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.

VERS. 1.

Behold thou art faire my love, behold thou art faire, &c.

HEre beginneth Christs commendations of his Church, and first he commendeth her beauty in generall, in the words, Behold, thou art faire my love, &c. And afterwards he entereth into a particular com∣mendation of her severall parts and members. And

• 1. Of her Eyes, vers. 1.
• 2. Of her Haire, vers. 1.
• 3. Of her Teeth, vers. 2.
• 4. Of her Lips, vers. 3.
• 5. Of her Temples, vers. 3
• 6. Of her Necke, vers. 4.
• 7. Of her Breasts, ver. 5.

Thus Christ enumerates and reckons up all the parts of the Church, which sheweth, what a pleasant harmony and specious consent of parts shee hath, whereby shee is exceeding beautifull. But first, of the praise in generall.

Behold thou art faire my Love, thou art faire.

When the Scripture doth prefix this word (Behold) to any sentence, it noteth for the most part a thing to be wondered at, as was noted in Chap. 1. 15.

Faire) or beautifull, not onely in colour, but in come∣ly proportion and elegancy, such as draweth love and liking. This is meant of the graces of the spirit, and that spirituall beauty wherewith God in Christ hath beautified his beloved Spouse.

My love) or, my fellow-friend, my Companion: so na∣med

med of feeding together, and so participating each of others good or evill. This title Christ often giveth to his Spouse in this Song, as in Chap. 1. 15. & 2. 10. & 5. 2. &c.

The doubling of the word by an usuall Hebraisme, implyes, that shee was exceeding beautifull, and emi∣nently glorious: it doth not onely set forth the ve∣hemency of Christs affection and love towards his Spouse, but also the excellency of the Church it selfe, in that Christ can, as it were, find no words sufficient to expresse the same, her beauty being so great, both outward and inward, and also excellent in both re∣spects. This beauty and fairnesse of the Church hath been spoken of in Chap. 1. 15. therefore I shall speake but briefly of it, onely something to the present occa∣sion of repetition.

The Church was called forth in the former Chap∣ter to behold her Kings Coronation and Nuptialls, and here is prevented of an Objection which secretly might be made on her part. The Objection is this, Should I, one that am so poore and unworthy, come into the presence of such a stately King as Christ, who was typified by Solomon in respect of his glory? This Objection Christ takes away in saying, Behold thou art faire my love.

Hence Observe,

That the Saints have a peerlesse beauty and purity, com∣municated to them from Jesus Christ. By the commu∣nication of this beauty and grace they are the Jerusa∣lem (spoken of in Revel. 21. 2.) which comes downe from God out of Heaven, prepared as a Bride trim∣med for her husband, and is free with her Children, Gal. 4. 26. into the communion whereof there can really enter no uncleane thing, neither whatsoever wor∣keth

abhomination or lies, Revel. 21. 27. By this grace the Saints are Temples of the holy Spirit, the Taber∣nacle of God with men. The Spouse of Christ is faire, and the fairest; grace is a transcendent. good, all the excellency of civility and morality is nothing in comparison of it. The Church is faire in her head Christ, being his mysticall body, and therefore is of a pure composition, made holy and gracious by the spi∣rit of grace.

It will be Objected, How can this be spoken of the Church here on Earth, in which condition even the best have great deformities?

I Answer, The Lord looks upon his Church not onely as shee is, but also as he meanes to make her hereafter, even all glorious and beautifull. Againe, he looks on her, not onely as shee is in her selfe, but as shee is in himselfe, that is, washed and cleansed from all impurity, and also decked with his glory. Thus we have the praise in generall: now it followeth to consider of the praises in particular.

We have the praises of the Church in particular, by describing a peerlesse, or matchlesse woman, from the face to the breast part. He mentioneth seaven particulars, the Eyes, Haire, Teeth, Lips, Temples, Neck, and Breast. The number of seaven, is often the num∣ber of perfection, as appears, Rev. 5. 6. where Christ is likened to a Lamb with seaven hornes, and seaven eyes, which are the seaven spirits of Grd. Now by the sea∣ven parts thus enumerated, are meant the manifold and plentifull measure of graces bestowed on the Saints, they being made partakers of all heavenly blessings in Christ, as the Apostle saith.

Hence Observe,

That the Saints have a compleat and full supply of all grace and beauty from Christ. This is that for which the Apostle giveth thanks in behalfe of the Corinthi∣ans, namely, that they were enriched by Christ, and came behind in no gift, 1 Cor. 1. 5. 7. We must know, that all the Saints are knit together by one spirit, and doe make but one mysticall body in Christ, 1 Cor. 12. 13. So then, as there be in the naturall body of a man, di∣verse Members, which according to their severall gifts, have diverse functions and operations: so the ho∣ly Spirit ascribeth the like to the mysticall body, as the Apostle sheweth at large, 1 Cor. 12.

Secondly Observe,

That the Saints are beautifull in all parts. Christ doth particularize every part, giving praise to every member. That beauty must needs be very rare and ex∣cellent, which ariseth from the comelinesse of all parts. If one part be comely, and another deformed, then there is no perfect beauty; but the Church justified and sanctified in Christ, is glorious in all parts.

Now followeth the particular parts. The first and second particulars doe lye in the following part of this verse. The first uttering the state of her Eyes, the second shewing the condition of her Locks.

Thou hast Doves eyes within thy Locks, &c.

