An exposition on the whole booke of Solomons song,: commonly called the canticles. Wherein the text is explained and usefull observations raised thereupon. / By John Robotham, preacher of the gospel.

At Noone.

This is meant of the heat of the day, the mid-day is called Zeharajim, and it is put in the duall number, be∣cause it divideth the day into two equall parts, and con∣taineth

a part of the forenoon, and a part of the after∣noone; the medium or middle part is a distance or space between both, when the Sun is come to the Me∣ridionall point; by which means it sendeth forth a most scorching and burning heat. Now this must needs be meant of the scorching and burning heat of Persecution, tribulation, and affliction, which is figu∣red out by the heat of the Sun, in Mat. 13. 6. 21. This being an unseparable companion with the Gospell, as appears, Tim. 3. 12. Shee desires to rest under the shad∣dow of Christ's wings, where shee may enjoy rest and peace, when the Sun of persecution is at the highest, e∣ven at noon-day, when the scorching beams thereof, doe cast the greatest heat and extremity.

Now from the matter of the Churches request unto Christ, Observe,

First, That Christ is a most compleat spirituall Shepheard, feeding, guiding, governing, and directing his flocke. The Scripture doth often ascribe the title of Shepheard unto God, and unto Christ, as in Psal. 80. 2. Heare O Shepheard of Israel. And Christ is the Shepheard of our souls, 1 Pet. 2. 25. And saith he, I am the good Shepheard, John 10. 11. Christ hath all the properties of a good Shepheard, and they are such as these.

First, a good Shepheard is carefull to feed his Flock: so is Christ as carefull, and much more then any earth∣ly Shepheard can be to feed his people. The Lord is my Shepheard or feeder, saith David, and what is the effect? Why saith he, I shall not want: he will feed me plenti∣fully and abundantly, so that I shall want nothing. So in Isa. 40. 11. He shall feed his Flock like a Shepheard. Christ doth excellently feed his flock.

First, Plentifully, with abundance, with the great∣est

variety of all good things: thus the Lord did pro∣mise to feed his people in Ezek. 34. 14. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high Mountaines of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the Mountaines of Israel. There is a redundancy and an overflowing good in Christ, so that when he gives any good thing he gives abundance of it; if he give life, peace, joy, or any re∣freshment, he doth not give a scanty measure of it: but he filleth the empty soule with good things: Christ is both able and willing to doe for us, far more abundant∣ly then we are able to aske or thinke, Ephes. 3. 20.

Secondly, Christ doth not onely feed his people with plenty, but also with the choicest food, he doth extract the very quintiscence of all good things for them. He makes a feast of fat things, and the marrow of fatnesse, and Wine on the Lees well refined, Isa. 25. 6. For such preserveth the strength, and doth most of all re∣fresh nature: So Christs comforts are the best comforts, his joy the best joy, his peace the best peace, his Spirit the best Spirit: Christ doth not feed his people with course diet, but with the best and the most daintiest of heavenly food.

Thirdly, Christ feeds his people with the most suit∣able food; he feeds them according to their appetites and desires, according to their necessity or need: he hath strong meat for strong men, and milke for Babes, he answereth all our wants, and that with the greatest sufficiency; he is made unto us Wisdome in respect of our folly, righteousnesse and sanctification in respect of our guilt and pollution, Redemption in respect of our mise∣ry and bondage. Hence it is, David saith, I shall not want: so long as the Lord is my feeder, I shall not want

any thing that is good or suitable for me. As earthly appetites are satisfied with earthly food, so are the heavenly appetites of the Saints filled by Christ of all heavenly food: for of the like nature as the appetite is, must the food be; earthly food will satisfie a natu∣rall appetite, and heavenly food will satisfie the hea∣venly appetite, and no other: now Christ feeds the heavenly appetites of his Saints with that heavenly Mannah, that bread which came downe from heaven; and gives them to drink of the waters of his heavenly Sanctuary, which flows from him, as from the Spring of living waters, feeding and refreshing their spirituall desires and longings, with heavenly food.

