mh_parser/vol_split/22 - Song of Solomon/0 - Introduction.xml

<div2 id="Song.i" n="i" next="Song.ii" prev="Song" progress="95.57%" title="Introduction">
<h2 id="Song.i-p0.1">Song of Solomon</h2>
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<p id="Song.i-p1"><b>AN</b></p>
<h3 id="Song.i-p1.1">EXPOSITION,</h3>
<h4 id="Song.i-p1.2">W I T H   P R A C T I C A L   O B S E
R V A T I O N S,</h4>
<h5 id="Song.i-p1.3">OF THE</h5>
<h2 id="Song.i-p1.4">S O N G   O F   S O L O M O
N.</h2>
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<p class="indent" id="Song.i-p2">All <i>scripture,</i> we are sure, <i>is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable</i> for the support
and advancement of the interests of his kingdom among men, and it
is never the less so for there being found in it some things
<i>dark and hard to be understood, which those that are unlearned
and unstable wrest to their own destruction.</i> In our belief both
of the divine extraction and of the spiritual exposition of this
book we are confirmed by the ancient, constant, and concurring
testimony both of the church of the Jews, to whom were <i>committed
the oracles of God,</i> and who never made any doubt of the
authority of this book, and of the Christian church, which happily
succeeds them in that trust and honour. I. It must be confessed, on
the one hand, that if he who barely reads this book be asked, as
the eunuch was <i>Understandest thou what thou readest?</i> he will
have more reason than he had to say, <i>How can I, except some man
shall guide me?</i> The books of scripture-history and prophecy are
very much like one another, but this <i>Song of Solomon's</i> is
very much unlike the songs of his father David; here is not the
name of God in it; it is never quoted in the New Testament; we find
not in it any expressions of natural religion or pious devotion,
no, nor is it introduced by vision, or any of the marks of
immediate revelation. It seems as hard as any part of scripture to
be made a <i>savour of life unto life,</i> nay, and to those who
come to the reading of it with carnal minds and corrupt affections,
it is in danger of being made a <i>savour of death unto death;</i>
it is a flower out of which they extract poison; and therefore the
Jewish doctors advised their young people not to read it till they
were thirty years old, lest by the abuse of that which is most pure
and sacred (<i>horrendum dictu—horrible to say!</i>) the flames of
lust should be kindled with fire from heaven, which is intended for
the altar only. But, II. It must be confessed, on the other hand,
that with the help of the many faithful guides we have for the
understanding of this book it appears to be a very bright and
powerful ray of heavenly light, admirable fitted to excite pious
and devout affections in holy souls, to draw out their desires
towards God, to increase their delight in him, and improve their
acquaintance and communion with him. It is an allegory, the letter
of which kills those who rest in that and look no further, but the
spirit of which gives life, <scripRef id="Song.i-p2.1" osisRef="Bible:2Cor.3.6 Bible:John.6.63" parsed="|2Cor|3|6|0|0;|John|6|63|0|0" passage="2Co 3:6,Joh 6:63">2
Cor. iii. 6; John vi. 63</scripRef>. It is a parable, which makes
divine things more difficult to those who do not love them, but
more plain and pleasant to those who do, <scripRef id="Song.i-p2.2" osisRef="Bible:Matt.13.14 Bible:Matt.13.16" parsed="|Matt|13|14|0|0;|Matt|13|16|0|0" passage="Mt 13:14,16">Matt. xiii. 14, 16</scripRef>. Experienced Christians
here find a counterpart of their experiences, and to them it is
intelligible, while <i>those</i> neither understand it nor relish
it who have no part nor lot in the matter. It is a son, an
<i>Epithalamium,</i> or nuptial song, wherein, by the expressions
of love between a bridegroom and his bride, are set forth and
illustrated the mutual affections that pass between God and a
distinguished remnant of mankind. It is a pastoral; the bride and
bridegroom, for the more lively representation of humility and
innocence, are brought in as a shepherd and his shepherdess. Now,
1. This song might easily be taken in a spiritual sense by the
Jewish church, for whose use it was first composed, and was so
taken, as appears by the Chaldee-Paraphrase and the most ancient
Jewish expositors. God betrothed the people of Israel to himself;
he entered into covenant with them, and it was a marriage-covenant.
