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Song of
Solomon Chapter Three
Song of Solomon 3
Chapter Contents
The trials of the church by the withdrawing of Christ.
(1-5) The excellences of the church, The care of Christ for her. (6-11)
Commentary on Song of Solomon 3:1-5
(Read Song of Solomon 3:1-5)
It was hard to the Old Testament church to find Christ in
the ceremonial law; the watchmen of that church gave little assistance to those
who sought after him. The night is a time of coldness, darkness, and
drowsiness, and of dim apprehensions concerning spiritual things. At first,
when uneasy, some feeble efforts are made to obtain the comfort of communion
with Christ. This proves in vain; the believer is then roused to increased
diligence. The streets and broad-ways seem to imply the means of grace in which
the Lord is to be sought. Application is made to those who watch for men's
souls. Immediate satisfaction is not found. We must not rest in any means, but
by faith apply directly to Christ. The holding of Christ, and not letting him
go, denotes earnest cleaving to him. What prevails is a humble, ardent suing by
prayer, with a lively exercise of faith on his promises. So long as the faith
of believers keeps hold of Christ, he will not be offended at their earnest
asking, yea, he is well pleased with it. The believer desires to make others
acquainted with his Saviour. Wherever we find Christ, we must take him home
with us to our houses, especially to our hearts; and we should call upon
ourselves and each other, to beware of grieving our holy Comforter, and
provoking the departure of the Beloved.
Commentary on Song of Solomon 3:6-11
(Read Song of Solomon 3:6-11)
A wilderness is an emblem of the world; the believer
comes out of it when he is delivered from the love of its sinful pleasures and pursuits,
and refuses to comply with its customs and fashions, to seek happiness in
communion with the Saviour. A poor soul shall come up, at last, under the
conduct of the Comforter; like a cloud of incense ascending from the altar, or
the smoke of the burnt-offerings. This signifies pious and devout affections,
and the mounting of the soul heaven-ward. The believer is filled with the
graces of God's Spirit; his devotions now are very lively. These graces and
comforts are from the heavenly Canaan. He, who is the Peace of his people, the
King of the heavenly Zion, has provided for the safe conveyance of his redeemed
through the wilderness of this world. The bed, or palanquin, was contrived for
rest and easy conveyance, but its beauty and magnificence showed the quality of
its owner. The church is well guarded; more are with her than are against her:
believers, when they repose in Christ, and with him, though they have their
fears in the night, are yet safe. The chariot here denotes the covenant of
redemption, the way of our salvation. This is that work of Christ, which makes
him loved and admired in the eyes of believers. It is framed and contrived,
both for the glory of Christ, and for the comfort of believers; it is well
ordered in all things and sure. The blood of the covenant, that rich purple, is
the cover of this chariot, by which believers are sheltered from the wind and
storms of Divine wrath, and the troubles of this world; but the midst of it is
that love of Christ which passes knowledge, this is for believers to repose
upon. Christ, in his gospel, manifests himself. Take special notice of his
crown. Applying this to Christ, it speaks the honour put upon him, and his
power and dominion.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Song of Solomon》
Song of Solomon 3
Verse 1
[1] By
night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him
not.
By night —
When others compose themselves to sleep, my affections were working towards
him.
I sought — I
sought for Christ's gracious and powerful presence.
I sought —
This repetition denotes her perseverance and unweariedness in seeking him.
Found him not —
For he had withdrawn the manifestations of his love from me, either because I
had not sought him diligently, or because I had abused his favour.
Verse 2
[2] I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad
ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
The city —
The city of God, the church in which Christ resides.
Broadways —
Not finding him in private prayer, and meditation, I sought him in the places
of public assemblies and ordinances.
Found not — He
saw fit still to delay the discoveries of his grace.
Verse 3
[3] The
watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my
soul loveth?
The watch-men —
The ministers of Christ, and rulers of the church.
Go about — To
prevent disorders and dangers.
Him —
She does not name him, because she thought it needless, as supposing a person
of such transcendent excellency could not be unknown to men in that capacity.
Their answer is not mentioned, either because they gave her no satisfactory
answer, or because by their silence she gathered that they were unable to
inform her; and being eager in the pursuit, she would not lose time.
Verse 4
[4] It
was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth:
I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's
house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.
Found him —
Christ met me, and manifested his love to me.
Mother's house — As
the spouse here, signifies particular believers, so her mother is the universal
church, or the true Jerusalem, which hath its rise from above, which is the
mother of us all, Galatians 4:26, in which Christ and believers
are united, and have sweet communion together in holy ordinances, into which
believers are said to bring Christ, by faith and prayer.
Conceived me —
Christ is as it were the father that begets, and the church the mother that
conceives and brings forth believers.
Verse 6
[6] Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?
Who —
The persons speaking seem to be the daughters of Jerusalem, who upon occasion
of the bride's speech to them, make this reply. The person spoken of is the
spouse.
Wilderness —
Believers were to be called, not only out of the holy land, which was as the
garden of God, but also out of the Gentile-world, which in prophetical writings
is frequently described under the notion of a wilderness.
Pillars —
Being conducted out of the wilderness as by a pillar of smoak going before
them, as the Israelites were led through the wilderness to Canaan, by a pillar
of cloud and fire.
Perfumed —
The spouse is said to be thus perfumed, for her excellent virtues and religious
services which are pleasant and acceptable to God, and for the merits and
graces of Christ, which are a sweet savour to God, wherewith she is enriched
and beautified.
Of merchants —
Which are fetched by the merchants from Arabia, or other remote parts.
Verse 7
[7]
Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the
valiant of Israel.
Behold —
The bride-men continue their speech, and from the admiration of the bride,
proceed to the admiration of the bridegroom.
Bed —
The bed seems to denote the church, which is comely through Christ's beauty,
and safe by his protection, in which Christ is glorified, and believers enjoy
sweet fellowship with him.
Solomon's —
Which is the bed, not of an ordinary man, but of a great king, whom Solomon
typifies, and who is greater than Solomon.
Threescore —
Very many, the certain number being put for an uncertain. He alludes to
Solomon's guard, whereby he designs all those creatures, whether angels,
princes, ministers, or others, whose ministry God uses for the protection of
his church.
Verse 8
[8] They
all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh
because of fear in the night.
Every man — Is
prepared and ready to fight, to prevent those dangers which are frequent in the
night season. The night may denote the whole time of this life, which may well
be called night in respect of that ignorance and error wherewith it is
attended, (as the future life is compared to day) this life being the only time
wherein such a guard is necessary.
Verse 9
[9] King
Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.
A chariot — In
which the royal bridegroom and bride might ride together in state. By this
chariot he seems to understand the word of Christ dispensed by his ministers,
whereby Christ rides triumphantly in the world, and believers are carried into
heavenly glory.
Of Lebanon — Of
cedars, which wood being incorruptible, doth fitly signify the word of the
gospel, which endureth forever, 1 Peter 1:25.
Verse 10
[10] He
made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of
it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of
Jerusalem.
