Song of Solomon 4

Response 1. He grows Vigore, in the exercise of grace; his lamps are burning and shining; therefore we read of a lively hope (1 Peter 1:3). Here is the activity of grace; the Church prays for the blowing of the Spirit, that her spices might flow forth (Song of Solomon 4:16). 2.…

If you would not have the cask have a bad scent, put good liquor into it: so if you would not have your tongue run out sinfully, let it be used to good discourse; speak often one to another of Christ, and the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. The spouse's lips dropped as…

Time spent unprofitably is not time lived, but time lost; if there be any such here who have misspent their golden hours, they have not only been slothful but wasteful servants, how had you need now, redeem the time, and press forward with might and main to the heavenly kingdom;…

O blessed privilege, to be reputed in the sight of God righteous as Christ, having his embroidered robe put upon the soul. This is the comfort of every one that is pardoned, he has a perfect righteousness; and now God says of him, You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot…

A Wife espoused to an Husband, gives him such a love as she hath for none else; she doth not part with her conjugal love to any, but her husband: So a Saint espoused to Christ, gives him a peculiarity of love, a love incommunicable to any other, namely, a love joined with adorat…

And so our Savior Christ in giving to his disciples the Holy Ghost, does the same, to show to them, that the same person that gives life, gives grace; and also to signify to them, that being to send them over all the world to preach his gospel, he was as it were to make a second…

This was hieroglyphical, to set forth the radiancy of the church's glory; and verse 5, Turn away your eyes from me, for they have overcome me; as if Christ had said, Oh my spouse, such a resplendent luster is in your visage, that I have much ado to bear it: I am wounded with the…

That Christian seldom misses his mark in solemn duty who shoots up many of these darts in the intervals of duty. It is an excellent commendation Christ gives to the spouse (Song of Solomon 4:11): 'Your lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb' — upon which a commentator gives th…

His Spouse, Cant. 5. 2. His Orchard of Pomgranates, Cant. 4. 13. His glory, Isa. 46. ult.

But there's no lack in love; the love of Christ was not private, nor mercenary. Christ the buyer, commended the wares before he bargained (Song of Solomon 4:7): "You are all fair, my love, there's not a spot in you." Christ judged he had gotten a noble prize, and made a heaven's…

God must strew thorns and briars in our love-bed, and take Ephraim off his idols (Hosea 14:6), and from riding on horses, and make the soul as white and clean paper, that Christ may print a new lover on it. Therefore it's young mortification in the blossom, to give half a refusa…

Psalm 110:3. So shall the King greatly desire your beauty. Psalm 45:11. You have ravished my heart, (says Christ to his Spouse) Song of Solomon 4:9, my sister, my Spouse. Verse 10. How fair is your love, my sister, my Spouse; how much better is your love than wine, and the smell…

For when Doctor Taylor objects to Antinomians, as a limb of their fleshly divinity, No action of the believer after justification is sin, Mr. Town answers nothing at all but of the way, no action is sin, the disorder and disorder of the action is the sin. But Doctor Taylor meant…

Therefore, I beseech you, Sirs, beg the Spirit, yield to its motions, improve its operations; say when you are going to duty, Lord, now stir up yourself, and stir up your grace in my heart. Awake, oh North-wind, and come; you South, blow upon your Garden (Canticles 4:16). [My So…

For that which is the end of God's laws, must also be the end of all good laws in all commonwealths and kingdoms, namely, to shut up the people into the unity of one faith. The Church of the Jews, is called a fountain sealed, a garden enclosed (Song of Songs 4:12), a vineyard he…

And by this, much is signified: namely, that the Church is the garden of God. Cant. 4. 16. that teachers are planters and setters. 1. Cor 3:9. that believers are trees of righteousnes.

The excellency of his eyes (or omniscience thereby pointed out) is held forth under several similitudes. 1. They are as dove's eyes, such as were attributed to the Bride (Song of Solomon 4:1), that is, eyes that are quick, lovely and loving, having much affection in them to his…

The place where he is, is set forth by two expressions: 1. He is gone down to his garden, which implies the similitude formerly expressed, of a man's retiring from his chamber, or closet to his garden. This garden signifies the Church, as, (Song of Solomon 4:12, 15) and here, as…

Verse 2. Your navel is like a round goblet, which lacks not liquor, your belly is like a heap of wheat set about with lilies. In the second verse, the Lord proceeds from the thighs, to the navel and belly: which parts, were not touched in her commendation, (Song of Solomon 4). T…

By spiced wine, and the juice of the pomegranate, is understood the most excellent entertainment; as in these countries, it's like (as we may see from Proverbs 9:2 and Song of Solomon 5:1) they used to mix the wine they gave their friends, that it might be the more savory. Now t…

4. A treasured soul is God's delight; a full treasure in the heart, of the good things of heaven is the pleasure of the Almighty: God takes delight among the sons of men, and among men the believer's heart is the Lord's highest throne, next to that in the highest heavens: and am…

But when the Christian has fallen thus, the Lord helps him to improve his falls for spiritual good; but much more all dispensations of providence, sweet and severe, if it go well with the treasured soul, it is drawn nearer to God by these cords of love: if ill, it is whipped fur…

A gracious heart freely pours out holy expressions; Solomon says, the heart of the wise teaches his mouth: that inward spring feeds these sweet streams; and tips the tongue with divine rhetoric. So (Song of Solomon 4:11): Your lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb, honey and…

1. A treasured heart is ready for duty, like a well-stored house-keeper, you cannot take him unprovided; a well-accomplished scholar that's never nonplussed; and a watchful soldier, that's always fit for service: The Christian has prepared materials to build the house, and wants…

