She hath killed her beasts
Or, "her sacrifice" F4: a crucified Christ, the principal
of the provisions in Wisdom's house, or the church of Christ. The
death of Christ was prefigured by the slaying of beasts for
sacrifice under the old law; was foretold in prophecy, and is
expressed by "killing" him in the New Testament; and which shows
his death not to be natural, but violent. It is commonly ascribed
to the Jews as a wicked action of theirs; but was not without the
counsel and determination of God, and the will and consent of
Christ; and this death was as a victim to justice, by way of
sacrifice and satisfaction for sin, and was vicarious; was
offered up in the room and stead of his people, to make atonement
for their sins; and which is no other than himself, his soul and
body, as in union with his divine person; a sacrifice voluntarily
offered up by himself, exceeding acceptable, and well pleasing to
God; effectual to the purposes for which it was offered, and so
never to be repeated: and his death, being a sacrifice, becomes a
feast; a crucified Christ is suitable food for faith, as he is
the Lamb in the midst of the throne, as though he had been slain;
he is evidently set forth in the Gospel as crucified, and as such
is spiritual and savoury food to his people, nourishing and
strengthening, quickening and comforting, and extremely
satisfying: thus the Gospel feast, in which the slain Lamb of God
makes the chiefest part, is expressed in the same language as
here, "my oxen and my fatlings are killed", ( Matthew 22:4
) ; she hath mingled her wine;
which also makes a considerable part in a banquet or feast, (
Esther 5:6 ) ;
and the church is called a banqueting house, or a house of wine,
( Song of
Solomon 2:4 ) . The love of Christ is compared to wine, (
Song of Solomon 1:2
Song of Solomon 1:4
) ; to old wine for the antiquity of it, being more ancient than
ours to him, or than ourselves, even as old as eternity; to wine,
on the lees well refined, for the purity of it, being free from
all motives and conditions in the creature; to strong generous
wine, which exhilarates and refreshes the weak, the weary, and
distressed. The Gospel of Christ is also compared to wine, (
Song of Solomon 7:9
) ; to old wine, for the ancient doctrines of it; and to neat
wine, for the purity of it; and to generous wine, for the
pleasure, joy, and comfort it gives: the blessings of grace which
it exhibits may be so called from their comforting and refreshing
nature, which are had freely, ( Isaiah 55:1 ) ; and so
are the joys of heaven, ( Matthew
26:29 ) . Now the "mingling" of this wine is in allusion to
the mixture of wine, either with something richer, as spice, (
Song of Solomon 8:2
) ; or rather with water, as Jarchi observes, which was usual in
those hot countries, to make it fit and suitable drink for the
bodies of men: the mixture was no doubt according to the strength
of the wine; the wine of Sharon, being strong wine, was mixed two
parts water and one wine F5; which, with the ancients
F6, before three parts water and two
wine; though, according to Plutarch F7, they had three ways of
mixing, which they called by three different names; the one was
three parts water and two wine, the other three parts water and
one wine, the third was one wine and two water; the first of them
was reckoned the best mixture F8: one Cerassus is said to be
the inventor of mixing wine with water F9; others
ascribe it to Melampus F11, and others to Amphictyon. And
this, spiritually understood, does not design any impurity or
degeneracy, such as is complained of, ( Isaiah 1:22 ) ; for the
love of Christ is pure and sovereign; the Gospel of Christ is
free of all mixtures of human doctrines; the blessings of grace
are all of free grace, without the mixture of men's works, and so
is eternal life; salvation is all of free grace, and not by works
of righteousness done by men mixed with it. But this may design
the various displays of the love of Christ in the several acts of
it, before time, in time, and now in heaven; or the joint display
of the love of Father, Son, and Spirit, in the salvation of men,
and the harmony and agreement of the divine perfections therein;
and the publication of the Gospel, and the accommodation of the
truths of it to the capacities of men: and perhaps some respect
may be had to the blood and water that issued from the side of
the slain Lamb of God, here prophetically and figuratively held
forth; she hath also furnished her table;
which seems to design the ministration of the word, and the
administration of ordinances in Gospel times; especially the
ordinance of the supper, called the table of the Lord, ( 1
Corinthians 10:21 ) ; a well-furnished table has a variety of
excellent provision upon it: and such is the ministry of the
Gospel, which is signified by various sorts of food, as bread,
meat, milk, honey, and delicious fruits; and Christ, who is the
sum and substance of it, is expressed by several things that are
eatable, as by a slain lamb, a fatted calf, the hidden manna, the
bread of God and of life, whose flesh is meat indeed, and his
blood drink indeed; and so is he held forth in the ordinances,
particularly in the ordinance of the supper; the tame he sits at,
and welcomes his guests; encourages them to eat and drink, and
sups with them himself. Here his broken body, and his blood shed,
are presented to the faith of his people, to be eaten and drank
in a spiritual manner; a table richly furnished indeed!