Εναλείφεται τὰς ῥῖνας, διένας μέρος. Μέγισον ὀσμὰς ἐγκεφαλῳ χρηςτῶς ποιῶν.

Of which ointments there were exceeding great variety: four he mentions in that place, which were in common use; but a vast number more in his 15th book, chap. 11. out of Apollonius Hierophilus ; who shows, in a book on purpose about it, that several countries afforded unguents, that were most excellent in their kind. As the best of roses was made at Phaselis, and some other places; the best of crocus came from Soli in Cilicia; that of spikenard from Tarsus, &c. ἡ δὲ Συρία τὸ παλλαιὸς xenità wáila zagáxi, &c. Syria anciently (though not in his time) afforded excellent of all sorts, especially of one, which he there names. Now, to this use of ointments, some think Solomon here alludes; but I rather think he hath respect to his father's words, Psal. xlv. 8. and intended hereby to signify the glorious offices of the Messiah, whose very name (signifying anointed) carried in it all that could be desired; he being anointed by God to be the great deliverer and saviour of his people. And these first words of the verse, the LXX. seem to me to have most rightly understood, (whom I have therefore followed), who translate them thus: "The smell of thy ointments is above all spices;" taking tovim, which we translate good, for the best of ointments.

Therefore do the virgins love thee.] The attractive power of sweet ointments (to which Solomon here alludes) is notably declared in that which Basil (Epist. ad Julittam) relates of the manner of catching doves. Which was by breeding up one tame, and then, μύρω τὰς πτέρυγας αὐτῆς χρίσαντες, anointing her wings with ointment, they let her fly away, xai ǹ rỡ μúpu siwòía, &c. and the sweet odour of the ointment drew abundance of pigeons after her, which she brought to the cot of her owner. See this farther explained in the next note, [d] [d] Ver. 4. Draw me.] In the beginning of this verse, I suppose he comprehends all the nation of the Jews, as persons conjunct with him, in these words, "Draw me." And then speaks in the name of all the people: "We will run after thee. For so the Hebrew writers themselves, by virgins, (in the foregoing verse), understand those who, out of Paganism, came into the church, and embraced the trne religion; such as Jethro and Rahab; who, having heard of the miracles in Egypt, and in the wilderness, joined themselves to the people of God. And indeed wonderful ardent was the love of those who came from Gentilism unto Christ; such as the woman of Samaria, John, iv.; the centurion, Matth. viii. ; the Canaanitish woman, Matth. xv. who had such faith as was not found in Israel. The king bath brought me, &c.] Here now he seems on a sudden to have had a glance of the Messiah, the great King of Israel; and in the spirit of prophecy to have beheld a glimpse of those things,

"which eye had not seen, nor ear heard, neither did they enter into the heart of man." Which I understand here by the word chadarau, which we translate chambers; wherein he alludes to the chambers of the temple, (1 Chron. xxviii. 11.), but especially to the most secret place of it; into which no man might enter but the High Priest alone; till Christ came and made way for us into the holiest . of all, which was typified by it.

The upright love thee.] The two last words of this verse being capable of various translations, I have expressed the sense so largely as to comprehend. them all in my paraphrase. And shall only add, that the whole verse may be understood after this manner, That the first words, "draw me," are the voice of the spouse; the next, "we will run after thee," the words of the chorus of virgins. And then she speaks again, "The king hath brought me into his chambers;" and then they again express their joy at it in the following words, "we will be glad and rejoice," &c. This came into my mind since I wrote the paraphrase, and seems to be the plainest account of this verse.

