CHAPTER IV.—Of communion with Christ in a conjugal relation in respect of consequential affections
CHAPTER IV
Of communion with Christ in a conjugal relation in respect of consequential affections—His delight in his saints first insisted on,
Isa. 62:5; Cant. 3:11; Prov. 8:21—Instance of Christ's delight in believers—He reveals his whole heart to them, John 15:14, 15; himself, 1 John 3:23; his kingdom; enables them to communicate their mind to him, giving them assistance, a way, boldness, Rom.
8:26, 27—The saints delight in Christ; this manifested Cant. 2:7, 8:6
—Cant. 3:1–5, opened—Their delight in his servants and ordinances of worship for his sake.
The communion that begins between Christ and the soul is further carried out through appropriate consequential affections that befit such a relationship. Christ, having given Himself to the soul, loves the soul, and the soul, having given itself to Christ, loves Him in return. Christ loves His own, and He loves them unceasingly. The saints also love Christ, loving Him sincerely.
The love of Christ toward His saints encompasses four aspects: delight, valuation, pity or compassion, and bounty. Likewise, the love of the saints toward Christ can be classified under these four headings: delight, valuation, chastity, and duty. Two of these aspects are of the same nature, while the other two are distinct, as is fitting for a relationship where all things are not on equal terms.
Firstly, on the part of Christ, there is delight. Delight is the expression of love and joy, the satisfaction and pleasure of the mind in the enjoyment of something suitable and desirable. Christ takes immense delight in His saints. As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so shall God rejoice over His people. The day of espousals is a
day of gladness in His heart. This delight is unparalleled, surpassing the joys experienced by mere mortals in their earthly journey. The bridegroom's delight on the day of his espousals represents the pinnacle of expressed delight. In Christ, this delight corresponds to the relationship He enters into with us. His heart is filled with joy in us, without any sorrow. Each day we live is His wedding day. It is written, "The LORD your God is in your midst" (dwelling among us, assuming our nature) "as a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." This description encompasses all the elements of delight—joy, exultation, tranquility, and satisfaction.
Christ says, "I rejoiced in the inhabited world and my delight was with the sons of men." The thoughts of communion with the saints were the joy of His heart from eternity. Based on the covenant and agreement between Him and the Father, that He would share a portion with the strong and save a remnant for His inheritance, His soul rejoiced in the anticipation of the pleasure and delight He would find in them when they would be fully united with Him in communion. Thus, it is said that He was brought up with Him. Christ took us into His care and delighted in the execution of His trust. He says, "Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy." He has chosen His saints as His temple and dwelling place because He takes delight in them. This is why He draws them so close to Himself in every aspect of their relationship. As God, they are His temple; as a king, they are His subjects—He is the king of saints; as a head, they are His body—He is the head of the church; as a firstborn, He calls them His brothers—He is not ashamed to call them brethren.
As evidence of this delight, I will provide one particular instance among many: Christ reveals His secrets, His thoughts, to His saints
and enables them to reveal the secrets of their hearts to Him. This is a clear demonstration of great delight. It was Samson's carnal delight in Delilah that led him to reveal to her the most important matters concerning him. He did not hide his thoughts from her, even though it cost him his life. We only reveal our hearts to a bosom friend.
There is perhaps no greater evidence of delight in intimate communion than this: when one reveals their heart to someone they have invited into their fellowship, not sharing common and widely known matters. Therefore, I have chosen this example from among countless others to illustrate Christ's delight in His saints.
Christ communicates His thoughts to His saints and to them alone— His thoughts, the counsel of His love, the meditations of His heart, and the purposes of His will for their eternal good. He reveals to them the ways of His grace, the workings of His Spirit, the principles of His rule, and the obedience required by His gospel. All spiritual revelation comes from Christ. He is the true Light that enlightens everyone who comes into the world. He is the Day-spring, the Daystar, and the Sun. Thus, no light can exist apart from Him. It is through Him that "the secret of the LORD is with those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant." He fulfills this by saying, "You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." He treats them as friends and discloses all His mind to them. Everything that the Father has entrusted to Him as the Mediator to be revealed, He imparts. The apostle explains this by saying, "God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not
the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God." Christ sends His
Spirit, as promised, to reveal His mind to His saints and lead them into all truth. Therefore, the apostle concludes, "We have the mind of Christ," for He treats us as friends and reveals His mind to us. There is nothing in the heart of Christ that concerns His friends which He does not disclose to them. He reveals all His love, goodwill, the secrets of His covenant, the paths of obedience, and the mystery of faith to them.
