Job xxxvi. 30. "Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea." In the original, the roots of the sea, by which he means the extreme parts of the sea, where the clouds and the sea meet in the horizon, and those parts of the sea that are below the horizon, which they conceived to be drawn down, which is agreeable to the metaphor used in the foregoing, wherein the clouds that overspread the skies are represented by the curtains of a tabernacle; he spreadeth his light upon it, that is, upon his tabernacle, upon those curtains, the clouds, which are like a bright covering on the inside of it.
Concerning the Book of Psalms. That the penman of the Psalms did pretend to speak and write by the inspiration of the Spirit of God as much as the prophets when they wrote their prophecies, the following things do confirm:
1. Singing divine songs was of old one noted effect of the inspiration of the Spirit of God in the prophets, insomuch that such singing was called by the name of prophesying. 1 Sam. x. 5, 6. "Thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place, with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp before them, and they shall prophesy, and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them." See also 1 Chron. xxv. 1, 2, 3. This seems to have been the most ancient way of prophesying. Inspired persons of old used to utter themselves in a parable, as sometimes it is called, or a kind of song. Thus it was that Miriam uttered herself when she did the part of a prophetess, Exod. xv. 20, 21. "And Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her, with timbrels and with dances, and Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously, the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea." She, in the 12th chap. of Numb. ver. 2. boasts that God had spoken by her as well as by Moses. She seems to have reference to this time, for it does not appear that God ever had spoken by her at any other time, and it is probable that it was from her being inspired at that time, (or at least chiefly,) that she was called a prophetess. And this was the way that Moses delivered his chief and fullest prophecy concerning the future state of Israel, and the church of God, and the world of mankind, in that song in the 32nd of Deut.; the words were all indited by God, as appears by Deut. lxxi. 19, 20,21. And Moses's blessing of the children of Israel, and his prophecy of their future state, in Deut. iii. is delivered song-wise, which especially appears in the beginning and ending. And so are Balaam's prophecies, or parables. Jacob's blessing and prophecies concerning the future state of the posterity of his twelve sons, Gen. xlix. is delivered in a like style, as may be plain to any one that observes. Zechariah is said to prophesy in uttering a song, Luke i. 67.
2. Singing these very psalms in the sanctuary by the musicians that David appointed, is called prophesying, 1 Chron. xxv. 1, 2, 3. And Asaph is called a seer, or prophet, and represented as speaking as such in uttering those psalms that he penned, 2 Chron. xxix. 30.
3. We are expressly informed of David in an eminent instance, wherein he uttered himself in a remarkable manner as the sweet psalmist of Israel, that he did proress himself to speak by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit of God. 2 Sam. xxiii. 1, 2,. &c. "Now these be the last words of David."(And then in what next follows David's words begin, as may be confirmed by comparing them with Num. xxiv. 3, 4, 15, 16.) "David, the son of Jesse, hath said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said: The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me." In its being said that these are the last words of David, it is implied that there had been many other words; that he, as the sweet psalmist of Israel, had uttered many things before; and when David, in these his last words, says, "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me," it must be understood of all these words spoken of in this place, whether mentioned or referred to, all the words that he had uttered as the sweet psalmist of Israel. And there can, perhaps, no other good reason be given why he should be mentioned under that character of the sweet psalmist of Israel here in the introduction of these his last words, rather than all other places of his history, but only because these were the last words that David had uttered as the sweet psalmist of Israel, and as it were the sum of all those preceding records referred to, expressing the main drift and substance of those holy songs he had sung by the inspiration of the Spirit of God all his life-time, and the ultimum, the chief thing, he had in view in those psalms.
4. It is evident that the penman of the Psalms did pretend to speak by a spirit of prophecy, because the Psalms are full of prophecies of future events, as Psal.xi. 6. Psal. xxii. 27,. to the end. Psal. xxxvii. 9,10,11. Psal. lx. 6, 7, 8. Psal. lxiv. 7., to the end. Psal. lxviii. 31. Psal. lxix. 34, 35, 36. Psal. lxxii. Psal. lxxxvi. 9. Psal. xcvi. 13. Psal. cii. 13-22. Psal. cviii. Psal. cxxxviii. 4, 5. Psal. cxlix. 7, 8, 9. And many other things in the Psalms are uttered in a prophetical manner and style.
5. It is also most manifest that the penman of the Psalms did pretend to speak by the Spirit, and in the name of the Lord, as the prophets did. By this, that God in the Psalms is very often represented as speaking, and the words are evidently represented as his words, in like manner as in the prophets, as Psal. xiv. 4. Psal. 1. 7-14. Psal. lxxxi. 6-16. Psal. lxxxii. Psal. liii. 4. Psal. lxxxi. Psal. lxxxvii. Psal. xci. 14, 15, 16. Psal. xcv. 8, 9, 10, 11. Psal. cxxxii. 14,. to the end. Psal. xlv. 16,. to the end. Psal. ii. 6,. to the end. Psal. xxxii. 8,. to the end. Psal. lx. 6, 7, 8. Psal. lxviii. 13. Psal. lxxxix. 3, 4, 19-37. Psal. cviii. 7, 8, 9. Psal. cx. 1, 4.
The Book of Psalms. It is a further confirmation of these things, that we find that David very early was endowed with the spirit of prophecy and miracles; he wrought a miracle when he slew the lion and the bear, and acted and spake by that spirit of prophecy when he went forth against Goliath, as is very apparent by the story.
The Book of Psalms. That this is divinely inspired may lie further argued from this, that it is every way probable that what are called the songs of Zion, and the Lord's song, in Psal. cxxxvii. 3, 4. are songs contained in this book. It appears that Zion, or God's church, had sacred songs fancied as such in the world, and that they were properly called the Lord's songs, which argues that they had God for their author, and were consecrated by his authority, as a word being called the word of the Lord, argues it to be a word that came from God, and as a house being called the house of the Lord, signifies its being a house consecrated to God by divine authority. So of the Lord's day, the city of God, the altar of God, &c. &c.
When all the utensils of the temple were exactly, and even in the most minute circumstances, formed by divine direction, it would be strange if the songs of the temple, which are vastly more important and material in the worship of God, should not be formed by divine direction. These were not merely external circumstances of divine worship as the other, but the very matter of the worship. As David was divinely instructed in all the place, and form, and instruments of the temple, and all the new ordinances relating to the attendance and orders of the priests, and the Levites, and the circumstances of their ministration, and particularly of the singers, it would be strange if the songs that they were to sing, the most material and effectual thing of all, should not be of divine appointment, but should be left wholly to human wisdom and invention. (See 1 Chron. vi. 31. and xvi. 4-7. 6, 25, to the end, and chap. xxv. and to the end, especially ver. 19 and 21.
We have an account that David and Samuel the seer acted jointly in appointing the orders of the porters of the Levites, 1 Chron. ix. 22. and much more the orders of the Levites that were to be singers. It is noted that some of those Levites themselves that were appointed by David as chief musicians, or singers, were seers, or prophets. So of Heman, 1 Chron. xxv. 5. And the expressions there lead us, in this verse and the context, to suppose that he acted as a prophet in that matter in assisting David in composing psalms, and appointing the order of singers. Yea, it is expressly said that the order of the singers was appointed by David with the assistance of the prophets, by the commandment of the Lord. 2 Chron. xxix. 25. "And he set the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the Lord by his prophets." And Asaph, another of the chief musicians, and penman of many of the psalms, is spoken of as acting as a seer, or prophet, in this matter. Ver. 30. "Hezekiah the king commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord, with the words of David and of Asaph the seer."(See the like of Jeduthun, chap. xxxv. 15.)
Psalm viii. 2. "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger." It seems to me that mankind are principally intended here by babes and sucklings; it is of God's loving-kindness to men that the psalmist is speaking, to the end of the psalm; by the enemy and the avenger is meant the devil. Men are as babes and sucklings in comparison of the angelic nature. By so advancing the human nature, the devils are disappointed and triumphed over.
Psalm xvii. 4. "Concerning the works of men, b; the word of thy lips, I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer." By the destroyer here is doubtless meant the devil, the same with him that is called Abaddon and Apollvon in the Revelations. God's people under the Old Testament were sensible that there was an evil and malignant spirit, or invisible agent, that sought the ruin of man, as even the heathen nations had a notion of evil daemons. This evil spirit the Hebrews were wont to call by several names; one was Satan, or the adversary. So it is said Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number the people. So in several other places in the Old Testament. Another name was the destroyer; so devils are called destroyers in Job xxxiii. 22. "Yea, his soul draweth nigh unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers."
Psalm xix. 4, 5, 6. "In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race: his going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it, and nothing is hid from the heat of it." It appears to me very likely that the Holy Ghost in these expressions, which he most immediately uses about the rising of the sun, has an eye to the rising of the Sun of righteousness from the grave, and that the expressions that the Holy Ghost here uses are conformed to such a view. The times of the Old Testament are times of night in comparison of the gospel day, and are so represented in Scripture, and therefore the approach of the day of the New-Testament dispensation in the birth of Christ, is called the day-spring from on high visiting the earth. Luke i. 78. "Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;" and the commencing of the gospel dispensation as it was introduced by Christ, is called the Sun of righteousness rising. Mal. iv. 2. But this gospel-dispensation commences with the resurrection of Christ. Therein the Sun of righteousness rises from under the earth, as the sun appears to do in the morning, and comes forth as a bridegroom. He rose as the joyful, glorious bridegroom of his church; for Christ, especially as risen again, is the proper bridegroom, or husband of his church, as the apostle teaches. Rom. vii. 4. "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit to God."
