Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?
Various are the opinions of believers by whom these words are spoken. Some suppose that they are the answer of the daughters of Jerusalem, to whom the church, in the preceding verse, gave such a charge, like persons astonished at the change wrought upon the Church, compared to what they saw of her, when, as she described herself, she was black. Song of Solomon 1:6. Some have supposed that they are the words of Christ, beholding his church with complacency, as comely in his comeliness. And some have thought that the words are from the Gentile world, wondering at the Jewish church in coming up out of Egypt. But let the words themselves be spoken by whom they may, there can be but little question but that the church is the object spoken of, as coming from the wilderness of the world in the strength and righteousness of Christ, the goodly merchantman. And there can be no difficulty in explaining the several expressions here made use of, with an eye to the church, and of every individual believer of the church in the present wilderness state: for as a wilderness is a barren, inhospitable, intricate; and dangerous place; so all these characters, and many more to the same effect, strikingly set off the situation of the Lord's people in their pilgrimage. And when a child of God is regenerated, hath felt the evil of sin, and is in pursuit of Christ, or having found him, is following him; such an one may truly be said to be coming up out of the wilderness. The pillars of smoke, like which the church is said to come, form no unapt representation of the bent of the heart being towards Christ, but yet having more smoke than flame. And the myrrh and frankincense with which she was perfumed, and the powders of the merchant, we may readily suppose, meant to refer to the graces and blessedness in Jesus. The influences of the Holy Ghost are more fragrant than all the spices of the East; and when kindled into an holy flame, communicating from Jesus, send forth a blessed perfume. Reader, we shall do well, before we dismiss this verse, to enquire how far our experience bears a correspondence to it. Are there any lookers-on upon us, who from our coming up from the wilderness thus adorned with Jesus and his righteousness, are led to say, Who is this that appears so rich a monument of sovereign grace and mercy?