He made —
There is no necessity that either this or the following particulars should be
distinctly applied to several things in the gospel; this in the general may
suffice, that as all the particulars are added to shew the perfection and
beauty of the chariot, so they do imply that Christ's word is every way amiable
and perfect.
The bottom —
The under and lower part. Whereby he may seem to understand the foundation of
the word and promises, which is either God's covenant, or Christ's mediation,
in whom all the promises are yea and amen.
Covering —
The uppermost part of it.
Midst —
The inward parts.
Paved —
Covered and adorned.
Love —
The love of Christ to the sons of men.
For the daughters —
For their delight and comfort, who all bear a part in this marriage.
Verse 11
[11] Go
forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith
his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the
gladness of his heart.
Go — The church bids
particular believers go forth to see this sight.
Solomon —
The Messiah, of whom Solomon was an illustrious type.
The crown —
Which being applied to Solomon, may design that garland or crown which was
usually worn in nuptial solemnities: but being applied to Christ, it denotes
the honour that was given him, which though principally done by his Father, yet
is here ascribed to his mother, the universal church, which in respect to his humanity
may be called his mother, because he was born in, and of her, and one of her
members.
In the day —
When the church is married to him, which is done when the covenant is confirmed
between them, or when persons are converted to Christ, and more compleatly when
they are received by Christ into his immediate fellowship in the kingdom of
glory.
Gladness —
When he rejoiceth over his bride.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Song of Solomon》
03 Chapter 3
Verses 1-11
Verses 1-3
I sought Him, but I found Him not.
Hidings of God
Prophetically these verses may be taken as delineating the sorrow
of the first disciples at the departure of Christ from the earth. Between
Easter Day and Pentecost the infant Church was very much as here described. We
would not, however, limit the application of this passage to the apostolic age.
It has its fulfilment, we believe, again and again. The leading idea is that of
a temporary estrangement, real or imaginary, between Christ and His people,
during which they seek Him but cannot find Him.
I. There would be
nothing remarkable in the Redeemer denying the consolations of His Presence to
those who were careless about Him. The remarkable point suggested by the text
is that there is such a thing as desiring ,God and being disappointed. Now it
would seem to be an ordinary feature in God s providence to withdraw
occasionally from the saints, in order to increase that very craving after Him
which He declines to gratify. He suspends His operations in their behalf until
what we call the last moment (John 2:4; John 6:5-6). Again and again have dangers
and distresses thickened round about the Church. The heathen have furiously
raged together. The kings of the earth have stood up, and the rulers taken
counsel together. The tyranny of despotic monarchs has well-nigh crushed the
Church at some periods: at others, heresies have prevailed so widely that the
whole community has appeared tainted. This was the case with Arianism in the
fourth century. They who maintained sound doctrine cried unto the Lord, and
apparently in vain. They sought Him, but they found Him not. And this is no
solitary instance. How often has it happened with those who have gone to bear
the cross into heathen lands! They have laboured and toiled, and caught nothing.
For months and years they have preached, and made no converts. Nor is it
difficult to perceive that all this is a discipline to the souls of the
faithful; nay, not only a discipline, but a test of the reality of their faith.
How could the fervour of a man’s heart be proved, if he was heard at the first
petition? How could the depth of the soul’s yearning after the Divine Being be
manifested, if He was to be found as soon as sought for? Again, it is not
unusual to find persons complaining that they are at times quite unable to
experience pleasure or consolation in religious exercises. They go through the
service of the Church without once being able to realize the presence of God,
or the solemnity of what they are about. Their hearts respond not to the words
of thanksgiving or of prayer. Everything seems heavy, wearisome, and cold.
People are frequently discouraged when they find their souls thus chilled and
lifeless--utterly unable to rise to the level of their work; but if you get
possessed of the principle which we are illustrating, there will be no need for
this discouragement. We are not always to blame when we are listless and cold
in Church. If we do not try or desire to be otherwise, of course the fault is
our own; but if we try to be devout and cannot, it may be only that God is
dealing with us--that He is subjecting us to a discipline which He sees
necessary. For example, He may be teaching us not to rely upon warm
emotions--not to build overmuch upon feelings, however good.
II. Now from the
foregoing considerations there flows a very solemn thought. We have said that,
as well to individuals as to the Christian Church at large, the Redeemer
applies a sort of discipline in modifying at times or altogether withholding
the consolations of His Presence. What follows? Why, that He must personally
engage Himself about every soul. The spirit of each man and woman is a separate
planet in the spiritual system whose summer and winter, whose storms and
sunshine are regulated by Deity alone. Hence the full meaning of that passage
in which Christ Jesus is called the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. It
intimates that the human soul is so fine and subtle a thing that none but He
can supervise and tend it. From the moment of our new birth He takes us in
hand. Every trial and temptation has been appointed by Him; every annoyance and
disaster has been weighed out by Him. His seat is in heaven, yet is His hand
upon each one of us. He shrouds Himself from the gaze of the seraphim, but He
is about the path and bed of every child in this assembly. And this is what we
would have you learn secondarily from the text, “I sought Him, but I found Him
not.” His withdrawing Himself is a proof of His individual care. When anything
happens out of the common course, it speaks to us of God. When with all our
exertions we fail to find Christ, it is evidence that He is working in and
about us. We recur to the main lesson involved in what has been said, which we
desire especially to enforce. It is this. We are not to expect to find always
great delight in the path of duty; we are not to be anxious about our feelings,
if our actions are right. Daily service and weekly communion will often be
attended coldly, and as we fear without heart. It must be so. It is the
tendency of repetition to diminish ecstatic emotions; still we are to go on
steadfastly on our road. The spiritual life is very like the natural, it has
its bright days and its gloomy, its calm and its storm, its hours of exultation
and depression. Let us take each as it comes, doing our work in each with care
and sobriety and perseverance. Yet a little while and these variations shall be
no more. We are travelling onward to a land where the sun never goes down, and
the noise of the waterfloods is never heard. (Bp. Woodford.)
Verse 3
The Watchmen that go about the city.
Gospel Watchmen
The ministers of the Gospel are called watchmen, either in
allusion to shepherds, who watch over their flock by night (Luke 2:8); or else, to watchmen in cities
as here; and their work may be considered:
1. With regard to themselves; they are to watch over themselves as
well as others; they are to watch over their conversations, that they be as
become the Gospel they preach, and so that they may give no ill examples to
others, nor cause the ways and doctrines of Christ to be evil spoken of, and
render their ministry useless; they are to watch over their doctrines, and take
heed that they be agreeable to the oracles, of God; and they deliver nothing
but the “wholesome words of Christ Jesus,” and such as may be for the edifying
of their hearers, and suitable to the cases of souls; they are to watch all
opportunities to preach this gospel, as the apostle says (2 Timothy 4:2), to “be instant in
season and out of season;” and then they are to watch and observe the success
of it, and how it is blessed and made useful to souls: moreover they ought to
have a very great guard upon themselves; for if the enemy can but surprise,
decoy, or corrupt them, it turns much to his advantage.