And all of this is spoken in contrast to unbelievers, with whom he has no communion. They do not understand the mind of Christ as they should. "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:14). There is a significant difference between merely understanding the doctrine of Scripture in its literal form and truly knowing the mind of Christ. We have this knowledge through the special anointing from Christ (1 John 2:27): "We have received an anointing from the Holy One, and we know all things" (1
John 2:20).
Now, the things that Christ reveals to those in communion with Him, whom He delights in, can be categorized into two main aspects:
Himself and His kingdom.
1. Himself. In John 14:21, Jesus says, "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." This manifestation includes revealing
His graces, desirability, and loveliness. He allows those whom He delights in to know Him as He truly is—a Saviour, a Redeemer, the most excellent among thousands. They come to understand the true worth and value of the precious pearl, even
if others may see no beauty or desirability in Him. He reveals Himself and His excellencies to those in whom He delights, and they behold His beauty and glory with an unveiled face, being transformed into the same image by the Spirit of the Lord (2
Corinthians 3:18).
2. His kingdom. They come to know the governance of His Spirit in their hearts and understand His authority and rule as revealed in His Word and among His churches.
First and foremost, He manifests His delight in His saints by sharing His secrets with them. He enables them to know His person, His excellencies, His grace, His love, His kingdom, His will, the riches of His goodness, and the depths of His mercy, beyond what the world can see or know.
Secondly, He empowers His saints to communicate their minds and reveal their souls to Him, so that they may walk together as intimate friends. Christ knows the thoughts of all, for He knows what is in man and searches the hearts and minds (John 2:25; Revelation
2:23). However, not everyone knows how to express their minds to Christ. It is not enough for Christ to know a person's mind, for He knows everyone's mind whether they will it or not. But for a person to be able to reveal their heart to Christ brings consolation. The prayers of the saints are like incense, pleasing aromas to Him, while the prayers of others are like howling, cutting off a dog's neck, or offering swine's blood—a abomination to the Lord. To communicate one's heart to the Lord Jesus, three things are required:
1. Assistance for the task, for we cannot do it on our own. The saints have this assistance through the Spirit of Jesus (Romans
8:26-27). Without the help of the Spirit of supplication, all efforts and attempts to commune with God are in vain and serve
no purpose. Christ takes great delight in our opening our hearts and souls to Him. Hence, His affectionate call to us to engage in such communication through prayer (Song of Solomon 2:14).
2. A way to approach God with our desires, which is provided by Him (John 14:5-6). The original way to approach God, established at our creation, is closed due to sin. The flaming sword of the law blocks all paths to communion with God. Jesus
Christ has consecrated a new and living way for believers, a way through the veil, that is, His flesh (Hebrews 10:20). This way is exclusively for those who believe. Others may claim to approach
God with their prayers, but they do not draw near to Him because they do not come through the designated way. Christ alone is the way to the throne of grace, and no one comes to God except through Him. Through Him, believers have access in one
Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:18).
3. Boldness to approach God. Sinners, upon realizing the terror of the Lord, often ask, "Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?" (Isaiah 33:14). It is no wonder that shame and trembling before God are the natural responses to sin. God will avenge the audacious boldness displayed by sinners outside of Christ towards Him. However, we now have boldness to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, a new and living way He consecrated for us through the curtain, that is, His flesh. With Jesus as our High Priest, we can approach God with a sincere heart and full assurance of faith (Hebrews 10:19-20). Indeed, the glory and terror of the Lord, coupled with the perfect holiness of His being, may lead one to conclude that they cannot serve Him on their own, and any attempt to draw near to Him would only intensify His righteous wrath. It is only through
Christ and on the basis of His sacrifice and intercession that we have the confidence to approach God. These are the three advantages that the saints have in communicating their minds to the Lord Christ, provided by Him because He delights in them.
