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. 13.

His Hands are as Gold Rings set with the Berrill, his Belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires.

AS the Lips are the instruments of speech, so are the hands for action. Christ was not onely mighty in words, but also in deeds before God and all the people, Luke 24. 19. Therefore it is that Christs hands are likened to Gold rings, or, that his hands were adorned with Gold rings. Now Rings were counted pretious in those dayes, they were great Ornaments and deck∣ings, Isa. 3. 21. Luke 15. 22. Neither doth she say sim∣ple rings, but rings of Gold: that is, glorious and pre∣cious, shining like gold. And to expresse the glory of it more, she addeth.

Set with the Berrill.

The Hebrew word Tharshish, is a pretious stone, spoken of, Exod. 28. 20. It is something uncertaine what stone it was, and therefore some render it by the word Chrisolite, others turne it Berrill, of the Sea

The Chrisolite is reported of some to be a very rich, precious stone, that comes out of Ethiopia, glistering as gold, and that 'tis of Sea-green colour. The Berrill is reported to be another stone that groweth in India, it selfe being, as they suppose, an Indian word, and given by the people as a name to that stone.

Some write, that this stone in former times was usu∣ally set in such Rings as Lovers did use to give one to another; or in Marriage Rings: because of the power that was thought to be in it, to procure and continue love one towards another. But to come to the word it selfe, sometimes it is used for the name of a man, as Genes. 10. 4. sometimes for the name of a City or place, as in Cilicia, Jonah 1. 3. sometimes it is used for the name of a precious stone, as here. However we take it, thus much it signifies, that all the works of Christs hands are most rare, precious, and glorious: for we must understand by his Hands, not onely his strength and power, but also all his works, because Christs power is in the performance of them. Thus his hands are set forth, with all Ornaments and preci∣ous stones, and shining Rings of gold.

Hence Observe,

That all Christs actions are exceeding glorious. Hands are instruments of actions, all Christs actions are pre∣cious. It was said in the dayes of his flesh he did all things well, for by laying hands upon them that were diseased, he healed them. He laid his hand upon the Lee∣per, and healed him, saying, I will be thou cleane, Mark 1. 41. So here, his works are as glorious still, yea, and more glorious now, though we cannot see the ex∣cellency of them in the new Creature, and in raigning in our hearts, he works gloriously, he hath a hand,

there, a golden, and a pretious hand. The works of God are pure and beautifull, yea, most precious, and that beyond Gold and precious stones, yea, more glo∣rious then numbers of Rings, filled with all manner of precious stones. Hence it is, that when David would expresse the wonderfull works of God, he saith, If I would declare and speake of them, they are more in number then I can expresse, Psal. 40. 5. And the Psalmist spea∣keth by way of admiration, saying, When I consider the Heavens, the works of thy hands, the Moone, and the Stars, which thou hast ordained, what is man? &c. Psal. 8. And then concludeth, O Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the Earth! These words are meant of the new creation of the soule, as we may see in Heb. 2. though the forme of words are borrowed from the first creation. And truely the works of Christ are admirable and full of majesty, if we doe but consider them in the course of the Creatures, in the Sunne, Moone, Starres, in the growth of Herbs, and Plants; so in all the Creation, in Gubernation, and Governement, in ordering the e∣vent of all things, and the like. Now as all the Go∣vernement of Aegypt went through the hands of Joseph; so all the works of God, goe through the hands of Christ. The Father hath committed all judgement to the hands of his Sonne, glorious therefore are the works which he doth performe in Heaven and Earth. It followeth.

His Belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires.

His belly) or Breast: she putteth a part for the whole body, and by this she meaneth his bowells, or his in∣ward parts. In Hebrew it is used for inward affecti∣ons, so the heart is said to be among the Bowells, in

Psal. 22. 15. The Liver is joyned with the bowells, in Lam. 2. 11. by these are meant the inward affections of the soul. To explaine this more, she saith, that his belly is overlaid with bright Ivory, or with the brightnesse of Ivory, she meaneth, that he was as comely and cleare as the Ivory, which is a thing very white and bright: made (as some say) of an Elephants tuske, which kind of Beasts are onely in Africa, naturally as some hold: neither doth she simply compare it to I∣vory, but addeth, overlaid, or covered with Saphires, that is, that which hath most rich and sumptuous cost be∣stowed upon it. Ivory of it selfe, because it is a thing rare, and far brought, must needs be very costly, how much more then when it is beset with precious stones, yea, with most costly and precious stones, such as Sa∣phires are. Some of the Jewish writers take these Sa∣phires to be such precious stones as are of the colour of the aire: some take it to be a white stone, some a red stone, some take it to be an Adamant, some thinke it to be of a blewish colour, intermixed with purple, ha∣ving certaine sparks, as it were like Gold. The best sort of these stones are among the Medes in Media: whatever the stone be, the meaning of the Spouse is to shew, that Christ her head, was not onely most come∣ly adorned, but also most sumptuously and costly, e∣ven as Ivory beset with Pearls and most precious stones. The bowells of Christ, like burnisht Ivory, decked with Saphires, signifie his inward bowells of affection, that tender mercy, and pitifull commisera∣tion of his, toward his Saints and Children.

Hence Observe,

That Christ is full of tender, sweet, inward, and heavenly affections towards his people.

Christs affections towards his Saints, are pure affe∣ctions, like Saphires, or precious stones: they are pure like the pure water in a Crystall glasse, that may be stirred but without any filth appearing in the bot∣tome, it is pure without any dregs at all mixt with it. Such are Christs affections, such are his bowells. The Apostles great longing after the Saints is said to be in the bowells of Jesus Christ, Phillip. 1. 8. Christ is the most mercifull, the most pittifull, and the most com∣passionate High-Priest that ever was: and therefore it was that he was made like unto us, bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, subject to hunger, thirst, cold, wearinesse, tentation, and the like, as we. The Apostle saith in Heb. 2. 17. that this was behovefull, That he ought in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a mercifull High-Priest in things pertaining God, &c. And againe saith the Apostle, Wee have not a High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin, Heb. 4. 15. So that there was never a∣ny Priest so mild, so gentle, so gracious, so loviug, so tenderly affectionate, and so regardfull of our condi∣tion, as Christ was. Christ is one that can beare with our weaknesse, overcome our corruption, and give sentence of victory over sin and Satan, as we may see in Isa. 63. 9. & 40. 11.

In the Law we read, that the High-Priest was to beare the names of the Children of Israel in his Pecto∣rall, or Brest-plate, upon his heart: ••now this did figure and shaddow out unto us, the tender love and pitty Christ beares to his people, guiding the blind, feeding the hungry, comforting the comfortlesse, re∣storing such as are out of joynt: all is mercy and love,

and sweetnesse, and more then motherly affection that comes from him. Hence Christ hath this title 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. one of many commiserations, Jam. 5. 11. It followeth.