In short, truth is Ecclesiae praesidium, the bulwark of a nation (2 Chronicles 11:17): it is said the Levites (who were the antesignani, the ensign-bearers of truth) strengthened the kingdom. Truth may be compared to the Capitol of Rome, which was a place of the greatest strengt…

The rest of the world is a waste wilderness; all other places, however pleasant, in respect of their natural amenity and delights, are truly enough called, the dark places of the earth; dismal, solitary cells, where Ziim and Iim, bitterns, cormorants, and every doleful creature…

Much more is God delighted, in beholding the flourishing graces of his people; it pleases him to see his plants laden with fruit, and his valleys sing with corn (Song of Solomon 6:2): My beloved is gone down into his garden, into his beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and t…

He has no more in Scotland that is the delight of his eyes, but that one little sister, whose breasts were once well fashioned. She once ravished her beloved with her eyes and overcame him with her beauty; she looked forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terr…

Paul found his spirit wrought upon, and refreshed, so that the Text says, when Timotheus was come, Paul was pressed in spirit. Fifthly, it is good being with Gods servants, though it be in suffering affliction, because God takes so much delight in them; if God takes delight in b…

But herein lies the excellency of his love to us: that he takes care to take away our filth and stains, that he may delight in us; and seeing we are so defiled that it could no otherwise be done, he will do it by his own blood (Ephesians 5:25-27). He leaves not his spouse until…

Hence is that prayer of the spouse that she may have something for his entertainment, when he comes to her. Song of Solomon 4:16, Awake O north wind, and come thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out, let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his…

Let not your spirit be cast down at the weakness of your supplications, let me yet hear your sighs and groans, your breathings and pantings to me, they are very sweet, very delightful: and your spiritual countenance, your appearance in heavenly things, is comely and delightful u…

They are his garden; the rest of the world a wilderness. Song of Songs 4:12: A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. Isaiah 43:3-4: I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

There is no such purity in any, as in the Church. For true and perfect beauty is only in the body of Christ, which is the Church, of which it is said, You are all fair, and there is no spot in you (Song of Solomon 4:7). 1. Question: Is it possible that neither God nor man should…

Mildness in a wife has respect also to the ordering of her countenance, gesture, and whole carriage before her husband, whereby she manifests a pleasantness to him, and a contentedness and willingness to be under him and ruled by him. Excellently is this set forth in the spouse…

The young and weak Christian, or the elder at weak times, when they are big and heavy with some inward exercise of mind, which shall bring forth advantage and peace afterwards to them: Them he leads gently, and uses them with tenderness that their weakness requires. And generall…

1. They are Jewels for their sparkling quality. Their Holiness shines and sparkles in Gods eyes, Song of Solomon 4:9. You hast ravished my Heart with one of your eyes, that is, one of your Graces.

Wise and gracious discourse drops from him. So (Song of Solomon 4:11): Your lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under your tongue. The passages of that song are to be understood in a spiritual sense; now the lips and the tongue being instruments of speec…

The prodigal that had his portion in his own hands, went away from his Father; and therefore we have but from hand to mouth, that we may be daily kept in a dependence and constant course of communion with God. It is pleasing to God, when we desire him to renew his work, to bring…

A passion of tears becomes a Christian better than a passion of anger. Every saint is Christ's spouse (Song of Solomon 4:8). It becomes Christ's spouse to be meek; if any injury be offered to the spouse, she leaves it to her husband to avenge.

God loves the fairest complexion; the pure in heart is Christ's bride, decked and bespangled with the jewels of holiness. Song of Solomon 4:9: You have ravished my heart with one of your eyes — that is, your graces, which as a chain of pearl have drawn my heart to you. Of all he…

He is just to forgive; it is an act of God's equity and justice to spare the sinner, when he has been satisfied in the surety. 2. A condemnatory sentence cannot pass upon the children of God, because they are so God's children, as also they are Christ's spouse (Song of Solomon 4…

5. Make the Scripture familiar to you (Psalm 119:50). The Scripture well digested by meditation will fit for suffering; the Scripture is a Christian's fortress, his magazine and stronghold; it may be compared to the tower of David, on which there hang a thousand shields (Song of…

Excellency 7. Grace has a perfuming excellency; it makes us a sweet odor to God. Hence grace is compared to those spices which are most fragrant — myrrh, cinnamon, frankincense (Song of Solomon 4:13). There is a double perfume that grace sends forth.

Heaven is the garden of God, the paradise of pleasure where the most rare and delicious fruits grow; there are fruits that the angels themselves delight to feed on. It may be said of those celestial fruits as in Song of Solomon 4:13: your plants are an orchard of pomegranates wi…

You are not your own (1 Corinthians 6:19); he resigns up his love to Christ. In this sense the spouse is said to be a spring shut up (Song of Solomon 4:12). She has love for relations, but the best of her love is kept for Christ: the world has the milk of her love, but Christ ha…

Use 2 Secondly, this gives us a reason why the devil has so great a spite against the Gospel. Why? because this opens a magazine of armes and furniture for the soul; the Word is that Tower of David, Cant. 4.4. built for an Armourie, wherein there hang a thousand bucklers; all th…

4. Propos. The excellent acts of God, in a manner (with glory to his Highness) to mind his first work, to create a better heart than the first which he created, says, that there is great need of a good heart (Psalm 51:10), of a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). It is beyond all admirat…

2. Believers are delivered, in Christ, from the victory, sting, power of sin, curse of the law, and every curse that is in affliction, and from condemnation not in part only, but in whole — else their triumph were but in part, contrary to 1 Corinthians 15:54-56, Hosea 13:14, Isa…

"For who in the heavens can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be compared unto the Lord?" (Psalm 89:6). He himself out of his infinite love and ineffable condescension, upon the sight and view of his church, and his own graces in her, with which she…