2. With regard to others, their work is,
They are to give notice of the danger that sinners are in, who are
walking in the broad road to destruction; and also the dangers that churches
may be in through errors and heresies springing up among them, as well as by
indulging themselves in any vicious practices, which they are severely to cheek
and reprehend. Now, this work requires vigilance, prudence, courage, and
faithfulness; and also shows the necessity and usefulness of the public
ministry, which can no more be dispensed with than watchmen in a city; and likewise
what care the Lord has of His churches, in placing such officers in them, as
well as the awfulness of the work they are concerned in; for if the watchman
does not discharge his duty, the blood of those he has to do with will be
required of him. (John Gill, D. D.)
Saw ye Him whom my soul
loveth?--
Objects of a Christian’s love
I. The object of a
Christian’s love may easily be identified. Who should be the object of a
Christian’s love but Christ? We wear His name, profess His religion, believe
His Bible.
II. The existence
of a Christian’s love should be personally known to ourselves. It must not be a
theory, but a realization. Do we love Him more than the world or the creature?
III. The object of a
Christian’s love should be openly and publicly avowed. It is not to be a secret
thing, for he who is ashamed of his Master’s livery is unworthy of Him.
IV. The flame of a
Christian’s love to Christ should be strong and vigorous. “My soul loveth Him.”
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,” etc. It will prompt to
inquiry and earnestness.
V. The Christian’s
love to Christ is not
always satisfied. The Master sometimes hides His face. There may be some cause
of the Saviour’s withdrawing--wandering in sinful paths, sinful company, etc.
VI. The Christian’s
unsatisfied love will produce in his soul greater activity and zeal. (Homilist.)
Verse 4-5
It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found Him whom
my soul loveth: I held Him and would net let Him go.
The real presence, the great want of the Church
As God, Jesus is everywhere; as man, He is only in heaven; as God and man in one
person, Mediator and Head of the Church, He is present with us by the Holy
Ghost, the Comforter, whom the Father has sent in His Name. This presence, not
a bodily but a spiritual presence, is the glory of the Church of God. When she
is without it she is shorn of her strength; when she possesses it all good
things ensue.
I. Before ever we
can bring the Well-Beloved into our mother’s house, the Church, we must find
Him personally for ourselves, “It was but a little that I passed from them, but
I found Him whom my soul loveth.” How can we bring into the chamber of the
Church Him whom we have not yet met with ourselves? How can we communicate
grace to others instrumentally unless, first of all, we have received it into
our own hearts? If thou wouldst bring Christ into the Church which thou lovest,
then, first of all, thine inmost soul must so love Christ that thou canst not
live without His company. This must be thy cry: “Saw ye Him whom my soul
loveth?” and this must be the goal of thine aspirations:” I have found Him whom
my soul loveth.” It must not be talk, it must be soul-love; it must not be a
profession of affection for Jesus, but the inmost bowels of our being must be
moved by His Name. These ardent lovers of Jesus must diligently seek Him. The
spouse sought Him, sought Him on her bed, sought Him in the streets, sought Him
in the broadways, sought Him at last at the lips of the watchmen, sought Him
everywhere where He was likely to be found. In seeking our Lord we must use all
ministries. The spouse inquired of the watchmen. We are not to despise God’s
servants, for He is usually pleased to bless us through them, and it would be
ungrateful both to Him and to them to pass them by as useless. But, while we
use the ministries, we must go beyond them. Do not imagine that hearing the
truth preached simply and earnestly will of itself be a blessing to your souls.
Far, far beyond the servant, pass to the Master. Be this the longing of each
heart, each Sabbath day, “Lord, give me fellowship with Thyself.” Note that we
must search to the very utmost till we find our Beloved. The Christian must
leave no stone unturned till he gets back his fellowship with Christ. If any
sin obstructs the way, it must be rigorously given up; if there be any
neglected duty, it must be earnestly discharged; if there be any higher walk of
grace, which is necessary to continuous fellowship, we must ascend it, fearing
no hill of difficulty. Oh, for more Enochs, men who walk with God, whose
habitual spirit is that of close communion with Jesus, meditating upon Him,
yea, more than that, sympathizing with Him, drinking in His spirit, changed
into His likeness, living over again His life, because He is in them, the
monarch of their souls.
II. If we would be
a blessing to the Church, and have already found Christ, we must take care to
retain Him. “I have found Him whom my soul loveth; I held Him, and I would not
let Him go.” How comparatively easy it is to climb to the top of Pisgah! It
needs but a little effort; many bold and gracious spirits are fully equal to
it. But to keep there, to abide in that mountain, this is the difficulty. Mark
that, according to the text, it is very apparent that Jesus will go away if He
be not held. “I held Him and I would not let Him go”; as if He would have gone
if He had not been firmly retained. When He met with Jacob that night at the Jabbok,
He said, “Let me go.” He would not go without Jacob s letting Him, but He would
have gone if Jacob had loosed his hold. He will go unless you hold Him. But
note, next, He is very willing to be held. Who could hold Him if He were not?
He is the Omnipotent Saviour, and if He willed to withdraw He could do so: let
us hold Him as we might. But mark His condescension. Jesus is willing enough to
be retained by hearts which are full of His love. And whenever you have Christ
remember that you are able to hold Him. She who held Him in the Song was no
stronger than you are; she was but a feeble woman, poorly fed under the Old
Testament dispensation; you have drunk the new wine of the new covenant, and
you are stronger than she. You can hold Him, and He will not be able to go from
you. Embrace Him with the arms of mighty affection, enchain Him with ardent
admiration. Lay hold upon Him by faith, and clasp Him with love. Be also much
in prayer. Prayer casts a chain about Him. He never leaves the heart that
prays. Hold Him, too, by your obedience to Him. Never quarrel with Him. Let Him
have His way. Watch His words; be careful to obey them all. Be very tender in
your conduct, so that nothing grieves Him. Show to Him that you are ready to
suffer for His sake.
III. It appears from
the text that, after the spouse had thus found Christ for herself and held Him,
she brought Him into the church--“I brought Him to my mother’s house.” We
ought lovingly to remember the Church of God. By the Holy Spirit we were
begotten unto newness of life, but it was in the Church, and through the
preaching of the Word there, that we were brought into the light of life. Did I
hear a harsh but honest voice exclaim, “But I find much fault with the Church”?
If thou lovest her, thou wilt go backward and east a mantle over all. But
suppose thy candour is compelled to see faults in her; then there is so much
the more need of her Lord’s presence in her to cure those faults. The more
sickly she is, the more she wants Him to be her strength and her physician. I
say, therefore, to thee, dear friend, above all things, seek to bring Christ
into an imperfect Church, and a weak Church, and an erring Church, that she may
become strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. The saints can bring
Him in by their testimony. I hope that often Christ is here when I have borne
testimony to you of His power to save, of His atoning blood, of His exaltation
in Heaven, of the perfection of His character, and of His willingness to save.
But others can do it by their prayers. There is a mysterious efficacy in the
prayers of men who dwell near to God. Even if they were compelled to keep their
beds, and do nothing but pray, they would pour benedictions upon the Church.