He that was covered with contempt, and overwhelmed in a deluge of sorrow, hath purchased and won his spouse; (for he loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might present it to himself;) now he comes forth as a bridegroom to bring home his purchased spouse to him in spiritual marriage, as he soon after did in the conversion of such multitudes, making his people willing in the day of his power, and hath also done many times since, and will do in a yet more glorious degree. And as the sun when it rises comes forth like a bridegroom gloriously adorned, so Christ in his resurrection entered on his state of glory. After his state of sufferings, he rose to shine forth in ineffable glory as the King of heaven and earth, that he might be a glorious bridegroom, in whom his church might be unspeakably happy.
Here the psalmist says that God has placed a tabernacle for the sun in the heavens; so God the Father had prepared an abode in heaven for Jesus Christ; he had set a throne for him there, to which he ascended after he rose. The sun after it is risen ascends up to the midst of heaven, and then at that end of its race descends again to the earth; so Christ when he rose from the grave ascended up to the height of heaven, and far above all heavens, but at the end of the gospel-day will descend again to the earth.
It is here said that the risen sun rejoiceth as a strong man to run his race. So Christ, when he rose, rose as a man of war, as the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle; he rose to conquer his enemies, and to show forth his glorious power in subduing all things to himself, during that race which he had to run, which is from his resurrection to the end of the world, when he will return to the earth again.
Here the going forth of the sun is from the end of heaven and his circuit to the end of it, and that nothing is hid from the heat thereof; so Christ rose from the grave to send forth his light and truth to the utmost ends of the earth, that had hitherto been confined to one nation, and to rule over all nations in the kingdom of his grace. Thus his line goes out through all the earth, and his words to the end of the world, so that there is no speech or language where his voice is not heard, as is here said of the line and voice of the sun and heavenly bodies in the two foregoing verses, which are by the apostle interpreted of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Rom. x. 16, 17, 18. "But they have not all obeyed the gospel; for Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say. Have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world."
That the Holy Ghost here has a mystical meaning, and has respect to the light of the Sun of righteousness, and not merely the light of the natural sun, is confirmed by the verses that follow, in which the psalmist himself seems to apply them to the word of God, which is the light of that sun, even of Jesus Christ, who himself revealed the word of God: see the very next words, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple."
Psalm xl. 6, 7, 8. "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened (or bored): burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me; I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart." God often declared that willing obedience was better than sacrifice: the psalmist is here declaring his giving of it the preference in his practice according to God's mind: he did not rest in sacrifices, or look upon his duty as consisting mainly in them, but was willingly obedient; he delighted to do God's will; he loved his service; God had bored his ear, alluding to the law, Exod. xxi. 5. by which it was appointed that if the servant loved his master's service, and freely chose it, his master should bore his ear with an awl. Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required; then said I, Lo, I come, as a willing servant says to his master when he is called: in the volume of the book it is written of me, that is, it is written in the public records, that I voluntarily chose my master's service, and that my ears were bored, alluding still to that law and custom. If the servant loved his master and chose his service, he was to be brought unto the judges, and was to declare his choice, and his ear was to be bored before them, and because the end of bringing of him to them, was that they might take notice of it, and be witnesses of it, that the servant might afterwards be obliged by his act. We may conclude that there was a record written of it, it was not merely trusted to their memories; for then if the judges should forget it, or should die, the servant might go free; or if it was not the custom at first to record it, yet very probably it was in David's time. It seems they used to convey lands at first without writings; Ruth iv. 7.; but not afterwards. Jer. xii. 10. I subscribed the evidence, or as it is in the Hebrew, I wrote in the book. But the psalmist also speaks here prophetically, and is representing Christ. Christ freely and willingly became God's servant by becoming incarnate, and therefore, instead of the words, "Mine ear hast thou bored," has these, "A body hast thou prepared me;" and as the servant that had his ear bored, learned obedience by what he suffered; it was a testimony of his real desire to serve him, that he was willing to suffer this in order to it. So did Christ learn obedience by the things that he suffered by the sacrifice of his body; so that when it is said, "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire, but a body hast thou prepared for me;" it is as much as if he had said, These sacrifices of beasts, &c. are insignificant in themselves, but my crucifixion is the true sacrifice that God delights in.
Psalm xlv. The great agreement between the Book of Solomon's Song and the 45th Psalm, and the express and full testimonies of the New Testament for the authority and divine inspiration of that Psalm in particular, and that that bridegroom there spoken of is Christ, whose bride the New Testament abundantly teaches us is the church: I say this agreement with these full testimonies are a great confirmation of the constant tradition of the Jewish church, and the universal and continual suffrage of the Christian church for the divine authority and spiritual signification of this song, as representing the union and mutual love of Christ and his church, and enervates the main objection against it. They agree in all particulars that are considerable, so that there is no more reason to object against one than the other.
They are both songs of love.
In both the lovers spoken of are compared to a man and a woman; and their love, to that which arises between the sexes among mankind.
Both these songs treat of these lovers with relation to their espousals one to another, representing their union to that of a bridegroom and bride.
In both the bridegroom is represented as a king, and in both the bride is spoken of as a king's daughter. Psal. xliii. 13. "The king's daughter is all glorious," &c. Cant. vii. 1. "How beautiful are thy feet O prince's daughter!"
In both the bridegroom and bride are represented as very fair or beautiful. The bridegroom, Psal. xlv. 2. "Thou art fairer than the sons of men." Cant. v. 10. "My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand."
In both the bridegroom is represented as greatly delighted with the beauty of the bride. Psal. xlv. 11. "So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty." Cant. iv. 9. "Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse: thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck."
In both the speech of the bridegroom is represented as exceeding excellent and pleasant. Psal. xlv. 2. "Grace is poured into thy lips." Cant. v. 16. "His mouth is most sweet."
In both the ornaments of the bride are signified by costly, beautiful, and splendid attire; and in both she is represented as adorned with gold. Psal. xlv. 9. "Upon thy right-hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir." And 13, 14. "Her clothes are of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needle-work " Cant. i. 10. "Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, and thy neck with chains of gold. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver." And vii. 1. "How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter!"
The excellencies, and amiable and honourable endowments, of the bridegroom in both are represented by perfumed ointment. Psal. xlv. 7. "Hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Cant. i. 3. "Because of the savour of thy good ointments, thy name is as ointment poured forth; therefore do the virgins love thee."
In both the excellent gifts or qualifications of these lovers, by which they are recommended to each other, and delighted in one another, are compared to such spices as myrrh, aloes, &c. And in both the sense those lovers have of this amiableness, and that sense where they have comfort and joy, is represented by the sense of smelling. Psal. xlv. 8. "All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia whereby they have made thee glad." Cant. i. 13, 14. "A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire." And ver 12. "While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof." Cant. ii. 13."Let us see whether the vines give a good smell." Chap. iii. 6. "Who is this that cometh up out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?" Cant. iv. 14. "Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices."
Indeed in some parts of the psalmist makes use of more magnificent representations of the bridegroom's excellency. Ver. 3. "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty, and in thy majesty ride prosperously." So we find it also with respect to the bride. "Who is it that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?" And in both these representations the excellencies of these lovers are represented as martial excellency, or the glorious endowments of warriors.
In both these songs the bride is represented as with a number of virgins that are her companions in her majestical honours. "She shall be brought in unto the king The virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee." So in many places of Solomon's Song. The spouse is represented as conversing with a number of the daughters of Jerusalem that sought the bridegroom with her, and therefore she speaks in the plural number. Cant. i. 4. "Draw me, we will run after thee, we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine."
The representation in both of the manner of the bride's being brought in to the king with her companions, with great joy, is exactly alike. Psal. xlv. 14, 15. "She shall be brought in unto the king in raiment of needlework. The virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee, with gladness, and with rejoicing shall they be brought unto thee; they shall enter into the king's palace." Compare this with Cant. i. 4. "The king hath brought me into his chambers, we will be glad and rejoice in thee."
Those who are the friends of the bridegroom that are united to him, and partake of his dear love, are in both these songs represented as gracious and holy persons. Psal. xlv. 4. "In thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth, meekness, and righteousness." Cant. i. 4. "We will remember thy love more than wine. The upright love thee."
To represent the excellency of the bridegroom's place of abode, in Psal. xlv. 8. the excellent materials that his palace is made of are mentioned. It is represented as made of ivory. In like manner as the excellent materials of his palace are spoken of Cant. i. 17. "The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir." As elsewhere, the materials of his chariot are mentioned, viz. the wood of Lebanon, gold, silver, and purple. Cant. iii. 9, 10.
It is objected by some against Solomon's Song, that some expressions seem to have reference to the conjugal embraces of the bridegroom. But perhaps there is nothing more directly suggesting this than the 14th, 15th, and 16th verses of the 45th Psalm., where seems to be a plain reference to the manner in Israel in which the bride at night used to be led into the bridegroom's bed-chamber, her bridemaids attending her: in the 14th and 15th verses., and then immediately in the next verse, we are told of the happy fruits of this intercourse in the offspring which they have: Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children.
It is supposed by many to be very liable to a bad construction, that the beauty of the various parts of the body of the spouse is mentioned, and described, in Solomon's Song. But perhaps these are no more liable to a bad construction than the 13th verse of the 45th Psalm,. where there is mention of the beauty of the bride's clothes, and her being glorious within; where setting aside the allegory or mystical meaning of the song, what is most naturally understood as the most direct meaning, would seem to be that she had not only glorious clothing, but was yet more glorious in the parts of her body within her clothing, that were hid by her clothing.
