fore-described beauty; for it is evident, from the following verse, he had not yet done with that mat

ter.

[] Ver. 7.] Thou art all fair, &c.]. And here, to comprehend all that could be said, he enlarges the commendation which he began withal, ver. 1. and concludes in these words, that there was no defect in any part, but altogether they made up a complete beauty, without the least speck of deformity. Which is not to be applied to every particular person in the church; but, as I have taken it in the paraphrase, to the admirable constitution of the whole, in which there was no imperfection.

[h] Ver. 8.] Come with me from Lebanon, &c.] Here now begins a new representation, as appears by this, that the style wherein the bridegroom speaks is altered, she who hitherto hath been called his love or friend, being now called his spouse, and never before; though very frequently in the following part of the song. Which hath moved interpreters, I suppose, to use this name throughout rather than the other, as the higher and most excellent title.

Theodoret therefore here begins his third book, very judiciously; and we may look upon this as a description of the church, coming out of the state of persecution, and receiving greater testimonies of her Saviour's love than ever. For coming from the top of high mountains, where there were lions dens, and where leopards inhabited, cannot well signify any thing else, than coming from places where they were in danger to be devoured by their persecutors, who are compared to lions in many places of scripture.

As for the mountains themselves, they are well known where they were. Only Amana some have fancied to be that mountain in Cilicia, called Amanus ; which is reckoned among the highest, and joined by Elian with Libanus and Carmel. We read also that there were tigers and panthers, &c. in this mountain, which hath been brought to countenance this opinion. Judæa and the neighbouring places being the scene of this poem, we are not to go so far off as Cilicia to seek for Amana; for as Senir and Hermon were but parts of the same mountains, so Amana was a part of Libanus, as Bochartus hath observed in his Canaan, 1. i. c. 5. And though the lower parts of this mountain Libanus were very pleasant, yet the top of it, which is here spoken. of, was horrid, and inhabited with wild beasts. From whence the spouse is invited to come into more delightful and secure places; for she is compared presently after to a "garden or paradise," ver. 12. 13. &c. And it is no wonder Solomon should have the state of the Christian church in trouble, thus represented to him; it being very suitable to the state of the church of the Jews, when it was first tormed, being then pressed by Pharaoh, and many other enemies afterward, before they came to Canaan,

[i] Ver. 9. Thou hast ravished my heart, &c.] The first word of this verse, libbavtini, (which is not to be found any where else), signifies some extraordinary motion in the heart; and is translated by some, Thou hast wounded my heart; by the LXX. (which we follow), Thou hast taken away my heart; but may as well be translated, Thou hast taken pos session of my heart, and deeply engaged my affection. Which is expressed by the addition of another name for her, whom he called spouse in the foregoing verse, and here also calls sister. Which is only a word of tenderness and endearment, used by husbands to their wives; as appears by the book of Tobit, where Raguel calls his wife Edna, his sister, vii. 16. and Tobias calls Sara by the same name, after he had married her, vii. 4. 7.

One of thine eyes, &c.] All the difficulty here is, what may be thought to be meant by one of her eyes, and one chain of her neck. Some take eyes to signify faith and charity, others the church of the Jews and Gentiles, and then one eye must signify one glance, one look of thy eyes; but nothing pleases me better than the old interpretation of Alcuinus, who by the word one understands oneness or unity; and by the eyes, (as ver. 1.), the pastors and guides of the church; and by the one wreath of hair about the neck, the pious unity of the people subject unto

It

them.

may be interpreted also, "the least glance I have of thee and of thy beauty, mightily engages my love to thee; for thy eyes are the very seat of love," as abundance of authors express it.

[k] Ver. 10. How fair is thy love !] The love, or rather loves, (as it is in the Hebrew), which is here. extolled, may signify our love to God, and unto one another; and ointments be applied to all the graces. which flow from thence.

[1] Ver. 11. Thy lips distil, &c.] That which distils from the lips, as honey from the comb, can be nothing but pure and most delicious doctrine, delivered in such a manner, as to invite all to taste of it. For this, by all sorts of authors, is compared to honey; and made Xenophon be called the Attic, and Sappho the Pierian Bee; because of the sweetness of his orations, and of her poems. When the rare eloquence of Plato is said to have been predicted by bees, which came and sat in his mouth, when he was an infant; which is reported also, by no mean authors, of Pindar, Lucan, and St Ambrose,

Honey and milk are under thy tongue.] This signifies the same thing; for these were anciently the food of infants, and may denote that the church hath instruction for all sorts. So wide from the truth is the exposition of the doctors in Maimonides (Porta Mosis, p. 83.), that this milk and honey being said to lie under the tongue, signifies the concealment of such truths as are very sweet, till men be fit to receive them.

