John Trapp on Song of Solomon 4:11

Verſ. 11. Thy lips, Oh my Spouſe, drop as an Hony-comb] Heb. drop the Hony-comb: So Chriſt calls the doctrines and prayers of the Church, her thankſgivings, confeſſions, conferences, &c. which are things moſt pleaſing to Chriſt, and do much comfort and edifie the faithful. That golden-mouthed Preacher did ſo pleaſe the people, that it was grown to a Proverb, Better the Sun ſhine not, than Chryſoſtome preach not. Bilney the Martyr, a little before hee was burned, entreated much on that Text, Iſa. 43.2. Fear not, when thou walkeſt thorow the fire, thou ſhalt not bee burnt, neither ſhall the flame kindle upon thee: ſo that ſome of his friends preſent took ſuch ſweet fruit thereby (ſaith Mr. Fox) that they cauſed the whole ſentence to bee fair written in Tables,Act. and Mon. 923. and ſome in their books: the comfort whereof in divers of them was never taken away from them to their dying day. Ibid. 1559. The ſame Author ſaith of Biſhop Ridley Martyr, that hee uſually preached every Sunday and Holyday: to whoſe Sermons the people reſorted, ſwarming about him like Bees, and coveting the ſweet juice of his heavenly doctrine. How pleaſant and profitable to Latimer was the private conference hee had with Bilney? and the like benefit had Ridley by Bradford, Luther by Stanpicius, G[illegible: 1 letter]leacius by Peter Martyr, Junius by a Country-man of his not far from Florence. Hom. [non-Latin text not transcribed].

Hony and Milk are under thy tongue] The language of Canaan is thy proper dialect: for Canaan was a Land that flowed with Milk and Hony, 1. With things both pleaſant and profitable. Yea I doubt not, (ſaith an Interpreter) but that under theſe tearms the Holy Ghoſt meaneth fit food as well for ſtrong men, as for weak ones in the Church. Milk moſt properly belongs to children, 1 Cor. 3.2. Heb. 5.12.13. and hony to them of more ſtrength, as examples of the word, and reaſon it ſelf teacheth ſufficiently in Jonathan, 1 Sam. 24.27. and John Baptiſt, Matth. 3.4. By theſe compariſons alſo may well bee underſtood the good Houſe-keeping that is in Chriſts Church. Hony and Milk ſhee hath ever at hand. And why hath hee put theſe proviſions under her tongue, but that ſhee ſhould look to lip-feeding? Prov. 10.22. Let our words bee alwaies with Grace, Col. 4.6. Mel in ore, verba lactis, this becomes the Churches children. Felin corde, fraus in factis, is for thoſe brats of fathomleſs perdition, that have Adders poiſon under their lips, Pſal. 140.3. that being in the gall of bitterneſs, and bond of perdition, ſhew themſelves by their words and actions to be the ſons of the ſorcereſs, the ſeed of the Adulterer, and of the Whore, whoſe lips alſo drop the hony-comb, but her end is bitter as wormwood, Prov. 5.3, 4. Iſa. 57.3.

And the ſmell of thy garments is like the ſmell of Lebanon] Which was paſſing pleaſant, by reaſon of the odoriferous, and ſweet-ſmelling trees, that grew there. Now what are theſe garments, but the Churches inward graces, ſay ſome, outward behaviour, ſay others, which is moſt gracious, amiable, and ſweet, as far above all worldly grace, as the ſmell of Lebanon is above the ſavour of common woods.