Psalm xlv. 7. "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness, therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee, &c. The manifestation of Christ's loving righteousness, and hating wickedness, here spoken of, that was thus rewarded, was his humiliation and death, whereby he exceedingly manifested his regard to God's holiness and law. That when he had a mind that sinners should be saved he was freely willing to suffer so much rather than it should be done with any injury unto that holiness and law.
Psalm xlviii. 7. "Thou breakest the ships of Tar-shish with an east wind." It was by the gospel, which was as the light that cometh out of the east and shineth to the west, whereby Satan's pagan kingdom in Europe was overthrown.
Psalm xlix. 3, 4. "My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. I will incline mine ear to a parable. I will open my dark sayings upon the harp." Being about to speak of a future state and the resurrection, which were great mysteries in Old-Testament times, and perhaps a future state is here more plainly spoken of than any where else in the Old Testament, the psalmist really speaks right down plain about it, to the 14th vers., where he speaks how impossible it is by strength, riches, or wisdom, to avoid death; Good and bad, and all, die; and takes notice of the folly of men to fix their hearts on riches; For, says he, like sheep they are laid in the grave, &c. and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, &c. But he says, notwithstanding this certainty and un-avoidableness of death, ver. 15. "God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for he shall receive me;" and goes on to the end of the psalm to show the misery of the wicked in comparison of the godly."
Psalm lxv. 8. "Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and the evening to rejoice." By the outgoings of the morning and evening may be meant the east and the west, and so signify the same as the ends of the earth in the former part of the verse.
Psalm lxviii. The bringing up of the ark of God out of the house of Obed-edom, the Gittite, into the city of David, on the top of mount Zion, on which occasion this psalm was penned, was the most remarkable type of the ascension of Christ that we have in the Old Testament. Then Christ rode upon the heavens by his name JAH Before, his divinity was veiled; he appeared a mere man, and as a worm and no man; he has as it were laid aside his glory as a divine person, emptied himself of the name and form of God; but now he appears in his ascension as God, in the glory of his divinity, in the name and glory of the great JAH or JEHOVAH Ver. 4. "Then he rode upon the heaven of heavens, which were of old.'' Ver. 33. As the apostle says, he ascended up far above all heavens. As the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were gathered together to attend the ark in this its ascension into mount Zion; 2 Sam. vi. 15. 1 Chron. xv. 3, 25, and 28. 2 Sam. vi. 19. 1 Chron. xvi. 2. so without doubt the inhabitants of the heavenly Canaan were gathered together on occasion of Christ's ascension to attend him into heaven. For he ascended into heaven in like manner as he shall descend at the last day, Acts i. 11. with like glory and magnificence, and with a like attendance. He shall come at the last day in the glory of his Father. So he, without doubt, ascended in that glory after his human nature was transformed as it was, as it passed out of our atmosphere. That Christ entered heaven with divine glory, is manifest by "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, that the King of glory may come in," &c. Christ will descend at the last day with the clouds of heaven, and so he ascended into heaven. (Acts i. 9. and Dan. vii. 13. with Notes.) Christ will descend to judgment; and so he ascended to judge and confirm the angels, to give repentance unto Israel, and remission of sin, and by his knowledge to justify many, and to judge the prince of this world, and to execute judgment on the wicked; and as he will descend with all the heavenly hosts of both saints and angels, so he ascended. They came forth out of heaven to meet the King of glory as he ascended. As the Roman generals after a signal battle and victory over their enemies abroad, far distant from Rome, when they returned in triumph (which is a great type of Christ's ascension,) had multitudes to attend them, so had Christ in his ascension into heaven. See in how many respects the Roman triumphs were like Christ's ascension, Mastricht, p. 597. vol. 2. See also the description of a Roman triumph, Chambers's Dictionary. As Christ's descent will be attended with the general resurrection, so was his ascension with the risen bodies of many of the saints, and was followed with a great spiritual resurrection of the world.
As the ark in its ascension into mount Zion, was attended with the princes of the people; Psal. lxviii. 27. xlvii. 9. and with the captains of their hosts, 1 Chron. xv. 25. and with the ministers of the sanctuary, 1 Chron. xv. 4., &c. so Christ, in his ascension, was attended with the angels, who are called the principalities and powers of heaven, and are the mighty champions in God's armies, and the ministers of the heavenly sanctuary, as they are represented in Revelations. Shall a departing soul of a saint ascend to heaven with a convoy of angels, being carried by angels into Abraham's bosom? and shall not the King of saints and angels in his ascension into heaven, be attended with myriads of angels? That Christ was attended with multitudes of angels in his ascension into heaven, is manifest by the 17th and 18th verses of the 68th Psalm. "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels; the Lord is among them, as in Sinai the holy place. Thou hast ascended on high; thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them." These are the chariots in which Christ ascended, as Elijah, in his ascension into heaven, did not ascend without chariots and horses of fire to convoy him. These were a symbol of the convoy of angels by which he was conducted into heaven; as those chariots and horses of fire were that defended the city where Elijah was from the Syrians, as appears by 2 Kings vi. 16, 17. Those in Christ's triumphant entrance into heaven answer to the triumphant chariot in which the victor entered the city of Rome, and also was attended with the princes, and rulers, and captains of the people, and ministers of his sanctuary, as he was attended with the patriarchs, and prophets, and holy princes, and martyrs, more eminent first of the Old Testament, as that church which was in being before Christ's ascension, and with many of them with their prison bodies.
Though many of the angels attended Christ from the top of mount Olivet, yet it appears to me probable that the place where he was met by the whole multitude of the heavenly hosts, saints and angels, was in the upper parts of the earth's atmosphere, beyond the region of the clouds, at the place where it is said a cloud received Christ out of the sight of the disciples, as they stood beholding him as he went up, and that that cloud that received him was a symbol of that glorious host of saints and angels: a heavenly multitude is called a cloud. See Heb. xii. 1. with Notes. A host of angels seems to be here represented by that cloud of glory in which God appeared in mount Sinai, spoken of in this 68th Psalm; in the 17th verse,. where the psalmist speaks of the thousands of angels that convoy Christ to heaven, it is added, "The Lord is among them, as in Sinai, his holy place." (See the places there cited in the margin.) When Christ passed out of sight of earthly inhabitants, then he joined the heavenly inhabitants. The atmosphere belongs to the earthly world: so far Satan's power extends, who is god of this earthly world, and prince of the power of the air. When Christ had gotten out of this world, then heaven met him and received him, and it is probable that Christ's human nature there had its transformation into its glorious state; it was not transformed at his first resurrection, for he appeared as he used, and conversed, and ate, and drank with his disciples; nor was it transformed at his first ascent from the surface of the earth, for the disciples beheld him, and knew him as he went up, because he appeared as he used to do, but the disciples beheld him so long until he was transformed, for so long they might behold him; but when he was transformed into his heavenly glory, it was not meet that they should behold him any longer while in this mortal state, for this state is not the state appointed for us to behold Christ in his glory; nor indeed could they see him so and live; and therefore when he was transformed, a cloud hid him from them. As long as Christ was within the limits of this earthly world, it was meet that he should remain in his earthly state; but when he passed out of this world and met heaven, it was meet that he should be transformed into his heavenly state; an earthly body might subsist as far as the region of the clouds, but it could not subsist farther. Christ ascended from thence to heaven in his glorified state with all his holy angels; and at the last day he will descend from heaven in the same glorified state, with all the holy angels, and no farther; for there the saints on earth shall meet him, being caught up in the clouds, or to the region of the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and from thence shall Christ be seen in his glory by all that shall remain on this earth. When Christ came to meet the heavenly hosts in their glory, and to be in the midst of them, it was not meet that he should remain any longer in his earthly state, for flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God; so far Christ ascended slowly and gradually, as earthly bodies are wont to move, so that the disciples could see him as he went up, but from thence, without doubt, he mounted with inconceivable swiftness, answerable to the activity of a heavenly glorious body.
As they attended the ark in its ascension with great joy and with shouts, and the sound of the trumpet, and all kinds of music, singing God's praises, 2 Sam. vi. 15. 2 Chron. xv. 28. with the context in that and the following chapters; this represents the glorious joy and praise with which the heavenly hosts attended Christ in his ascension. Ps. xlvii. 5. "God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet:" Ps. xlvii. 5. the very same as is said concerning the ascension of the ark in 2 Sam. vi. 15. That was an exceeding joyful day in Israel; it is said they brought up the ark with joy. 2 Chron. xv. 2. "David danced before the lord with all his might." So Christ's ascension is represented as an exceeding joyful occasion. Ps. xlvii. 6,. &c. "On that occasion sing praises to God, sing praises, sing praises to our King, sing praises," &c. And in this 68th Psalm ver. 3. "Let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before the Lord; yea, let them exceedingly rejoice;'' and ver. 25. "The singers went before, and the players on instruments followed after, among them were the damsels playing with timbrels."
When the ark was ascended and placed on the throne of God's mercy-seat, David dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine, 2 Sam. vi. 19. and 1 Chron. xvi. 3. So speaking of Christ in this psalm, ver. 18. the psalmist says,. "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also."
David brought the ark into the tabernacle in Zion with sacrifices offered to God, and when he had offered the sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord, and gave men gifts, 1 Chron. xvi. 1, 2, 3. and 2 Sam. vi. 17, 18, 19. So Christ, when he ascended, entered into heaven with his own blood, the blood of that sacrifice that he had offered, and so obtained the blessing for men which he then gave to them, by sending down the Holy Spirit upon them.