To briefly address an important point, I will illustrate one of these advantages, although I could do so for each one, to demonstrate the difference between spiritually revealing our minds to Christ in this acceptable manner and the form of prayer practiced by others. I will focus on the first advantage, which is the assistance we receive from the Spirit.
First, the Spirit of Christ reveals to us our own needs so that we may reveal them to Him. "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God"
(Romans 8:26-27). No teaching, apart from the Spirit of God, can make us aware of our own needs, burdens, and temptations. It is a heavenly revelation for the soul to know its own needs and weaknesses. With this assistance, prayer is more than halfway accomplished even before it begins. The conscience is deeply affected, and the mind and spirit contend within, especially in areas of constraint. The burdens are carried on the shoulders, and the soul unloads itself before the Lord Christ. Through a holy sense and weariness of sin (not through perplexing conviction), the soul realizes where it is dead, dull, cold, unbelieving, and tempted beyond its strength. It discerns when the light of God's countenance is absent. The Spirit grants the soul an indescribable sense and experience of all these things. Without this, prayer is not truly prayer; it may be heard outwardly, but the heart does not speak. The
sense of need is the source of desire—natural desires arise from natural needs, and spiritual desires from spiritual needs. Without this sense, given by the Holy Spirit, there can be neither desire nor prayer.
2ndly. The expressions or words of such individuals fall far short of the intensity of their hearts' longing. Therefore, during and after their supplications, "the Spirit intercedes with groans that cannot be expressed." Some people's words exceed the depth of their hearts. If only their spirits matched their expressions, it would be satisfactory.
Those who have this assistance cannot find clothing broad and spacious enough to adequately convey the desires of their hearts.
Hence, even in their most fervent prayers, they experience a twofold dissatisfaction: 1. They cannot rely on their prayers as righteousness; they would not be able to withstand scrutiny if God were to mark any flaws. 2. The heartfelt desires and struggles within them are not fully poured out or adequately represented in their prayers. However, they may find great refreshment in Christ through these prayers. The more they speak, the more they realize how much remains unsaid.
3rdly. The intercession of the saints, assisted in this way, aligns with God's will. They are guided by the Spirit to make requests to God for things they should desire—things that God knows are good, beneficial, and suitable for them in their current condition. There are several ways to determine whether our supplications align with God's will. I will mention just one: when our prayers align with the promises. When our prayers are governed by the promises, they are in accordance with God's will. For example, David in Psalm 119:49 says, "Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope." He prays and aligns his desires with the promises on which he has relied. However, one can ask for something promised and yet not have prayers governed by the promise. They may pray for
what is promised but not in the manner prescribed by the promise.
James states that some "ask and do not receive, because they ask wrongly, to spend it on their passions" (James 4:3). Although they ask for things included in the promise, their motives and intentions are amiss.
Two things are required to pray for things according to the promise:
1. We must view them as promised and promised in Christ. This means that our hope for attaining the things we ask for rests solely on the mediation and redemption of Christ, in whom all the promises are fulfilled. This is what it means to pray to the Father in Christ's name—to approach God as a Father, the source, and Christ as the one who procures these promises.
2. We must pray for these things for the purpose of the promise, not to satisfy our own selfish desires. When we pray for forgiveness of sin but secretly intend to continue in sin, we are seeking the choicest mercy of the covenant to fulfill our lusts.
The purpose of the promise, as explained by the apostle, is to cleanse ourselves from all defilement of body and spirit, pursuing holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1). When we ask for what is promised, in accordance with the purpose of the promise, our supplications are in line with God's will. This is the first conjugal affection Christ exercises toward believers—He delights in them. This is evident from numerous considerations, including the example provided.
