Song of Solomon 6

Song of Solomon 6:1

WHither is] the brides companions, that is to say, all true believers and the particular Churches, answering to the brides question, Son 5:8. by saying they have no other guide to bring them to Christ, out the Church its selfe and their communion with her: And that the spirit of zeale, which works in the whole body, is the same as works in every particular member.

Song of Solomon 6:2

My beloved] this is the bride, who teacheth every true believer that they ought to seek Christ in heaven whither hee is gone perfectly to enjoy his everlasting goods, and from thence soveraignly to governe his Church, Luke 24:5. Colossians 3:1 [Gone down] a terme taken from the scituation of Solomons gardens in Ierusalem, which were in the low valley of Hinnom, whereas his palace stood in the higher parts of the City, see Neb. 3. 15 [Of spices] which in this book are taken for a figure of spirituall and celestiall goods, it being the property of spices to preserve from putrefaction [To eed] the Italian addeth, his flock, see upon Son 2:16.

Song of Solomon 6:4

O my love] the bridegroome, who is here brought in shewing himselfe to the Churches faith in heaven it selfe, where she hath sought for him, together with all believers: And in this act of faith and zeal, accepting and praysing her as a fine City, a mighty Army, and a compleat body politick; which are the three principall qualities of the Church, answerable to Christs three properties, he being her Head, chief Captaine, and king [Tizab] a City belonging to the Tribe ofManasseh, faire and pleasant by reason of the excellencie of her scituation, for which cause it was made choyce of, to be the abode of the Kings of Israel, 1 Kings 14. 17. and 15. 21. and 16. 6. 18.[Terrible] namely, to her enemies, as she is delightfull to her children, see concerning this mixture and conjunction of beauty and force, Cant. 1. 9. & 4. 4. & 7. 4.

Song of Solomon 6:5

Turne away] poeticall termes, which signifie nothing but Christs extreame love, moved, or rather as one should say, forced thereunto by the Churches faith.

Song of Solomon 6:8

There are] to shew the excellencie of the Church above all other Nations of the world, over which also Christ reigneth in his power; Solomon useth these kinds of speech, taken from his own Court, in which at that time as hee composed this Canticle, hee might have this number of married wives, called Queens, and so many Concubines.

Song of Solomon 6:9

Is but one] and incomparable above any other assembly in my love and favour, & in the gifts of my Spirit, see Psal 147. 0 [Of her Mother] she is only in all the generation of men. Amongst whom there is no other holy Nation joyned to God by a Covenant of peace, but onely the Church.[The daughters] this may be referred to the knowledge that other Nations had of the Church by meanes of the Gospel, whereby they were drawne to joyne themselves to her.

Song of Solomon 6:10

Who is she] words of admiration uttered by these daughters, namely, the Nations of the world.

Song of Solomon 6:11

I went] here the bride sets down her motion through faith into the heavenly Paradise, seeing shee could not finde her bride-groome upon earth [Down] as verse 2 [Of nuts] namely, nutmegs, by which name are understood all other sorts of aromatick plants, verse 2 [To see the]that is to say, to taste by a lively faith the first fruits of eternall life, and to advance my selfe towards it by the lifting up of my heart and by a holy desire, Philippians 3:14.

Song of Solomon 6:12

Or ever I was] I felt my selfe beyond mine expectation, ravished up into heaven by an unspeakable violence of the spirit, Ephes. 5. 20 [Amminadib] this should seeme to be some famous Chariot driver of Solomons, who in the race of horses and Chariots, could out drive all the rest, see Son 1:9.

Song of Solomon 6:13

Returne] the brides companions, which are those Nations or persons that desire to bee joyned unto her, and therefore desire that shee may not bee so soone gathered up into heaven without them; but that shee might remaine in the world, to the end, they also in time might be admitted into her fellowship [Sulamite] as Christ in this book is named Solomon, that is to say, peaceable by the name of that King who was the type and figure of him; so the Church is calledSulomite, by the name of her bridegroome, to shew the communion which shee hath with him, and the benefit of the true spirituall peace which shee enjoyeth through his grace; and therefore also the forming of the Hebrew word is rather passive then active [What will yee] the bride asketh what their reason is, that they so much desire to have her kept here in the world [As it were] her companions answer that they doe desire it, because they may one day enjoy that incomparable happinesse, of seeing the Iewes and Gentiles united into one Church, Ephes. 2. 15. moving in gladnesse of Spirit, with a measured pace, and mutuall consent, solemnly to meet the Bridegroome according to the manner and custome of joyfull entrances, 1 Samuel 18:6. Psal. 68. 25.