Section 701
I. I shall inquire what is meant by this "garden of nuts,"
Into which Christ is said to go Some Jewish[4071] interpreter, understand by it, the second temple, which was built by the commandment of Cyrus king of Persia; but it seems better to understand it of the church of Christ, which is compared to a garden, in chapter 4:12, and for what reasons has been there shown; and Christ being said to go down into it, may be an allusion to Solomon's gardens, which lay low, and required a descent unto them from his palace; and thus not only is expressive of the state and condition of Christ's church, but also of his condescension in visiting it, as has been observed on verse 2. Now this garden here, is said to be a "garden of nuts;" a garden where nut-trees only grew; for the ancients had places appropriated to such trees,[4072] and with propriety might be called nut-gardens; tho', by what follows, there seem to be vines and pomegranates, and other fruits, as well as nuts in this garden; nuts might be the principal tree whence it had its name. The words are by some[4073] translated, "the pruned gardens," or "the gardens of pruning or shearing:" deriving the word from a root, which signifies to cut or sheer; and so signifies that it is a garden well dressed, and pruned, and kept in good order: and so indeed is Christ's church; and therefore is opposite to, and different from the field and vineyard of the sluggard (Proverbs 24:30, 31), which was neither in good order, without nor within; without, its stone-wall, its fence, was broken down; and within, it was all overrun with thorns and nettles: but Christ's garden is in a much better case; for, 1. It is well fenced with sovereign powerful and distinguishing grace; nay, God himself is "a wall of fire" about it, and has appointed 'salvation for walls and bulwarks" all around it; so that it is strongly enclosed, and well secured from the "boar out of the wood" wasting it, and from " the wild beast of the field" devouring it. 2. It is well planted; it is not an empty garden within, but is well stored with plants of all sorts, and those the most excellent, as appears from chap. 4:13, 14, it is filled with "trees of righteousness," which are laden with the fruit thereof, and therefore are very valuable. 3. It is well pruned; for as Christ is the vine, the principal plant in this garden, on which all others grow, and from whence they receive their life and nourishment; so Christ's "Father is the husbandman, the vine-dresser, the keeper of the garden, and he keeps the plants in good order; for "every branch that beareth not fruit," he lops it off, and taketh it away; and "every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth," or pruneth it, "that it may bring forth more fruit (John 15:1, 2). 4. It is well watered; as the Lord is the keeper of it, so he "waters it every moment" with the refreshing dews and delightful showers of divine line and grace; there as a fountain in the midst of it to water all the beds, and this is Christ himself; who therefore, in chapter 4:15, is called the "fountain of gardens;" who also is the "well of living waters;" and whose grace is as 'streams from Lebanon:" so that every" particular believer, every plant here, is "like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not." 5. It is well weeded; there are tares grow up in Christ's field, and weeds in his garden, such as hypocrites and carnal professors; and Christ sometimes weeds his garden of many of these; and that by causing the sun of persecution to arise upon them, which scorches and burns them up, they not having root in themselves; he sometimes takes his fan in his hand, and with it purges his flower of the chaff, and clears his churches of such sort of persons as these; but this he will do more effectually at the last day, when he shall send his angels to "gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them that do iniquity," (Matthew 13:41).
Moreover, by these well-dressed or pruned gardens may be meant, those particular churches of Christ, which are regularly formed, are in good order, and are well disciplined; whose members are lively in the exercise of their faith, walk agreeably in their lives and conversations; are zealous for the truths of the gospel, and for the maintaining the ordinances of it in their purity; and are not remiss in dealing with offenders, whether they be immoral in their lives, or erroneous in their principles, such were. in a great measure, the churches of Ephesus, and Colosse (see Revelation 2:3; Colossians 2:5), and with such churches Christ delights to be; and these may expect his presence.
