. The elect of God being called by divine grace, are not, or at least, they should not be employed in the service and drudgery of sin and Satan; but being subjected to Christ, whom they acknowledged to be their Lord and King^ are directed and guided by him, into th9se paths in which he would have them go, aud so readily, cheerfully, and swiftly, " run the ways of his commandments." These are not common, servile horses, which the church is here compared to, but royal ones, such that were in the service of a king. 10. These horses were not wild, nor loose, running at random, but beiug fitted for service, were joined and coupled together, and so peaceably and orderly drew one way; and perhaps, were all of the same colour, aud of an equal size and bigness, which is usual in the chariots of princes. The church is not a company of wild and unconverted sinners, ruuuiug loose, and enjoying their carnal liberty; but of persons, who by divine grace, are put under the yoke of Christ, being joined together iu Gospel-bonds, and " strive together for the failh of the Gospel, worshipping the Lord with one shoulder and one consent;" and when they are all of the same faith, of the same mind and judgment, speak the same things, and harmoniously agree together, without disorders, couteulious, aud divisions, then may they be said to be like " a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots." But, in. It may be inquired, why this comparison is made and mentioned here; which was, 1. To comfort and su])port her under the mean apprehensions she had of herself, and also to strengthen her against the reproach and scandal that was thrown upon her by others; therefore Christ lets her know, that though she was black in her ovvn eyes, and slighted and despised by her mother's children, yet she was glorious in his, for he had compared her to a '' company of horses," &c. 2. To inform her, that she was in a militant state, and that she must not expect much ease and rest, which she seemed to be seeking for in ver. 7; therefore he would have her know, that this was a time for fighting the Lord's battles against sin, Satan, and the world; aud for that purpose he had " made her as his goodly horse in the battle," Zech. x. 3. 3. Christ having directed her to tread in the " footsteps of the flock, and to feed her kids beside the shepherds' tents," would have her consider, that she must expect trouble, persecution, and opposition from those other shepherds, whose flocks are mentioned as distiuct from Christ's, in ver. 7; and therefore to support her under, aud comfort her agaiust these, he tells her, that he had " compared her, or made her like to a company of horses," stout, strong, courageous, warlike, aud victorious; and therefore, seeing he had " not given her the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, aud of a sound mind," she should not be discouraged and dismayed at these troubles aud afflictious that came upon her.
Verse 10. Tliy rheelcs are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. Christ in these words continues to give an account of the church's beauty and glory; and that either in opposition to what she had said in ver. 5, 6; aud assures her, that her cheeks and neck were not so black as she imagined; but were like the blushing cheeks of a beautiful woman, adorned with jewels, aud her fair neck adorned with bracelets, necklaces, and chains of gold or pearl; see Ezek. xvii 11, 12; or else he continues the metaphor used in the preceding verse, where he compares her to a " couipany of horses in Pharaoh's chariots;" whose bridles being richly adorned, having chains of gold hung about their necks, as the camels of the kings of iMidian had. Judges viii. 2G; gloriously set forth the beauty of the church; aud perhaps, the church's glory under the Old Testament dispensation is represented in this verse, and a furllier increase and display of it under tiieNew Testament dispensaliou promised iu the text. And here,
I. Iler cheeks are said to be " comely, with rows of jewels."
II. Her " neck with chains of gold."
I. Her cheeks are said to " be comely with rows of jewels:" the worijewefs is not in the Hebrew text, Ixit supplied by our translators; and the word