An exposition of the Song of Solomon: called Canticles Together with profitable obseruations, collected out of the same. Perused and published by William Gouge, preacher of Gods Word in Black-Friers, London.

To the Christian Reader.

A Great priuiledge it is, that the Lord hath committed vnto vs his diuine Oracles:* 1.1 but vnto those, to whom the tongue wherein they were written is strange and vn∣knowne, or the mysteries themselues obscure and hard to be vnderstood, what is the benefit of that fauour, if the language be not interpreted, and the mysteries opened? shall not these Oracles be as the words of a sealed booke?* 1.2 It is needfull that as the letter of the Scripture bee interpreted, so the mystery thereof vnfolded. Euery booke of holie writ requireth a faithfull and learned interpre∣ter: but some more then other: among and aboue those some, this Song of Solomon: and that in regard of the excellency, and of the difficultie there∣of. Two things commend the excellency of it: First, the Author; Secondly, the matter. The principall Author is the same that by inspirati∣on

gaue the whole Scripture:* 1.3 the immediate Pen-man of it was a King,* 1.4 the most wise and lear∣ned King that euer was. The matter is concer∣ning b 1.5 a blessed, & sweet coniunction between Christ & his Church, one of the most comforta∣ble mysteries of our Christian faith. Two things also argue the difficultie of it. 1. The very phrase and stile, which being poeticall is the more obscure. 2. The manie Rhetoricall allegories, and hyper∣bolicall metaphors which are hard to be vnder∣stood and rightly applied. The c 1.6 title of this Booke pointeth out all these points. 1 Plainely it is sayd to be Solomons. 2 A Song is a kinde of Poe∣sie, and Poesies are commonly adorned with alle∣gories and figures. 3. For the d 1.7 excellency of it, it is termed a Song of Songs. i. a Song that sur∣passeth all other songs. e 1.8 The Iewes (to whom the Oracles of God were first committed) ter∣med all the bookes of the Scripture holy: but this the holy of holies: whereby they intimated the excellencie of it. f 1.9 They permitted none to read it alone till he were thirty yeere olde: whereby they implied the difficultie of it. Is it so difficult? sure∣ly it needeth a learned interpreter. Is it so ex∣cellent?

Surely it deserueth the best paines of a faithfull interpreter. Heerein therefore (good Reader) thou art much beholding to the learned Author of this booke, who hath taken so good pains in expounding this rare Song. Such is the Au∣thor, such the worke, that neither father nor child need to bee ashamed of one another. The Author is a man of great place and note in the Common∣wealth; his humility will not suffer him to haue his name made known. Though by profession he be not a Diuine; yet in knowledge of those learned tongues wherein the Scriptures were written, and in vn∣derstanding of the mysteries contained in them, he is a very deep & profound Diuine. The many lear∣ned treatises which he hath made, some in Hebrew, other in English some heretofore published, other still lying by him, are euidences of more then I haue sayd. As for this present Treatise, I obserue sixe worthie points in it to commend it vnto thee. 1. A true interpretation of the Hebrew text. 2. A sound exposition of the sense and meaning of the words. 3. A fit application of the Metaphors, and allegories. 4. A fruitfull collection of doctrines, and obseruations. 5. Perspicuit••e. 6. Breuitie.

These two last seldome meet together;* 1.10 for some, la∣bouring to be briefe, are obscure; other, labouring to be perspicuous, are taedious: when they meete together they are admirable helpes to vnderstan∣ding, memory, affection and all. Thus I haue shewed thee (Christian Reader) that this Song of Songs is worthie to bee expounded; yea that necessarie it is, it should bee expounded: that the Author of this worke is well able to performe so weightie a worke; and that he hath taken good paines in per∣forming it. Do thou vse his paines for thine owne good. If thou aske me why I meddle so farre in it, as to publish it, I answere, For thy good; had it not been for me, thou haddest not seene it: for it should seem that the Author long since wrot it, and let it lie in his studie, not minding to publish it, I being of late with him about other businesse, espied it: and reading it desired him to publish it: he vt∣terlie denied me. I then intreated him to bestowe it on me; he gaue it me. Thus it was mine. But should I keepe such a pearle of so good vse to all that will vse it, close and secret to my selfe? Then might I iustly be censured, as enuious of thy good. I enuie it not: I would I could doe thee more good;

thou shouldest be sure to pertake thereof. But that, while I seeke to auoide the blame of Enuie, I may not seeme ambitious, know that in this whole worke there is nothing of mine, but all is the Authors own. Hee hath also by him, a like Exposition of the Prophesie of Hosea; and other treatises: I hope to preuaile with him for the publishing of them, when ••e shall see the fruit of these his labours. The re∣compence which I desire is, that thou helpe both the Author of this booke, and the Publisher thereof with thy prayers to God.

Thine in the Lord, VVILLIAM GOVGE.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rom. 3: 1. ••
• * 1.2

  Read Isa. 29: 11, 12.
• * 1.3

  ••. Tim. 3. 16
• * 1.4

  1. King. 4. 29. 30, &c.
• b 1.5

  Reade this Exposition Chap. 1. Ver. 1.
• c 1.6

  A Song of Songs which is Solomons.
• d 1.7

  Bern. pro sui excellentia hoc carmen merito Canti∣ca canticorum appellatur si∣cut is quoque cui canitur Rex Regum.
• e 1.8

  In Midr. Rom. 3. 2
• f 1.9

  Hier. in pro∣aem: in Ezech. nisi quis apud ••os aetatem sacerdotalis ministerij .i. trigefimum annum imple∣uerit, Canticū canticorum legere non permittitur.
• * 1.10

  Hor. - breu••s esse laboro Obscurus fio.