Awake, O north wind— The bride here takes up the metaphor, and wishes that she could produce any thing to invite or please him. The author of the Observations, remarking that the south wind is extremely hot and troublesome in Palestine, gives a very different interpretation of this text from the usual one. None, I presume, says he, will deny, that the first word may signify awake or arise; all the hesitation, therefore, must be about the second, And come, thou south, which, I suppose, really signifies, Enter into thy repositories. That יצא jatza, and בוא boa, with their derivatives, are directly opposed to each other, we may learn from 2 Samuel 3:25. יצא Jatza is frequently applied to the causing the wind to blow, Psalms 135:7. Jeremiah 10:13 and Jeremiah 51:16. Consequently the verb בוא boa, should signify the direct contrary; that is, its ceasing to blow, or its entering into its repository; just as יצא jatza is used to express the rising of the sun, its coming out of its chamber, Psalms 19 and בוא boa its setting, or entering into it, Deuteronomy 11:30. Joshua 1:4.; and so the true explanation of the words will be, "Arise, O north wind, (and retire, thou south,) blow upon my garden; let the spices thereof flow forth; that my beloved may come into his garden, invited by the coolness and fragrancy of the air, and may eat his pleasant fruits." Observations, p. 41.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, We have here,
1. The description of the church's beauty, and that of every gracious soul which bears the Divine image: however despicable they appear in the eyes of men, or in their own, Christ regards them with delight and love; in his eyes they are fair; his love, loving him and beloved by him; and all the marks of beauty center in them; since they are found in him, and that he is, is theirs, and his grace makes them what he describes them.
The images here used are taken from the human form, and the beauties of the body are transferred to the hidden man of the heart.
The eyes of doves within the locks represent the modesty and humility, the sweetness and inoffensiveness of the genuine believer.
The hair compared to that of a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead, may signify the multitude of converts in the church; or the beauty of their outward walk or conversation, visible to all as the hair flowing in ringlets on the shoulders, or a flock of goats feeding on a distant precipice.
The teeth, even as a flock of sheep new shorn, white as their fleeces when come up from washing, may denote ministers in particular, who prepare the food for the infant converts, and in the purity of their lives adorn the doctrine which they profess, and, blest with success in their ministry, see numerous souls begotten in the gospel by their word, and none are barren among them; whatever superior gifts some may possess, or more abundant fruit may crown their labours, all who preach the truth are sure to see some fruit thereof. This may be applied also to believers in general, who feed upon the word of truth, are washed in the laver of regeneration, ascend upwards in their affections, and are fruitful in all good works.
The lips like a thread of scarlet may be considered as a mark of that florid health, and flourishing state of grace, in which the soul abides; or as the following words may explain them: Thy speech is comely, before men, in all gracious conversation, while the hearers delighted hang upon the speaker's lips; or before God, in prayer and praise, offered through the blood of Jesus, and therefore most pleasing and acceptable.
The temples like a piece of pomegranate within the locks, the colour of the fruit of which being red, may be applied to the conscious blush, with which a sense of his own unworthiness, in the presence of his Lord, covers the believer, and heightens his beauty.
The neck compared to a tower, built for an armoury, filled with the shields of the mighty, may represent the ministers of the sanctuary, who are next to Christ the head, and furnish believers with the spiritual weapons of their warfare: or it may be referred to the saints in general, who are each a strong tower filled with Divine artillery.
The breasts like two young roes that are twins, may be applied to the ministers, who give the sincere milk of the word; or, under the Christian dispensation, to the Old and New Testaments, those fountains of consolation.
2. The heavenly bridegroom retires for a while to wait till his beauteous bride hath made herself ready. Till the day of eternity break, and the shadows of mortality flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense; to the heavenly hill, whither the smoke of prayer and praise continually ascends, and whither the glorified Saviour is gone till the time of consummation.
3. Wherever he is, on earth or in heaven, he has the same regard for his spouse the church, and for every individual faithful soul. Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee; he sees none, his blood hath washed out every stain, and his Spirit fashions her throughout anew, so that she appears in perfect beauty, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, Ephesians 5:27; Ephesians 5:33.