Wrestling prayers bring Christ into the innermost chambers of the Church of
God. And there is no doubt that Christ is often brought into the Church by the
example of those eminent saints who abide in Christ. You know what I mean.
There is a very manner and air about some Christian men which honours Christ, and
benefits His people. They may not be gifted in speech, but their very spirit
speaks, they are so gentle, loving, tender, earnest, truthful, upright,
gracious. Their paths, like the paths of God Himself, drop fatness.
IV. This leads me
to the last point, which is this, to charge the Church that she be careful not to disturb the
Lord’s repose, if we have been enabled by Divine Grace to bring the Lord into
the chambers of our mother’s house (verse 5). Observe, then, that the Lord
Jesus in His Church is not indifferent to the conduct of His people. The Lord
Jesus Christ, looking around His Church, if He sees anything evil in it, will
do one of two things; either He will go right away from His Church because the
evil is tolerated there, and He will leave that Church to be like Laodicea, to
go on from bad to worse, till it becomes no Church at all; or else He will come
and He will trim the lamp, or, to use the figure of the fifteenth of John, He
will prune the vine-branch, and with His knife will cut off this member, and
the other, and cast them into the fire; while, as for the rest, He will cut
them till they bleed again, because they are fruit-bearing members, but they
have too much wood, and He wants them to bring forth more fruit. It is not a
trifling matter to be in the Church of God. God’s fire is in Zion and His
furnace in Jerusalem. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Love’s vigilance rewarded
I. Before we
actually come to our text, we may notice three preliminary steps in the
spouse’s progress.
1. The first one is implied in the words, “I love Him.” She refers to
her Beloved under the title of “Him whom my soul loveth.” Can you give the Lord
Jesus that title?
2. Then, in the spouse’s progress, there came another step, “I sought
Him.” Can you put your finger on that sentence and say,. “That is true, too”?
Have you been seeking Him this Sabbath day? Are you coming to His table
to-night seeking Him?
3. Then comes in a little minor or mournful music, for the next
clause is, “I sought Him, but I found Him not.” The spouse is so sad about it
that the tells out her woe twice, “I sought Him, but I found Him not.” Do you
know that experience? I hope you are not realizing it at this time; but many of
us have known what it is. Our Lord Jesus Christ would not have us think little
of His company; and, sometimes, it is only as we miss it that we begin to
appreciate the sweetness of it. If we always had high days and holidays, we
might not be so thankful when our gala days come round.
II. Inside the
text, there are three further steps: “I found Him,” “I held Him,” “I brought
Him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.”
1. This is the first of the second series of steps, “I found Him.” I
do not wish to stand here and speak for myself, alone; but I want, beloved, that
you should each one of you also say, “I love Him,” “I sought Him,” and now, “I
have found Him.” What is meant by the words, “I found Him”? Well, I think a
soul may say, I found Him, in the sense employed in the text, when first of all
it has a clear view of His Person. My Beloved is Divine and human, the Son of
God, and yet the Son of man. Let your soul picture Him so plainly that you can
seem to see Him, for this will be a part of your finding Him. But that will not
be enough; you must then get to know that He is present with you. We cannot see
Him, but yet He that walketh amidst the golden candlesticks is, in spirit, in
this house of prayer at this moment. If you can get that thought fully into
your minds, that Christ is really here in our midst, you can then each one
begin to say, “I have found Him.” But you want more than that, namely, to feel
that He loves you, loves you as if there were nobody else for Him to love,
loves you even as the Father loves Him. That is a daring thing to say, and I
should never have said it if He had not first uttered it; but He says, “As the
Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you.”
2. Now we come to the second step. The spouse says, I held Him. This
is a deeper experience than the former one; “I held Him” means more than “I
found Him.” How are we to hold Christ? Well, first, let us hold Him by our
heart’s resolve. Get you to Jacob’s boldness when he said to the Angel of the
Covenant, “I will not let thee go except thou bless me”; but go even beyond
that, do not put in any “except” at all, but say, “I will not let Thee go, for
I cannot be blessed if Thou art gone from me.” Further, brethren, hold Him by
making Him your all in all. Yield up everything to Him, be obedient to Him, be
willing to suffer for Him, grieve not His Holy Spirit, crown Him, extol Him,
magnify Him, keep on singing His praises, for so will you hold Him. Hold Him,
too, by a simple faith. That is a wonderful hold-fast. One word more before we
leave this point. The only way to hold Christ is to hold Him by His own power.
Think of poor Jacob, who, when the angel did but touch him, felt his sinews
shrink directly, yet he said, “I will not let thee go.” And I, a poor trembling
creature, may hold the Omnipotent Himself, and say to Him, “I will not let Thee
go.” How is that wonder to be accomplished? I will tell you. If Omnipotence
helps you to hold Omnipotence, why, then, the deed is done! If Christ, and not
you alone, holds Christ, then Christ is held indeed, for shall He vanquish His
own Self?
3. The next step is described in the words, “I brought Him.” With
this we finish: “I brought Him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of
her that conceived me.” And where, I pray you, is our mother’s house? I do not
believe in any reverence for mere material buildings; but I have great
reverence for the true Church of the Living God. The Church is the House of
God, and the mother of our souls. How can you bring Christ to His Church?
Partly, you can bring Him by your spirit. If you have really found Christ, and
bring Him with you into the assembly, you will not be the man who will
criticize, and find fault, and quarrel with your neighbour because he does not
give you enough room in the pew. You will not be the person to pick holes in
other people’s coats; but you will be very considerate of others. As for
yourself, anything will do for you, and anywhere will do for you, for you have
seen the Beloved. You want other people to get as much good as they can; you
are no longer selfish; how can you be, when you have found Him whom your soul
loveth? And now your poor brother need not be very choice in the selection of
his words; if he will only talk about Jesus, you will be quite satisfied; if
his accents should be a little broken, you will not mind that. So long as you
feel that he wishes to extol your Lord, that will be enough for you. So, in
this manner, you will in spirit bring the Beloved to your mother’s house, to
the chamber of her that conceived you. But, dear friend, it will also be a
happy thing if you are able to talk about your Lord, for then you can bring Him
to the Church with your words. But if, alas! you feel that you cannot speak for
Christ, then, beloved, bring Him by your prayers. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Verses 6-11
Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness?
The royal pair in their glorious chariot
Great princes in the East are in the habit of travelling in
splendid palanquins, which are at the same time chariots and beds. The person
reclines within, screened by curtains from public view; a bodyguard protects
the equipage from robbers, and blazing torches light up the path along which
the travellers proceed. King Solomon, in this Song, describes the Church of
Christ, and Christ Himself, as travelling through the world in such a
palanquin. The day is coming when both our Divine Lord and His chosen bride
shall be revealed in glory before the eyes of all men.