[e] Ver. 5. I am black, &c.] The principal mystery of the kingdom of Christ, being the calling of the Gentiles into fellowship with him, (which is oftener called a mystery in the New Testament, than any thing whatsoever), Solomon seems to speak of that in this verse; having beheld, in the rapture wherein he was, the Gentiles flocking to him, not without the great displeasure of the Jews, who contemned, and would have excluded them, as people uncapable of his love; unto which the Gentiles are here introduced, making their answer to the exceptions of the Jews, in these words: "I am black, but comely," &c. The literal sense of which, and of the next verse, I have expressed so fully in the paraphrase, annexing the spiritual sense at the end, that I do not think fit to enlarge upon it here. But desire the reader to take notice, that the word Sechora, which we translate black, denotes such a duskishness as in the morning, (called Sechar, in the Hebrew), when some little light begins to appear, and the darkness to fly away. Which aptly represents the condition of the Gentile world, when they were upon the point of receiving the knowledge of Christ. Which this wise king Solomon might well foresee would be imparted to them; by observing a type of it in his own marriage, as well as in the marriages of other great men, in former times. Which plainly shewed the Jews, if they would have learnt it, that there was no reason they should except against the conjunction of the Gentiles with themselves, in the spiritual marriage of both, in one body, unto Christ. For Isaac married Rebecca, a Gentile, and the daughter of an idolater, as appears from her brother Laban, who was no better, Gen. xxxi. 19. 30. &c. And this man's daughters, Jacob married; whose son Judah, the prince of their tribes, took to wife a Canaanite, (Gen. xxxviii. 2.), as Joseph did an Egyptian,

(Gen. xli. 45.); nay, Moses himself, that great deliverer and law giver, married an Æthiopian (or Arabian) woman, (Numb. xii. 1.), and, notwithstanding the anger of his brother and sister at this marriage, would not be divorced from her. Naasson also, a great man of the house of Judah, married Rahab of Jericho, and had by her Booz, who took Ruth the Moabitess to wife, by whom he had Obed the grandfather of David. And, indeed, the yery first institution of marriage having (as I have proved in the Preface) a mystical intention in it, which St Paul unfolds in Eph. v. these marriages may well be looked upon as emblems of the uniting all sorts of people with Christ, in one body of the church.

[f] Ver. 6.] Here they seem to give an account how they came to degenerate, and lose their original beauty, by false prophets, and prophetesses in the Gentile world, who led them to idolatry; particularly to the worship of the sun, which was the most ancient of all other, (Deut. iv. 19. Job, xxxi. 26.), and spread itself as far as the sun shineth. For it was the sun whom one country worshipped under the name of Baal; another under the name of Moloch; another of Chemosh; and others of Mithras and Osyris. Which last was the name given to it by the Egyptians; among whom the sun was worshipped in the famous city of Heliopolis, (which took its name from thence), not far from the and of Rameses, where the children of Israel dwelt while they lived there, Gen. xlvii. 11. and so were more easily infected with that idolatry. [g] Ver. 7.] This verse I take to be the voice of the whole church, longing to be acquainted with his doctrine; which is compared to food, as his disciples are to sheep; whom shepherds were wont in those countries to lead into cool shades at noon, that they might not suffer by the heat. Unto which Solomon here alludes, representing all pious souls as afraid also of wandering from the true Shepherd, and falling, like sheep that go astray, into the hands of strangers. All which metaphors are largely pursued by our blessed Saviour, in one of his parables, (John, x.), as comparisons familiarly known to his disciples, who found them here first used in this holy book.

[h] Ver. 8.] To the foregoing petition, he here returns this answer. Which needs no other explication than what I have given of it in the paraphrase; unless we observe a difference between flocks and kids. The latter of which signifies the goats' young ones; and so may represent the new converts of the Gentiles, who formerly lay under an ill character, and did male olere, as they speak, smell rank of many foul superstitions. But I am not willing to meddle with such niceties. [i] Ver. 9. Company of horses, &c.] This comparison may convince us, that Solomon doth not aim at any single person in this song, (either Pharaoh's daughter, or a beautiful Shunamite, or any other woman or virgin, who would very absurdly be comVOL. III.

pared to a troop of horses), but as a great many united in a body; i. e. the whole company of believers in the Messiah, who may very fitly be resembled to the horses in the chariots of Pharoah; whose kingdom in those days abounded with the most excellent horses, which were famous for their strength, and fitness for service; as may be seen by the provision of them Solomon made for himself from thence, 1 Kings, x. 28. 29.; and the great number which came from thence against Jerusalem, in his son's days, 2 Chron. xii. 3. Long after which, we read of their great force, Isa. xxxi. 1. Jer. xlvi. 4. 9. and consequently, the body of Christian people, that is, the church, being compared to a company of them, is set forth thereby as very powerful, and prevailing over all opposers.