David, when the ark was ascended, returned to bless his household; so Christ, when he was ascended, returned by his Spirit to bless his church, which is the household of God, and is Christ's house, as the apostle calls it in the 3d chap. of Hebrews.
When David thus returned to bless his household, Michal, that had been his wife before, despised him, because he troubled himself so much, and made himself so vile, and therefore was Michal rejected; but of the maidservants whom Michal contemned, was he had in honour; so the Jewish church that had been Christ's church before his ascension, yet because Christ humbled himself so much, and made himself so vile, they despised and rejected him, and called him king of the Jews in contempt, as Michal calls David king of Israel in contempt. Therefore, when Christ returned by his Spirit to bless his household after his ascension, the church of the Jews was rejected and became barren; but the Gentile nations, whom the Jewish church used to contemn as poor slaves, while they called themselves the children of God and free, of them was Christ had in honour. Michal was Saul's daughter, David's persecutor, that was at the head of affairs in Israel before David; but David tells Michal that God chose him before her father; so the priests, and elders, and scribes were the father of the Jewish church, were at the head of affairs in God's church before Christ, and were Christ's persecutors, but God chose him before them.
The glorious attendants and consequents of Christ's ascension are in a very lively manner represented in this psalm, and other divine songs, that seem to be penned on occasion of the removing the ark, as particularly Christ's glorious victory over his enemies, verses 1, 2, 18. The destruction of Satan's kingdom and his church's enemies that followed, ver. 12, 14, 16, 23-30. A terrible manifestation of wrath against obstinate sinners, ver. 6, 21. The publishing the gospel in the world, ver. 11, 33. A remarkable pouring out of the Spirit, ver. 9. A great increase of the privileges of the church, and a more abundant measure of spiritual blessings, ver. 3, 10,13, 18, 19, 24, 28, 34, 35. The calling of the Gentiles, ver. 6, 29, 31, 32. A glorious salvation from slavery and misery to those who are sinners and enslaved, ver. 6, 13, 20, 22. The like might be observed of other songs penned on this occasion, as Ps. xlvii. and that which is given us in 1 Chron. xvi.
"The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God, even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. Thou, O Lord, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary." By this place, together with Judg. v. 4. it is manifest that there was a great shower of rain upon the camp of Israel at mount Sinai, at the time of the giving the law there. The case seems to have been thus: on the day when the law was given, which was the day of Pentecost, there appeared a thick cloud upon mount Sinai, which was the same cloud that had gone before them and conducted them, now settled upon the mount, but only increased and gathered to a great thickness; and there were great thunders and lightnings seen and heard out of that cloud, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people that were in the camp trembled. When God descended on the mount, the mount quaked greatly, and this earthquake was of great extent, so as to reach to distant countries, Hag. ii. 6, 7. and was so great as to move mountains and throw down rocks, and great part of the mountains; hence we have those expressions of the mountains skipping like rams, and the little hills like lambs, &c. And then mount Sinai appeared altogether on fire, which burnt to the midst of heaven; and then the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder; and then the Ten Commandments were given with a voice of awful majesty out of the midst of the fire; and when this was finished, it was followed with the most amazing thunders and lightnings from the thick cloud of glory, which was on the mount, which cloud spread wider and wider until it covered the whole heavens, and there was a great shower of rain, with thunder and lightning out of it; and the storm spread abroad, so as to reach far countries, which, with exceeding thunder and lightning, terrified distant nations. Hence the apostle speaks of a tempest that was at this time, from this place, in Heb. xii. 18. Thus, when the Lord gave the word, great was the company of them that published it, ver. 11.When God gave forth his voice at mount Sinai, and thundered there by the ministration of angels, the report was as it were carried into all nations round about, and there were thunders that uttered their voices in all parts of the world, (or at least the adjacent countries,) to answer it. Thus the prophet Habakkuk, speaking of this, Hab. iii. 3. says, "His glory covered the heavens," (i e. the cloud, that was called the cloud of glory,) and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud, and covered the heavens in the blaze of lightnings that then streamed forth almost continually; as in the next verse, ver. 4. "And his brightness was as the light." And thus it was expressed in the 6th and 7th verses., "He stood and measured the earth; he beheld and drove asunder the nations; the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction, and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble;" and thus in Heb. xii. 18. there is said to be at that time not only fire, and black ness, and darkness, but also tempest.
Corol. I. Hereby we may the more fully see how lively a representation what was done on this day was of what was done afterwards on the same day of Pentecost in the days of the gospel. Now God descended from heaven on mount Sinai; then God descended from heaven on mount Zion, or on his church met together in Jerusalem. Now God revealed the law; then God did in an extraordinary manner by his Spirit make known the mysteries of the gospel. Now God's voice was uttered from mount Sinai in thunder, and great was the company of them that published it, and the voice of his thunder went forth into all the world, and the world was enlightened with lightnings; then was God's voice in his word and in his glorious gospel uttered in the spiritual mount Zion, and the light of the glorious gospel then began to shine forth in Jerusalem, of which voice and light, thunder and lightning is a type, for the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, of the joints and marrow, and is as the fire, and as the hammer that breaketh the rocks in pieces. This thunder and lightning was out of the cloud of glory, the symbol of God's presence; so the voice of the gospel is the voice of Christ, a divine person, and the light is the light of Christ's glory. And then, or after that time, was first fulfilled what was typified by God's voice and light going forth from mount Sinai, and spreading abroad into all nations round about; for then first did the powerful voice of God's word, and the powerful and glorious light of truth, go forth and spread abroad into Gentile nations; then was the coming of Christ in the gospel as the lightning that cometh out of the east, and shineth even to the west. The trumpet of mount Sinai was a type of the trumpet of the gospel. As in the day of Sinai there was a great earthquake; so consequent on the pouring out of the Spirit in the day of Zion, was there the greatest change and overturning of things on the face of the earth, that ever had been. Earthquakes often denote great revolutions, in Revelations and elsewhere in Scripture. God's voice in the day of Sinai, shook the heavens and earth, and shook all nations; see Heb. xii. 26, 27. compared with the foregoing verses, and Haggai ii. 6, 7. "As the earthquake then shook down towers, and palaces, and other buildings of the heathen, yea, and threw down rocks and mountains;" so God's voice in the gospel, after the gospel Pentecost, overturned the heathenish kingdom of Satan, and shook down all its magnificence, the mighty fabric that Satan had been building up for many ages; and those things were overthrown that had been established in the heathen world time out of mind, and had remained until now, immovable, like the everlasting hills and mountains. God's enemies abroad in the heathen world on the day of Sinai, were greatly terrified and scattered, and many of them destroyed; which is a type of the amazement that Satan and the powers of darkness were put into, by the sudden and wonderful spreading of the gospel, and how the enemies of God were scattered and destroyed thereby, and God's pouring down a great and plentiful rain on the camp of Israel, on the day when the law was given. The refreshing shower that fell on Israel, did well represent those divine instructions God was then giving to them. Deut. xxxii. 1. "My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, or the showers upon the grass," was a lively type of the great and abundant pouring out of the Spirit on the Christian church, on the day of Pentecost, and on the world, in consequence of that. The pouring out of the Spirit is often compared to showers of rain: this rain was the more lively type of the effusion of the Holy Spirit, because it was a very refreshing rain to the congregation of Israel, as it is said in the 9th verse of this Psalm,. "Thou didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary;" that was a weary land wherein they then were, being an exceeding dry and parched wilderness, where there is scarcely ever any rain. Horeb, one name of mount Sinai, signifies dryness, as it is called a land of drought, and it lay far south, and it was now a hot time of the year, wherein the sun was just at the summer solstice, being about the end of May, so that the shower by its cooling and sweetening the air was very refreshing to them, and therefore was the more lively type of the sweet influences of the Spirit of God on their souls; and this shower was the more lively type of the pouring out of the Spirit still, because it was a shower out of the cloud of glory, or that cloud that was the symbol of God's presence, so that it was a refreshment from God, as the fire from heaven on the altar proceeded out of a pillar of cloud and fire. Levit. ix. 24. (Note, manna out of the pillar of cloud and fire.) Manna, their daily bread, came down on the camp, out of the pillar of cloud and fire, and so did more livelily represent the true bread from heaven, even Jesus Christ, who is a divine person, and dwells in the bosom of the Father; and as their meat, so their water: the refreshing rain, which signified also a divine person, viz. the Holy Ghost, was out of the cloud of glory.
Note, that when mention is here made of God's sending a plentiful rain, whereby he did confirm or strengthen his inheritance when it was weary, respect is also probably had to the children of Israel's being refreshed by a shower of rain that descended on them, at the same time that a destructive hail fell on their enemies, on the day that the sun and moon stood still; for as has been observed in Notes on Hab. iii. 11. No. 208. that storm of hail did not arise until the end of the twelve hours of the sun's standing still; and the sun probably stood still near the meridian, and Joshua began the battle very early in the morning after their travelling all the night before; so that after that night's watching and travelling, they had continued in battle and pursuit about eighteen hours, and great part of the time under a very great and extreme heat of the sun, which must necessarily arise from its standing still so long at a meridian height, and shining down on their heads with a perpendicular ray. So that by that time without doubt the army of Israel were exceeding weary and faint, and the clouds that covered the heavens, sent forth no hail on them, but probably it was rain where they were, and a very great shower, which cooled and sweetened the air, and was a great refreshment to them after such toil and extreme heat. If the rain was frozen in some places, doubtless it was a very cool rain where they were, which was needed to cool the air, after such extreme heat. So that it was now with this cloud that arose, as it was with the pillar of cloud and fire at the Red sea, as that was a cloud and darkness to their enemies, and sent forth thunder and lightning to confound them, Psal. lxxvii. 16, 17, 18, 19. but gave light to the Israelites; so now the cloud that arose, sent forth destructive hail and thunder on the Amorites, but sent a most refreshing rain on Israel, whereby they were strengthened, after they had been made faint with the heat of the sun, and the toil of battle.