2nd, Christ delights in his church, and wishes for her company at all times: Therefore,
1. He invites her to come with him, and adds the most endearing name to engage her to follow him, My spouse, that nearest, dearest relation; and which should, both from love and duty, constrain her to cleave to him; come with me from Lebanon, or thou shalt come with me; it is a gracious call to do so, or a gracious promise of being enabled for that which Jesus doth enjoin: Lebanon may signify Jerusalem, adorned with the wood of Lebanon, but become a den of thieves and murderers, out of which he calls his people to depart; or, as Lebanon was a goodly mountain, it may be a command to quit the joys of sense, and earth's vain pleasures and pursuits, to taste the purer delights which flow from a sense of his love: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards, which frequented those places: and such is this world, full of wicked men, fierce and cruel in their tempers as lions, spotted with sin as the leopard's skin, crafty, and lying in wait to destroy like these devouring animals: From such to depart, therefore, is but to consult our own safety; and to leave the ways of a world lying in wickedness, for communion with the Lord of life and glory, must be an exchange unspeakably to our own comfort.
2. Christ expresses his delight in his spouse, whom he honours also with another title, My Sister; for he is by his incarnation flesh of our flesh, and by adoption we are brought into that family, where he is the first-born of many brethren; thou hast ravished my heart, or, thou hast wounded my heart; intimating the strength of his affection to her; it drew him down from his throne in glory, and made him humble himself to death, and even shed his blood on a cross for her sake; behold how he loved her! Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, or one glance; for no sooner does the eye of faith look to him, but his arms of love are reached forth to embrace the soul; with one chain of thy neck, the pearls of divine grace, which adorn the temper and conversation of the saints, make them amiable in the eyes of their divine Lord; and this he with transport professes: How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! love to Jesus is the most grateful and pleasing oblation: He asks our hearts; and nothing but this inward genuine affection is in his sight of any price: how much better is thy love than wine! more cheering than wine to the weary, or more acceptable than all the drink-offerings which were poured forth at his altar; and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! the graces of the Spirit in her breathed a sweeter perfume than the spices which ascended in smoke from the golden altar of incense. Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honey-comb; the sweetest words of humble prayer and praise, of warm professions of love and duty; or communicating to all around that good conversation which ministers grace to the healers: honey and milk are under thy tongue; the doctrines of the gospel, so pleasant and so refreshing to the soul, of which the pious delight to speak, for their own and others' edification and comfort; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon; the garments of that holy profession which they make, and adorn with every good word and work, and which render them amiable in the eyes of God, and respected before men.
3. He compares her to a garden inclosed; separated from the world without, and set apart for himself; small, compared with the vast country around it; fenced from all intruders by Almighty love and power; planted with every choice seed of grace, and bringing forth fruit for every faithful soul unto eternal life: a spring shut up, a fountain sealed: such are the souls of the faithful, sealed of Christ for his own, and shut up to be no more polluted by sin. Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, &c. the garden of the church is full of trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord; bearing all the richest fruits of grace, perfuming the place of their abode by their good conversation, most excellent and valuable in themselves, esteemed of Christ, and mutual comforts to each other.
3rdly, We have the reply of the church on hearing herself thus commended, ascribing to her Lord the praise of all.
1. He is to her a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon; or, O fountain of gardens, &c. as the words may be rendered, and immediately addressed to him. Christ is the glorious fountain-head, whence all our waters of grace and consolation flow; the author of all our fruitfulness, and the source of every blessing in time and in eternity; whatever we have we receive from him, and every gracious soul will ascribe the whole to him.
2. She prays for the influences of his blessed Spirit, that her garden may flourish, and, breathing fragrance, invite Christ's pleasing visits thither, and afford him satisfaction. Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden: by these winds may be signified the operations of the Spirit, in his word, providences, and ordinances, suited to the case and necessities of the soul, as may most effectually conduce to its strength, comfort, and fruitfulness: sometimes the north wind of adversity is needful; and always the south wind of divine manifestations, to warm the heart, or to quicken it from its coldness, and to draw forth the graces into lively exercise, that the spices thereof may flow out in warm affections towards God and man, in zeal for his glory, in exemplary diligence to adorn our profession, and, in short, in every good word and work: let my beloved come into his garden, then, when thus breathing fragrance, let him visit our souls with a full sense of his presence and love; for we are his garden, purchased by his blood, sanctified by his grace, and by choice devoted to him; let him come and eat his pleasant fruits: whatever fruits of holiness we bear, it is by virtue of our union with him, who is the living root: he is the great author of all good in us, and takes delight in the works of his own hand; and this especially is what the believer longs for, that he may find gracious acceptance and favour with his divine Lord.