In response to Christ's affection, believers delight in Him. He is their joy, crown, rejoicing, life, food, health, strength, desire, righteousness, salvation, and blessedness. Without Him, they have nothing, but in Him, they find everything. Galatians 6:14 states, "But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ." Since the beginning of time, He has been the hope, expectation, desire, and delight of all believers. The promise of Him was all that God gave Adam in his indescribable distress to console and comfort him (Genesis 3:15). Eve perhaps believed that the promised seed was born in her firstborn when she said, "I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord" (Genesis 4:1). Lamech, upon receiving Noah as a type of Christ and salvation through Him, exclaimed, "This one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that the Lord has cursed" (Genesis 5:29). He rejoiced in Him who would remove the curse by becoming a curse for us. When Abraham returned from his conquest over the eastern kings who had opposed the confederate kings of Sodom, God appeared to him with a glorious promise, saying, "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great" (Genesis 15:1). What more could his soul desire? However, he cried out, "O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless?" He trusted in the promise that all the earth would be blessed through his offspring, and without that offspring, all other things would be of no value to him. Thus, it is said that Abraham
"rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad" (John 8:56). The anticipation of Christ's coming, even from a distance of two thousand years, brought joy and delight to his heart. Jacob, while blessing his sons, exulted when he came to Judah, seeing him as the one through whom Shiloh would come (Genesis 49:8-9). He found relief from his foreknowledge and consideration of his descendants' distress by turning his attention to the one who would remove the curse and be the salvation of his people. This list could go on indefinitely. Simeon summed it up by declaring Christ to be God's salvation and the glory of Israel (Luke 2:30-31). Whatever was considered glorious in the past was either Christ Himself or a type of Him. He is referred to as the "Desire of all nations" in Haggai 2:7.
Those who delight in Christ long for and desire Him—the one whom
their souls love and find delight in. Thus, the delight of the saints in Christ is a defining characteristic of Him, as stated in Malachi 3:1:
"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts." "The Lord whom you seek, in whom you delight" is a description of Christ. He is their delight and their most desirable one—the object of their affection. To provide a specific example:
The Song of Solomon extensively explores this pattern of communion with Jesus Christ. The bride declares that she sits under His shadow with great delight (Song of Solomon 2:3). She manifests this delight in various ways, which we should strive to emulate in our hearts' affections toward Him:
1. She demonstrates her great care to be in His company and to maintain fellowship with Him once she has obtained it. In Song of Solomon 2:7, she implores the daughters of Jerusalem, "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases."
Having experienced sweet communion with Christ, as described in the preceding verses (which I mentioned earlier), she expresses her delight and desire for its continuation. In a manner similar to speaking to a beloved companion, she says, "I charge you, by everything dear to you—by the things you find most delightful and lovely among all creation—that you do not disturb Him." Her ultimate aim and desire are to prevent anything, particularly sin or provocation, from causing Christ to depart from her or withdraw from the sense of His presence that He seemed to enjoy with her. She implores them not to stir Him up until He pleases, which means never. ָהַאֲה ָבה (love itself,
abstractly) is used to express intense affection, as is often the case with that word. When a believer's soul has once experienced sweet and genuine communion with Christ, they become vigilant against all temptations and potential avenues through which sin could disrupt their enjoyment of their beloved
Lord and Savior, their rest and desire. They are eager not to neglect anything or commit any act that may interrupt the communion they have attained. Since the most common entrance for temptations that disturb the rest and satisfaction
Christ finds in the soul arises from delightful diversions that draw the believer away from actual communion with Him, their desire is strong and active, urging their companions and those with whom they interact not to divert them into any frame or state that would prevent Christ from finding delight and rest in them. A believer who holds Christ in their arms is like someone who has discovered great spoils or a precious pearl. They are watchful and fear anything that might deprive them of it. Riches make people vigilant, and possessing the tangible and real presence of the one in whom all the riches and treasures of God are found compels individuals to be cautious in safeguarding
Him. The path to the highest level of communion is also the path of greatest spiritual vigilance. A careless attitude toward enjoying Christ is clear evidence of a false heart.