The smell of thy garments.] Garments, wherewith we

are cloathed, signify, in the New Testament, our whole conversation; and their perfume, therefore, denotes not only the excellency of the Christian life, but its being known also every where. Like the smell of Lebanon.] From the trees in the forest of Lebanon, came many sweet spices, particularly frankincense, from which some think it took its name of Lebanon, though others think rather from laban, white, because of the snow that lay perpetually upon the top of this mountain. [m] Ver. 12. A garden inclosed.] In the forest about this mountain Lebanon, Solomon built himself an house, which we find described, 1 Kings, vii. 2. &c. unto which no doubt there belonged a garden, with springs, and fountains, or receptacles of water; and all sorts of trees, and plants, and flowers, that might make it delightful. Unto which I conceive he hath respect in this, and in the following

verses.

I know that very good authors think he here describes a perfect virgin; "like a garden newly inclosed, in which no seed hath been sown;" as the doctors speak in Perke Eliezer, cap. 21. which hath made some Christian writers apply this to the care of the church, to preserve herself pure and undefiled, &c. But it is more agreeable, to what goes before, and follows after, to expound it, as Theodoret doth, of the church bringing forth not only the fruits of godliness and virtue, but all sorts and variety of fruit, like an excellent garden; and therefore guarded by the singular care and providence of her Lord and owner, from tyrants and heretics, who, like wild beasts, or thieves, would destroy or deflower her.

A spring shut up, &c.] The same meaning hath a spring shut up, and a fountain sealed; that the waters may be preserved from dirt and filth; which cannot be thrown or fall into them, to trouble them and make them muddy, when they are so secured; but they flow purely. And, indeed, in the prophetical language, the flourishing condition of the church, after it hath been in affliction, is set forth by the planting of a wilderness with all sorts of the best trees; and by making fountains break forth, and waters flow therein, Isa. xli. 18. 15. li. 2. The LXX. (according to the Vatican copy, and that which Theodoret follows), and the Vulgar Latin, take the second comparison here, to be the same with the first, reading it thus: "A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse, a garden inclosed," &c. (just like ver. 9. and ver. 11.), reading, it seems, in the Hebrew, gan, a garden, where we now read gal, a spring. But this doth not at all alter the sense, and therefore need not trouble the reader. It is possible, that in the last words of the verse, a fountain sealed, there may be a description of the Christian font, or baptism; to which none were admitted, but such as sincerely renounced all wickedness, resolving and promising to lead a holy life. Which sense Theodoret may be thought to have expressed, when he saith, the church is compared

to a fountain sealed, ὡς μὴ πᾶσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀξίοις προzepémy, as not lying exposed to all comers, but only to those who are worthy. Though his next words seem to confine this passage to the mysteries in the other sacrament of Christ's body and blood; which they only that are already initiated in the Christian church can partake of, and not after their initiation wallow again in filthiness, but live accurately, or purify themselves by repentance, if they fall into any sin.

St Cyprian makes use of this verse, to prove the unity of the church, not only in his book upon that subject, but in several of his epistles, saying, "If the church be a garden inclosed, and a fountain sealed; how can any man enter into that garden, or drink of that fountain, who is not in the church!" &c. Epist. v. 69. 74. 75. Edit. Oxon. Cotovicus, in his Itinerary, says, that there is a fountain three miles from Bethlehem; southward, called by this name of fountain sealed; to which he went, and was told, that water still runs from thence in pipes to the place where Solomon's temple stood. But he himself intimates, that herein he follows an uncertain report.

[n] Ver. 13. Thy plants, &c.] By these Schelachim, young plants, or shoots and cions, (as the word signi. fies), we may well understand those whom the apostle calls nipula, who had newly received Christianity, and are here represented as a goodly nursery of pomegranates a fruit in that country very delicious, and no less useful many ways; for it was of a grateful smell, and had a winy juice, very refreshing, and therefore much desired in those hot places. Theodoret also thinks, that hereby is set forth, the great variety of Christians in the church, or, as his words are, "the many orders of Christians that shall be saved." For there is one order of virgins, another of widows, another of married people; as there are also, rich and poor, masters and servants, &c. who all have their several places and stations in one and the same church; as the grains of the pomegranates lie in their several cells, and distinct closets, (as they may be called), and yet are all contained in the same shell, and all compose one body.

Camphire.] Of Gopher, which we translate Camphire, see chap. i. ver. 14. Where it is joined with Nard, as it is here. Of which, (i. e. of Nard), there were several kinds, and therefore a word of the plural number is here used; as a word of the singular in the beginning of the next verse, which we in English express by the same word, spikenard, in both places.