Carol. II. Hence we may learn what the apostle Paul meant by 1 Cor. x. 2. where he says that "their fathers were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud, and in the sea," he means that they were baptized in the cloud, by the cloud's showering down water abundantly upon them, as it seems to have done at two times, especially; one was while they were passing through the Red sea, for there seems to have been a remarkable storm of rain, and thunder, and lightning, out of the cloud of glory, while the children of Israel were passing through the Red sea, Psal. lxxvii. 16, 17, 18, 19. And thus God looked through the pillar of cloud and fire about the morning watch, and troubled all their hosts; he confounded them with perpetual flashes of thunder and lightning, which greatly affrighted the horses, and made them run wild, and jostle one against another, so as to overturn and break the chariots that they drew, and many of them lost their wheels; but it was only a plentiful shower on the Israelites. And so they were baptized by the water that came out of the pillar of cloud, representing the blood that came out of Christ, and the Spirit that comes forth from him; and so God now at the time when they were coming out of Egypt (for the Red sea was the bounds of Egypt) baptized them, to wash and cleanse them from the pollutions of Egypt, and to consecrate them to himself.
Another time was at mount Sinai, when God had brought them to himself there, when he first entered into covenant with them there, whereby they became his people, and he their God; he consecrated them to him, and sealed that covenant by baptizing them by water out of the cloud.
Hence we prove an argument for baptism by sprinkling or affusion, for the apostle calls this affusion or sprinkling, baptism, comparing it to Christian baptism; and when God himself immediately baptized his people by a baptism, by which he intended to signify the same thing that Christian baptism signifies, he baptized by affusion and sprinkling.
Psalm lxxviii. 43. "How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan." Wells, in his Sacred Geography, from hence very probably supposes that Zoan, in the time when Moses wrought these miracles in Egypt, was the royal city, or the city where the Pharaohs had their seat; for we know that Moses wrought those miracles in the presence of Pharaoh, and therefore doubtless near the city where he dwelt, or in the fields about that city. Zoan was probably from the beginning the seat of their kings, and that it is because it was so noted a city, and especially so known to the children of Israel, who had been bond-slaves in Egypt under Pharaoh, who dwelt in Zoan, that such particular notice is taken of it in Numb. xiii. 22. "Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt." And Dr. Wells observes, that this seems to have been the royal seat long after, even until Isaiah's time, though Noph and Hanes were two other cities where the kings of Egypt did then sometimes reside. Isa. xix. 11. "Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish; how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?" Ver. 13. "The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof." Isa. xxx. 4. "For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes." Zoan is the same with Tanis. By the Seventy interpreters, Noph is the same with Memphis, Hanes is the same with Tahapanes; Jer. ii. 16. and Tahapanes, where we read that Pharaoh had a house, Jer. xliii. 9. called in Ezekiel xxx. 18. Tehaphnehes, the same that was called Daphne by the Greeks. Soon after Isaiah's time, Noph, or Memphis, became the capital city. Ezek. xxx. 13. Wells's Sacred Geography, p. 8, 9. and p. 49, 50.
Psal. lxxxiv. 3. "Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars." The expletive even, which is not in the original, hurts the sense. "Thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God," seems to be a distinct sentence from the foregoing, and comes in as an ardent exclamation, expressing the longing of David's soul after God's altars, as is rather to be added to the foregoing verse, where the psalmist had said, "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God;" and then his thoughts of the birds having a nest, and so living distinguished from him, a poor exile, that was cast out of house and home, and had not where to lay his head, and was banished from God's house, which is the worst part of his banishment: this comes in, as it were, in a parenthesis, and then follows the exclamation, "Thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God!" Such an interpretation is exceedingly agreeable with the context, and the frame the psalmist was in.
Psalm xc. 10. Bedford's Scripture Chronology, p. 395. When God had positively declared that the Israelites should wander forty years in the wilderness, and that all of them except Joshua and Caleb should die there; and when he did thus cut short the age of man, to what it is at this time, then Moses penned a melancholy psalm, in which he tells us how they were consumed by God's anger for their impieties, and how man's age is come to seventy or eighty years, after which there is only labour and sorrow, instead of those hundreds that they lived before.
Here we may observe, that as sin at first brought death into the world, so sin did afterwards shorten the age of man before the flood: the patriarchs lived almost to a thousand years. But the sin which brought the flood, took away one half of man's age, so that they who were born afterwards never attained to the age of five hundred. At the confusion of Babylon it was shortened again in the same manner, so that none born after that time lived up to two hundred and fifty, as it is easy to observe by computing their ages. After the death of the patriarchs, when the true worship of God was very much declined in their families, and the rest of mankind were overrun with superstition and idolatry, the life of man was shortened again, so that we read of none born since, who exceeded a hundred and five and twenty; neither did the ages of men stand at that measure, but at the frequent murmurings and provokings of God in the wilderness, a third part more, or thereabouts, were cut off from the age of man, and the common limit of man's life was brought to seventy or eighty years, or thereabouts, or more particularly to eighty-three or eighty-four years which very few exceeded, and which Moses speaks of in the before-mentioned psalm, composed upon that occasion. And though the sins of mankind have been very great and universal since that time, yet the age of man's life has not been shortened any more, because a shorter space would hardly have been sufficient for the finding out and improvement of arts and sciences, as well as for other reasons.
Psalm xci. 11. "He will give his angels charge concerning thee, and they shall bear thee up in their hands, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." As a father gives the elder children charge concerning the younger, to lead them and bear them up, and keep them from falling.
Prov. iv. 23. "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." It is probable here is an allusion to the blood's issuing from the heart. The heart is the fountain of the blood, which is called the life. Gen. ix. 4. and other places. Solomon was so great a philosopher, that doubtless he understood that the heart was the fountain of the blood.
Prov. xxx. 27. "The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands." The following is taken from the Evening Post of January 4th, 1748. Extract of a letter from Transylvania, Aug. 23, concerning the locusts that had lately appeared there.
"These dreadful creatures with which we are afflicted, move in two columns; the first places they invaded were the territories of Bellegisch, and Banoize, where they passed the night; the next morning they directed their flight towards Peekska, Maradick, &c. And the day following towards Irriga, where they have ate the leaves, the grass, the cabbages, the melons and cucumbers, to the very roots. Yesterday they were in motion towards Schuliom, bending their flight manifestly towards Zealmo and the parts thereabouts. They continue in the air, or if one may use the expression, they march generally two hours and a half at a time. They form a close compact column about fifteen yards deep, in breadth about four musket shot, and in length near four leagues. They move with such force, or rather precipitation, that the air trembles to such a degree as to shake the leaves upon the trees. They darken the sky in such a manner, that when they passed over us, I could not see my people at twenty feet distance.
"P. S. At this instant we have notice that two swarms more are approaching, which after having settled in the neighbourhood of Warasch, have returned back by Nerraden and Iasack, making a prodigious buzz, or humming noise, as they passed." The same account is also in the Boston Gazette of January 26th, 1748.
Eccles i. 6. "The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about unto the north, it whirleth about continually, and the wind retuneth again according to his circuit." Whenever the wind blows from one quarter for a long time there must needs be a circulation in the atmosphere. When the wind blows from the north, there must at the same time be another wind from the south, or in some other place, otherwise long and strong winds would leave some regions empty of air, and it would mightily heap up in others. This I take to be what is meant in this place.
Eccles. ii. 16. "There is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool." Man's reason naturally expects a future reward, and that all the good, that good and wise men have of their labour, should not be confined to this short life.
Eccles. vi. 3. "So that the days of his years be many and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial. I say that an untimely birth is better than he." Have no burial, i. e. is one that God takes no care of in his death, does him no honour, takes no care of either soul or body, as having any value for, or care of, either, or any respect for their memory. For it is the wicked that the wise man is here speaking of, the same that is spoken of chap. viii. 12, 13. which is a place very parallel with this. And it will be further evident by comparing this and the following verse with chap. v. 13-17. Burial is the respect which friends show to the memory and remains of those that are dead. God will show no regard to any thing that remains of wicked men after death. God treats their souls when they die, and will treat their bodies at the resurrection, with contempt, as men treat the dead bodies of those creatures they have no honour or regard for, and are abominable to them, as are the carcasses of unclean beasts. Jer. xxii. 19. "He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem." And Isa. xiv. 19, 20. "But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with the sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet. Thou shalt be joined unto them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land." God takes care of the righteous when they die, he finds a repository of rest for their souls, and their dust is precious to him. As God buried Moses in the mount, they are gathered to their fathers and received into Abraham's bosom, but God treats the souls of the wicked when they die as men treat the dead, putrid carcass of an ass or a dog: they are cast forth out of the city of God's Jerusalem, and shall be for ever shut out thence.
