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.

O my Love.

The word regneh, translated love, signifies a companion, a familiar, a fellow-friend: it hath it's name in Hebrew, * 1.1 of feeding together; and so generally of society, friend∣ship, and neighbour-hood; of conversing together, and so pertaking of each others good or evill.

This title Christ giveth to his Church often in this song, in vers. 15. and Chap. 2. 2. 10. 13. and Chap. 4. 1. 7. and 5. 2. and 6. 4. And this he doth to shew, that the Church is the only object of his love. All the beames of Christs love meet in the Church, it is united to that, and is not scattered to their objects.

Hence observe,

That the greatest out-goings of love and friendship from Christ, is toward his Church.

Christ and his people feed together, walk together, and do sweetly converse together; their hearts are knit one to another, as the hearts of Jonathan and David;

Christ cannot content himselfe with his happinesse and glory, untill he hath communicated of the same unto his Saints. The generall love of Christ is scattered and branched out to all creatures in the world; but his spe∣ciall, his exceeding great and rich love is fastned only upon his Church. Christ doth declare wherein hee hath manifested his love unto his Disciples, saying, I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you, John 15 15. That is, I have in a friendly manner revealed the secrets of my Fathers bosome unto you, and declared unto you the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, which I should not have done, if you had not been my friends. Christs love to his people is,

1. Infinite and unmeasurable, beyond all imagina∣tion or comparison. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you, saith Christ to his Disciples, John 15. 9. Now who can understand with what love the Father hath lo∣ved the Sonne? no more can we define and fully set out what is the love of Christ unto his Saints. The Apostle indeed would have the Ephesians able to comprehend with all Saints the bredth, and length, the depth, and height of the love of Christ: but yet for all that he concludes, that it passeth knowledge, Eph. 3. 18, 19.

2. A gracious love: I will heal their backesliding, I will love them freely, saith the Lord, Hos. 14. 3. Wee haue no∣thing to invite Christ to love us; but his love is free, without the least desert at all.

3. A liberall and a bountiful love: Christ hath par∣ted with that for his people, which was most deare un∣to him, the soule in his body, the blood in his veines, and (which was more deare unto him then all the rest) the sweet and ravishing apprehensions of his Fathers

love, which was so ecclipsed in his agonies, that hee cryed out with a loud voyce, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? It is reported of the Pelican, that shee openeth her breast with her bill, and feedeth her young ones with the blood distilling from her: and therefore (saith mine Author) the Aegyptians used to make that kind an Hieroglyphick of piety and pitty; and upon that consideration they spared them at their Tables. Such, and far greater is Christ's love to his Saints; for saith he, Greater love hath no man then this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, John 15. 13. And the Apo∣stle saith, that he loved his Church, and gave himselfe for it, Ephes. 5. 25.

4. An eternall love is Christ's towards his Church. I have loved thee with an everlasting kindness, saith the Lord, Jer. 31. 3. And again he saith, with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy upon thee. Though the Saints are black and deformed, though they have been negligent and ig∣norant; yet Christ doth not lessen or detract his love from them: but still he gives them this Epithite, O my beloved, &c.

How should this warm and kindle all our affections unto him again: Christ's love should be a load-stone attractive to draw our love unto him: there is nothing doth more conciliate and attract love, then love it self. Hence it is the Lord saith, I have drawn them with loving kindnesse, Jer. 31. 3. Surely if love will not draw out our affection to Jesus Christ, nothing will. Oh what an infinite and wonderfull love is it, that majestie and love should dwell together in the heart of Christ! Christ doth much condiscend in his love to us: so that here is the greatest Majestie, and the greatest debase∣ment that ever was, met in Christ, and all out of love to poor soules.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Pavit, unde. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Amious, so∣cius, proxi∣mus.