He had given abundant proofs of his love to them, and required of
them that they should love him with all their heart and soul.
Idolatry was often spoken of as spiritual adultery, and doting upon
idols, to prevent which this song was penned, representing the
complacency which God took in Israel and which Israel ought to take
in God, and encouraging them to continue faithful to him, though he
might seem sometimes to withdraw and hide himself from them, and to
wait for the further manifestation of himself in the promised
Messiah. 2. It may more easily be taken in a spiritual sense by the
Christian church, because the condescensions and communications of
divine love appear more rich and free under the gospel than they
did under the law, and the communion between heaven and earth more
familiar. God sometimes spoke of himself as the husband of the
Jewish church (<scripRef id="Song.i-p2.3" osisRef="Bible:Isa.64.5 Bible:Hos.2.16 Bible:Hos.2.19" parsed="|Isa|64|5|0|0;|Hos|2|16|0|0;|Hos|2|19|0|0" passage="Isa 64:5,Ho 2:16,19">Isa. lxiv.
5, Hos. ii. 16, 19</scripRef>), and rejoiced in it as his bride,
<scripRef id="Song.i-p2.4" osisRef="Bible:Isa.62.4-Isa.62.5" parsed="|Isa|62|4|62|5" passage="Isa 62:4,5">Isa. lxii. 4, 5</scripRef>. But more
frequently is Christ represented as the bridegroom of his church
(<scripRef id="Song.i-p2.5" osisRef="Bible:Matt.25.1 Bible:Rom.7.4 Bible:2Cor.11.2 Bible:Eph.5.32" parsed="|Matt|25|1|0|0;|Rom|7|4|0|0;|2Cor|11|2|0|0;|Eph|5|32|0|0" passage="Mt 25:1,Ro 7:4,2Co 11:2,Eph 5:32">Matt. xxv. 1;
Rom. vii. 4; 2 Cor. xi. 2; Eph. v. 32</scripRef>), and the church
as the bride, the Lamb's wife, <scripRef id="Song.i-p2.6" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.7 Bible:Rev.21.2 Bible:Rev.21.9" parsed="|Rev|19|7|0|0;|Rev|21|2|0|0;|Rev|21|9|0|0" passage="Re 19:7,21:2,9">Rev. xix. 7; xxi. 2, 9</scripRef>. Pursuant to
this metaphor Christ and the church in general, Christ and
particular believers, are here discoursing with abundance of mutual
esteem and endearment. The best key to this book is the <scripRef id="Song.i-p2.7" osisRef="Bible:Ps.45.1-Ps.45.17" parsed="|Ps|45|1|45|17" passage="Ps 45:1-17">45th Psalm</scripRef>, which we find applied
to Christ in the New Testament, and therefore this ought to be so
too. It requires some pains to find out what may, probably, be the
meaning of the Holy Spirit in the several parts of this book; as
David's songs are many of them level to the capacity of the
meanest, and there are shallows in them learned, and there are
depths in it in which an elephant may swim. But, when the meaning
is found out, it will be of admirable use to excite pious and
devout affections in us; and the same truths which are plainly laid
down in other scriptures when they are extracted out of this come
to the soul with a more pleasing power. When we apply ourselves to
the study of this book we must not only, with Moses and Joshua,
<i>put off our shoe from off our foot,</i> and even forget that we
have bodies, because <i>the place where we stand is holy
ground,</i> but we must, with John, <i>come up hither,</i> must
spread our wings, take a noble flight, and soar upwards, till by
faith and holy love we <i>enter into the holiest,</i> for <i>this
is no other than the house of God and this is the gate of
heaven.</i></p>
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