Solomon's Song. The name by which Solomon calls this song, confirms me in it that it is more than an ordinary love song, and that it was designed for a divine song, and of divine authority; for we read, 1 Kings iv. 32. that Solomon's songs were a thousand and five; this he calls the Song of songs, that is, the most excellent of all his songs, which it seems very probable to me to be upon that account, because it was a song of the most excellent subject, treating of the love, union, and communion between Christ and his church; of which, marriage and conjugal love was but a shadow. These are the most excellent lovers, and their love the most excellent love.
Mr. Henry, in the introduction to his Exp. of this book, says, "It appears that this book was taken in a spiritual sense by the Jewish church, for whose use it was first composed, as appears by the Chaldee paraphrase, and the most ancient Jewish expositors." In the same place he says, "In our belief both of the divine extraction and spiritual exposition of this book, we are confirmed by the ancient, constant, and convincing testimony, both of the church of the Jews, to whom were committed the oracles of God, and who never made any doubt of the authority of this book, and of the Christian church, which happily succeeded them in that trust and honour."
The Book of Solomon's Song. The divinity of this song is confirmed from the allusions there seem to be in the New Testament to things herein contained; and particularly Christ, in John iv. 10, 14. speaking of a well of living water, seems to allude to the 15th verse of the 4th chapter. of this song, "a fountain of gardens, a well of living water." So in Eph. v. 18. there seems to be an eye to chap. v.1. of this song. See Notes on that passage in Ephesians.
It is one argument that the Book of Canticles is no common love song, that the bridegroom or lover there spoken of so often calls his beloved, "My sister, my spouse." This well agrees with Christ's relation to believers, who is become our brother and near kinsman by taking upon him our nature, and is our brother, and the son of our mother by his incarnation, as thereby he became a son of the church, and used the ordinances appointed in it, and so has sucked the breasts of our mother, and we are become his brothers also by the adoption of his Father. But this appellation would not well suit a common spouse among the Jews, who were so strictly forbidden to marry any that were near of kin to them, and particularly to marry a sister. Lev. xviii. 9. "The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or the daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover." It is neither likely that the Jews would marry such in Solomon's time, nor that it would be the custom to compare their spouses to such, especially that they would insist so much on such an appellation as though it was an amiable thing, and a thing to be thought of and mentioned with delight and pleasure, to have a spouse that was a sister, when God's law taught them to dread and abhor the thought of it.
The Book of Canticles. The following places in the Psalms are a confirmation that by her, whom the bridegroom in this book calls "My love," "My dove," "My sister," "My spouse," and the like, is meant the church, viz. Psal. xxii. 20. xxxv. 17. lx. 4, 5. cviii. 6. cxxvii. 2. lxxiv. 19.
The Book of Solomon's Song, no common love song, but a divine song, respecting the union between the Messiah and the church. It is an argument of it that such figures of speech are made use of from time to time in this song, as are elsewhere used concerning the Messiah and the church. Chap. i. 3. Grace is elsewhere compared to ointment. That, chap. i. 3, 4. Draw me, is parallel with Jer. xxxi. 3. There the Lord, speaking to the church of Israel, under the name of the virgin of Israel, says, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore, with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." Ver. 4. "The King hath brought me into his chambers;" and elsewhere the saints are represented as dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. Hos. xi. 4. "I draw them with the bands of love." Representing the bridegroom as a shepherd, and the spouse's children as kids and lambs, chap. i. 7, 8. is agreeable to frequent representations of the Messiah and the church in the Old Testament. The ornaments of the spouse are here represented as jewels and chains of silver and gold, chap. i. 10, 11. and iv. 1-9. Compare these with Ezek. xvi. 11, 12, 13. The excellencies both of bridegroom and bride are compared to spices, chap. i. 12, 13, 14. iv. 6, 10, 13, 14, 16. v. 5, 13. viii. 2. and ointment perfumed with spices, chap. i. 3. iv. 10. The same spices were made use of to represent spiritual excellencies in the incense, and anointing oil in the tabernacle and temple, and also in the oil for the light. Exod. xxx. 28. Chap. i. 16. "Our bed is green." This is agreeable to the figures of speech often used concerning the church. The comfort the spouse enjoyed in her bridegroom is compared to a shadow and the fruit of a tree. Chap. ii. 2. is agreeable to Isa. xxxv. 1,2. and lv. 13. and Hos. xiv. 5. Chap. ii. 3, 5. is agreeable to Prov. iii. 18. "She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is every one that retaineth her;" and viii. 19. "My fruit is better than gold." So the Messiah, in the prophecies, is often compared to a tree and branch. The comforts the bridegroom and bride have in each other, are in this book often compared to wine. Chap. i. 2. ii. 5. v. 1. So wine was made use of in the tabernacle and temple service to represent both the comforts the church has in Christ, and also the gracious exercises and good works of the saints offered to God. See also Proverbs ix.2. Isa. xxvii. 2. Hosea xiv. 7. Zech. ix. 15. and x. 7. The comforts the bridegroom and bride here enjoy mutually in each other are in the song compared to wine and milk, agreeable to Isa. lv. 1. and also to the honey and honeycomb, agreeable to the frequent representations made of spiritual comforts in the Scripture. The spouse here is represented feasting with the bridegroom. Chap. ii. 4. and v. 1. So the church of God is represented as feasting with him in the sacrifices and feasts appointed by Moses, and in the prophecies. Isa. xxv. 6. lv. at the beginning. God's saints are all spoken of as the priests of the Lord, Isa. lxi. 6. but the priests eat the bread of God. What the spouse entertains her lover with is called fruits, chap. iv. 16. vii. 13. viii. 2. as the good works of the saints abundantly are represented elsewhere as fruit which the church brings and offers to God. The spouse is here compared to fruitful trees, chap. iv. 13,. &c. vii. 7,8. The saints are compared to the same, Ps. i. 3. and Jer. xvii. 8. and Isa. xxvii. 6. and other places innumerable. The spouse is compared to a flourishing fruitful vine, chap. ii. 13. vii. 8. So is the church of God often compared to a vine. The spouse's excellency is compared to the smell of Lebanon, chap. iv. 11. So is the excellency of the church, Hos. xiv. 6, 7. "His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return, they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine, the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon." The fruits of the spouse are often compared to pomegranates in this song. Chap. iv. 3, 13. vi. 7. viii. 2. So the spiritual fruits of the church of God are represented by pomegranates in the tabernacle and temple. The spouse is in this song said to be like the palm-tree. Chap. vii. 7, 8. So was the church of Israel, whose representation were the seventy elders, typified by seventy palm-trees. Exod. xv. 27. So the temple was every where covered with cherubims and palm-trees, representing saints and angels. 1 Kings vi. 29, 32, 35. vii. 36. 2 Chron. iii. 5. So in Ezekiel's temple. Ezek. xl. 16. The spouse in this song is compared to a garden and orchard, to a garden of spices, and of aloes, in particular, ch. iv. 12, to the end,. and v. 1. and vi. 2. which is agreeable to the representations made of the church. Num. xxiv. 5, 6. "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel. As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign-aloes which the Lord hath planted, as the cedar-trees beside the waters." The spouse is compared to a fountain, chap. iv. 12,13. so is the church, Deut. xxxiii. 28. Ps. lxviii. 26. The twelve tribes of Israel are represented by twelve fountains of water. Exod. xv. 27. The spouse is called a fountain of gardens, chap. iv. 15. So the church of God is represented as a fountain in the midst of a land of corn and wine. Deut. xxxiii. 28. And a stream among all trees of unfading leaves, and living fruit. And as a watered garden, Isa. lviii. 11. Jer. xxxi. 12. The spouse is called a well of living waters, chap. iv. 15. The blessings granted to the church and by the church are represented by the same thing. Zech. xiv. 8. "Living waters shall go out of Jerusalem." So Ezek. xlvii. where we read of waters going out of the temple and city of Jerusalem that gave life to every thing, and flowed in the midst of the trees of life. Another thing that is a very great evidence that this song is mystical, and that the spouse signifies not a person but a society, and the church of God in particular, is that she is compared to a city, and the city of Jerusalem in particular. Chap. vi. 4. "Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem;" and that particular parts of the spouse are compared to buildings, and strong buildings, as towers and walls. Chap. iv. 4. "Thy neck is like the tower of David, builded for an armory whereon they hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men." Chap. vii. 4."Thy neck is like a tower of ivory Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon, which looketh towards Damascus." Chap. viii. 10. "I am a wall, and my breasts like towers." We find elsewhere people and societies of men represented by buildings, houses, and cities, but never particular persons. And the church of God is a society or people often represented in Scripture by such similitudes, and particularly is often compared to a city with strong towers and bulwarks, and to the city Jerusalem especially, and that on the account of her many fortifications and strong bulwarks.
Again, it greatly confirms that the spouse is a people, and the church of God in particular, that she is compared to an army, an army terrible with banners. Chap. vi. 4, 10. "And as a company of two armies, or the company of Mahanaim." So the church of God when brought out of Egypt through the wilderness to Canaan, was by God's direction in the form of an army with banners. So the psalms and prophecies often represent the church of God as going forth to battle, fighting under an ensign, and gloriously conquering their enemies, and conquering the nations of the world. And the company of Jacob, that was as it were the church of Israel, with the host of angels that met them and joined them, to assist them against Esau's host, was the company of Mahanaim, or company of two armies, so called by Jacob on that account, Gen. xxxii. at the beginning.