2. The bride expresses her delight in him through her intense longing for his presence and her desire for even closer communion with him. In chapter 8, verse 6, she says, "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD." This imagery is undoubtedly derived from the high priest of the Jews, who symbolically represented the church before God. The high priest
wore a breastplate with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on it like seals or signets (Exodus 28:29). He also had similar engravings on his shoulders or arms (verses 11-12), symbolizing the priesthood of Christ, who bears the names of all believers before the Father in the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews
9:24). Now, the seal on the heart represents near, intimate, and tender love and care that leaves an impression and image on the heart of the beloved. The bride says, "Set me as a seal upon your heart, let me always be securely placed in your tender and affectionate love. Let there be an engraving, a powerful impression of love, on your heart that will never fade away." The soul is never satisfied with thoughts of Christ's love for it. Its language is, "O that it were more, that it were more! That I could be like a seal on his heart!" The soul knows, on serious reflection, that the love of Christ is inconceivable and cannot be increased, but it yearns to grasp and comprehend it. Therefore, she adds, "Set me as a seal upon your arm." The heart is the source, hidden and deep, while the arm represents manifestation and power. The bride desires Christ's love to be visibly demonstrated to her through His tender and powerful affection towards her. This request reveals two things: first,
Christ's constant mindfulness of the soul, keeping its condition always in His view, engraved on His arm, as stated in Isaiah
49:15-16, and His display of His power to preserve it in accordance with the love of His heart; and second, the manifestation of Christ's hidden love and care for the soul, made evident through the fruit and visible effects of His love. This is what she seeks assurance of, and without a sense of this, there can be no rest obtained.
The reason she gives for her earnest supplications is what primarily demonstrates her delight in Him: "Love is strong as death, jealousy is
fierce as the grave." This is the meaning behind the lofty metaphors used in this and the following verse: "I cannot bear the workings of my love for you unless I may always have fellowship and communion with you. My love cannot be satisfied without it. It is like the grave, which always demands more and says, 'Give, give.' Death is not satisfied unless it claims its full share; if it does not have everything, it has nothing. Regardless of what happens, if death does not have its complete desire, it has nothing at all. Nor can it be resisted or bribed to divert from its appointed time. That is how my love is. If I do not have you completely, I have nothing. And no matter what the world offers, it cannot tempt my love away; it cannot be swayed any more than death can be diverted from its course. I also cannot bear my jealous thoughts. I fear that you do not love me, that you have forsaken me, because I know that I do not deserve to be loved. These thoughts are as hard and oppressive as hell itself. They bring no rest to my soul. If I do not find myself in your heart and on your arm, it is like lying down in a bed of coals." This also reveals a holy eagerness for delight.
3. She further demonstrates this by her anxiousness, trouble, and perplexity when he is absent and withdraws. People lament the loss of something they take great delight in, but they easily bear the absence of that which does not bring them joy. This state of the bride is revealed in chapter 3, verses 1-3: "On my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not. I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not. The watchmen found me as they went about in the city; they beat me, they bruised me; they took away my veil, those watchmen of the walls." It is now night for the soul—a time of darkness, trouble, or affliction. Whenever Christ is absent, it is night for a believer. He is the sun, and if he sets
upon them, if his radiance is eclipsed, if they do not see light in his light, then darkness reigns. Here, it is not specified whether the onset of trouble made her realize Christ's absence or if Christ's absence caused her distress, resulting in darkness. I lean towards the latter because, aside from that, everything seems to be going well for her. The absence of Christ will indeed make it night—a darkness as dark as can be—in the midst of all other comforting consolations. But is the bride content with this situation? She is on her bed, a place of ease (in this book, the bed signifies rest and contentment, not tribulation), but even in the greatest peace and the opportunity for ease and rest, a believer finds none in the absence of Christ. Even if they are on their bed, undisturbed by anything, they cannot rest if Christ, their true rest, is not there. She sought him. Seeking Christ by night, on the bed (alone, in earnest inquiry, and in darkness), involves two aspects: searching her own soul for the cause of his absence and searching the promises for his presence.