[k] Ver. 10.] The means of which is here represented to be the power of the Spirit, wherewith Christ hath endued his church. For the manner of bridegrooms being to present their future bride with jewels, or some other rich gifts, (suitable to their quality and ability), Solomon alludes to them, as I take it, in this verse; and points at the gifts which his father foretold, (Psal. lxviii. 18.), Christ would dispense, when he ascended up on high to his throne of glory; whereby several orders of admirable men were constituted in the church, 1 Cor. xii. 28. &c.

[1] Ver. 11.] And the design of all those gifts, was to make men truly virtuous, which seems to be intended in this verse, (for love and good works are compared to gold in the language of Christ himself, Rev. iii. 18.), which is the voice of all those that attended upon the bride.

[m] Ver. 12.] That which makes the greatest difficulty in this book, is the frequent change of the persons that speak; and it is doubted here, whose language this is. I take it to be the bride herself, that here again gratefully acknowledges his benefits, and endeavours to make all the world sensible of them.

Sitteth at his table.] The king sitting at his table, signifying his rest and joy after all his labours, I have therefore expounded it of the throne of his glory, unto which our blessed Saviour being advanced, he received power to prefer others; whose honour and dignity is expressed by these two things, "eating at his table," and "sitting by him upon thrones;" which was the same thing in our Saviour's own language, Matth. xix. 28. compared with Luke, xxii. 29. 30.

Spikenard.] It is observed by Pliny, that the most fragrant Nard comes from the spikes of a very small contemptible shrub; which may well be looked upon as an emblem of the sweet odour of the gospel, wherewith such mean and despicable persons as the apostles were of themselves, filled all the world by their preaching; together with the extraordinary holiness of their lives, which recommended their preaching very much to all observing men. So the Cabbalists expound this fragrancy in

the ancient book Zobar. Where R. Juda saith, "When good works are multiplied in the world, then the Cheneseth Israel, (i. e. the congregation of Israel, the same with Malcuth, in their language), exhales rich in tovin, good odours, i. e. most sweet and fragrant odours, being blessed by the holy King," &c. Which words the Scholiast expounds thus: "She exhales sweet odours to her husband Tipheret, and is most acceptable to him ;" the lower world (as his words are) being by this means married to the higher. [n] Ver. 13. A bundle of myrrh, &c.] The church deriving the greatest comfort and satisfaction from his sitting on the throne of his glory, resolves here to keep him perpetually in mind, and in her most hearty affections; which is expressed by myrrh tied up in a little bag, and put into the bosom, as the manner was in those countries, to corroborate the heart, and exhilirate the spirits.

The bosom of all chaste women is inaccessible to any hand but that of their husband; and therefore here signifies the careful preservation of his memory, and of the doctrine he hath deposited in his church. [o] Ver. 14. Cluster of Camphire.] Nothing more puzzles interpreters, than those words which we translate cluster of camphire. For our camphire was unknown to the ancients, and doth not grow in clusters, but is the resinous substance of a tree in Borneo, and in China; and therefore is far better translated in the margin of our Bibles, cypress. But by cypress is not to be understood the tree which bears that name among us; but a far more aromatic plant in the East, which was a kind of Ligustrum or Alcharma, called by Pliny, Cyperus, and sometimes Cyprus; which produced a most sweet bush of flowers, and also berries, not much different from the fragrancy of spikenard. Whence it is likely the famous island Cyprus took its name; because here (as at Ascalon in Judea, and on the banks of Nile) the best, that is, the most odoriferous Cyprus grows, Thus both Stephanus and Eustathius: the island Cyprus hath its name, àwò ἐκεῖ φυομένε ἄνθος Κύπρο, from the flower of Cyprus growing there; as Bochart shews in his Canaan, I. i. c. 3. Of which flowers, or of the seed, was made that ointment, which Pliny calls the unguent royal.