So it is a great evidence of the same thing, that the spouse is compared to war-horses, chap. i. 9,. &c. which it is not in the least likely would ever be a comparison used to represent the beauty of a bride in a common epithalamium or love song. But this is exactly agreeable to a representation elsewhere made of the church of God. Zech. x. 3. "The Lord of hosts hath visited his flock, the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle." And ver. 5. "And they shall be as mighty men which tread down their enemies, as the mire of the streets in the battle. And they shall fight because the Lord is with them." And ver. 7. "And they of Ephraim shall be like mighty men."
These expressions show this song to be mystical. Chap. i. "My mother's children were angry with me." If it is supposed to be used of the church, they are easily accounted for; they are agreeable to accounts in Scripture history of Cain's enmity against Abel, and Esau's against Jacob; and their posterities' enmity against Israel; and the prophecies that represent the future persecutions of the church, by false brethren.
Another thing that shows this to be no common love song, is that the spouse seeks company in her love to the bridegroom, endeavours to draw other women to join with her in loving him, and rejoices in their communion with her in the love and enjoyment of her beloved. Chap. i. 3, 4. "Therefore the VIRGINS love thee." "Draw me; WE will run after thee." "The king hath brought me into his chambers; WE will be glad and rejoice in thee." "WE will remember thy love more than wine." "THE UPRIGHT love thee." Chap. vi. 1,2. "Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women; whither is thy beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee? My beloved is gone down into his garden," &c. Chap. viii. 13. "Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice."
The bridegroom in this song speaks of his willing people, chap. vi. 12. which is agreeable to the language used concerning the people of the Messiah. Ps. cx. 2. (See Psalm xlv. No. 507.)
Cant. i..5. "As the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon." Kedar was a place where shepherds used to seat their tents and feed their flocks, a noted place for shepherds, as you may see, Isa. lx. 7. "All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered unto thee." And Jer. xlix. 28, 29. Concerning Kedar "Their tents and their flocks they shall take to themselves their curtains." The people of Kedar it seems used to dwell in tents, in movable habitations, and lived by feeding of sheep; and therefore the church is very likely represented by these, and it is agreeable to many other representations in Scripture, where God's people are called his sheep, his flock, and Christ and his ministers shepherds, and the church is also compared to a tabernacle or tents: it is fitly compared to movable tents, for here we are pilgrims and strangers, and have no abiding place; these are the shepherds' tents referred to in the 8th verse.
Cant. i. 5. "As the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon." That the spouse in this song is compared to a tent, and to the curtains of the tabernacle and temple, is an evidence that this song is no ordinary love song, and that by the spouse is not meant any particular woman, but a society, even that holy society, the church of God. It is common in the writings of the Old Testament to represent the church of God by a tent, or tents, and a house and temple, but never a particular person. See Isa. liv. 2. Zech. xii. 7. Isa. xxxiii. 20. Lam. ii. 4, 6. Isa. i. 8. And the tabernacle and temple were known types of the church, and the curtains of both had palm-trees embroidered on them, which are abundantly made use of to represent the church. The church of God is called a house, in places too many to be mentioned. The church used to be called the temple of the Lord, as appears by Jer. vii. 4. The church is represented by the temple, as is evident by Zech. iv. 2-9.
Eccles. i. 9. "The thing that hath been is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done, and there is no new thing under the sun," &c. It appears by the connexion of these words with what went before, that the design of the wise man is here to signify that the world, though it be so full of labour, mankind, from generation to generation, so constantly, laboriously, unweariedly pursuing after happiness and satisfaction, on some perfect good wherein they may rest; yet they never obtain it, nor make any progress towards it. Particular persons while they live, though they spend their whole lives in pursuit, do but go round and round, and never obtain that satisfying good they seek after. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing," ver. 8. And as one generation passeth away, and another comes, (v. 4.) the successive generations constantly labouring and pursuing after some good wherein satisfaction and rest may be obtained, not being discouraged by the disappointment of former generations, yet they make no progress, they attain to nothing new beyond their forefathers, they only go round in the same circle, as the sun restlessly repeats the same course that it used to do in former ages, and as the wind and water after their running and flowing have got no further than they were formerly; for to the place from whence they came, they constantly return again; and as the sea is no fuller now than it used to be in former ages, though the rivers have all the while with constant and indefatigable labour and continual expense of their waters, been striving to fill it up. That which goes round in a link let it continue moving never so swiftly, and never so long, makes no progress, comes to nothing new.
"I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up nor awake my love till he please." In the 2d verse of this chapter. is represented the church in her state of persecution; in the 3d, 4th, 5th, and 6th. verses is represented the comforts and supports Christ gives her in this state of hers; in this verse is represented her duty in patience, meekness, and love to her enemies, and humble and patient waiting for Christ's deliverance, in Christ's trial while she is in this state of suffering. In the five following verses is represented Christ's coming to her deliverance, to put an end to the suffering state of the church, and introduce its prosperous and glorious day. In this 7th verse, it is strictly charged upon all professing Christians, that they should not stir up nor awake Christ till he please, i. e. that they should not take any indirect courses for their own deliverance while the church is in her afflicted state, and Christ seems to neglect her, as though he were asleep, but that they should patiently wait on him till his time should come, when he would awake for the deliverance of his church. He that believeth, shall not make haste. They that take indirect courses to hasten their own deliverance, by rising up against authority, and resisting their persecutors, are guilty of tempting Christ, and not waiting till his time comes, but going about to stir him up, and force deliverance before his own time. They are charged by the roes and hinds of the field, who are of a gentle and harmless nature, and not beasts of prey, do not devour one another do not fight with their enemies, but fly from them, and are of a pleasant loving nature, Prov. v. 19. So Christians should flee when persecuted, and should not be of a fierce nature, to resist and fight, but should be of a gentle and loving nature, and wait for Christ's awaking.
The same thing is represented in the 3rd chap. ver. 5. There as that chap. in the 1st verse, is represented the fruitless seeking of the church in her slothful, slumbering, dark state that precedes the glorious day of the Christian church, and then is represented her seeking him more earnestly when more awakened, ver. 2. and then the introduction of her state of light and comfort by that extraordinary preaching of the word of God, which will be by the ministers of the gospel, and then, in the 5th verse, is the church to wait patiently for Christ's appearance, without using undue indirect means to obtain comfort before his time comes. And then in the following verses is more fully represented the happy state of the church after Christ has awaked and come out of the wilderness where he had hid himself. The like change we have again, chap. viii. 4. which in a like sense also agrees well with the context.
Cant. ii. 14. "O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice." There is probably respect here to the rock of mount Zion, on which Solomon's house was built, or of the mountain of the temple, and to the stairs by which they ascended that high rock, to go up to Solomon's palace. See Neh. iii. 15. and xii. 37. or the stairs by which they ascended through the narrow courts into the temple; it comes much to the same thing, whether we suppose the rocks and stairs referred to, to be of the mountain of Solomon's palace or temple, for both were typical of the same thing, and both mountains seemed to have been called by the same name, mount Zion. The church, in her low state, before that glorious spring spoken of in the foregoing verses, is not admitted to such high privileges, and such nearness to God, and intimacy with him, as she shall be afterwards, is kept at a greater distance not only by God's providence, but through her own darkness and unbelief, and remains of a legal spirit, whereby she falls more under the terrors of God's majesty manifested at mount Sinai under that legal dispensation through which Moses, when God passed by, hid himself in the clefts of the rock. Her love to the spiritual Solomon causes her to remain near his house, about the mountain on which his palace stands, watching at his gates, and waiting at the posts of his doors, and by the stairs by which he ascends to his house, but yet hides herself as if ashamed, and afraid, and unworthy to appear before him, like the woman that came behind Christ to touch the hem of his garment. She has not yet obtained that glorious privilege spoken of, Psal. xlv. 14, 15. and Rev. six. 7, 8. which she shall be admitted to in the glorious day approaching, when she shall enter into the king's palace. She remains now waiting at the foot of the stairs that go up to the house, as Jacob lay at the foot of the ladder, at the place of which he said, This is the house of God, this is the gate of heaven, and there she hides herself in the secret places of the stairs, but then she shall be made joyfully to ascend, and with boldness and open face to go to the king in his palace.
Cant. iv. 3. "Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet." There is probably a special respect to the speech of the saints in prayer, which is dyed in the blood of Christ, and by this means becomes pleasant and acceptable, and of an attractive influence, like a scarlet cord to draw down blessings. The prayers of saints are lovely and prevalent only through the incense of Christ's merits.
Cant. iv. 3. "Thy neck is like the tower of David, builded for an armory, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men." This probably represents faith, for it is that by which the church is united to her head. For Christ is her head; or if we look at ministers as a subordinate head, yet they are so no otherwise than as they represent Christ, and act as his ministers, and the same that is the union of believers to Christ in their union to ministers, and in receiving them they receive him. It is by the same faith whereby they receive Christ, and obey his word, that they receive and obey the instructions of ministers, for their instructions are no other than the word of Christ by them. Faith is the church's life, and strength, and constant support, and supply, as the neck is to the body. Faith is the church's shield; Eph. vi. 16.; it is the church's armory furnishing her with shields, because it provides them out of Christ's fulness which is contained in the promises.
Cant. iv. 5. "Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies." Like two young roes, i. e. fair, loving, and pleasant. See Prov. v. 19. Roes which feed among the lilies, not in a wilderness, but in a good pasture, or a pleasant garden, fair and flourishing. And by their being the white unspotted lilies for their nourishment, may also represent her chastity and purity, that her breasts are not defiled by an impure love. By the church's breasts are meant means of grace; see Cant. viii. 1, 8. Isa. lxvi. 11. 1 Peter ii. 2. These two breasts may signify the same with the two olive-trees, with the golden pipes emptying the golden oil out of themselves, and the two anointed ones, Zech. iv. 3, 11, 12, 14. and the two witnesses in Revelation, the two testaments, and two sacraments; another thing meant is love, the two breasts are love to God and love to men.
