Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/4_600.lzh/4_651.TXT

Text File | 1994-09-30 | 6KB | 120 lines

some rendered, the mountains of division or separation a;
which, if referred to Christ's first coming, may regard
the ceremonial law, the wall of partition between Jew
and Gentile, broke down by Christ, and the two people
divided by it, which were reconciled by him; if to his
spiritual coming, the same things may be intended by
them as on ver. 9. but if to his second coming, the
spacious heavens may be meant, in which Christ will
appear, and which. now interpose and separate from
his bodily presence; and therefore the church impor-
tunately desires his coming with speed and swiftness,
like a roe or a young hart, and be seen in them; see
Rev. xxii. £0.

IN this chapter an account is given of an adventure of
the church, in quest of her beloved; of the time when,
and places where, and the persons of whom she sought
him; and of her success upon the whole; with a
charge she give to the daughters of Jerusalem, vet. 1--5.
by whom she is cotntnended, ver. 6. and then Christ,
her beloved, is described by her; by his bed, and the
guard about it, ver. 7, 8. by the chariot he rode in.
ver. 9, 10. and by the crown he wore on his coronation-
day, vet. 11.
Ver. 1. By night on my bed I sought him whom my.
soul loveth, &c.] The day being not yet broke, t.he
night of Jewish darkness still on the church, and the
shadow of the ceremonial law as yet stretched upon
her; and having some knowledge of Christ by types
and prophecies, desires more, and seeks it in the.use of
means: though the words may be taken in a more
large sense, and represent the state and condition of
the church and of all true believers in any age, and at
one time as well as another; who, when their beloved
is absent, it is night with them; as Christ's presence
makes day, his absence makes night; and it was now
night with theChurch, either of affliction, orof darkness
and desertion, and indeed of both. The word is plural,
by nights{i}; one night after another, successively, she
sought her beloved; which both expresses the con-
tinuance of her state, and her diligence and constancy
in seeking Christ. The place where she sought him
was her bed; not the same as in ch. i. 16. and iii. 7.
which was both Christ's and her's, and where a diffe-
rent word is used; but this was purely her own: either
a bed of affliction, when good men usually seek
the Lord, lsa. xxvi. 16. Hos. v. 15. or rather of car-
hal ease and security, in which she continued, and rose
not up from it to seek her beloved; which shews the
cold, lukewarm, lazy frame she was in, and formal
manner in which she sought him, and so succeeded
not: however, he was stilt the person whom her soul
loved, cordially and sincerely, though not so fervently
as she had done; true love, though it may be abated,
cannot be lost. I sought him, but I found him not;
because she sought him not aright; not timely, nor
fervently and diligently, nor in a proper place; not in
her closet, by prayer, reading, and meditation, nor in
public ordinances, she afterwards did; but on her bed.
Vet. 2. I will rise now, &c.] Perceiving she had
taken a wrong method, and therefore unsuccessful,
she fixes on another; and, in the strength of divine
grace, determines to pursue it, and now, at once, im-
mediately, without any delay, rise from her bed of sloth
and ease, and forego her carnal pleasures, in pursuit of
her beloved; which shewed the sincerity of her love to
him. And go about the city; not the city of Jerusalem,
though there may be an allusion to it; hut the spiritual
city, of which saints are fellow-citizens, where they
dwell, and where the word is preached, and the ordi-
nances are administered: and going about it, as she
proposed, shewed her diligence and industry in seek-
ing him: and the night being an unseasonable time to
walk about a city, especially for women, this is a fur-
ther proof of her great love to Christ, in that she not
only exposed herself to reproach and scandal, but to
hurt and danger also; but being fired with love, and
fearless of danger {k}, and set on finding her beloved, she
resolved to proceed, whatever she suffered. Hence
she sought him in the streets, and in the broad ways;
that is, of the city, such as commonly are in cities; so
Troy is described {l}. as a city, having broad ways in it;
and also Athens "{m}: meaning the public ordinances of
the Gospel, where he takes his walk.s, and often shews
himself; in seeking him here, she was right, though
she did not succeed. I will seek him whom my soul
loveth; her love was still the same, not abated, more
likely to be increased through disappointment; nor
was she discouraged, but was determined to go on
seeking, till she found him. f sought him, but I found
him not; this was to chastise her for her former negli-
gence; to try her faith, love, and patience; and. to
shew that even the best means, though to be used, are
not to be depended on; and that Christ has Iris own
time and way to make himself known to his people,
which depends on his sovereign. will.
Ver. 3. Tlte watchmen that go about the city found
me, &c.] By whom are meant the ministers of the
Gospel; who are called watchmen, as the prophets
were under the Old Testament, Isa. lii. 8. and lxii. 6.
Ezek. xxxiii. 7. in allusion to watchmen in cities; and
are so called in regard to themselves, it being their duty
to watch over themselves; and to their doctrine, and
all opportunities to preach it, and the success of it:
their business with respect to others is to give the
time of night; to point out the state and condition of
the church; to give notice of danger to sinners in the
broad road to destruction; and tosaints, through the


{h} \^rtb yrh le\^ in montibus divisionis, Vatablus, Piscator; scissionis,
Cocceius; dissectionis, Marckius; sectionis vel separationis, Michaelis.
{i} \^twlylb\^ \~en nuxin\~, Sept. per noctes, V.L. Junius & Tremellius, Pis-
cator; in noctibus, Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine versions, Marckius,
Michaelis.
{k} Audacem faciebat amor. Ovid. Metamorph. l. 4. Fab. 4.
{l} Homer. Iliad. 2. v. 29, 66, 141, 329. & 14. v. 88. Odyss. 22. v.
230.
{m} lb. Odyss. 7. v. 80.