Exposition of the Whole Bible

of needlework," curiously wrought, which cannot be matched; they are decked with all kinds of ornaments, with bracelets, chains, rin^s, aud Jewels; they have on tiie glorious robe of Christ's righteousness, aud are adorned with the various graces of the S[)irit, which make their behaviour decent aud modest; for they are not proud aud haughty, one of their oruiiments being that " of a meek and quiet spirit;" they have low, mean and humble thoughts of themselves; suitable to their character is their carriage and deportment; for though they are so riclily clothed, and so nearly related to the King of kings, yet, like their Lord, are meek and lowly.

Secondly. I shall now proceed to give some account of the love which these virgins bear to Christ: in doing which 1 shall,

1st. Give some account of the nature of it.

2ndly. Show from whence it arises. And

Srdly. How it manifests itself.

Ist. Let us consider the nature and prope rlie* of it.

1. It is a su])erlative love which souls bear to CJirist; it exceeds aud excels their love to all creatures, or creature-enjoymeuts. Christ loves them above all others, aud they love him more thau all persons or things besides; of all that claim a share in their love, as noue deserves, so uone has a greater interest therein than himself.

2. It is universal; they love all of Christ, and all that belong to him; they love him in his Person, and in all his offices, relations, and characters, which he has taken upon him, aud by which he is pleased to manifest himself unto them: they love all his saiuts, be they high or low, rich or poor, and by whatsoever character or denomination, they are distinguished, if it appears that his grace is but wrought in their hearts, and they bear his image and superscription; they love all his commands, ordinances, and institutions; they " esteem his precepts concerniug all things to be right," and are not partial in their obedience thereunto.

3. It is, or at least ought to be, constant and faithful, as his is to them, and as Jonathan's was to David; we should love him in adversity as well as in prosperity, at all times; nothing should separate our love from Christ, as nothing can separate his love from us,

4. It is, or ought to be, fervent and ardent; and so it is usually at first conversion, as has been already observed; and this is called in scripture, the " first love," whicli the church at Ephesus was blamed for leaving; not that she had lost her love to Christ, but the fervency thereof was much abated; she began to grow cold and lukewarm in her affections, which is too often the case of God's people, through the prevailing of corrujjtions, aud an immoderate desire aud pursuit alter the things of this world; " because iniquity shall abound," says Christ, " the love of many shall wax cold," Matt. xxiv. 12.

5. Where there is true lov« to Christ, it is always hearty and unfeigned; the virgins, true believers, love hira " with all thuir heart, and with all their soul;" they love him " in sincerity," and from their very hearts can appeal to Him, who is the heart-search iug aud reiu-trying God, as Peter did, and say, " Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee," John. xxi. 17. IJere is no deceit, dissirauUition, or hypocrisy ia their love; though it may be sometimes weak and languid, yet whenever it exerts and shows itself, it is real and hearty; these love not " in word only," neither in tongue, " but in deed and in truth."

2ndly. It will be proper to enquire into the springs and causes of this love, aud to observe from whence it arises. And,

1. It springs and arises from a sight of Christ's loveliness: an unbeliever sees no beauty in Christ, wherefore he should desire him; there is nothing in him lovely to a carnal eye; but one that is " made^light in the Lord," and has but a glimpse of the King in his beauty," his heart is wou, his soul is ravished and drawn forth in love to him; he admires and desires him above all, and cannot be easy without an interest in him.

2. From a view of his suitableness, as a Saviour; the believer not only sees personal and transcendent excellencies in him, which ravish him, but special blessings, which are proper for him; he beholds him as " full of grace and truth;" he smells a sweet savour in his ointments, and that name Jesus, a Saviour, becomes exceeding precious to him; he views all righteousness and strength, peace aud pardon, light and life, joy and comfort, grace aud glory, and all things appertaining to salvation, every thing to make him comfortable here, and happy hereafter, in Clirist; and therefore says, as David did, " I will love thee, O Lord, my strength," Psal. xviii. 1.

3. From a sense of his lore and manifestation of it to their souls; " we love him," says the apostle, " because he first loved us," 1 John iv. 19; our love is not the cause of his, but his is the cause of ours; aud it is not merely his loving us, but the shedding it abroad in our hearts by his Spirit, which draws out our love to him; for though he loved us, yet if he had not some way or other manifested it to us, and overcome our hearts with it, we should still have remained enemies to him; but his giving us the sense and perception of it in our hearts, is what has drawn us to himself, and will keep us there.

4. From a view of union and relation to hira; how can persons do otherwise thau love him, when they see themselves so nearly united to him, as to be " members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones?" How can they but love him, when they view him standing in and filling up the relations of an indulgent Father, a tender Husband, a loving Brother, and faithful Friend unto them?