Now the eyes of the Spouse are here commended, by comparing them to the eyes of Doves, which are chast, full, cleare, beautifull to looke upon, and the like. Some understand by these eyes the Pastors and Teachers of the Church, because they are to give light to the whole body, through the Heavenly and

pure doctrine, and so it may be taken here, for in the old Testament the Prophets were called Seers, 1 Sam. 9. 9. but I rather take it in this place, that the eyes are the faith of the Saints, for by faith they looke up to the Lord, and behold things invisible, Heb. 11. 27. And they have by faith the eyes of their understanding o∣pened, to know what is the hope of their calling, Ephes. 1. 18.

Hence Observe,

That the eye of faith is very chast, simple, and beautifull in the eyes of Christ. The Apostle tells us it is impossi∣ble to please God without faith, Heb. 11. 6. Therefore with the eye of faith he is much delighted. By faith the soule seeth him who is invisible, Heb. 11. 27. The eye of faith hath respect to the holy one of Israel, Isa. 17. 7. And it doth observe the wayes of the Lord, according to that saying in Prov. 23. 26. My Sonne, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my wayes. Who would not be glad to cast up such an eye to the Lord, as he may be delighted withall, as with an eye that is sim∣ple, chast, and beautifull. The next clause follow∣eth.

Within thy Locks.

Some read it, from within, or, through thy Locks, which are so called in the Hebrew of binding, because womens locks are seemly and modestly bound up and covered. The covering of women was a signe of their subjection to their Husbands, 1 Cor. 11. It is al∣so a signe of modesty and shamefastnesse. Some would have the words signifie, that the locks of Haire hang downe, so as the eyes doe appeare from within them. And others are of the mind that he saith, Beside thy

locks: or, as it were thy locks removed. However we take it, this is most certaine, that the Spouse is here commended from the manner of the attyre which chast. Virgins did weare about their Haire for mode∣sty and comelinesse. Now in that the eye of faith is said to looke from within, or through the locks of modesty and chastity.

Hence Observe,

That faith is a very modest grace. Hence it is that God doth so often in Scripture attribute to it so much of justification and sanctification, because faith attri∣butes so little to it selfe, and so much to Christ. Faith is (as I may call it) a modest grace, and will attri∣bute nothing to it selfe: and hence it is that the Lord declares so much affection to this grace of faith. Hence it is, the Apostle attributes our justification to faith, Lest (saith he) any man should boast. So much for the first particular, towit, the Eyes, the second fol∣loweth, towit, the Haire.

Thy haire is as a flockof Goats that appeare from Mount Gilead.

Some of the Hebrews expound the eyes to signifie the Prophets, which were called Seers, and the haire to be meant of the Nazarites which were not to cut their haire, Numb. 6. 5.

Some understand by the eyes, pastors and Teach∣ers, and by the haire the Congregation of Saints, and so take the haire for the multitude of Believers, as by haire the people of Israel was signified, Ezekiel 5. 1, 2.

But I rather understand both the eyes and the haire to be Ornaments of the whole Church, and of every

particular member: Haire is an Ornament for the covering of the head, and it proceeds from the moy∣sture of the Braine, and strength of nature: and here∣by is signified the thoughts and councells of the heart, the wisdome and councell of Christ is signified by his haire, in Chap. 5. 11. And the Prophet Daniel makes mention of thoughts on his bed, and of visions of his head, Dan. 4. 5. & 7. 15. So the meaning according to this must be, that all the thoughts and purposes of the heart, guided and directed by the Lord are prospe∣rous and glorious, like a flock of Goats that appeare from Mount Gilead.

That appeare from Mount Gilead.

Arius Montanus renders it, they sheare, or cast their haire: the word Galash, is found but twice in Scrip∣ture, it seems to signifie to discover, or, reveale. Some turne it, looke downe, because the haire of these Goats depended and hung downe, from whence the compa∣rison is taken.

Mount Gilead was in the Tribe of Gad, 1 Chron. 6. 80. of the portion on this side Jordan, where Gad, Reuben, and halfe Manasses were seated: it is recorded in Num. 32. 1. to be a place of good pasture, and fit to feed Cattle, especially the flocks. The terme Gilead was first given by Jacob, Genes. 31. 47. It is derived of Gal, an heape or hill, such as was there made of stones, and of Gnedh a witnesse, because that heape of stones was a witnesse betweene Laban and Jacob, concerning that Covenant of peace made betweene them.

If we understand by these words the Congregation of Saints, Then Observe,

That the assembling of Saints together is a glorious and

beautifull thing in the eyes of Christ. Here the Saints are compared to the Goats feeding in a good pasture, whose haire hangs downe and smooth, &c. The Lord loves the Gates of Sion, more then all the dwellings of Jacob, as saith the Psalmist.

Secondly, if we understand it of the thoughts and purposes of the heart, Observe,

That those thoughts and purposes are beautifull, that are ordered by the Lord. When we receive our visions of the head from the Lord (which is here set forth by the haire) how glorious will those visions be? when a mans heart and cogitations are ordered by the Lord, there must needs be holy purposes, and glorious re∣solutions. David saith, Thou shalt guide me with thy counsell, and after bring me to glory, Psal. 73. 24. where the Lord shall direct and guide the mind, there all the thoughts and counsells of that soule must needs shine forth, and glister, like the haire of Goats, that are fat and smooth, by feeding in a good pasture, such a one as Mount Gilead was. It followeth,

Notes

• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Puliher, ele∣gans, venu∣stus, deco∣rus fuit.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Pavit, comedit.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Inde niphil, quod signifi∣cat, ligatus, conjunctus: Inde. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Per meta∣phoram at∣que id in pi∣hel tantum, de pilis ea∣pitis & barbae.
• Quae depila∣rum se. Arius Mont.