(1.) When the soul does not find Christ present in his usual way— warming, nurturing, reviving it with love, being close to it, always occupying its thoughts, and infusing it with the sweetness of love— but instead finds that other thoughts fill and trouble the heart, and Christ is not near when sought, it immediately investigates the cause of all this. It examines itself, asking how it has conducted itself that it has lost its Beloved. "Where have I been wandering after other lovers?" And when the wrongdoing is discovered, it is filled with revenge and indignation.
(2.) Having reached some conclusion, the soul turns to the promises of the covenant, in which Christ is graciously revealed. It considers one promise after another, searching for a taste of him. It diligently examines whether it can perceive the delightful countenance and
favor of Christ in them. However, if (as often happens) the soul finds nothing but the mere letter, the carcass, in the promise—if it approaches the promise as though seeking Christ's tomb, of which it may be said (not in itself, but in relation to the seeking soul), "He is risen; he is not here"—this bewilders the soul, and it knows not what to do. It is like a person who possesses a precious jewel but has no occasion to use it. They set it aside in what they believe to be a safe place. Then, in a moment of desperate need, they search for the jewel but cannot find it where they expected, and they are filled with astonishment and do not know what to do. This is the experience with this pearl of the gospel. After selling everything for it and enjoying it for a time, to suddenly find it missing in a time of need is deeply perplexing. This was the case with the bride here. "I sought him," she says, "but I found him not." This often occurs in our communion with Christ.
But what does she do now? Does she give up and stop searching? No, she says, "I will arise; I will not give up like that. I must have Christ, or I will die. I will now rise up, or let me rise up, and pursue this matter."
[1.] She resolves to take a different approach, a more vigorous search: "I will arise and use other means besides private prayer, meditation, self-reflection, and examining the promises," which she had focused on before. It shows: 1st. Determination and a zealous, intense rejection of the state in which she lost her love. "I will arise; I will not remain in this state. I am undone if I do." Just as God sometimes calls his church to arise and shake off the dust, they should not remain in that condition. 2ndly. Diligence. "I will now take another course. I will leave no stone unturned, no means untried, in order to possibly restore communion with my Beloved."
This is the state of a soul that does not find the familiar presence of Christ in its private and more secluded seeking—dull in prayer, distracted in meditation, infrequent in thoughts of him. "I will not tolerate this state. I will vigorously pursue, in God's strength, whatever way he has appointed until this state is changed, and I find my Beloved."
[2.] The approach she takes is to go about the city. Without delving into specific details or stretching the allegory too far, the city referred to here is the city of God, the church. Going through the broad and narrow streets represents the diligent inquiry the bride makes in all the paths and ordinances given to her. This is what the soul turns to when Christ is not found in its private efforts: when it cannot find him in any private pursuit, it earnestly seeks him in the public worship, in prayer, preaching, and the administration of the sacraments. In every ordinance, the primary inquiry of believers' souls is for Christ. The more they find of him, the more sweetness and refreshment they experience. Especially when experiencing desertion, they eagerly listen to every word, every prayer, searching for any glimpse of Christ, any light, life, or love that may appear to them. "Oh, if Christ would finally meet me in this sermon or that, and restore my poor heart to a glimpse of his love, a taste of his kindness!" The zeal of a believer in their quest for Christ, when they do not find his presence, either in grace or consolation as in the past, is truly indescribable. Much of the disposition of such a heart is expressed in the repetition of the phrase, "I sought him, I sought him," revealing an immeasurable passion and an industrious desire.
Thus, when disappointed at home, the bride continues.
But observe the outcome of this as well: "She sought him, but found him not." Sometimes it happens that all efforts are in vain. "They shall seek him and not find him; they shall not come near him." Let
those who enjoy the presence of Christ be cautious; if they provoke him to depart, if they lose him, it may require many bitter inquiries before they find him again. When a soul prays and meditates, searches the promises privately, and earnestly attends all public ordinances, desperately seeking even a glimpse of the face of Jesus
Christ, and yet finds nothing, it is a sorrowful condition.