5. This is more and moi'« increased by enjoying commiinioa with him; the more intimate a believer is with Christ, the oftener he sees him, the more frequent visits he receives from him, and tiie greater aoquaiutance and fellowship he has with him, the more he loves him; every ti^ht of him, visit from him, and enjoyment of his |)resence, add fresh strength and fervency to his love; John, the beloved disciple, who leaned on Christ's bosom, and had intimate communion with him, had his heart filled with love to him, and wrote the most largely of it. But,

3rdly. I shall now endeavour to show how this love manifests itself; and it does so,

1. By a regard to Christ's commands and ordinances; " If ye love me," says Christ, " keep my commandments; for he that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me," John xiv. 15—21; that is, lie that hath my commandments written upon his heart, by the finger of the Spirit, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace, aad is enabled to keep them by the assistance of my grace and Spirit, he it is that shows his love to me; and therefore, as you say, you love me, show it by an observance of my commands: and all that love Christ will do so, according to the measure of grace received; they will love the place of divine worship, and have a respect to all his ordinances and institutions; for all his tabernacles are amiable and lovely to them.

2. By a regard to his truths, the doctrines of the Gospel; they receive the truth in the love of it, and value it more than their " necessary food;" they Wghly esteem the preachers of it, and cannot bear to hear one truth of the Gospel •poken against.

3. By a i-egard to his people; they love the saints, who love Christ, t'ley delight in their company, and take pleasure in conversing with them; they are the " excellent in the earth, in whom is all their delight;" and indeed, where there is no love to the saints, there can be no true love to Christ; for, as the apostle Jo/m says, " he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen?" 1 John iv. 20.

4. By a regard to his presence; a soul that loves Christ, values the presence of Christ; nothing so desirable to him as that is: and when he lias lost sight of Christ, cannot be easy without him, but seeks here and there until he has found him whom his soul loves: he thinks himself never more happy than when he has Christ's presence, and never worse than when he is vrithout it.

5. This love manifests itself, by parting with and bearing all for Christ: a soul that truly loves Christ, will part with all that is near and dear to him, for him, he will forsake his own kindred, and his father's house; he counts Christ " the pearl of groat price," and is therefore willing to quit all he has, that he may but eujoy that; he leaves all, as the disciples did, and follows Christ; and resolves, come what will, that Christ's God shall be his God, and Christ's people his people, and where Christ lodges he will lodge, and where he 2oes he will follow, and cleave close to him, as Rui/i did to Naomi. Jloieover, he is not only willinir to leave and lose all for Christ, but also to bear all for him, that he is pleased to lay u))on him, and call him to; he is willing to suffer reprop.ches, afflictions, and persecutions for the sake of him and his Gospel, and to bear any cross whatever he thinks fit to enjoin him: all which he would never be willing to submit to, was not his soul filled with love to Christ; and such a love as this, which springs from such causes, and manifests itself in these ways, is exceeding grateful to Christ, as appears from chap. iv. 10.

Verse 4. Draw me, we ml! run after thee: The King hath hrovght me i)ito his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in thee: We will remember thy love more than wine: The uyright love thee.

The church having taken notice of the excellency of Christ's love, the savour of his ointments, and preciousuess of his name, which made the virgins, her companions, love him; she persists in and continues her request, for communion with him, in these words; in which we have,

IT. An argument which she makes use of to obtain this request; " we will run after thee."

III. The request granted to her, which is acknowledged by her; " the king hath brought me into his chambers."

IV. The effects thereof, or the influence which this had upon her^ " we will rejoice," &c.

I. Here is a request or petition made by the church to Christ; "'draw me." V/hat she intends hereby will be proper to consider. And,

1st. There is a powerful efficacious drawing of souls to Christ, at conversion, when God calls a poor sinner by his grace, brings him to Christ, enables him to venture upon him, and believe in liim for life and salvation; which is what Christ speaks of in John vi. 44, when he says, " No man can come to me except the Father which has sent me, draw him." A soul's coming to Christ for life, is not the produce of power and free-will in mau, but of the grace of God in drawing, though it is not effected by force or compulsion; it is true, the sinner, in his natural estate, " is stout-hearted, and far from righteousness," averse to Christ and the way of salvation by him; but by mighty grace, this stout heart is brought dowu, and made willing to submit to Gud'o way of salvation; this obduracy is removed, and hardness of heart taken away by him, who has promised to take away the " stony heart, and give a heart of flesh." Unconverted sinners are indeed unwilling to come to Christ for life; but those who belong to the election of grace, arc made " willing in the day of

