CHAPTER VI. 1. Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee. 2. My beloved has gone down unto his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and 3. to gather lilies. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies. It is well so to be able both to exhibit Christ in our life and conversation, as to draw the attention of others to Him. Such was the case here. The intense anxiety in seeking Jesus, and the joy of assurance in having found Him, and the rich experience the Church had of Him in His person, work, and offices, drew forth the enquiry from the lookers on, "Whither has thy beloved gone ? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek Him." Those who seek Jesus in the com 66 munion of His saints, will not fail to find Him. His saints know very well where He is gone,' and therefore, are well able to direct others to Him. Happy are they, who, by their holy simplicity and godly walk and conversation, are as “ epistles read and known" guide-posts pointing the "weary and heavy laden" to Jesus! These are the "lilies" in Christ's “garden," which adorn and beautify it. Here he delights to "come down," though we see Him not with the natural eye. Yet He walks among his Churches, and gathers in His grace, the “lilies to adorn His coronation chaplet in the day of His espousals. If you would find Christ, and be found of Him, seek Him in the appointed ministries of His Church. There He has promised to " record His name," and spiritually to be present. How beautiful to see the chastised backslider again restored to the full consciousness of her own acceptance. "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." Her communion with Him was her assurance of this," He feedeth among lilies." 1. John xxii. 17. 2. II. Cor. iii. 5. 3. Exod. xx. 24. 4. Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. 5. Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear me: from Gilead. 6. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them. 7. As a piece of pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. 8. There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, aud virgins without number. 9. My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; 10 yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as Whom He loveth, " He loveth to the end." Notwithstanding all the waywardness, and sloth, and selfish, unmannerly behaviour of His Church during 1 John xiii. 1. Ꮓ the season of her lukewarmness and slumbering, Jesus here manifests His unchangeable love towards her, now that she was restored, a chastised but accepted and acceptable bride. Her discipline was over. It had wrought its purposed work. 1 Her sins and infirmities He remembers no more. She is beautiful in His eyes as "Tirzah," a city of Manasseh, which in the Hebrew tongue signifieth pleasantness:" "comely as Jerusalem," which was the joy of the whole earth, being as a city "that is compact together"-beautiful for situation: and "terrible as an army wilh banners”—overcoming the world by her faith, and like Jacob having power with God.4 3 Then follows language of intense affection, suited to human conception of human affection, yet far transcending all human notion of divine condescension. 66 The love of Christ passeth knowledge," and this expresion of it passeth all human imagination. When we see "Him as He is," and " our vile bodies be changed like unto His glorious body," then we may be able somewhat to realize the length and breadth, and height and depth, of the grace, and love, and tenderness of our Beloved! This blessed time seems foreshadowed in the ninth and tenth verses, as though in a parenthesis. The "queens, concubines, and virgins," in number beyond all arithmetical calculation, seem to denote the "saved of the nations,1" during the glorious millenial kingdom. These shall be the Church's companions, who shall see her and praise her glory when she "looketh forth," clothed in the radiance of the Resurrection morning, "fair as the moon, clear as the sun," (having no spot or blemish or any such thing,) "and terrible as an army with banners." 11. I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, 12. and the pomegranates budded. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib. Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee What will ye see in the Shulamite ? As it were the company of two armies. During the time of the Lord's absence from His Bride, He went down into "His garden." Though withdrawn from her as His spouse, He still was mindful of His "garden," which was filled with a variety of most pleasant and fruitful trees, 'nuts," "vines," and "pomegranates." His de 1. Rev. xxi. 24. |