Earnest inquirers after Christ.
The conversation still goes on between her who has lost her beloved and the daughters of Jerusalem. She has just poured out her heart to them in the description of him whom her soul so loved, and these verses give their response. We learn—
I. THAT THERE IS A SPIRITUAL LOVELINESS IN THE SOUL THAT EARNESTLY SEEKS CHRIST. (Cf. Song of Solomon 6:1," O thou fairest among women.") It is not merely that Christ sees this loveliness, we know he does; but others see it likewise. It is not the beloved who speaks here, but the daughters of Jerusalem. (Cf. 2 Corinthians 7:10, 2 Corinthians 7:11, where are set forth some of those graces of character and conduct which are found in the seeking soul.) And that humility, tenderness of conscience, zeal, devoutness, holy desire, and gentleness of spirit which accompany such seeking of Christ—how beautiful these things are! And, like all real beauty, there is no self-consciousness in it, but rather such soul mourns that it is so little like what Christ would have it be.
II. IT WILL WIN SYMPATHY AND HELP, WHICH ONCE IT DID NOT POSSESS. At the beginning of this song it is plain that the maiden who speaks did not have the sympathy but rather the contempt,, of the daughters of Jerusalem (cf. So Song of Solomon 1:5, Song of Solomon 1:8). But now all that is altered. They are won to her love. Great love to Christ will blessedly infect those about us. We can hardly live with such without coming under the power of its sweet and sacred contagion. Cf. Jethro, "We will go with you, for we see that the Lord hath blessed you." See, at the Crucifixion, how Joseph of Arimathaea, Nicodemus, the centurion, and others ceased from their cold neutrality or open opposition, and showed that they felt the power of Christ's love.
III. IT WILL BECOME THE WISE INSTRUCTOR OF OTHERS. This inquiry of Song of Solomon 6:1 had its fulfilment when Christ lay in the tomb. Those who sought him mourned, but found him not. Cf. Christ's words concerning his absence, "Ye shall have sorrow, but your sorrow shall be. turned into joy. Also Mark 2:20. And the reply of Mark 2:2 had part fulfilment at that same period. Cf. "This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). Yes, the Beloved had gone down into his garden (Mark 2:2). But we may also understand by the garden his Church. Arid thus the soul we are contemplating instructs others. She tells them:
1. Where Christ is to be found. In his garden, the place he has chosen, separated, cultivated, beautified, and whither he loves to resort. And:
2. What he delights in there. The spices—the fragrant graces of regenerated souls, the frankincense of their worship and prayers. The fruits on which he feeds—the holy lives, the manifestation of his people's faith and love. The lilies—the pure, meek, and lowly souls that spring and grow there.
3. What he does there. He "feeds" there. "He shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied." As his "meat and drink" when here on earth was "to do the will of" the Father, now his sustenance is those fruits of the Spirit which abound in his true Church. And he "gathers lilies." "He shall gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom" (Isaiah 40:1-31.). Whenever a pure and holy soul, like those of children and of saints, is transplanted from the earthly garden to the heavenly, that is the gathering of the lilies. "O death, where is thy sting?" Thus doth the soul that loves Christ instruct others.
IV. GAINS THE OBJECT OF ITS SEARCH. (Mark 2:3.) "I am my Beloved's... mine." It is the declaration of holy rapture in the consciousness of Christ's love. They that seek him shall find him. There may be, there are, seasons when we fear we have lost him, but they shall surely be succeeded by such blessed seasons when the soul shall sing in her joy, "My Beloved is mine," etc. (Mark 2:3).—S.C.
The friendship of the world.
Those who take the literal and historic view of this song see here a repetition of Solomon's attempts to bend to his will the maiden whom he sought to win. It is a repetition of So Song of Solomon 4:1-5. And. in the extravagance of his flattery, his mention of her terribleness, his telling of his many queens and concubines, his huge harem, all of whom he says he will set aside for her—all this is like what he would say. Now, it all might be, as it generally has been, taken allegorically, as we have taken it in So Song of Solomon 4:1-5, and as setting forth Christ's estimate of his Church. But here the representations are yet more extravagant and even gross, so that we prefer to take them as telling of that which is evil rather than good; as the language, not of Christ, but of the world, his foe, in attempting to win from him those who are his. Let it, then, teach us concerning this friendship of the world—
I. FLATTERY IS EVER ONE OF ITS FORMS. It is compelled to adopt this in order to hide away the fatal issue of its friendship. Like as the vampire is said to fan its victim with its wings, soothing and stupefying it so that it may the more surely destroy it, thus the world soothes and sends asleep by its flatteries the soul it would destroy.
II. THIS FLATTERY HAS MARKED CHARACTERISTICS.
1. It is extravagant. Of what is here said in the verses selected concerning her of whom they speak. How monstrous are the representations as addressed to any maiden! And are not the conceits the world engenders in men's souls of this order?
2. It is always fearful of losing its prey. (Song of Solomon 4:4, "Terrible as an army;" also Song of Solomon 4:10.) These expressions seem to indicate consciousness that the soul was as yet anything but fully won.