Christ's power:" the macslaj'er did not more willingly flee from the avenger of blood, to the city of refuge, than a sinner, sensible of sin, and the danger of his state, does to Christ for salvation; for though a soul is not brought to Christ, by the power of his free-will, yet he is not brought against his will: drawing does not always suppose force and compulsion; there are other ways of drawing besides that. Thus the fame of a sJiilful physiciau draws many peo])le to him; thus music draws the ear; love the heart; and pleasure the mind; as the poet says, " Ti;|ihit sua queraque voluptas." Nor is this done by mere moral suasion, which is what miuialers use; knowing the terrors of the Lord, tiiey persuade men: but if the mighty power of grace does uot attend their ministry, not one soul will ever be converted; though they represent the joys of heaven and the terrors of hell, in never such a lively manner; speak in never such moving strains, and use the most powerful arguments to win upon souls; yet they will stretch out their " haads all the day, to a gainsaying and disobedient people;" they will return with a " who hath believed our report? the arm of the Lord " not being " revealed" unto them. God does not act as a mere moral cause in man's conversion; he does not only propose an object, and then leave the will to choose, but powerfully and effectually works both " to will and to do of his own good pleasure;" for this drawing is accomplished by the secret aud invisible power of his mighty grace: and in this seuse is the word used, in Judges iv. 7, when Deborah tells Barak, that the Lord had promised, saying, " I will DRAW unto thee, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots aud his multitudes, aud I will deliver him into thine bauds;" that is, I who have the hearts of kings, generals, and captains of armies in my hands, and can turn them " as the rivers of waters, whithersoever I will," will powerfully and • invisibly work upon, move, and incline Sisera'i heart to lead his array to the river. Kishon, where I will give an instance of my power and goodness in delivering him into thine hands. Thus God powerfully and invisibly works upon the hearts of sinners, beuds their wills, slays the enmity of their minds, allures and draws them to Ciirist, " suavi omuipotentia, aud omnipotcute suavitatc," " by a sweet omnipotence, and an omnipotent sweetness;" aud this he docs by revealing Christ unto them, in all his beauty and loveliness, discovering the love of Christ unto their souls; by the kind invitations of his grace, the precious aud encouraging promises of the gospel, aud the special teachings of his Spirit; all which is an evidence of his everlasting love; for it is, because be hath " loved them with an everlasting love; therefore " with loving kindness" he hath " drawn" them; this is also a fruit of Christ's death; " I, if I be lifted up from the earth," says he, meaning his elevation upon the cross, " will draw all men unto me," John xii. 32; that is, all that the Father hath given me, and iias promised, shall be gathered to me, and wlio.-n I shall shed my blood for. iloreover, it is likewise an indication of the weakness aud impotence of sinners, seeing they cannot come unless they are drawn; and sufficiently destroys the notion which advances the free-will and power of the creature in conversion: but I apprelieud that this is not the drawing intended in this petition, for thus the church had been already drawn.

The Septuagint read it, " They have drawn thee: at the smell of thine ointments, will we run;"* that is, the virgins have loved thee, and shown their love to thee; and this has so taken with thine heart, that it has drawn thee after them, they have thy company, which I want; but by the smell of those ointments, which thou carriest about with thee, I, and others, will run after thee, till we find thee: so that Christ, according to this version and sense of the words, is the person drawn, and not the person petitioned to, to draw; though the latter seems best to agree both with the Hebrew tejt, and the sense of the words.

R. Aben Ezra thinks that they are the wordi of the virgins, who, every one of them, desire, saying, " draw me; we," every one of us, " will run after thee;" but they seem rather to be the words of the church, desirous of more intimate communion with Christ; for there is.

Secondly. A drawinsj to nearer communion with Christ, which believers oftentimes want, and are desirous of, and which the church had enjoyed; as appears from the following clause in this verse; in which she declares that " the king had brought her into his chambers," where he conversed with her, and disclosed the secrets of his heart to her: now this petition of hers for nearer communion with him, supposes,

1. A distance between Christ and her; not a distance with regard to union; for believers being one with Christ, they never are, nor can be distanced from him; they are always in this sense, " a people near unto the Lord;" nor is there a distance of affection, for " hiving loved his own, which were in the world, he loves them to the end;" they can never be separated from his love, seeing they are engraven as a seal upon his heart: but this is a distance as to communion; and, in this sense, Christ does sometimes stand at a distance, and hides himself from his people; as appears by their frequent complaints of it, they then thinking themselves forsaken and forgotten by him.

2. This petition shows her uneasiness in this condition, and therefore she says, " draw me;" not but that sometimes believers are lukewarm and iudiflferent; for falling asleep upon a bed of security, they become insensible of their condition, and therefore unconcerned about it; but when