I. The magnificent
progress, the glorious on-going of the Church and her Lord through the world (Song of Solomon 3:6). The equipage
excites the attention of the onlooker; his curiosity is raised, and he asks,
“Who is this?” The true Church of God is a stranger and pilgrim still; an alien
and a foreigner in every land; a speckled bird; a dove in the midst of ravens;
a lily among thorns. The ignorance of men concerning spiritual things is not,
however, caused by the darkness of the things themselves, for Christ and His
Church are the great lights of the world. When great personages travelled in
their palanquins, and more especially in marriage processions, they were
attended by a number of persons who, at night, carried high up in the air
burning cressets which gave forth a blaze of light. Sometimes these lights were
simply torches carried in the hands of running footmen; at other times they
were a sort of iron basket lifted high into the air, upon poles, from which
went up a pillar of smoke and flame. Our text says, “Who is this that cometh
out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke?” a beautiful illustration of the
fact that wherever Christ and His cause are carried, light is a sure
accompaniment. High lift your lamps, ye servants of our Lord. High lift up the
Cross of the Redeemer; for in Him is light, and the light is the life of men.
But you will tell me that our text rather speaks of “pillars of smoke” than of
sparkling lamps. The smoke is but the effect of the flame, and even the pillar
of smoke is luminous. What is the smoke that has attended the Church? What but
the deaths of her martyrs, the sufferings of her confessors, the patient
endurance of her valiant sons? Wherever she goes, the thick smoke of her
suffering goeth up to Heaven. It often happens that Oriental monarchs of
immense possessions are not content with burning common coals in these
cressets, but frequently consume sandalwood and other woods which give forth a
delightful smell; or else, if they use ordinary coals, they sprinkle upon them
frankincense and myrrh, so that a delicious perfume is spread on all sides. In
the olden times, they also went to great expense in obtaining drugs, which the
merchants collected from all parts of the earth, and these were carefully
compounded into the renowned “powders of the merchants,” which yielded a
delicious variety of delicate perfumes, not to be produced by any one aromatic
essence. Our inspired poet describes the travelling procession of the royal
pair, and fails not to dwell upon the delightful perfume of myrrh and
frankincense, with all the powders of the merchant, “which make the wilderness
smell as a garden of roses.” Wherever the Church of Christ proceeds, though her
pathway is a desert, though she marches through a howling wilderness, she scatters
the richest perfume. Among the ten wonders which Jewish tradition ascribes to
the temple, we find that the rain never extinguished the fire of the wood which
was laid in order upon the altar, nor did the wind ever conquer the pillar of
smoke so as to disperse or bend it. Verily it is so with the Church of God, as
she cometh out of the wilderness: who shall quench her flaming lamp, or stay
the incense of her golden censers. Ride on, Great Prince, and bear Thy spouse
with Thee in Thy majestic chariot, till Thou hast lit the world with Thy Divine
light, and hast made it a temple filled with a cloud of incense of sweet smell
to the nostrils of Jehovah!
II. The security of
Christ’s Church at all times. Of course when travelling through a wilderness, a
royal procession was always in danger of attack. Arabs prowled around;
wandering Bedouins were always prepared to fall upon the caravan; and more
especially was this the case with a marriage procession, because then the
robbers might expect to obtain many jewels, or, if not, a heavy ransom for the
redemption of the bride or bridegroom by their friends. What shall I say of the
attacks which have been made upon the Church of Christ, and upon Christ
Himself? They have been incessant. We know that Christ’s cause in the world is
always safe because of Divine protection, and because the lemons of God’s
angels keep watch and ward over the saints. But we have something more tangible
than this. Our gracious God has been pleased to commit unto men the
ministry of Christ. “Unto the angels hath He not put in subjection the world to
come, whereof we speak.” The Lord ordaineth that chosen men should be the
protectors of His Church; not that they have any power as of themselves to do
anything, but He girdeth the weak with strength and maketh the feeble mighty;
so then, men, even the sons of men stand in array around the travelling
palanquin of Christ, to guard both the bridegroom and the bride. Read the 7th
and 8th verses carefully, and you will notice that there are enough swordsmen.
“Threescore valiant men are about it.” There are always enough men chosen of
God to guard the Church. Observe that these warriors are men of the right
mettle. “Yes,” says poor trembling Little-Faith, “we have hosts of men, but
they are not like, the great-hearts of old; they have not the qualifications
which the age requires.” Ah! but remember, about the bed of Solomon there are
“threescore valiant men;” and glory be unto my Master, while I may not flatter
the ministry, I must not dishonour Him by believing that He has left His Church
without valiant defenders. “Ah!” I think I hear you say, “but though there may
be so many men, and men of the right sort, I am afraid they are not in the
right place.” Look again at the text. It is written, “Threescore valiant men
are about it”; that is, there are some on that side, and some on this, some
before, and some behind; they are all round the travelling chariot of Christ.
“I wish there might be one in our parish,” says one. Pray for Him, and He who
has promised to send you all good things may yet send him to you. Notice that
these men are all well armed. “They all hold swords.” What swords are these?
Every valiant man in Christ’s Israel holds the sword of the Spirit, which is
the Word of God. Besides this, and here is an opportunity for you all to carry
swords--every valiant man in God’s Israel carries the sword of prayer, which is
comparable to those huge two-handed swords of the olden time, which the soldier
lifted up and brought down with such tremendous force as to cleave a man in
halves: prayer is a weapon which no man can effectually resist. Further, these
men are not only well armed, but they are well trained. They are all expert in
war; men who have endured temptations themselves; men whose souls have been
exercised; men who have slain both the lion and the bear, and are men of war
from their youth. Further, these men were not only well trained, but you will
see that they were always ready. Each man has his sword upon his thigh, ready
to be drawn forth. Observe also that these men were watchful, for “they had
their sword on their thigh because of fear in the night.” They never sleep, but
watch always for the Church’s interest. Pray ye that the Lord may raise up many
such, who night and day with tears shall watch for the souls of men, and
against the enemies of our Israel.
III. The excellency
of this chariot in which Jesus rides. It is not difficult to convey to persons
the most unacquainted with Eastern manners and customs, an idea of what this
palanquin is. It is a sort of large sedan in which one or two persons may
recline with ease. Of course, this palanquin could not be made of gold or
silver, because then it would be too heavy for carriage; it must be made of
wood; hence King Solomon made a bed, or chariot, or palanquin, of the wood of
Lebanon. Then there needs to be four pillars supporting the covering and the
curtains; the pillars thereof are of silver. The bottom of it should be
something massive, in order to sustain the weight of the person; the bottom
thereof is of gold. The canopy on the top is a covering of purple. Since to lie
on gold would be very unpleasant, it is covered with delicate, daintily wrought
carpets; and so we have the bottom thereof paved, or rather carpeted with love
for the daughters of Jerusalem. Some delicate devices of needlework adorn the
bottom of this bed-chariot in which the king and his spouse recline during
their journey. The doctrines of the Gospel are comparable, for their antiquity,
for their sweet fragrance, for their incorruptibility, to the wood of Lebanon.
