Fire and Ice: Puritan and Reformed Writings [Table of Contents]  [Fast Index]  [Site Map]

by James Durham

BRIDEGROOM.

In verse 4 (which begins the third part of the chapter) Christ, the Bridegroom, comes in and speaks: our Lord Jesus (as it were) hath been long silent, and here he breaks in, without any preface, and makes up all his former absence and silence, by his singular kindness, when he manifests himself to his Bride; which kindness appears in the warmness and sweetness of his many and various expressions. He continues speaking unto verse 10, of chap. 7, after he had knocked at her door, chap. 5:2, he had been longing, as it were, to be in, and now when he wins in, he insists the more, and several ways prosecutes, and amplifies the commendation of his Bride. This is, 1. generally propounded in three similitudes, verse 4. 2. It's aggreged in one instance thereof, verse 5. 3. He descends to particulars, verses 5,6,7. 4. He takes her up in divers considerations, that speak her to be lovely and beautiful, verse 8,9. 5. This is confirmed by two instances and proofs, 1. What the daughters did esteem of her, and their praise is marked, verses 9,10. 2. It is instanced in the influence that her loveliness had on him, verses 11,12,13. And, 6. He proceeds in a different method from what he had, chap. 4, to set out the particulars of her loveliness, chap. 7.

Generally she is set out, verse 4. by three comparisons, 1. She 'is beautiful as Tirzah:' this was a city of the tribe of Manasseh, the word in the original comes from a root that sigifieth acceptable; whereby it seems, that this city had been exceeding pleasant; it was the seat of one of the kings of Canaan, Josh. 12:24; and of the kings of Israel, after the rent of the ten tribes from the house of David, until Zimri burnt it; after which Omri built Samaria, as is to be seen at large, 1 Kings 16. Thus the spiritual beauty of holiness in believers (Psalm 110:3.) is set out as having in it so much loveliness as may commend it, and make it desirable and acceptable to others. 2. She is 'comely as Jerusalem:' this was the head city of 'Judah, beautiful for situation, and the joy of the whole earth,' Psalm 48:2, but most beautiful for the ordinances and worship of God, which were there; therefore glorious things are spoken of it, more than any thing that was to be seen by carnal eyes, and it was loved on that account, 'more than all the dwellings of Jacob,' Psalm 87:2,3. It is ordinarily taken for a type of the church, which is set out by it, as, Psalm 122. It seems here the Lord doth respect the believer's spiritual beauty, with reference to that comeliness and orderliness, which is to be seen among them, and is maintained by them in the exercise of his ordinances; and also in respect of his estimation, every believer is a Jerusalem to him, where he dwells, where he is worshipped, and to whom he hath given the promise of his presence: believers are to him as Tirzah and Jerusalem, the most beautiful cities of that land, for the time. Or, the first similitude, taken from Tirzah, may look to outward beauty; for, Tirza was a beautiful city: and the other similitude, taken from Jerusalem, may look to church beauty, as the ordinances were there; and so the sense runs, My love thou art to me as the most excellent thing in the world; yea, as the most excellent thing in the visible church, which is more precious to him than any thing in the world.

3. She is 'terrible as an army with banners:' an army is strong and fearful; a bannered army is stately and orderly, under command and in readiness for service; an army with banners, is an army in its most stately posture; the church is terrible as such an army, either, 1. Considered complexly or collectively, her ordinances have power, authority and efficacy, like a bannered army: so the church's spiritual weapons are said to be 'mighty and powerful through God,' 2 Cor. 10:5. 6. This being compared with the 6th and 10th verses, may have its own place. But, 2. The scope here, and the words following, look especially at the stateliness, majesty, and spiritual valour that is in particular believers, who are more truly generous, valorous and powerful, than an army with banners; when their faith is exercised, and kept lively, they prevail wheresoever they turn; they carry the 'victory over the world,' 1 John 5:4. over devils, which are enemies whom no worldly army can reach; but by the power of faith they prevail, even to quench the 'violence of fire,' as it is in Heb. 11:34, and by faith they 'waxed valiant in fight:' but mainly this holds in respect of Christ himself, they prevail over him in a manner, by their princely carriage, as Jacob did, Gen. 32:28. 'As a prince hast thou had power with God and men, and hast prevailed:' see Hos. 12:4, 'He had power over the angel, and prevailed:' and indeed, no army hath such influence upon him, as believers have, which is such, that he cannot (as it were) stand before them, or refuse them any thing, that they with weeping and supplications wrestle with him for, according to his will.