But the word,[4074] though only used in this place, is by Jewish writers generally rendered a nut; and so it is by the Septuagint, as well as by our translators and others: this is very properly taken notice of in this love-poem; it being usual for new-married persons to get nuts, and throw them among children to make pastime; and to signify, among other things, that they now renounced childish things.[4075] And by the garden, is meant the church of Christ, as has been observed before; and by the nuts which grow in this garden, from whence it has the name of a nut-garden, are meant believers; who may be called so, for the following reasons: 1. Because though they are mean and abject without, yet are glorious and valuable within: the "king's daughter is all glorious;" the inside of a believer, like that of the nut, is the best part of him: the outward appearance of saints is but mean, and the world judging according to that, not capable of seeing any farther, look upon them as the off-scouring of all things: but Christ, who knows their inside as well as their outside, knows what they are by his grace, as well as what they are by nature, that though they are black in themselves, yet are comely in him; he reckons them the excellent in the earth, in whom is all his delight. 2. Because of their several coverings: in the nut there are the husk and shell, and besides these, an inward covering; believers have several coverings; they have the robe of Christ's righteousness to cover them, which may answer the shell of the nut; being lasting and durable, will abide for ever, and will bring the soul that is enwrapped in it safe to glory: there is also "the new man," or garment of sanctification, which is put on by the believer; and this may answer the inward covering of the nut, as being more thin and tender, weak and imperfect: and then there is likewise the outward garment of a gospel-conversation; and this may answer the husk of the nut, as being the coarser and more imperfect covering, which, continually needs washing in Christ's blood. 3. Because of their hardiness in enduring afflictions: they wade through a sea of troubles in this world, before they enter the kingdom; and this they do with becoming cheerfulness, patience, courage, and magnanimity of mind; they "are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed," (2 Corinthians 4:8, 9) and that because they are supported under all these trials and exercises, and carried above them by a superior power. 4. Because of their hiddenness; the best part of the nut is hid: the saints are hid from everlasting, in the bosom of the Father, in the hands of the Son, and in the everlasting covenant of grace; until they are made openly to appear to be the people of God, by powerful and efficacious grace in conversion, and therefore are called God's "hidden ones;" and after conversion they are hid from the men of the world; the work of grace upon their souls is hid from them, and therefore called "the hidden man of the heart;" their joys and comforts are hid from them, and so indeed is their whole life of grace here, as well as their life of glory hereafter: for though they are "the sons of God, yet it does not appear" so fully to themselves, much less to the men of the world, "what they shall be." 5. Because of the safety and security both of their persons and their graces: nuts, in the greatest showers of rain, have only their outside washed the more, but their inside remains untouched, and is no ways hurt; so saints are safe and secure, notwithstanding all the floods, storms, and tempests of temptations, persecutions and afflictions; being built upon the rock, Christ Jesus, and hid in him, the ark of the covenant; the inward principle of grace in them cannot be lost; that hidden seed is incorruptible, and will abide so for ever. 6. Nuts often grow in clusters; which may not only denote the multitude of believers, and their close adherence to Christ, his gospel, cause and interest; but also their unity among themselves: and as it is a very pleasant and delightful sight to see nuts grow in clusters; so it is much more to see "brethren dwell together in unity." 7. Saints being compared to nuts, and to those of the best sort which grow in gardens, shows, that they have not only the shell of an outward profession, but also the kernel of true grace: some have only "the form of godliness, but deny the power thereof; profess to know God in words, but in works deny him;" have a name to live, but yet are dead; but such are not these who are here compared to nuts. 8. Their being compared to nuts, may denote their preservation from the pollution of the world, though in the midst of them: as a nut, though it may fall into the mire and dirt, yet the inside is no ways defiled therewith; so R. Solomon Jarchi, out of the Midrashes[4076] explains these words of the impollution of the works of the Israelites, when they were in captivity among the nations of the world. 9. The kernel of the nut does not appear,[4077] until the shell be broke: the graces of God's children generally show themselves most when they are under afflictions; for "tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope;" that is, makes those graces to appear more in their lively exercise; even as spice smells most when beaten in a mortar: moreover, this rich treasure of divine grace, which is put into our "earthen vessels," will not be so clearly seen, until these vessels are broken in pieces; nor will the soul appear so beautiful and glorious, being clothed with Christ's righteousness, and adorned with the graces of his Spirit, as when it is dislodged from "the earthly house of its tabernacle," and is joined with the 'spirits of just men made perfect." 10. Some[4078] think, that not the common nuts, but the fruit, which we call nutmegs, are here intended; but such nuts grew not in those parts: rather, walnuts are meant, which the Arabs call gauz or geuz, which is the same word that is here used; as walnuts were in great esteem in the eastern countries, among the gardens Solomon had (Ecclesiastes 2:7), one might be appropriated to these; and at Etham, about two miles from Jerusalem, Solomon had gardens, into which he had used to go early in a morning, as Josephus[4079] relates: pistacia-nuts were well known in Syria,[4080] which joined to Judea, and which might have a part in this garden: nuts grew in Judea, of which Josephus[4081] makes mention, as in great plenty; and they are reckoned among the beat fruits of the land of Canaan (Genesis 43:11), and if nutmegs were designed, they might be expressive of the fragrancy and sweet odor of the saints, as they are clothed with Christ's garments which 'smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia;" and as they are perfumed with "his ointments," which are exceeding savory. But,