[o] Ver. 14. Saffron, Calamus, &c.] Most of the names of these fragrant shrubs or trees, which we read in the Hebrew text, are the very same with those now in use in our and most other languages. The first of them, carcom, (saffron), being not much different from crocus, from whence that mountain in Cilicia, called Corycus, had its name, where the best crocus in the world then grew. The next

canna, (which we translate calamus), is a sweet cane or reed. Cinnamon also retains the same name; as do myrrh, (which grew only in the midst of Arabia, among the Sabæans), and aloes, which dropt from a shrub in those countries, and was reckoned among the prime spices, as the last words of this verse are very well translated.

Chief spice.] In the Hebrew, the words are, the top or the bead of aromatics, which signifies the most excellent spices. Just as the top of myrrh, Exod. xxx. 23. signifies the best and purest myrrh, and the top or head of oil, Psal. cxli. 1. the most excellent oil. I shall only note farther, that frankincense, myrrh, calamus, cinnamon, (called there xivd), are thus joined together by an ancient poet in Athenæus, 1. ix. cap. 15. Where Mnesimachus, in a poem of his, called Hippotrophos, making a description of a great supper, which was a marriage. feast, saith at the end of it,

Where Can (the attribute of smell), which we commonly translate venerable, and is so rendered in the ancient Glossary, signifies most excellent. For by that word, the LXX. translate the Hebrew negidim, Prov. viii. 6. excellent or princely things. And so noble was the smell which the spices gave, that the poet saith, it shaked the nostrils, i. e. strongly affect ed them, and stirred up in the brain a brisk sense of pleasure.

I do not think fit to seek for any thing in the church, particularly answering to every one of these excellent spices, as interpreters do, but look upon them. only as representing in general, the incomparable vir tues of the church, and its acceptableness unto God. Or, that there are in the church, all things necessary to salvation; for rare unguents, and other compositions, were made of the blossoms, fruit, or seeds of these shrubs, conducing much to health and long life.

[p] Ver. 15. 4 fountain of gardens, &c.] This verse Theodoret judiciously connects with the foregoing, after this manner ; xe dì xui wayk, "and it (i. e. this paradise or orchard, as we translate it) hath also a fountain."

A fountain of gardens, and well of living water,] are the same thing, as Bochartus hath observed in his Canaany 1. c. 18. Where he shows that deer, which we translate pit or well, signifies a fountain, as much as maajan. Libanus abounds with such springs, (as all great mountains do); and particularly there is at the foot of it, an excellent spring, which grows presently into a river, that waters the whole plain between that and Tripolis with a good stream, whereby the vineyards, olive-yards, fig-yards, and gardens, which were very numerous, were all supplied. Unto which Theodoret compares the evan gelical doctrine, (according to that of our blessed VOL. III.

Saviour's, John, iv. 10. 14.); only he adds also the law, making fountain and well in this verse two distinct things; and by the latter, imagining the law to be denoted, because things lay there deep and secret, as in a pit.

[9] Ver. 16. Awake, O north-wind, &c.] The same great person thinks the north-wind is here commanded to arise, merely that it might be gone, (as being pernicious to fruit), and give place to the south-wind, which is only invited to come and blow upon the garden, with its soft, gentle, and benign breath. But most interpreters take it otherwise; and some imagine that these two, being the most vehement winds in those countries, are called upon to blow; that by their strong shaking of the aromatic plants, they might make them send forth their odours the more plentifully. But it seems more reasonable to think, that these two winds were most profitable in their turns, for these two purposes. First, the north-wind was useful to close the pores of the trees, and shut up their effluviums, that they might not spend themselves too much, and be exhausted by perpetual evaporation. And then the southwind, coming in due season, opened and relaxed them again, making the aromatic gums drop freely, and the sweet odours fly more actively abroad. And if this garden, to which Solomon here alludes, had the same situation which the maps and charts give to that at Jerusalem, (which they place on the east side of the city, having the wall on the west), these two winds here mentioned, were those which alone were desirable; the east being biting and blasting, not only in Egypt, Gen. xli. 6. but in Judea also, Ezek. xix. 12. and in Assyria, Jonah, iv. 8. And therefore they defend their fruits against it, that they might not be exposed to it.

Let my beloved come, &c.] There is no doubt but this conclusion of the chapter is the voice of the spouse, praying her beloved to favour and prosper his own plantation, for his sake as well as for her's; that he might not lose what he himself had designed, and so happily begun and settled in such beautiful order, but take the pleasure of seeing it grow to perfection.

CHAP. V.

THE ARGUMENT. The first verse belonging (as was said before in the argument of the fourth chapter) to the foregoing representation, a new one begins, ver. 2. which continuing to the end of this chapter, makes the fifth part of this pastoral. Wherein is represented how soon our spirits flag, and grow weary of the most heavenly delights; nay, how drowsy the best minds sometimes are, and how insensible of God's love. For the spouse is introduced, (ver. 2. 3.), as in a slumber, and not so ready as formerly to comply with his gracious motions. At which the bridegroom takes not such distaste, as to leave her in that dulness, but awakes her out of it, to such a lively sense of her negligence, that she