Song of Solomon 1:1-17

We will this evening read in the one Book of the Bible which is wholly given up to fellowship; I allude to the Book of Canticles. This Book stands like the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and no man shall ever be able to pluck its fruit, and eat thereof, until first he has been brought by Christ past the sword of the cherubim, and led to rejoice in the love which hath delivered him from death. The Song of Solomon is only to be comprehended by the men whose standing is within the vail. The outer-court worshippers, and even those who only enter the court of the priests, think the Book a very strange one; but they who some very near to Christ can often see in this Song of Solomon the only expression which their love to their Lord desires.

Song of Solomon 1:1. The song of songs, which is Solomon's. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

The Person here alluded to is not named; this omission is very common and usual to all-absorbing love. The spouse is thinking so much of Christ Jesus her Lord that it is not necessary for her to name him; she cannot make a mistake, and she is so oblivious of all besides, that she does not think of them, nor of those who would ask, «Who is this of whom you speak?» The communion is so close between herself and her Lord that his name is left out: «Let him kiss me.» By the kiss is to be understood that strange and blessed manifestation of love which Christ gives from himself to his children. Inasmuch as the word «kisses» is in the plural, the spouse asks that she may have the favor multiplied; and inasmuch as she mentions the «mouth» of her Bridegroom, it is because she wishes to receive the kisses fresh and warm from his sacred person. «For thy love is better than wine.» It is better in itself, for it is more costly. Did it not flow out in streams of blood from a better winepress than earth's best wine hath ever known? It is better, too, in its effects; more exhilarating, more strengthening, and it leaves no ill results.

Song of Solomon 1:3. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

The spouse surveys all the attributes of Christ, and she compares them to separate and precious ointments. Christ is anointed as Prophet, Priest and King, and in each of these anointings he is a source of sweetness and fragrance to his people. But as if jealous of herself for having talked of the «ointments» when she should have spoken of him, she seems to say, «Thy very name is as an alabaster box when it is opened, and the odour of the precious spikenard fills the room.» «Jesus, the very thought of thee With sweetness fills my breast.» «Thy name is as ointment poured forth,» and the spouse addeth, as a note of commendation, «therefore do the virgins love thee.»

Song of Solomon 1:4. Draw me, we will run after thee:

She feels, perhaps, as you do now, beloved brethren, heavy of heart; she cannot fly, nor go to reach her Lord; but her heart longs after him, so she cries, «Draw me, we will run after thee.» While she prays the prayer others feel it suitable to them also, so they join with her. When Christ draws us, we do not walk, but «run» after him; there is no heavy going then. When Christ draws us, how swiftly do we fly, as the dove to the dove-cote, when Jesus' grace enticeth us. Running soon brings the spouse to her Lord; for notice the next clause:

Song of Solomon 1:4. The king hath brought me into his chambers:

It is done: «The King hath brought me into his chambers.» Come you to him in prayer, and mayhap, while you are yet speaking, he will hear; while you are musing, the fire shall burn, and you shall be able to say, «Yes, he has brought me near to himself, to the retired chamber where I may be alone with him, to the chamber of riches and delights, where I may feast with him.»

Song of Solomon 1:4. We will be glad and rejoice in thee,

This is the sure result of getting into the inner chamber with Christ.

Song of Solomon 1:4. We will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

Not only the just in heart, those pure and lowly ones who, whithersoever the Lamb doth lead, from his footsteps ne'er depart, but the upright, those who love moral excellence and virtue, they must love Christ. Now the singer's note changeth:

Song of Solomon 1:5. I am black,

Ah, my soul, how true is that of thee! «I am black,»

Song of Solomon 1:5. But comely,

Oh, glorious faith, that can, through the blackness, still see the comeliness! We are comely when covered with the righteousness of Christ, though black in ourselves. «I am black, but comely,»

Song of Solomon 1:5. O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar,

Smoke-dried, foul, filthy, poverty-stricken.

Song of Solomon 1:5. As the curtains of Solomon.

Bedecked with embroidery made with gold and silver threads, and fit for a king's tent, so strangely mixed is the nature of the believer: «black but comely,»... «as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.»

Song of Solomon 1:6. Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me:

Perhaps you are afraid, beloved, that the Master should look at you, for you feel yourself so unworthy.