What follows in this state? Verse 3, "The watchmen found me," etc. It is acknowledged that these watchmen of the city of God are the watchmen and officers of the church. It is truly disheartening that the Holy Spirit sometimes mentions them in an unfavorable manner.
Clearly, in chapter 5:7, they become persecutors. It was Luther who said, "Religion is never in greater danger than among the most reverend." Here, however, they show a more gentle nature, and upon seeing the distressed and forsaken soul, they appear to take notice of her condition.
Indeed, it is the duty of faithful watchmen to pay attention to troubled, deserted souls, not keeping their distance but being willing to assist. And a truly distressed soul on account of Christ's absence cannot conceal its longing; it must inquire after him. "Did you see the one whom my soul loves? This is my condition: I have experienced sweet communion with my blessed Jesus, but now he has withdrawn from me. Can you help me? Can you guide me to my consolation? What is your acquaintance with him? When did you last see him? How did he reveal himself to you, and in what manner?" All these efforts in his absence adequately reveal the soul's delight in the presence of Christ. Take one step further to the rediscovery that she experiences, and it will become even more apparent. In verses 4 and 5, she says, "I had only just passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held onto him and would not let him go until I brought
him to my mother's house, to the chamber of her who conceived me.
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem," etc.
First, let me tell you how she came to him: "She found him." The specific ways and means are not mentioned. It often happens in our communion with Christ that when private and public means fail and the soul has nothing left but to wait silently and walk humbly, Christ appears. His appearance in such times is clearly an act of grace. Let us never give up in this condition. When all avenues seem closed, when summer and harvest pass without relief, when neither rest nor watchmen can assist, let us wait a little longer, and we will see the salvation of God. Christ sometimes honors his immediate and direct actions, although he usually blesses his ordinances. Christ often reveals himself directly, outside of ordinances, to those who wait for him within them. Whether he will do the same for those who despise the ordinances, I do not know. Although he may meet people unexpectedly, he will not meet them outside of his appointed way.
Let us wait as he has ordained; let him appear as he pleases.
Next, let me explain how she deals with him when she finds him:
"She held him and would not let him go," etc. These expressions convey the greatest imaginable joy and delight. In summary, once the soul has regained sweet communion with Christ, it firmly grasps him in faith (to "hold fast" is an act of faith), refuses to part with him any longer, and fervently seeks to keep him in the ordinances within the house of its mother, the church of God. The soul employs all means to strengthen the mutual love between Christ and itself. The expressions and allusions used in this context demonstrate the delight to the utmost capacity of the soul. If I were to explore all the instances and testimonies given in the Song of Solomon on this matter, I would need to undertake an exposition of the majority of the book, which is not my present purpose. Let those who are
familiar with these experiences allow their hearts to draw their own conclusions. What do they long for? What brings them joy? What satisfies them completely and gives them sweet contentment in every circumstance? Is it not their Beloved, and him alone?
Furthermore, they also demonstrate their delight in everything that belongs uniquely to Christ in this world. Delighting in everything that pertains to him is evidence of delight. Christ's significant interests in this world lie in his people and his ordinances—the members of his household and their provision. The saints greatly delight in both of these for his sake. Let's consider an example of both kinds in one person, namely, David. In Psalm 16:3, he says, "As for the saints in the land, they are the noble ones in whom is all my delight." Christ says of his church that she is "Hephzibah" (My
Delight Is in Her). Here, David says the same about the saints, "Hephzibah—my delight is in them." Just as Christ delights in his saints, they also delight in one another for his sake. David says,
"Here is all my delight." Whatever satisfaction he found in other people was nothing compared to the delight he found in them. This is why it is mentioned to "lay down our lives for the brethren" or for any common cause that concerns the interests of the community of believers.
Secondly, let's consider their delight in the ordinances. We can look at the same person, David. Psalms 42, 84, and 48 provide ample testimonies on this matter, and there is no need for further investigation. I will not embark on a new discourse concerning this particular topic.
And so, this is the initial mutual act of conjugal affection in the communion between Christ and believers: he delights in them, and they delight in him. He takes pleasure in their prosperity, and they