3. Has no originality. It says the same things over and over again. See about her "hair," her "teeth," her "cheeks" (Song of Solomon 4:5, Song of Solomon 4:6, Song of Solomon 4:7; cf. So Song of Solomon 4:1-5). And still every poor fool that the world successfully flatters is plied with the same worn-out arguments, and, alas! yields to them.
4. Sensuous and sensual. (Cf. Song of Solomon 4:8 and So Song of Solomon 7:1-9.) The baser instincts are the world's happy hunting grounds. It knows that it can get a response there when there is none elsewhere.
5. Ruthless and cruel. (Song of Solomon 4:9.) The flatterer professes, but let all such professions be doubted vehemently—that he would sacrifice all the rest for her whom he would now win. For her, the "dove," whom he, the hawk, would devour, the three score queens and the four score concubines and the virgins without number (Song of Solomon 4:8) should all be set aside and lose favour. Anything, no matter how unjust, so Solomon may please his sensual phantasy. They who are ruthless in winning will be ruthless when they have won (cf. poor Anne Boleyn). Oh, the all-devouring world! Its "words are smoother than butter," but "the poison of asps is under its lips."
III. TRUE LOVE WILL REJECT IT. Such love is the Ithuriel-like spear which detects at once what it is. So this maiden, type of the redeemed soul, will have none of it (cf. So Song of Solomon 7:10). And here is suggested—what, indeed, is the theme of the whole song—the invincible strength of the true love of Christ in the soul. Let us have that, and no flatteries or blandishments of the world, nor its fierce frowns either, shall seduce us from him whose we are and whose we hope ever to be. Such love will he "terrible," must be so, to all who would come against it. Christ's love to us is so infinite that, therefore, nothing less than these many dread words of his about the everlasting fire can serve to tell of his wrath against that and those who would destroy us for whom he died. And if we love him as we should, we shall give no quarter to sin; it will be to us "the abominable thing which I hate," even as to him. Oh, may this love dwell in us richly and forevermore!—S.C.
Verse 10-ch. 7:9
How souls come into perilous places.
"Or ever I was aware." This section contains—so the literalists say—the account of the speaker's coming to Solomon's palace. She relates how she met the king's court (Song of Solomon 7:11). She was dwelling at home, and occupied in her customary rural labours, when Solomon, on a pleasure tour (So Song of Solomon 3:6, etc.), came into the neighbourhood of her town, Engedi. There the ladies of the court saw her, and were greatly struck with her beauty (Song of Solomon 7:10). Bewildered, she would have fled (Song of Solomon 7:12, Song of Solomon 7:13), but thought the royal chariots were those of the nobles of her country (Song of Solomon 7:12). The ladies of the court beg her to return (Song of Solomon 7:13), and when she asks what they want of her (Song of Solomon 7:13), they request, and she consents, that she will dance before them, as the maidens of her country were wont to do. Thus Solomon sees her, and is enraptured with her, and begins to praise her in his gross way from her feet upwards (So Song of Solomon 7:2-9; Muller, in loc.) as he had seen her in dancing. And he seems to have brought her to Jerusalem and to his palace there, where she relates all this. Such appears to be the history on which this song is founded. It is likely, natural, and enables us, whilst still regarding it allegorically, to avoid assigning to Christ language and conduct which far more befit such a one as Solomon was. From the narrative as above given we may learn that—
I. NO PLACES ARE FREE FROM SPIRITUAL PERIL. This maiden is represented as at home and occupied in her usual and proper employ, when suddenly all happened as is here told. And what places are there in which the world, and Satan, do not seek the soul's harm? At home, in our lawful calling, in the Church, everywhere.
II. THOSE WHOM THE WORLD HAS ENSNARED ARE USED TO ENSNARE OTHERS. The women of Solomon's court are represented as actively engaged in trying to secure this maiden for him. It is a true picture of how worldly souls try to make others as themselves.
III. MISTAKES HAVE OFTEN AS HURTFUL CONSEQUENCES AS SINS.
"Evil is wrought
By want of thought
As well as want of heart."
It was so here. There was mistake as to who the people were; as to the motive of the request made her; in not at once escaping; in yielding to their requests. It does seem very hard that when there is no intention of evil, evil should yet come, and often so terribly (cf. 1 Kings 13:11, etc.). But it is that we may learn by our mistakes. We learn by nothing so well, and they are never suffered to have irreparable consequences.
IV. THE PERIL OF PARLEYING WITH SPIRITUAL FOES, Had she who is told of here fled away as she intended, none of her after trial would hate followed. To hold converse with a spiritual enemy is next to giving up the keys of the fortress. See how prompt our Lord was in repelling the suggestions of the tempter.
V. THOUGH WE FALL WE SHALL NOT BE UTTERLY CAST DOWN. The tempter in this history was baffled after all. She whom he tried so much kept her faith and love. The soul that loves Christ may wander and fall, but shall assuredly be brought back. "He restoreth my soul." Faithful love will soon reassert its power.—S.C.
HOMILIES BY J.D. DAVIES