The Gospel of Christ never decays; Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day, and
for ever. Not one single truth bears any sign of rot. And to those souls that
are enlightened from above, the Gospel gives forth a fragrance far richer than
the wood of Lebanon. As for the silver pillars which bear up the canopy, to
what should I liken them but to the attributes of God which support and
guarantee the efficiency of the great atonement of Christ beneath which we are
sheltered. There is the silver pillar of God’s justice. He cannot, He will not
smite the soul that hides beneath the Cross of Christ. Then stands the next,
the solid pillar of His power. “They shall never perish, neither shall any
pluck them out of My hand; My Father which gave them Me is greater than all,
and none is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.” Then on the other side
is the pillar of His love, a silver pillar, indeed, bright and sparkling
to the eye; love unchanging and eternal, strong as the power and fast as the
justice which bear up the canopy on the other side. And here on this side
stands immutability, another column upon which the atonement rests. If God
could change, then might He cast away His blood-bought; but “because I am God
and change not, therefore, ye sons of Jacob, rejoice.” As for the covering of
the chariot, it is of purple. I need not tell you where it was dyed. No Tyrian
hues are mingled here. As for the bottom of this palanquin, which is of
gold--may not this represent the eternal purpose and counsel of God, that
purpose which He formed in Himself or ever the earth was? Then, to make this
all soft and pleasant to recline upon, here is pavement of needlework. Soft
cushions of love on which to rest. These is a double meaning here, for both the
bride and bridegroom find rest in love. Our Lord finds rest in the love of His
people. “Here will I dwell for ever.” They do, as it were, make these carpets
of needlework in their love and affection for Him, and in their trust and
confidence in Him; and here He rests. On the other hand, our Beloved spent His
life to work for us our bed of rest, so that we must translate it “love of,” as
well as love for the daughters of Jerusalem. We rest in Christ’s love;
He rests in our love.
IV. The duty of
every believing heart in connection with the subject. Let every believer, while
he recognizes himself as part of the Church inside the palanquin, yet look upon
himself personally as one of the daughters of Zion, and let us each go forth
this morning to meet King Solomon. He is the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the
Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, and therefore is He
King Solomon going forth. Get up from your beds of sloth; rise from your
chambers of ease; go forth, go forth to pray, to labour, to suffer; go forth to
live in purity, leaving Babylon behind; go forth to walk with Him alone,
leaving even your kinsfolk and acquaintance if they will not follow with you.
Wherefore tarriest thou at home when the King is abroad? Behold the Bridegroom
cometh, come ye forth to meet Him,” and behold King Solomon. To-day let your
eye rest upon Him. Let your eye behold the head that to-day is crowned with
glory, wearing many crowns. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Christ’s ascension
The simile is a most striking one. When Christ was on
earth, He came, as it were, to a wilderness. He lived in the wilderness while
here, in the desert, on the mountain-top. It was at His ascension that He
appeared as pillars of smoke rising out of the earthly wilderness. “When He had
spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up, and a cloud received
Him out of their sight.” And when we consider who it was that ascended--the
well-beloved Son of God, in whom the Father was well pleased, in whom His soul
delighted, who finished His work on earth--we see still further the propriety
of the figure. The smoke was not the smoke of offensiveness, but the fragrance
of perfume, the smoke of the sweet-smelling incense, filling both earth and
heaven with fragrance.
I. Christ’s
ascension is the consummation of his work.
1. It was not complete until this had taken place. Before His
crucifixion He was working out our salvation and accomplishing the purposes of
His Father. When in the grave He was under the dominion of death. After His
resurrection He was still in this world of sin and sorrow. But when He ascended
into heaven the whole work He had undertaken to perform was carried to a
fitting conclusion.
2. We must bear in mind that when Christ ascended into heaven it was
not merely a return to the place He came from. He came from heaven a spirit, an
essence. He returned, the same spirit indeed, but bearing with Him a human
body. His ascension, then, was rather the entrance of renewed manhood into the
presence of God, the admission of justified humanity into the kingdom of
heaven.
II. Christ’s
ascension was the earnest of our personal blessings. Two important objects were
to be especially assured to us.
1. The preparing a place--“I go that I may prepare a place for you.”
What this preparation involved we cannot exactly say.
2. The giving His Spirit--in other words, preparing us for the place.
3. The officiating as High-Priest.
III. Christ’s
ascension was a suitable reward to His work. (Homilist.)
Like pillars of smoke.
Pillars of smoke
The architecture of the smoke is wondrous, whether God with His
finger curls it into a cloud or rounds it into a dome, or points it in a spire,
or spreads it in a wing, or, as in the text, hoists it in a pillar. In the
first place, these pillars of smoke indicate the suffering the Church of God
has endured. The smoke of martyrs’ homes and martyrs’ bodies if rolling up all
at once would have eclipsed the noonday sun, and turned the brightest day the
world ever saw into a midnight. Has persecution ceased? Ask that young man who
is trying to be a Christian in a store or factory, where from morning to night
he is the butt of all the mean witticisms of unbelieving employees. Ask that
wife whose husband makes her fondness for the house of God, and even her
kneeling prayer by the bed-side, a derision, and is no more fit for her holy
companionship than a filthy crow would be fit companion for a robin or a
golden oriole. For the body, thanks to God, there are now no swords or fiery
stakes, but for the souls of thousands of the good, in a figurative
sense, rack and gibbet and Torquemada. The symbol of the domestic and social
and private and public suffering of a great multitude of God’s clear children,
pillars of smoke. But nothing can be more beautiful than the figures of smoke
on a clear sky. You can see what you will in the contour of this volatile
vapour, now enchanted castles, now troops of horsemen, now bannered procession,
now winged couriers, now a black angel of wrath under a spear of the sunshine
turned to an angel of light, and now from horizon to horizon the air is a
picture-gallery filled with masterpieces of which God is the artist, morning
clouds of smoke born in the sunrise, and evening clouds of smoke laid in the
burnished sepulchres of the sunset. The beauty of the transfigured smoke is a
Divine symbol of the beauty of the Church. The fairest of all the fair is she.
Her mission is to cover the earth with a supernatural gladness, to open all the
prison-doors, to balsam all the wounds, to moss all the graves, to burn up the
night in the fireplace of a great morning, to change handcuffs into diamonded
wristlets, to turn the whole race around, and whereas it faced death,
commanding it, “Right about face for heaven!” According to the number of the
spires of the churches in all our cities, towns and neighbour-hoods, are the
good homes, the worldly prosperities, and the pure morals, and the happy souls.
According as the churches are numerous are the crimes few. According as the
churches are few the crimes are numerous. The most beautiful organization the
world ever saw or ever will see
is the much-maligned Church, the friend of all good, the foe of
all evil, “fair as the moon and clear as the sun.” Beautiful in her Author,
beautiful in her mission, the heroine of the centuries, the bride of Christ,
the queen of the nations! Through her gates will march all the influences for
good that shall ever reach our world. Take its membership as a mass, not
speaking of the acknowledged exceptions, they are the noblest, grandest,
kindest, best men and women of the ages. But for them the earth would long ago
have been a burned-out volcano. They have been the salt that has kept the human
race from putrefaction insufferable either to human or angelic olfactories. (T.
De Witt Talmage.)
Verse 9-10
King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.
Solomon’s chariot
I. Solomon was a
type of Jesus Christ.
