Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/4_600.lzh/4_664.TXT

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flowed from Lebanon, six miles from Tripoli, and
watered all the gardens, whence it had its name, and
all the country that lay between these two places f; and
there was another, called the Well of living liralets, a
little mile to the south of Tyre; it had four fountains,
from whence were cut various aqueducts and rivulets,
which watered all the plain of Tyre, and all its gar-
dens; which fountains were little more than a bow's
east from the main sea, and in which space six mills
were employed {g}: and there is a rupture in Mount
Lebanon, as Mr. Maundrell h says, which runs up it
seven hours' travelling; and which, on both sides, is
steep and high, and clothed with fragrant greens from
top to bottom; and everywhere refreshed with foun-
tains, falling down from the rocks, in pleasant cascades,
the ingenious work of.nature; and Rauwolff{i}, who was
on this mountain in 157'5, relates; "we came (says
"hei into pleasant groves, by delightful rivulets that
"arose from springs, that made so sweet a noise, as
"to be admired by King Solomon, Cant. iv. 15." and
these streams gave rise to some rivers, as Jordan,
Eleutherus, &c.{k} to which the allusion is here. There
were two cities, one in the tribe of Judah, and the
other in the tribe of Issuehat, called Engannim,"the
fountain of gardens, Josh. xv. 34. and xix.
Ver. 16. Awake, 0 north wind, &c.] These words,
according to some ', are the words of the church con-
tinued, praying for the spirit; to whieh sense the
order and eonnexion of the words seem to incline;
though the language suits best with Christ, who has
the command of the winds, and a right and property in
the garden, the church: nor does it seem so agreeable,
that the church should petition Christ to let loose the
north wind upon her, if by that are meant afflictire
dispensations of Providence; but agrees well enough
with Christ, since these come not without his will and
order, and by him made to work together for good;
by which he nips the corruptions of his people, tries
their graces, and causes them to come forth into exer-
cise: though some {m} think this is a command to the
north wind to remove, and be gone, and blow no
longer, since it was spring, ch. ii. 1 I. and would be
hurtful to the plants in the garden; and the verb blow
is singular, and only in construction with the south
wind; and, besides, winds diametrically opposite
cannot blow together in the same horizon, with a .con-
tinued blast: though others ° are of opinion, that both
winds are designed, being both useful to gardens; the
one to scatter the clouds, and make the air clear and
wholesome, and restrain the iuxuriancy of the plants;
and the other, being moist and warming, of use to
bringplants and fruits to maturity; and both may
design the spirit of God, in iris different opera-
tions and effects, through the law and the terrors of
it, and by the Gospel and its comforting doctrines.
And come, thou south,blow upon my garden; the church,
Christ's propcrty, as she asserts in the latter part of
the verse: the spirit of God is intended by the south,
or south wind; who is compared to the wind, because
it blows like that, freely, and as hepleases, when, where,
and on whom, and imperceptibly, powerfully, and irre-
sistibly, John iii. 8. and to the south wind, because it isa
warm wind, brings serenity, and makes fruitful with
showers of rain: so the spirit of God warms the cold
heart of a sinner; thaws his frozen soul, and comforts
with the discoveries of divine love; brings quietness
and peace into the conscience; and makes fruitful in
grace and good works, by causing the rain of Gospel
doctrines to descend and distil upon men. The end to
be answered is, that the spices thereof may flow out; the
spices in the garden, the odoriferous plants,. might emit
a fragrant smell; though Virgil P represents the south
wind as hurtful to flowers; so it might be in Italy,
where it dried them up, as Servius on the place observes;
and yet be useful to them in Palestine, where it blew
from the sea, and is sometimes so called, Psal. cvii. 3.
Spices denote the graces of believers, rare, precious,
and odorous; and their flowing out the exercise of
them, their evidence, increase, and the ripening of
them; when they diffuse a sweet odour to Christ and
others, and make it delightful to walk in Iris garden;
as it is to walk in one after a delightful shower of rain,
and when the wind gently blows upon it. And hence
what is prayed for being granted, the church speaks
again, and invites Christ, saying; let m.y beloved come
into his garden; which coming is to be understood,
not of Christ's first, nor of his second coming; but of
his spiritual coming, to visit his people, grant Iris
presence, and manifest' his love; which is very de-
sirable by them; and, when granted, is reckoned a
great favour, and is an instance of the condescending
grace of Christ, John xiv. 22. the church is his garden
by his own choice, his father's gift, the purchase of
his blood, and the power of his grace: and here he is
invited to come, and eat his pleasant fruits ; meaning
either the graces of the spirit, which are his fruits;
and called Christ's, because they come from him, and
are exercised on him, and he is the author and finisher
of them: or the good works of believers, which are
performed by virtue of union to him, and abiding in
him; are done in his strength, and designed for his
glory:and both are pleasant, that is, well-pleasing
and acceptable to him; the graces of the spirit, when
in exercise, as appears from ver. 9, 10. and good
works, when done in faith, from a principle of love,
and to his glory: and he may be said to eat them when
he expresses his well-pleasedness with them, and ac-
ceptation of them.


{f} Adrichom. Theatrum Terrae Sanctae, p. 107, 108.
{g} Ibid. p. 6.
{h} Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 142, 143.
{i} Travels, part. 2. ch. 12. p. 187, 188. Ed. Ray.
{k} Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 20. Joseph. Antiqu. l. 5. c. 3. s. 1.
{l} So Cocceius, Marckius, Michaelis.
{m} Foliot, Sauctius, & Tig. Not. in loc. So Ambrose is Psai. i. 5.
p. 686.
{n} Aristot. Meteorolog. l. 2. c. 6.
{o} Jarchi & Aben Ezra in loc.
{p} Floribus austrum perditus, Bucolic. Eclog. 2. v. 58.