A Goodly Heritage

. By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.   2. I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. T his chapter hath three parts, 1. The Bride's sad exercise under the want of Christ, and in seeking after him till she find him, to verse 6. 2. The daughters of Jerusalem come in, commending the Bride, verse 6. 3. The Bride, from verse 7, to the end, returns to discourse of, and commend the excellency and amiableness of Christ. In her exercise consider, 1. Her case. 2. Her carriage in several steps. 3. Her success in every step. 4. Her practice when she hath obtained her desire: or, we may take them up in these two, 1. Her sad condition, and her carriage under it. 2. Her outgate and her carriage suitable thereto. Her case is implied in two words, in the beginning of verse 1. 1. It was night with her. 2. She was on 'her bed.' By...

 Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples; for I am sick of love. S he is almost overcome with this banquet, and therefore cries out for help, verse 5. Here consider, 1. The case she is in, 2. The cure she calls for. 3. From whom she seeks it. Her case is, that she is 'sick of love.' This is not to be taken for the fainting of a soul under absence, and the want of sense; all the context before and after, and the scope, will show it otherwise with her; but it is a sickness from the weight and pressure of felt inconceivable love, damishing her (as it were) and weakening her, she cannot abide that sight and fulness which she enjoys. 2. The cure she desires confirms this, 'stay me,' (saith she) or support me, for I am like to fall under it; and 'comfort me,' the word is strengthen me, or bed me, straw me with, or in apples, let me lie down amongst them. The first expression looks to the house of wine where she was, which suppones no want, and may be rend...

Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. T his 15th verse contains the last part of Christ's sermon; wherein, as he had formerly given directions in reference to her particular walk, so here he evidenceth his care of her external peace: that Christ speaks these words, the continuation and series of them with the former, the scope (which is to make full proof of his care) and the manner how the duty here mentioned is laid on, to wit, by way of authority, makes it clear. There are three things in them, 1. An external evil incident to the church, and that is, to be spoiled by foxes. 2. A cure given in a direction; 'take them,' &c. 3. He gives reasons to deter all from cruel pity in sparing of them, 'for,' &c. In clearing the case here supposed, as incident to the church, we are to consider, 1. What these vines are. 2. What be these foxes. 3. How they spoil the vines. For clearing the first, consider, that...

t is lawful for believers to desire sensible presence, even here-away: yea, it is suitable, they should often long and pray for it. 2. Where the hope of heaven is solid, sensible manifestations of Christ's love will be most ardently sought for: it will never prejudge one of their satisfaction and full payment, then, that they have gotten a large earnest-penny here, she knows that will never be reckoned up to her. 3. Much prayer, flowing from, and waiting upon the exercise of faith and hope, is a notable way to bring the soul to the enjoyment of sense. 4. The believer hath a heartsome life, and a rich inheritance, Christ here, and Christ hereafter; 'the lines are fallen unto him in pleasant places.' 5. She grounds her suit on the marriage-relation and tie betwixt him and her, 'my Beloved' (saith she). A covenant-claim to Christ, is the most solid ground upon which believers can walk in their approaches before him, and in their pleadings with him. 6. He allows believ...

Verse 3. Because of the savour of thy good ointments, thy name is as ointment poured forth; therefore do the virgins love thee. T he second reason (which is also a confirmation and enlargement of the former) is verse 3, and it runs upon these supposed and implied grounds. 1. That there are many precious excellencies in Christ. So that, 2. The speaking of his name, is as if a man would open a sweet savouring box of ointment, as that woman did, John 12. 3. There is no title, or office, or qualification in Christ, but all are savoury; his very garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, &c. Psalm 45:8. 3. It suppones that this worth and loveliness of Christ, ravishes all that ever knew him (here called virgins) with love to Him and therefore (which is the strength of the reason) it is no marvel, would she say, I love him so fervently, and desire so earnestly the manifestations of his love, which I have found so sweet. So the verse may be taken up in these four things, 1. ...

Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. T his 15th verse contains the last part of Christ's sermon; wherein, as he had formerly given directions in reference to her particular walk, so here he evidenceth his care of her external peace: that Christ speaks these words, the continuation and series of them with the former, the scope (which is to make full proof of his care) and the manner how the duty here mentioned is laid on, to wit, by way of authority, makes it clear. There are three things in them, 1. An external evil incident to the church, and that is, to be spoiled by foxes. 2. A cure given in a direction; 'take them,' &c. 3. He gives reasons to deter all from cruel pity in sparing of them, 'for,' &c. In clearing the case here supposed, as incident to the church, we are to consider, 1. What these vines are. 2. What be these foxes. 3. How they spoil the vines. For clearing the first, consider, that...

