1. What it is to remember Christ's love.
IV. We have, in these words, the effects or consequences of the church's enjoying this valuable blessing
As they appear in her or her members, or her daughters, "the virgins"
1st, Gladness and rejoicing in Christ; "we will be glad and rejoice in thee." The several clauses of this text, some think, should be considered thus;[3338] the first clause, "Draw me," as the words of the church; the next, "We will run after thee," the chorus of the virgins; then the church again says, "The King hath brought me into his chambers;" and after that the virgins, "We will be glad, etc." but whether the church, or the virgins, or both, are here intended, it is certain, that this is the language of believers, of whose joy Christ is the object: they rejoice, not in themselves, neither in their works, nor graces, nor frames, but in the Lord Jesus Christ: this is one part of the character which the apostle gives of true believers; they are such who "rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh," (Philippians 3:3).
1. They rejoice in his person, in his greatness, fitness, fullness, and glory, as he is God and man in one person; for, being so, he is able to be their Savior, a proper person to be a Mediator, has all fullness of grace treasured up in him, and appears to be "the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person;" a view of, and communion with, such an one, must needs fill the believer with "a joy unspeakable and full of glory,"
2. They rejoice in what he has done for them; he is the Lord Jehovah, "who has done great things for them, whereof they are glad;" he engaged as their surety in the everlasting covenant, and in the "fullness of time" assumed their nature, finished and made reconciliation for their sins, satisfied Divine Justice, fulfilled a righteous law, brought in and clothed them with an everlasting righteousness, procured the pardon of all their sins; and, in short, has secured all grace and glory for them; and when they consider all this, they cannot but be glad and rejoice in him.
3. They rejoice also in what he is unto them, as well as in what he has done for them; he stands in and fills up all relations to them; he is their "everlasting Father," their kind and loving brother, their tender and indulgent husband, their constant and faithful friend, and indeed, their "all in all;" he is every thing unto them, for he "of God is made unto them, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption;" and when they consider him under all these endearing characters and relations, it is no wonder that they are heard to say, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in the God of my salvation, etc."
2dly, Another effect of the church enjoying such intimate communion with Christ, is a remembrance of his love; "We will remember thy love more than wine." I have already, on verse 2. shewn you the preferableness of Christ's love to wine and shall not here repeat it, but only shew,
1. What it is to remember Christ's love.
2. Why we should, and why every believer will do so.
1. What it is to remember it.
(1.) It is so to record it in our minds, as not to forget it we should, with David, call upon our "souls, and all that is within us, to bless his holy name, and forget not all his benefits;" (Psalm 103:1, 2) and more especially we should not forget his love, from whence they all spring.
(2.) We should often meditate upon it; which would not only serve to advance the glory of divine love; but would sweetly ravish our souls, raise our affections, inflame our love, and quicken our faith.
(3.) We should constantly observe that ordinance, which Christ has appointed for this purpose, namely, the Lord's Supper; it being his design in the institution of it, that we should remember him, his broken body and precious blood, and particularly his special love, which appeared in all.
(4.) We should so remember it, as to have our desires more strongly after it, and our affections more firmly fixed upon it: Christ's love is excellent and valuable; it is preferable to life itself, and all the comforts of it; and a frequent revolving it in our minds will enlarge our desires after a greater knowledge of it, and heighten our value for, and esteem of it.
(5.) We should so remember it, as to exercise faith in it; for it will bring us but little comfort, and do us but little service, unless we can, in some measure, appropriate it to ourselves, saying, with the apostle, "He hath loved me, and hath given himself for me;" it will afford us no solid joy and comfort, that he has loved others, if we have no reason to hope and believe that he hath loved us; for it is faith's viewing a peculiar interest in this love, that fixes a sense of it more firmly upon the mind.
(6.) It then appears, that this is uppermost in our minds, when we speak and make mention of it to others; and, indeed, that should be the subject of our discourse now, which will be the delightful theme of glorified saints to all eternity. But,
2. Why should we, and why will every believer remember Christ's love, value and esteem it more than wine?
1. Because it is worthy of remembrance, in its own nature, and in its effects, as has been already shewn; it is "better than wine;" it is great and glorious, stupendous and unparalleled, matchless and boundless, everlasting and unchangeable; it "passeth knowledge, and is the source and spring of all the grace we now receive, and of all the glory we are expectants of."
2. It would be ungrateful in us not to remember it; should we be unmindful of, and forget this love, and the benefits which spring from it, we should be justly chargeable with the vile sin of ingratitude; and it might be very pertinently returned upon us, what Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this thy kindness to thy friend?" (2 Samuel 16:17).
3. Because he hath remembered us, and that "in our low estate, because his mercy endureth for ever;" even when we were in the depths of sin and misery, could not help ourselves, and were so far from having any love to him, that we were in open rebellion against him; yet such was his amazing love to us, that he raised us "beggars from the dunghill, washed us from our sins in his own blood," and made "us kings and priests to God and his Father; and shall we not remember? can we be forgetful of this love?
4. A remembrance of it promotes our own comfort and edification, serves to make sin odious and detestable, and is oftentimes useful to excite and revive grace, to banish our doubts and fears, and make the person of Christ more precious to us.
3dly, Another effect or consequence of the church's being brought into the chambers of near fellowship and communion with Christ, is, that the love of his church and people is the more drawn forth to him, who here go under the character of upright ones, "the upright love thee;" or, according to the Hebrew text, "uprightnesses love thee;"[3339] the abstract for the concrete; which intends upright men, or men of uprightness, as being the persons who love Christ; unless with R. Sol. Jarchi, we take it to be expressive of the sincerity of their love, and so read it, "in uprightnesses, or with an uptight love they love thee:" R. Aben Ezra thinks it is the adjective of wine, before-mentioned, and intends the excellency, sweetness, and incorruptness of it, as in chapter 7:9 and the sense then is this, "we will remember thy love more than wine, yea, more than uptight wine," or wine that goes down sweetly, "do they love thee:" though I rather think it intends the character of the persons who love Christ. I have already, on the preceding verse, shewn the nature of this love, with which souls love Christ, from whence it springs, and how it manifests itself; and shall now only consider the character of those persons who are here said to love him, namely, upright ones; and they are,
1. Such who are said to be "upright in heart," of whom mention is made in Psalm 124:4. "Do good, O Lord, to them that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts;" such are they who have a work of grace wrought upon their souls; whose hearts are right with God, and desire to worship him with their whole hearts; who live by faith on Christ, and his righteousness, and whose words and actions are without dissimulation; such are "Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile."
2. Who are of an upright conversation, as in Psalm 37:14. These are they who walk according to the rule of God's word; they are not partial in their observance of his commands, but have a regard to them all; they make a conscience of avoiding lesser, as well as greater sins; and in all their obedience to the divine will, seek the honor and glory of God; and what they do, they do in faith, and from a principle of love to God and Christ. Junius understands this clause of the sincerity and uprightness of the love of the church and her friends to Christ, and reads it in connection with the former thus, "We will remember thy love more than wine, and whosoever most uprightly love thee;"[3340] that is, whoever bear a sincere affection to thee will do the same.