1. In his offices he represented Jesus.
2. But there are certain qualities that distinguished the king that
shine resplendent in the King of kings.
II. The king’s
chariot is a type of Christ’s covenant, and of the Gospel of the Grace of God.
It was not a chariot really, but rather a travelling couch or palanquin, in
which the king himself and his spouse were seated. It was the place of rest, in
which these twain reclined at ease, while they came up from the wilderness
towards the great and glorious city. Now such is the covenant to us.
1. Now notice concerning this so-called chariot that Solomon himself
made it. “King Solomon made himself a chariot.” I do not mean that the
royal hands were actually engaged in its construction--we can hardly suppose
that--but he gave instructions for its construction, perhaps personally
superintended the making of it I do say however, of the covenant of the Lord
our God, that He Himself prepared it. As Noah built the ark, so God Himself has
arranged the terms of the covenant. He Himself has signed it; Jesus Himself has
sealed it with His own precious blood. Christ has built this chariot for
Himself to ride in. You may be sure it is well and truly built, then; I have
not the slightest fear in trusting myself on board that travelling couch, for I
shall share it with Jesus.
2. Notice the materials of its construction. This royal litter is
said to have been of cedar--“the wood of Lebanon.” That is the finest of all
the woods, the most lasting and the most fragrant. It is as if to say that the
covenant which God has made with Jesus Christ on behalf of all who love Him and
trust Him, is a covenant that lasts, and which, while it lasts, is full of joy
and fragrance. “He made pillars thereof of silver.” This represented Divine
holiness and infinite purity. I notice that the floor or basis was of gold. It
was constructed of this imperishable and unchangeable metal, because it was
intended to set forth the immutable purpose and the unchanging decree of the
infallible God. Over all was a purple canopy, with equally royal curtains
hanging by the sides screening from the too-hot sun. Ah, here is sovereign
grace, here is atoning blood: here is the doctrine of the substitution, for we
can look through these purple curtains, even towards the sun of God’s holiness,
and find the exceeding brightness bearable because Jesus Christ, the Day’s-Man,
has come between us and Him. It was paved with love for the daughters of
Jerusalem, or, as some think, the chariot was lined and upholstered with
embroidered work, so that the daughters of Jerusalem should be glad at sight of
it, and the bride herself be filled with joy.
3. What is the purpose of this covenant, and of this Gospel of His
grace? A parallel purpose to that of Solomon’s chariot. “Whereby believers are
carried to heaven,” says Cruden. The spouse shares the triumph to Zion as well
as in it, while the daughters of Jerusalem go out to meet the cavalcade, and to
share the joy. (T. Spurgeon.)
The saint’s palanquin
It seems no part of the mind of the Spirit that we should take
this description to pieces, and try to allegorize the several parts. The
intention is to represent
to us the fact that the believer is carried onward to heaven in a conveyance as
costly and glorious as that here described; that the materials are of the
richest, choicest, most durable character; that the midst is paved or
tessellated with love. The provision made, the means provided for bringing us
to glory, are of a rare and splendid nature. After exhausting the things most
valuable among men, making the pillars silver, the railing gold, the seat or
couch purple, he adopts a feature in the description entirely new, and says the
midst is curiously wrought with something more precious than silver or gold,
even with love itself--showing that the saint, while thus passing through the
wilderness between this world and heaven, between our state of guilt and our
state of glory, is in a palanquin of the most costly make, borne up in the
hands of angels, surrounded by an armed angelic guard, and reclining on a soft
couch beautiful as purple, the most costly colour, with the midst of the litter
formed of love--the many acts of Divine love from Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
there combining underneath us like the different pieces in a beautiful mosaic,
tessellated pavement. In the spirit of this passage, those who wait on the Lord
are said to renew their strength; and He will give His angels charge concerning
such, to bear them up in their hands, lest at any time they dash their foot
against a stone (Isaiah 40:31; Psalms 91:12). (G. Burrowes.)
Verse 10
The midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of
Jerusalem.
Paved with love
This palanquin or travelling chariot in which the king is carried,
represents the covenant of grace, the plan of salvation, and, in fact, the
whole system by which the Lord Jesus comes down in mercy among men, and by
which He bears His people along with Himself through the wilderness of this
world, onward to the rest which He hath prepared for them. It is, in a word,
the mediatorial work of Jesus.
I. Notice the
growth which is indicated here as to our views of the covenant of grace. The
description advances step by step, each sentence mentioning an additional and
far-enhanced preciousness. At the first glance the sweet singer who speaks in
this Song perceived that the chariot was made of cedar, a costly wood; a closer
view revealed “the silver pillars, beauteous to behold”--further observation
showed “the basis all of burnished gold.” From cedar to silver, and from silver
to gold, we have a clear advance as to precious material. On looking again, the
observer remarks “the top of princely purple,” which is yet more precious as
the type of imperial dignity, and the token of that effectual atonement which
was wrought out by the ensanguined stream of Calvary. The blood which dyed that
purple canopy is much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be
tried with fire. And then, though one would think there could be no advance
beyond the precious blood, the Song proceeds yet one step further, for we find
that “the midst thereof was paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.”
The covenant is love in its secret places, all love, unalloyed love, invisible
love, nothing else but love. When one comes to know most of the covenant, and
admires the wisdom, the power, the purity, the eternity of all that God has
done, yet the most striking characteristic of it to the advanced Christian is
the love, the mighty love of God, by which he is brought by Jesus Christ into
eternal salvation. Thou hast crowned me with lovingkindness; Thou hast loved my
soul out of the pit; Thou hast loved me, and given Thyself for me. Thy love has
redeemed me with a price most precious; Thy love has made me what I am; Thy
love carries on the work, and Thy love will complete it, and present me to Thee
in its own perfect image; for “the midst of it is paved with love, for
the daughters of Jerusalem.”
II. Note the
position from which the love mentioned in our text is best seen, “The midst
thereof is paved with love.” It is not, therefore, to be seen from the outside.
The mere outsider understands nothing of the love of God to His people as
displayed in the covenant of grace. “The secret of the Lord is with them that
fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.” And so note next, when the
Christian himself stands apart from his Lord, and judges by outward
appearances, he cannot perceive, as once he did, the lovingkindness of the
Lord. Providence grows dark as a winter’s day. The tried believer cries, “My
wife has been taken from me; my property is melting away, my business fades; I
am sick in body and weary in soul; I cannot see a trace of the love of God to
me in all this. Brother, the description in the Song does not say that the
chariot is plated with love on the outside, but it is paved with love within, “in
the midst of it.” Oh, that you had faith to believe that the heart and real
core of every providence is love. The exterior of it may be as a thorn hedge,
but sweet fruit ripens within. Look at the tessellated pavement of love beneath
your feet for a moment. See you not the Father’s love--that golden mass of
uncreated love, for the Father Himself loveth you: look at Jesus’ love, another
diamond pavement beneath your foot; Jesus loved you to the death with a love that many
waters could not quench, nor floods drown: look at the love of the Spirit, too:
equally precious is the tender affection of the loving Comforter. Think how the
Holy Ghost has borne with you, has striven with you, and endured your ill
manners in the wilderness, and blessed you still. Look at those delightful
embroideries from the Divine
needle--the precious promises. A thousand promises there are, but they are all
love. Look down and see how all the attributes of God are engaged for you, but
they are all in league with love. Look, then, at all the providences of God
towards you, at all the exercises of His grace in your heart, and you will see
many and strange colours of varied beauty, all blending in one wondrous pattern
of deep, unsearchable love.