Solomon's Song, iv. 8. "Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, come with me from Lebanon, look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards." This call and invitation of Jesus Christ may be looked upon as directed either to her that is already actually the spouse of Christ, or her that is called and invited to be his spouse, that is, already his spouse no otherwise than in his gracious election. So the Gentiles are called a sister in the last chapter of this song, even before they were in a church estate, before she had any breasts. So in the 43d of Isaiah., where respect is had to the calling of the Gentiles, God calls those his sons and daughters, that were so as yet only in his decree of election. Ver. 6. "I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth."
Lebanon, Amana, Shenir, and Hermon, were certain noted mountains in the wilderness, in the confines of the land of Canaan, that were wild and uninhabited. Hence the wonderful work of God in turning barbarous and heathenish countries to Christianity, is compared to the turning such a wild forest as Lebanon into a fruitful field. Isa. xxix. 17. "Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?" They were mountains that were haunts of wild beasts, and probably some of them at least very much frequented by lions and leopards, those most fierce and terrible of wild beasts; they were places where lions had their dens, and either these or some other noted mountains in the wilderness, were so frequented by leopards, that they were called the mountains of the leopards. It is from such places as these that the spouse, or she that is invited to be the spouse, is invited to look to Jesus Christ, where she was without the limits of the pleasant land of Canaan, wandering and lost in a howling wilderness, where she was in continual danger of being devoured and falling a prey to those terrible creatures. Christ graciously calls and invites her to look to him from the tops of these desolate mountains towards the land of Canaan, and towards the holy city Jerusalem, where he dwelt, though far off; yea, to come with him; for Christ is come into this wilderness to seek and to save her that is lost, to come and leave those horrid places, and come and dwell with him in the pleasant land, yea, in the city Jerusalem, that is the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth. Yea, though the lions had actually seized her, and carried her into their dens, there to be a feast for them, yet Christ calls and encourages her to look to him from the lions' dens.
David represents his praying to God in a state of exile and in distressing circumstances, by his remembering God from the land of the Hermonites. Psal.xlii.6. Christ saves souls out of the dens of lions, as he did Daniel, and out of the mouths of wild beasts, as David did the lamb from the mouth of the lion and the bear. He invites sinners that are naturally under the dominion of Satan, that roaring lion that goes about seeking whom he may devour; and invites saints under the greatest darkness, and distresses, and temptations, and buffetings of Satan, to look to him.
Cant. iv. 9. "Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck." What that one chain of the spouse's neck is, that does so peculiarly ravish the heart of Christ, we may learn by Psal. xlv. 10, 11. "Forget thine own people, and thy Father's house; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty." The thing here recommended to the spouse, in order to the king's greatly desiring or being ravished with her beauty, is poverty of spirit. That this peculiarly delights and attracts the heart of Christ, is agreeable to many scriptures. 1 Peter iii. 2, 3. "Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and wearing of gold, and putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." This is in a peculiar manner a sweet savour to God. Psal. li. 17. This in a peculiar manner draws the eye of God, Isa. lx. 2. and attracts his presence. Isa. lvii. 15. Psal. xxxiv. 18. Or perhaps it may be the eye of faith that includes poverty of spirit and love. These graces being exercised in faith, are peculiarly acceptable; faith derives beauty from Christ's righteousness, by which all mixture of deformity is hid.
Cant. v. 14. "His belly is as bright ivory, overlaid with sapphires." The word is the same in the original, which in ver. 4. is rendered bowels, and wherever it is attributed to God, it denotes affection, and is rendered bowels, as Isa. lxiii. 15. Jer. xxxi. 20. his affection is said to be like bright ivory overlaid with sapphires, representing the justice and mercy which are both so perfectly exercised, and manifested in him, in the work of redemption. The bright or pure white ivory, represents his perfect justice. Solomon's throne of justice was ivory, which substance was chosen to be the matter of his throne in all probability, because it fitly represented justice; as the throne of Christ at the day of judgment, Rev. xx. is represented as a great white throne. His belly was overlaid with sapphires, being a precious stone of a beautiful azure or sky blue, the softest of all the colours, to represent mercy. Thus the throne of God had the appearance of sapphire, Ezek. i. 26. to signify that he sat on a throne of grace.
Cant. vi. 13. "What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies," or, "the company of Mahanaim." The two armies that are the company of Mahanaim are the church of God in earth and in heaven; the company of Jacob and the company of the angels, see Gen. xxxii. 2.; or the church militant and the church triumphant, for both these armies make one spouse of Jesus Christ.
Cant. vii. 1. "How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter!" This is to signify the amiableness of her conversation, and that her conversation is not naturally amiable, but that this beauty of conversation is put upon her. And another thing implied is, that she was prepared for travel, as the people in Egypt were to have their shoes on their feet. Exod. xii. 11. So the apostle directs that Christians should have their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, Eph. vi. 15. i. e. a preparation for travel according to the gospel, and by the gospel of peace.
To the same scope is what follows "The joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hand of a cunning workman.1 " The joints, the knees, and hips, are especially the seat and means of motion in walking. When it is said, The joints of thy thighs are the work of a cunning workman, this may be explained by that of the apostle, Eph. i. 10. "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath fore-ordained that they should walk in them." The whole body of the church is fitly joined together by joints and bands; the joints are kept firm, and fit for their proper motion and operation by mutual charity, holy love and union, and communion of saints.
Cant. vii. 2. "Thy navel is like a round goblet; which wanteth not liquor." The navel, according to the ancient notions they had of things, was the seat of health. Prov. iii. 8. "It shall be health to thy navel." Job xl. 16. "His force is in the navel of his belly." So that the thing which is here most probably represented is the spiritual health of the church: her navel is compared to a goblet which wanteth not liquor, i. e. full of wine, that enlivening, invigorating liquor. The word signifies mixture or temperament, or wine mixed or tempered; that is, wine that is so prepared as to make it the most agreeable and wholesome; (see Prov. xxiii. 30. and ix. 2.;) probably the same may be meant that is called spiced wine, in chap. viii. 2.
Cant. vii. 4. "Thine eyes are like the fish-pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim." It seems there were two or more noted fish-pools near to the city of Heshbon, the chief city in the country of Moab, by one of the gates of that city, called the gate of Bath-rabbim, i. e. the gate of the house of the multitude, probably so called because at that gate was a house for the resort of the multitudes that resorted to these pools for the sake of the water of that pool, and fish which were caught there, and to wash themselves there; and perhaps these pools might be remarkable for the clearness of the water, and their fitness to exhibit a true and distinct image of the multitudes that resorted thither, wherein men might see themselves as they were, and might see the spots and filth which they would wash off, and wherein was a true representation of other things. So that the thing signified by the eyes of the spouse may be the spiritual knowledge and understanding of the church, by which she has a true knowledge of herself and her own pollutions, and also a true representation or idea of other things. And also hereby may be signified the benevolence and bountifulness of the eyes of a true saint, so that they as it were yield meat and drink to a multitude, as it is probable these fish-pools did. Prov. xxii. 9.
Cant. vii. 4. "Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon, which looketh towards Damascus." The tower of Lebanon, looking towards Damascus, was probably some tower built in Lebanon, on the frontier next to the kingdom of Damascus, to watch over that country, and for the defence of Israel from its inhabitants. By the account which history gives of Damascus, it was a magnificent city, and an exceeding pleasant, delightful place, like a mere garden of pleasure, and therefore, it is called the city of praise and joy, Jer. xl. 25. and in Amos i. 2. is called Beth-Eden, or the house of Eden. Men of carnal minds would prefer the land to the land of Israel, that God calls the pleasant land, and the glory of all lands. Naaman, the Syrian, contemned the waters of Israel in comparison of Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus. And it seems their religion and worship was exceedingly pompous, tending much to please a vain carnal mind that savours the things of men more than the things of God. King Ahaz was greatly taken up with the curious fashion and workmanship of the altar he saw there, and he sent to Urijah the priest a pattern of it, that he might make one like it in the courts of God's house, and chose rather to offer his sacrifice on this new altar than on the altar of the Lord. 2 Kings xvi. 10,. &c.
The nose is the organ of smelling; therefore here the church is commended for her spiritual scent, which was a good defence to her from corrupt doctrine, and false ways of worship of men's invention, however specious and fair, and tending much more to please a carnal taste than the true religion of Jesus Christ.
Pomp and magnificence, and the curious inventions of men, and the things which men's wisdom teaches, please men of corrupt minds; but a true saint, through a spiritual taste or scent, nauseates those things, and is defended from them. This spiritual scent is the best defence from those things that would corrupt her mind from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Cant. vii. 5. "Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, (or crimson, as it is in the margin,) and the hair of thine head like purple." If by head here be understood the eldership of the church; then her head is compared to Carmel, probably because Carmel was a very fruitful hill, and a high hill, whose fruits were seen at a distance, as Christ compares his disciples to a city set on a hill, whose works could not be hid. (See Note on chap. iv. 1.) The hair is the fruit of the head, and may represent both the doctrine and conversation of faithful ministers, who know nothing, and savour of nothing either in their doctrine or life, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified, and so their preaching and walk is, as it were, coloured with his blood. And this also may be signified by it, that the holy doctrine and conversation of ministers are a princely ornament to them, purple being the colour of the robes of princes.