Pame of the — ee 4, which hath a | moſt vehement flame.
__ » Theſe are undoubredly the words of the Bride. The ſenſe js, Ler thy Mind and thy Heart be conſtantly ſet upon me, let me be engraven upon the Tables of rhine Hearr. He ſeems to allude to the engraven Tablers which are frequently worn upon the Breaſt, and to the fignet on a mans arm Or hand, which men prizeat a more
. than ordinary rate,as appears from Jer.22: 24.Hag 2:23.and which are continually in their ſight. 5 My Love to thee, from whence this des fire proceeds. 5 W ich conquers every living thing,and cannot be reſiſted nor vanqu-ſhed.u Or,zeal;my ardent Love to thee, which ale ſo filisme with Fears and Jealouſics,leſt chou ſhouldſt beſtow thine aff:&ions upon ocher5,and cool In thy love ro me, &r withdraw th Love from me:for true Believers ar ſuvje& co theſe paſſions. x Heb. hard, grievous and terrible and ſometimes ready to overwhelm me, and ſwallow meup ; and therefore have pity upon me, and do nor leave me. y It burns and melts my hearc like fic2, ;
Many waters cannor quench love, neither can the
*Pro'6:35 floods drown it: * if a man would giveall the ſubſtance of his houſe-for love,it would utterly be contemned 2,4
{ris the nature of Love in general;and of my Love to thee,thar Tt « mnortbe taken off, neither by Terrors and aftliftions, which are | commonly ſignified in Scripture by waters and floods,Pſal:32: 6; and
L 42: 7. and elſewhere;nor by temptations and allurements. Nothing
bur the preſence and fayourof tie beloved perſon can quiet and ſa.
tisfic it, And therefore do nor put me off with other things, bur
giv! me thy ſelf, without boraSat in compariſon of whom, T
eſpiſc all orhes perſons and things: s We a A a little ſiſter b,and ſhe hath no breaſts c:
” . _ what ſhal we do forour filter din -the day when ſhe | {hal be ſpoken for e ?
s Theſe afe manifeſtly the words of the Bride, ſtill continuing her ſpeech. The preſent Church, which was that of #he Jews,ſpeaks of another future Church, which was to conſiſt of theGentiles, which ſhe calls little,becauſe ſhe was the younger Siſter,and then ſcarce had a bzeing;and ſhe calls her her S:ftcr, parily becauſe ſhe was ſo in the purpo'e of Gog, their common Father, though at preſent ſhe was a ſtranger to him; and partly to intimate that the Gentile=Church ſhould ve admicred ro the participation of the ſame priviledges with that of the Jews. c No grown and full Breaſts,asVirgins have when they are ripe f:r Marriage, Ezek. 16: 7. This ſignifies the preſent golefa) eſtete of the Gentiles, which as yet were not grown up into 4 Church Eſtate,and wanted the milk or food of Life,as for it ſelf,ſo alſo for its Members.d Teach us to know and | os au our duty to. them,which istoembrace them with ſincere and feryent affeQions,” to promote their coming in to Chriſt,and to rejoyce in it,and not to envy it, and murmure at it, as the Jews did in the days of Chrift, and of his Apoſtles. e To wit, for bringing ker into the ftate of Matrimony 3 when Chriſt and his Apoſtles,and others the firſt Mi- riſters of the Goſpel,who were Members of the Jewiſh Church,did fpeak and aft for the converſion of the Gentiles.
g If ſhe be a wall, wewill build upon her a palace of
head, and his
there. | Daughters © admiring an Bridegroom, Anſwer here liariry, and fervent a
ER£uaNT:;7 CL Ev.
| Chap. VIII ſilver :. and ifſhe be a door, we will incloſe her with pn:
boards of cedar f.
f This ſeems tobe Chriſt's Anſwer to the foregoing queſtion of the JewiſhChurch concerning theirSiſter Church of theGentiies, for which they were, very ſolicitous, Chriſt therefore engageth himſelf to take care of her,& to provide for her,as the matter doth require and as ſuits beſt wirh her condition. If the Gentiles when they are converted ſhal be like a Wa/,ſtrong and firm in Faith,ſtedfaſt againſt all Affaults and Temptations, for a Wall in Scripture-uſe ſignifies ſtrength, 1/a: 26: 1. Jer. 15: 20 and cliewherez We,my Father, and I, and the Holy Ghoſt,as the principal Builders,and my Miniſters as workefs with,and under us, will build upon her a palace of ſitver, wilt add more ſtrengch and beauty to her, will enJarge & adorn her,make her more amiable in mine Eyes,and more viſible and glorious inthe Eyes of the World: 4nd if ſhe be as a Door,which is weaker than a Wall, and where the Enemy doth or may break'in upon her; if ſhe be weak in Faith,and ſometimes overcome by the remprer, yet we will not therefore reje& and forſake her, but we will ;ncloſe, or ( as many o« thers cender the word ) ſtrengthen or furrifie ker with Boards of Cedar, which are not only beautitul,but alſo ſtrong and durable. If ſhe | be ſincere,and open the door of her Heart to me,though ſhe be weak. X I will come in to her,and make her ironger.
Io Tamawallg, and my breaſts like towers þ 2 was Tin hiseyes, as one that found favour 4,
£ Theſe ſeem to be the words of the Jewiſh Church to Chriſt, O Lord, by thy Grace I am what thou wouldſt have my Siſter to be 2 Wall,and therefore do humbly beg and hope,that according to thy promiſe to her in that caſe, thou wiltſt build upon me a Palace of Silver. hþ Which ſtand out from and above the Wall,and are an or- nament and defence toit. Of the Churches Breaſts, ſee before Ch: g; 5 - & 7.3, 7- { When by his Grace I was made a wall, he was well Pleaſed with me, and with hisown workmanſhip in me.
11 Solomon had a vine-yard at Baal-hamon&; he let out the vineyard unto keepers : every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thouſand pieces of ſilver 7.
k A place not far from Jeruſalem; where Solomon had, as it ſcems, a noble vineyard, 1 Whereby he ſignifies both the vaſt extent of the Vineyard which required ſo many keepers,and its ſingular fertilityg
then # Hey
peace,
John 15: 19. but in the Church,the Garden of God,which God hath
which afforded ſo great a Rent, 12 My vineyard »s which is mine », is before me 6: thou O Solomon, muſt have a thouſand p,and thoſe that
keep the fruit thereof, two hundred 9.