But there is one' that thinks these words may be translated, precious cluster, or cluster of great value, to be bought at any rate; because copher denotes the price of any thing that is purchased or redeemed. Such was the balsam that came from these shrubs; which grew at Engedi, (in the plains of Jericho), after the manner of vines; and therefore called, as Bochartus hath shewn, the "vineyards of Engedi." And thus the ancient Hebrew doctors, by dividing the first word we have found out the mystery of the Messiah in these words. Which they understand as if he had said, "My beloved is unto me the man that propitiates all things."

[p] Ver. 15. Behold.]. This and the following verse contain the mutual expressions of their love. First, of Christ to his church, in this verse; and that not only in regard of her inward purity, but of her external order, both which were remarkable; and therefore the word behold is repeated.

Doves eyes.] The eyes shew more than any part else the inward affections of the mind; and doves eyes are the emblems of simplicity, candour, sincerity, and purity.

[q] Ver. 16.] Here follows the expression of the church's love to Christ; whom she acknowledgeth to be the fountain of all that is in her.

Our bed is green.] By bed I understand their table; about which they sat on beds strewed with flowers, or such fragrant greens as were in season. [r] Ver. 17. Our house, &c.] This last verse I take for a description of particular churches; by the roof or covering of which I understand their protection. And it being made of cedar and fir, there seems to be an allusion to the temple, in the fabric of which these were employed, as most durable and incorruptible. Others take that word we translate fir to signify Cypress; which is still nearer to the sense I have given of this verse. Which sense will not seem at all forced unto those who consider, that not only the whole body of the faithful, which is the church universal, but the parts of it, or single churches, such as that at Ephesus, are represented by the apostle as an holy temple, an habitation or dwelling-place of God; which is built upon Christ, and with him makes up one house of God, (Eph. ii. 20. 21. 22.) Nay, every particular faithful person is not only a living stone, as St Peter speaks, in that building, but is called also a temple of God, who dwells in holy minds by his Spirit, 1 Cor. iii. 16. 17. vi. 19. So that the bride and the chorus of virgins might well, both with respect to Christ and to one another, use the style of our house, in this description of his dwelling-place.

CHAP. II.

THE ARGUMENT.-Here begins a new colloquy, which hath two principal parts. In the first of which the bridegroom owns the praises to belong unto him, which had been bestowed upon him in the conclusion of the foregoing chapter, ver. 1. 2. ; and the bride again declares her high admiration of him, and satisfaction in his love, as infinitely surpassing all other enjoyments, and deserving greater love to him than could be expressed, (ver. 3. 4. &c.) With which ecstacy of love he declaring himself to be highly pleased, ver. 7. then follows the second part, wherein she sets forth the wonderful power of divine love to enlighten their mind, and to obtain the favour of illuminations from above. For now she speaks (ver. 8. 9. &c.) as if she saw him, and heard his voice inviting her to partake of the blessings which his appearing brought to mankind. The secure possession

highest happiness in the next: and therefore I say again, Awake, and stir up thy desires, thou who art most dear unto me, thou who art most lovely in my eyes; arise, and go and take possession of those inestimable benefits. See Annot. [m]

BRIDEGROOM.

Ver. 14. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.]¶And be not afraid of those who, seeking to destroy thee, force thee to flee like an innocent dove, to hide thyself and seek for safety in holes of the earth, in caves, and dens, and secret places; but from hence look up unto me, and call upon me with praises and thanksgivings, and I will save and deliver thee; for I love thee inseparably, who art most amiable in my eyes, whose prayers and praises I delight to hear, and to behold my own image that is formed in thee. See Annot. [n]

Ver. 15. Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes.] And therefore I require all those that act by authority from me, and to whom I have committed the care of my church, to use their early diligence also to discover and confute the sophistry of deceivers, who craftily insinuate their false doctrines into weak and incautious souls, and thereby seduce those who are newly converted, or but infirm in the faith. See Annot. [o]

SPOUSE.