Now, that it is in this respect mainly, that the believer is called terrible as an army with banners, is clear, 1. From the scope, which is to comfort a particular believer, who hath been wrestling with him already under desertions. 2. The next words confirm it, 'Turn away thine eyes from me' (saith he) 'for they have overcome me:' what stateliness (might one say) is in a poor believer? It is easily answered, that this is not any awful or dreadful terribleness that is here intended, but the efficacy of faith, and the powerful victory which through the same by Christ's own condescending, the believer hath over him; and so in his account, as to prevailing with him, Christ's Bride is more mighty than many armies, in their most stately posture; therefore (saith he) 'thine eyes' (that is her faith) 'have overcome me' (that is her terribleness) turn them away, I cannot (to say so) abide them and these three together, make the believer (or rather Christ's love, who useth these expressions) wonderful, 1. The believer is beyond all the world for beauty. 2. The visible church, and believers in her, in respect of ordinances and her ecclesiastic estate, is very comely and lovely; and yet the believer's inward beauty is beyond that also, 'the King's daughter is all glorious within. 3. Believers, in regard of the power of their faith, are more terrible than armies, or all military power among men: thou art (saith he) so to me, and hast such influence on me, and may expect thus to prevail with, and in a manner to overcome me: and so Christ is so far from quarrelling with her, for her by-gone carriage now, that he effectually comforts and commends her. Hence, Observe, 1. Our Lord Jesus is a most friendly welcomer o€ a sinner, and the sweetest passer-by of transgressions that can be; there is no upbraiding here for any thing, but every word speaks how well he takes with her. 2. Our Lord Jesus, his manifestations are seasonable and wise: seasonable, that now he comes when the Bride hath left no means unessayed, and was at a stand; wise, that he comes not until she had found the bitterness of her own way, and was brought to a more lively exercise of faith, repentance, holiness, and profitable experiences therein; of which we have spoken in what goeth before. 3. The Lord is not displeased with humble believing, and with the claiming of interest in him by his own, even when his dispensations to sense are dark, but takes very well with it, and hath a special complacency in it, and therefore comes in with this intimation of his love here, importing his hearty accepting of her. 4. The Lord's commendations of his people, and the intimations of his love to them are such, as it may be seen he conforms and proportions them to their conditions and exercise; and when they have been under any long and sharp exercise, (as the Bride was in the former chapter) he makes, when he comes, his manifestations the more sweet and full, as here. 5. Believers, when grace is exercised, must needs be beautiful creatures, and much esteemed of by Christ, who thus commends them. 6. Grace and holiness in a believer's walk are much more beautiful and acceptable to Christ, than the external ordinances (though excellent in themselves) as separable from it; for, Jerusalem, that was very beautiful as to ordinances, is but an emblem of this. 7. There is an awfulness and terribleness in believers, as well as loveliness, which makes them terrible to the profane, even whether they will or not, a godly carriage puts a restraint on them. 8. Loveliness, terribleness, and authority in holiness, are knit together; when a particular believer, or church, is lively in holiness, then have they weight and authority, and when that fails, they become despicable. 9. The believer hath great weight with Christ, he is the only army that prevails over him, as faith is the only weapon, being humbly exercised, by which they overcome: this is more fully expressed in the next verse.

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