III. Notice the
peculiar position of the pavement of love described in the text. It is “in the
midst” of the chariot, and only from the midst is it to be seen. It is in the
midst of it; and therefore Jesus rides upon it, and His espoused ones ride upon
it. It is a very simple thought, but it richly deserves to be beaten out a
little. Jesus is represented here as the King in the chariot, and as the
chariot is lined with love, we are taught that Jesus dwells in love. Where is
He now? Among the thrones and principalities above, but He abides still in
love. Love brought Him down from heaven to earth, love conducted Him in all His
weary journeys over the acres of Palestine: love led Him to the garden, the
death-sweat, and the cross; and equally at this hour does love attend Him: He
loves in heaven as He loved below. Whatever He is doing, whatever He is
feeling, whatever He is saying, we know this one thing about Him, He dwells in
love to us, He is in His chariot, and all around Him in that chariot is love.
IV. Dwell on that
love itself for a moment. Remember it is special love. There is an electing,
discriminating, distinguishing love, which is settled upon a chosen people--a
love which goes forth to none beside, but only to them; and it is this love
which is the true resting-place of the saint. It is love undeserved, for what
daughter of Jerusalem ever deserved that our glorious King should fall in love
with her? It is a love, therefore, which is a theme for eternal wonder. Why
didst Thou love me, Redeemer? Why didst Thou make a covenant of grace with me,
and line that covenant with immutable love? This love is everlasting and
eternal. It never had a beginning, it never will have an end. Simply as I have
stated the truth, it is a nut with heaven for its kernel. Thou wast always
loved, O believer, and thou always shalt be, come what may. It is love
unrivalled, for never was there such affection as that which Christ has for His
chosen; love unexampled, to which none of us shall ever reach. (C. H.
Spurgeon.)
Verse 11
Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the
crown wherewith his mother crowned him, in the day of his espousals.
The coronation of Jesus
Here we have, by the voice of the Holy Ghost, the account of the
coronation of human nature in the person of the Incarnate Word. As “the day of
our Lord’s Resurrection is the day wherein the dignity of the everlasting
priesthood was actually collated upon Him, so the day of His ascension, or
placing at the right hand of God, is the day of His solemn enthronization, when
the Lord ‘sent forth the rod of His strength out of Zion.’” But the coronation
of our Lord is not the quiet accession of the heir of a desired and
long-descended line to the peaceful seat of his fathers: it is rather the final
triumph of a mighty warrior who through blood hath waded to the throne. It is
rather the eventual vindication of the true heir, who, as in many an Oriental
land, has been debarred from His succession by the intrigues of His enemies,
and has to obtain His own by the might of His holy arm. And who are they whom
the triumphant Lord hath thus routed? I will not speak of those temporal
enemies who now, or in times past, oppose and resist His will Rather will I
speak of the spiritual enemies of this Monarch, whom He hath overthrown--Satan,
sin and death: each a mighty potentate--Satan, “the prince of this world”; sin,
that “reigned unto death in our mortal bodies”; death, that by one offence
reigned “from Adam till Moses.” Now the royal work of our ascended Lord is to
subdue and to destroy these; and because, though scotched and crippled, they
still exist, so the royalty of our Lord is a present and potential act of
conquering dominion. The” demonstration of the eternal justice of God,” and the
probation of holy souls, require that still the powers of evil should be
allowed; and therefore is the Eternal Son “set down on the right hand of God,
from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool.” And yet the conquest
is complete, so far as our condition of trial will allow. Satan subdued is now
the unwilling servant of Divine justice in the case of the reprobate, while he
has no power to hurt the elect of God. Sin still remains, in all its hideous
mystery, as the measure of the love of the Cross, but has no power over the
children of the kingdom; and even death itself, though still allowed to fill
its place in the physical world, has now changed its conditions, and altered
its position in the kingdom of grace, its realm being the ante-chamber of the
New Jerusalem, and itself the harbinger of a joyous resurrection. But we must
not confine our ideas of the royalty of Christ to a mighty warrior going forth
conquering and to conquer. Our Heavenly Monarch is to His own no “minister of
God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil”; but yielding to the
deep necessities of the benevolence of His attributes, “He doeth according to
His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none
can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?” First, His reign is
established in the kingdom of the physical world. This bursting springtime,
when nature is at its freshest and loveliest, when the hidden powers of
vegetable life, so lately dead and inert, have again put forth their might to
the glory of God, and the green carpet of the earth, and the rich foliage of
the trees and the flowers reflecting every hue of paradise on the earth below,
all speak to the eye of faith, as the sweet bird’s song speaks to the ear,
tells us not merely of a King, but of a King whose law shall not be broken, and
who shows us, by the beauty of that inviolate law how bright would be His other
kingdoms, did not the free will of man mar what He had made good, and defile what
He had pronounced pure. And next, His reign is established in the kingdom of
grace. Our blessed Saviour is King and Lord of His Mystical Body. That mighty
organization is no mere fortuitous congeries of holy souls, unknown to men,
known only to God, without discipline or order; but it is a well-grounded
polity, of which by far the greater part is in heaven, obeying, loving,
serving, adoring, and where here on earth the heart of man finds its truest
happiness in perfect and unreserved submission. How it comforts one in the
midst of the mysterious providences and spiritual trials, and strange
dispensations which mark the course of the fortunes of the Church here below,
to dwell upon that unswerving obedience which is paid Him by the glorious
hierarchies above. The Lord is king, be the people never so impatient. He
sitteth between the cherubim, be the nations never so unquiet. And more than
this, He is the very King and Lord of holy souls. When we say, “Thy kingdom
come,” what mighty thoughts are stirred up within us! May Thy reign be
established within our hearts!--Thy kingdom which Thou hast said is “within”
us. May every power and faculty be subdued to Thy gracious commandments! Be
Thou the Master of our intellects, the Lord of our affections. Rule Thou, and
so constrain our wills already subject to Thee, that even in this world we may
anticipate the perfect conformity of heaven. Is the thought of our Lord s
ascension as connected with His royalty exhausted? I trow not. The ascension of
our Lord hath not terminated in Himself. It is our ascension also. The
coronation of our Lord is not merely the assumption of royal state by our
ascended Head, it is also the coronation of His body mystical. The nature of
man in the Person of the Divine Word hath been seated upon the throne of God.
Who shall now use unworthy words of the worthlessness of that which is thus
united to God? Who shall now undervalue the exalted position of the true
Christian? Who shall now dare to profane, either in body, soul or spirit, that
which has attained to so high a destiny? (Bishop A. P. Forbes.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》