Song of Solomon 1:6. My mother's children were angry with me;

You have been persecuted until your spirit is broken.

Song of Solomon 1:6. They made me the keeper of the vineyards;

Perhaps you have been put to some ignoble work; you have toiled under the whip of the law; but you have a worse sorrow even than this, for you have to add:

Song of Solomon 1:6. But mine own vineyard have I not kept.

You are conscious that you have restrained prayer, that you have neglected searching the Word, that you have not lived as near to God as you ought to have done; and all this seems to make you feel as if you could not come into close communion with Christ. Come, my brother, my sister, shake off your unbelief, may the Master shake it off from you! Then once again you can change the note, as the spouse does here:

Song of Solomon 1:7. Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?

There are other shepherds, though they are false ones, and these pretend to be companions of Christ; but why should we turn aside to them? And yet we shall, O our Beloved One, unless thou dost tell us where to follow thee,

and how to abide close by thy side, or dost tell us where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon! Here comes the answer:

Song of Solomon 1:8. If thou know not, O thou fairest among women,-

Just note that; she said that she was black, but Christ says that she is the fairest among women; in fact, there is a passage in the Song where he twice over calls her fair; as Erskine puts it,

«Lo! thou art fair, lo! thou art fair,

Twice fair art thou, I say;

My grace, my righteousness becomes Thy doubly-bright array.»

O ye faithful ones, what joy is contained in this encomium which your Lord gives to you!» If thou know not, O thou fairest among women,

Song of Solomon 1:8. Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.

There are two ways of finding Christ; first, follow after true believers; most of you know some experienced Christians; follow their footsteps, and you shall so find their God. Or else, go to the shepherds' tents; wait on the ministry of the Word; the Lord is often pleased to manifest himself to his people when they are willing to hear what messages he sends through his ambassadors.

Song of Solomon 1:9. I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots.

True believers are as strong, as noble, as beautiful as the horses in Pharaoh's chariot, which were renowned throughout all the world. Let us be like those horses, let us all pull together, let us draw the great chariot of our King behind us, let us be content to wear his harness, that we may be partakers of his splendid triumph.

Song of Solomon 1:10. Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.

Christ here praises his Church. Orientals were in the habit of wearing jewels in such abundance that their cheeks were covered with them, and then they multiplied the chains of gold upon their necks; and the graces which Christ gives to his people, and especially the various parts of his own finished work, become to them like rows of jewels and chains of gold.

Song of Solomon 1:11. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.

As if Father, Son, and Holy Ghost would all work together to make the believer perfectly beautiful.

Song of Solomon 1:12. While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me;

Not a sprig, mark you, but a bundle of myrrh.

Song of Solomon 1:13. He shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.

Christ, as a bundle of myrrh, shall always be near our hearts, so that every life-pulse shall come from him.

Song of Solomon 1:14. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.

He is not, I say again, one sprig or spray of camphire, but a cluster of it. The spouse, you see, multiplies figures to describe her Bridegroom, and even when she has done so, she cannot reach the height of his glory.

«Nor earth, nor seas, nor sun, nor stars,

Nor heaven, his full resemblance bears;

His beauties we can never trace,

Till we behold him face to face.»

Song of Solomon 1:15. Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.

So Christ speaks of his Church, she has the soft, mild, tender eyes of a dove. Besides, she has the discerning eye by which the dove can distinguish between carrion and fit food; and then she has a clear eye like that of the dove. You know that the dove, or pigeon, when it is taken far away from home, and wants to reach its cote, flies round and round till it gets up high, and then it looks for miles, perhaps for hundreds of miles, till it tracks with unerring eye its own resting-place, or some familiar landmark, and then, with cutting wing, it flies through the ether till it reaches its home. So, every believer should have doves' eyes, eyes that can see from earth to heaven, and see Christ in his glory, even when his cause is disowned by men.

Song of Solomon 1:16. Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.

We have the word «rafters» here, but it should be «galleries.» The «bed» expresses the near fellowship which Christ has with his people. The «house» is a larger expression, and perhaps denotes the whole Church; and the «galleries» signify the ordinances of grace. You notice that these are made of unrotting wood, the one of cedar and the other of fir; and truly, dear friends, in closing our reading, we can say to our Lord, «No beams of cedar or of fir Can with thy courts on earth compare; And here we wait, until thy love Raise us to nobler seats above.»