Section 624
II. Here is a request made, or an invitation given, by the church to Christ, to "come into his garden"
By the garden is meant the church; and why it is so called, has been shown on 5:12, and in what sense it is Christ's, and how he came to have a right to it, and property in it, has been observed in the former part of this verse, where Christ claims it, and the church here owns it; he calls to the south-wind, and says, " blow upon my garden; " she here says, "let my beloved come into his garden:" believers are willing to acknowledge that all they have, or are, belong to Christ; that they are not their own, but "are bought with a price;" and therefore all they have and are, are for his use, and at his service; which they openly declare, and would have others take notice of, and therefore say (Psalm 100:3), "Know ye, that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;" that is, who hath re-made as: we are new creatures in Christ, and are his workmanship, and not our own; "we are his people," in a way of special and covenant-grace; "and the sheep of his pasture," whom he has taken the care and charge of, as the great shepherd; has laid down his life for, and feeds and leads into good pasture.
The next thing to be taken notice of, is, what is meant by Christ's "coming into his garden." There is a threefold coming of Christ, mentioned in the scripture.
1st, His coming in the flesh. This was what the Old Testament saints earnestly desired, prayed and longed for: it was not only the wish of David, but of the whole church; he spoke the language of all their hearts, when he said, Psalm 14:7. "O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!" This being long promised, and long expected, the faith of the saints sometimes grew weak and languid concerning it; therefore the promises which respected it, were frequently renewed and repeated, and the prophets bid to say, Isaiah 35:4, to them that were of a fearful heart, Fear not, be strong, your God will come and save you;" and when they by faith saw the time near at hand, and him approaching, they were filled with joy and exultation; hence it is said, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! behold thy king cometh unto thee," (etc., Zechariah 9:9), but this, I apprehend, is not intended in these words of the church.
2dly, There is his coming at the last day to judge the world, which is usually called his second coming; which is what the apostle intends, when he says, Hebrews 9:28. "Unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time, without sin unto salvation." The first time of his appearing in the flesh, though it was without sin of his own, yet not without the sins of his people; which were imputed to him, charged upon him, and he answered for them; but when he appears the second time, it shall be without them, they being already expiated and atoned for. He came the first time to obtain salvation for sinners, and will come the second time to put them into the full possession of it; and as the first coming of Christ was desired by the Old Testament saints; so this is desired by the New Testament saints; who, upon Christ's saying, "surely I come quickly," answer, "Amen, even so come, Lord Jesus:" it will fill the saints with wonder and joy; for he, when he comes, will be both glorified in them, and admired by them, though it will strike the wicked with dread and terror, and fill them with the utmost consternation; for his coming will be "in flaming fire, to take vengeance" on them. But neither is this, I think, she coming intended here. But,
3dly, There is a spiritual coming of Christ; which is, when he comes and pays a visit, grants his presence, manifests his love, discloses the secrets of his heart unto his people; which was what he promised his sorrowing disciples, when he was about to remove from them, and they were no longer to enjoy" his bodily presence; says he, John 14:18. "I will not leave you comfortless, ὸρφανούς, orphans or fatherless, I will come to you;" which promise Christ made good unto them, as he does to all his people at one time or another; for, says he, (John 14:23). "If any man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him:" that is, Father, Son, and Spirit, "and make our abode with him;" which is what the church desires here, that Christ would grant her his spiritual, gracious and comfortable presence, and that she might have more intimate communion with him. From whence we may observe, 1. That Christ is sometimes absent from his church and people: He does not always manifest himself unto them; he sometimes hides his face, withdraws his presence, and seems to stand at a distance from them; he is sometimes Deus absconditus, the hidden God; he was so to the Jews in the days of his flesh, and he is so sometimes to his own flesh for "he hideth his face from the house of Jacob;" his own church and people, for whom he has the greatest love and regard: not that Christ is ever really and wholly absent from his church; he is always in his garden; he has promised to be always with his people and ministers unto the end of the world, and his faithfulness stands engaged to make it good; but he does not always alike manifest himself unto them; they have not always alike views of his person, discoveries of his love, and enjoyments at his presence; which sometimes makes them say, with Job, "O that I were as in months past!" etc. nay, sometimes in their apprehensions he is entirely gone, which is the church's case, in chapter 5:9, and such is their infirmity, and the strength of unbelief in them, that they are ready to say, He is gone, and will never return more; and therefore, as David did, read all that in the affirmative, which you will find in 9, though I do not think this to be the case of the church here; she seems not to be without the manifestation of Christ's love, and enjoyments of his presence, being in such a fruitful state, the south-wind having blown upon her, her grace appearing to be in exercise, and she in a comfortable frame; though she wanted more nearness to him, more intimate communion and fellowship with him: believers never think themselves near enough to Christ, nor never wilt, till they are with him in glory: the highest enjoyment of Christ here below, though exceeding ravishing and delightful, falls short of giving full satisfaction; for still the soul desires more and greater: the apostle Paul, who had as much communion and fellowship with Christ, as perhaps ever any man had on earth; and yet, when he had in view that eternal being with Christ hereafter, speaks as if he had never been with him here; all his communion with him here was nothing, when compared with that which he expected in another world, and therefore he had "a desire to depart, that he might he with Christ." 2. From hence may be observed, that Christ's presence is exceeding desirable to believers; this is the one thing they seek after, and cannot be easy without; which, when enjoyed, gives them the utmost pleasure, and fills them with inexpressible joy: and the reason why Christ's company and presence is so desirable to them, is because he is nearly related to them; he is their beloved, their head and husband; they are "members of his body, his flesh, and of his bones;" he is their "all in all;" and when he is in the garden[3879], all they want, and all they desire is there; for there is none in heaven nor in earth with them comparable to him; his coming revives the plants and herbs, and makes them fruitful; it causes the spices to flow, grace to appear in exercise; it is like "the rain, and as the latter and former rain unto the earth:" also it is doing the saints the greatest honor; they have reason to say, Whence is this to us, that not "the mother of our Lord," as Elizabeth said to Mary, but our Lord himself should come to us? and yet this honor have all the saints. Moreover, Christ's coming is always beneficial to believers; he never comes empty-handed; he never pays a visit, but he brings something with him; he never sups with his people, but he is at the charge of the whole entertainment. Again, it is Christ's presence that makes his garden, the church, an Eden of pleasure, a heaven on earth; which makes it a Bethel, and "the gate of heaven:" it is this which makes Christ's tabernacles "amiable and lovely, his ways, ways of pleasantness, and his paths, paths of peace;" it is this which makes his "yoke easy? And his "burden light," and all his commandments not to be grievous, but delightful; and when all this is considered, it is no wonder that believers are so desirous of Christ's presence and company in his garden. 3. Hence it appears, that Christ's granting his presence with his church, is an act of wonderful grace and condescension; and therefore she asks it as a favor of him; and a surprising instance of his grace it is, that he who is the high and lofty one, should vouchsafe his presence to such vile and unworthy creatures as we be. The Septuagint render it, "let him descend into his garden"[3880]; and, agreeable hereunto in chapter 6:2, he is said to be "gone down into his garden," intending his wonderful condescension: Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, said, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth?" We have reason to say with Judas, not Iscariot, "Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not unto the world?" especially when, with the centurion, we consider, that we are not worthy that he should come under our roof.