Ver. 16. My beloved is mine, and I am bis; be feedeth among the lilies.]¶Unto which I hear the church reply, I will preserve my fidelity to him, who is my only Beloved, as I am his: I will have nothing to do with those seducing spirits, but adhere to him alone; whose dwelling is not among subtle and crafty, but with simple and candid souls. See Annot. [p]

Ver. 17. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved; and be thou like a roe, or a young bart, upon the mountains of Bether.] Only let him be pleased to vouchsafe his gracious presence with me, and to enlighten me more and more, till we have a full knowledge of him and of his will, (Rom. xiii. 11. 12.), and the light of it scatter all the shadows of the law: let my beloved also make haste to succour and relieve me in all difficulties and distresses, and show the same readiness for my preservation, that he did (ver. 9.) for my first salvation. See Annot. [q]

ANNOTATIONS.

[a] Ver. 1.] There is so little ground to apply the several parts of this song to the several ages of the church, till the end of all things, that I cannot think fit to follow such interpretations. But shall pursue the method I have begun, and observe, that the Messiah is here introduced as owning the praises which the church had bestowed upon him

And

in the conclusion of the foregoing chapter. that in such phrases as are becoming a pastoral, borrowed from flowers and trees, (under which shepherds delight to sit and eat the fruit), and from such creatures as frequent the fields and woods, &c.

I am the rose.] And in this verse he first compares himself to a rose, which is still one of the goodliest things to which a great prince can be likened in those eastern countries. As appears from a letter, written by the great Mogul, in the Persian tongue, to K. James, sent by Sir Thomas Roe, wherein he thus compliments his Majesty of Great Britain : "As upon a rose in a garden, so are my eyes fixed upon you: God maintain your estate, that your monarchy may prosper," &c. But it was chiefly prized by shepherds and shepherdesses, and accounted by them galos puly, as Philostratus speaks, the plant of love. Insomuch, saith he, that if the great king have the diadem on his head, the soldier his helmet, as the greatest ornament, beautiful youths should have chaplets of roses, xai din ζυγγένειαν τῆς ἐνωδίας, καὶ διὰ τὸ οικείον τῆς χροίας, as near of kin to them both in sweetness and ruddiness. And Achilles Tatius (1. 1. 'Eyal. &c.) thus commends this lovely flower: "If Jupiter would set a king over the flowers, it would be the rose that should reign over them, being the ornament of the earth, the splendour of plants, the eye of flowers, the blushing beauty of the field, or refulgent brightness," &c.

Of Saron.] i. e. the most excellent rose; for such were the roses of Saron, as may be gathered from hence: That the rose, according to Pliny's observation, delights in dry places, and will not thrive in fat and unctuous soils, in rich clays, or grounds well watered, but in those that are lean, full of rubbish, &c. Now, such was the soil about Saron, as we learn from the Mischneh, in the title Sota, chap. viii. where they that built a brick house in Saron are said to have been deprived of the benefit of that law.

Deut. xx. 5. Upon which passage R. Solomon glosses, that the earth thereabout was unfit for making bricks, being so dry and crumbling that the houses that were built of them, had need to be repaired twice in seven years. Insomuch, that the Jerusalem--Talmud saith, "This high-priest prayed by name for the Saronites, upon the day of expiation, that their houses might not be converted into their graves."

Lily of the valleys.] By the lily we are not to understand such as we call lilium convallium, or May-lily; but some more noble and fragrant flower, being joined here with roses; as it is in several poetical fragments (quoted by Athenæus, 1. xv. c. 8. 9.) with violets, marjoram, and divers other sweet flowers. Insomuch that he saith the Corinthians called the lily by the name of ambrosia; and he tells us, out of Nicander, that it was esteemed