John Trapp on Song of Solomon 4:14

Verſ 14. Nard] called Mark 14.3. & Joh. 12.3. Spikenard very coſtly, [non-Latin text not transcribed], melius vero [non-Latin text not transcribed] ab oppido prope Babylonem Op[illegible: 1 letter] dicto. Scultet: ex Hartungi criticis. or rather (as ſome learned men wil have it) Nard of Opis, a town neer Babylon, where grew the moſt pretious Spikenard: and whence it was tranſported to other places. Of this plant ſee Pliny, Lib. 12. c. 11. as of Cypreſs or Camphire, Lib. 12. c. 14. of Saffron, ib. &c. 15. of Calamus, lib. 12. c. 23. of Cinnamon and Myrrhe, lib. 12. c. 23.19. For Pomegranates ſee the note on ver. 3. of this chapter. For Camphire ſee the Note on c. 1.14. Saffron is in the Hebrew Carcom: Shindler ſaith it ſhould be read Carcos with Samech; and ſo it will exactly agree with [non-Latin text not transcribed], crocus, the one, likely, comming of the other. Our Engliſh comes of the Arabick Zaphran; ſo called of the yellow colour. Calamus or ſweet Cane is a precious aromatical reed bought and brought out of far countreys,Gal. l. 1. Antidot. as appeareth by Jer. 6.20. Iſa. 43.24. Cinnamon was very rare in Galens time, and hard to be found, except in Princes Storehouſes. Pliny reports, that a pound of Cinnamon was worth a thouſand Denarii, that is, 150 Crowns of our money: As for thoſe trees of Frankincenſe, Myrrhe, and Aloes, &c. Brightman thinks they betoken tall and eminent Chriſtians, as Calamus and Cinnamon (ſhrubs of two cubits high or thereabouts) do Chriſtians of a middle ſtature: and Nard and Saffron, herbs that ſcarce lift up themſelves above the ground, repreſent thoſe of a lower rank, and leſſer degree of holineſs: Which yet have all of them their place in Gods garden, and their ſeveral ſweetneſſes: the Spirit of grace being magnus in magnis, nec parvus in minimis, as Auguſtine hath it, great in Gods greater children, and not little in the leaſt. And though there be diverſity of gifts, yet are they from one Spirit, as the diverſe ſmels of pleaſant fruits, and chief ſpices are from the ſame influence: and the divers ſounds in the Organs, from the ſame breath. The Spirit of grace are thoſe two golden pipes, Zach. 4. through the which the two Olive-branches empty out of themſelves the golden oyls of all pretious graces into the Candle-ſtick the Church. Hence grace is called the fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22. Yea, Spirit, Verſe 17. And albeit, as the man is, ſo is his ſtrength, as they ſaid to Gideon: and God hath his children of all ſizes, babes, young men, old men, 1 John 2.13. yet Philadelphia with her little ſtrength may keep Chriſts Word, and not deny his Name; (which thoſe Churches that had more ſtrength are not ſo commended) and, in that little ſtrength, I have ſet open a door for thee, even the door of Heaven, wide enough; ſo that none could ſhut it, Rev. 3.8. Why then ſhould any deſpiſe the day of ſmall things? God who hath begun a good work, his hands ſhall finiſh it: and hee that hath laid the foundation, ſhall in due time bring forth the Topſtone thereof with ſhouting, crying Grace, Grace unto it, Zech. 4.7, 9, 10. An infant of daies ſhall proceed from degree to degree, till hee be like the Ancient of daies: and thoſe that bee planted in the houſe of the Lord, ſhall once flouriſh in the Courts of our God. They ſhall ſtill bring forth fruit in old age: they ſhall be fat and flouriſhing, Pſal. 92.13, 14. The ſeeds of the Cypreſs tree are ſo very ſmall, that they can ſcarce be ſeen with eyes, Plin. l. 11. c. 2. Heb. 5.14. & tamen in [illegible: 1 letter]is tanta eſt arbor, tamque procera, and yet in ſome one of them is potentially ſo large and ſo tall a tree. Deſpair not therefore of further meaſures, but aſpire ſtill to perfection, Phil. 3.12, 13. The bleſſing on man in the firſt creation, was, Increaſe and Multiply, in the ſecond, Grow in Grace, Iſa. 61.3, 11. And remember that growth is not alwaies to be meaſured by joy, and other acceſſory graces. Theſe ſweet blooms may fall off, when fruit comes on, &c.