Fourthly, Christ feeds his people even to saturation (as I may say) he gives them a full meal of his spirituall dainties; according to this is the charge in Song 5. 1. Drinke abundantly, O my friends: the more they drink, the more wellcome they are; they may be drunken and never the worse, neither any way distempered by it, but the more they drinke, the more earnest are their desires after it, as being satisfied and yet never satisfied, they are satisfied in the injoyment of it, but they think they never have enough of it. Hence it is that Christ saith in John 4. 13. VVhosoever drinks of the water that I shll give him shall never thirst more. That is, he shall ne∣ver thirst with an inordinate thirst after sin, or earthly things, his lustfull desires are quenched with this spiri∣tuall water: but (saith Christ) The water that I shall give him, shll be in him a well of water, springing up unto overla∣sting life. That is, this spirituall water shall not onely refresh and comfort the weary soule whereby it is satis∣fied in the presence of Christ, but it shall as the water of the Sanctury, abound and increase more and more;

it shall increase with all the increasings of God. Thus Christ as an everlasting Spring of living waters, will continually issue out his streams into the hearts of his people, whereby they shall be fed unto the full. Thus Christ as a good Shepheard feeds his flock.

Secondly, Christ (as a good Shepheard) doth rest and refresh his people: hence the Church doth here desire to know the place of his rest, of his lying downe, that so he might not onely feed her, but (as it were) refresh her after meat. Christ doth refresh, and make his people to rest by his presence, by his Spirit, by his promise, and by his power and strength, making them sit securely under his protection. The Prophet David bringeth in this refreshing as a thing which the Lord added to his feeding, Psal. 23. 5. Thou hast prepared my Table, &c. And thou hast anointed my head with Oile. That is, thou doest not onely feed me abundantly in supply∣ing me with all good things, but thou anointest my head with Oile, or thou makest fat my head with Oile, towit, by powring it forth upon me: wherein the Prophet allu∣deth to those hot countries, because it was a use among them to wellcome and cheare their guests with pow∣ring out precious sweet Oils upon their heads. And this is that which the Lord promises to his flock, besides the feeding of them, I will cause them to lye downe, saith the Lord, Ezek. 34. 15. That is, I will refresh and com∣fort them, I will give them rest and peace, whereby their hearts shall be comforted.

Againe, Christ will not onely cause his people to lye downe and rest, and to take their repast, but he will cause them to lye downe at noou-day: namely, in the greatest heat of persecution. Hence David concludeth, Though I walke in the valley of the shaddow of death. That

is, though I walke in the midst of temptations and troubles, where is nothing but fears and misery, Yet (saith he) I will feare none ill, But why? Because thou with thy thy Rod and Staffe doest comfort me. That is, if I goe out of the way, and so fall into great danger, thou wilt sweetly bring me home and secure me. it is o∣therwise with the hireling. For (saith Christ) when he seeth the Wolfe comming, he leaveth the sheep and fleeth, and the Wolfe catcheth them, and scattereth them, John 10. 12. Hirelings and false Shepheards will not stand by their flocks in imminent dangers: but Christ will save and protect his flock in the midst of fears and dangers: and by the rod of his power he will governe, rule, and protect his people in the greatest extremities.

Thirdly, Christ doth lead, guid, and direct his flock, so saith David, he like a good Shepheard leadeth me be∣side the still waters, or the waters of rest, Psal. 23. 2. That is, he doth comfortably guide me to those calm waters, such as give rest and refreshing: and in Vers. 3. He re∣turneth my soule that was going astray and wandring from him. And he leadeth me in the paths of righteous∣nesse: he sweetly guideth me in holy paths, but not for any merrit in me, but for his name sake. And in Psal. 80. 2. Thou leadest Joseph like a flocke. And the Lord is said to lead his people in the Wildernesse like a flocke, by the hand of Moses and of Aaron, Psal. 77. 20. That is, thou didst lead them through the red Sea, and through the Wildernesse by the hand of Moses, even as a Nurse leadeth her Child by the hand, because of it's weak∣nesse; so thou leadst them with all tendernesse and le∣nity, with all meeknesse and gentlenesse. And so the word Lead in the forenamed place, Psal. 23. 2. signifieth an easie soft, gentle leading, with sustaining of infirmity,

as when a Mother leads her Child. Thus Jacob is said to drive his Cattle softly least they should over-heat them, Gen. 33. 14. Hence we may note