Verse 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. H aving spoken concerning the title, we come now to the Song itself: which is presented as a conversation, or dialogue. We shall divide the various chapters according to the number of the speakers, and their several exchanges and speeches. And so in this chapter, we have five parts. In the first the Bride speaks to verse 8. In the second the bridegroom, to verse 2. In the third the Bride again, to verse 15. And fourth the Bridegroom speaks, to verse 14. And lastly, the Bride in the last two verses. The Bride begins this sweet conference, verse 2. and continues to verse 8. 1. She speaks to Christ, verses 2,3,4. Then 2. to the daughters of Jerusalem, verse 5,6. Lastly, she turns herself again to the Bridegroom, verse 7. In the first of these, there is, 1. Her aim and desire, by way of an earnest wish laid down, verse 1. 2. The motives that stir up this desire in her, and whereby she presseth it...

Verse 12. A garden inclosed is my Sister, my Spouse: a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. H aving thus summed up her carriage in the former three-fold commendation, now he proceeds both to describe and commend her, by a seven-fold comparison, wherein (to say so) the rhetoric of our Lord's love abounds: each of them may point out these three things, 1. They describe somewhat the nature of a believer, or Christ's Bride. 2. They evidence Christ's love and care, which he hath to ward her. 3. They hold forth her duty in reference to herself. We shall shortly explain them, as they relate to this scope. In this 12th verse, we have three of these comparisons, whereby she is described and commended. 1. She is compared to a 'garden enclosed:' a garden is a plot of ground, separate from other places, for delight and recreation of the owner, having many flowers in it, and much pains taken on it: so believers are, 1. Set a-part by God beside all others in the world, and mu...

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 pleasant fruits. C hrist having now been large in commending the Bride, she steps to in this verse (as it were, taking the opportunity of his nearness) and puts up her desires to to him, briefly in two suits, which are grounded on the commendation that he gives her, and shews what is the great design that she aims at now when she hath Christ's ear; and she follows these suits so, as she acknowledgeth all her fruitfulness (for which she is commended) to flow from him, and to depend on him, who is therefore so much the more to be commended and extolled himself. In sum, the sense is this, though I be a garden (saith she) and have good plants, habitually in me, yet will they not bud nor flow, nor can they be fruitful except the Spirit (which is as the stream from Lebanon) blow to make them so; therefore, O Spirit come, and let me pa...

 Love in Christ to a believer, hath strong and wonderful effects on him, in reference to them. 2. The believer hath Christ’s heart, he hath a seat in his affection, he possesseth his love (for no other thing hath his heart) and he may promise himself from Christ, whatever he can desire for his good, even as if be had his heart under his command; for (so to speak) he can refuse believers nothing, which they seek, and which he knows to be for their good. 3. Love in Christ to a believer, it is at a height, or, it is a love of the highest degree: there is no greater intenseness thereof imaginable; for to have the ‘heart ravished,’ is the expression of the greatest love. #%) 3. The manner how he expreseth this, is by doubling the expression, ‘Thou hast ravished my heart--thou hast ravished my heart:’ and this is to shew, that this word fell not rashly from him, but was drawn out by the vehemency of affection in him. 2. That he allows believers to believe this great love and affection h...

Verse 15. Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. This 15th verse contains the last part of Christ's sermon; wherein, as he had formerly given directions in reference to her particular walk, so here he evidenceth his care of her external peace: that Christ speaks these words, the continuation and series of them with the former, the scope (which is to make full proof of his care) and the manner how the duty here mentioned is laid on, to wit, by way of authority, makes it clear. There are three things in them, 1. An external evil incident to the church, and that is, to be spoiled by foxes. 2. A cure given in a direction; 'take them,' &c. 3. He gives reasons to deter all from cruel pity in sparing of them, 'for,' &c. In clearing the case here supposed, as incident to the church, we are to consider, 1. What these vines are. 2. What be these foxes. 3. How they spoil the vines. For clearing the first, consider, ...