Fourthly, that Christ doth tenderly beare and com∣passionate his flock, and he doth restore and make up that which is broken or defective. So the Lord saith in Ezek. 34. 14. I will bind up that which is broken, and strengthen that which is sick. And so in Isa. 4. 10. He will not onely feed his flocke like a Shepheard, but he will gather the Lambs with his armes, and carry them in his bo∣some. He hath a tender care over them, that those weak Christians, who as Lambs are unable to walke by them∣selves, he will carry them (as it were) in his bosome, and in his armes, that none of them might be lost or pe∣rish. And in that he saith he will carry them in his bo∣some; he alludeth to the custome of the High-priest under the Law, who was to bear the names of the Chil∣dren of Israel in his Pectorall or Brest-plate upon his heart, which was to figure out unto us, the tender love and pity that Christ bears unto his people, comforting the comfortlesse, restoring such as are out of joynt, so that all is mercy, love and sweetnesse that comes from Christ. Full to this purpose is that in Isa. 63. 9. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the Angell of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. The place may be read interrogatively, thus, Was he not af∣flicted? &c. That is, did he not take to heart the wrongs done to his people in Aegypt? Was not Christ, the An∣gell of Gods presence their Saviour and Conductour? Did he not beare them, as a tender Mother doth her young Child? Did he not carry them as the Eagle doth her brood, with such care that shee her selfe may not hurt them,

and at such a height as others may not reach them to doe them any wrong?

Now in that the Church doth introduce Christ as a Shepheard, and her self as Sheep, it holds forth unto us these Observations.

First, That those Sheep of Christ are apt to goe astray and wander from Christ. As Moses, David, Solomon, Peter: all these had their straglings from Christ: So far as we are led by the flesh we are as Sheep going astray.

Secondly, The Saints desire therefore to be directed by Christ, and are willing to submit themselves to be ordered by him. It is from Christ the Saints desire to have direction.

First, for that sweet and heavenly food of their souls; for the Saints know there is but one true Shepheard, and therefore they seek after him alone, expecting no wholsome food unlesse it come from Christ.

Secondly, the Saints doe not onely desire the food of Christ, rejecting all the doctrines of men; but also to be refreshed by him in the hottest Persecutions. It was the manner of the Shepheards in those hot Countries to drive their Sheep in the heat of the day unto a place of shaddow where they might lye downe and refresh themselves in the time of the parching heat. So the sum of the Churches desire is, that Christ would refresh and comfort her in the hottest calamities and persecuti∣ons, even when Tyrants doe rage, and when all the World is in a flame; that then shee might lie down and refresh her selfe under his shaddow and protection. Hence it is that the Saints rejoyce in tribulations and afflictions, Rom. 5. 3. And when they have trouble in the world they have peace in Christ, John 16. 33. So that the Church is not solicitous how to shun or avoid trouble, but onely shee desires to flie unto Christ, that

he may refresh her, and cause her to lye downe in peace, even in the midst of extreame dangers.

Thirdly, the Saints desire not onely to be fed and to be refreshed by Christ; but also to rest and feed with the flock of Christ. So the Church here desires to know where Christ feedeth, and where he maketh his flock to rest. Saints desire to feed with Saints, and to lie down with Saints, and to have communion onely with Saints, they desire that the precious may be seperated from the vile, Jer. 5. 19. and that their feeding may not be with ravenous VVolves and Tigers, but with the harmlesse, innocent, and peaceable Lambs of Christ.

Fourthly, the Saints desire such food & such refreshing as is heavenly and divine; they looke above the crea∣ture, and above themselves, and depend upon Christ for heauenly food, and for spirituall rest, knowing that nothing can secure them but a divine protection: all the shelters and poops that the creature can afford us are but like Jonah's Gowrd, or some such poor shaddow, that cannot shelter us in a fiery storme of persecution. VVe may obtaine rest and quietnesse under Christs shaddow in evill times, but not under any shaddows of our owne.

Now followeth the Churches Reason.

Notes

• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Lucere Ʋnde. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Merid es. quia diem in duas partes aequas divi∣dit & gemi∣nae'ucis, anse∣meridanae & vespertinoe, medium est interstiti∣um & ter∣minus. Buxt. in Lex.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Saginatus, pinguefa∣ctus fuit
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 In Hiph. dux•• dedux∣it, commodé & leniter: Buxt. in Lex.