Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.
It should seem, but I do not presume to determine, that the former part of this verse is the call of Jesus to the Holy Ghost to breathe with his divine influences upon his Church the garden; and then when this is done, and grace is in lively exercise, the Church in the latter part invites her beloved to come into his garden, which is his, and take the blessed fruits which his own Holy Spirit had begotten. The north wind of exciting, and the south wind of warming the affections, are both graciously made use of, and the effect is as might be supposed. The habit of soul in a believer, when one with Christ by regeneration, becomes an actual exercise of grace when the Spirit excites, in going forth in the devout frames of faith, and love, and joy, and delight, upon the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus; and while prayers and praises go up, blessings and favours come down; and the Lord cometh into his garden, and causeth all his goodness to pass before his people. Oh! Lord! thus continually send the sweet influences of the north wind, and the south wind upon my soul, and then will my soul invite Jesus to come into his garden, and eat of his pleasant fruits.
REFLECTIONS
AND doth my Lord indeed call me his fair one, his love, his sister, his spouse? Oh! how shall my soul contain itself, in the contemplation of such peerless grace amidst my conscious undeservings. Surely, blessed Jesus, whatever I am that can at all endear a poor sinner to my Lord, all I have, and all I am, and all I hope to have, the whole is in thee and from thee. Well may I take up the language of one of old, and say, By the grace of God I am what I am. And oh! Lord let it be said also as of him, so of me, that the grace bestowed upon me was not in vain.
And doth Jesus call me to go with him from Lebanon, and escape the lion's den, and the mountains of leopards? Yes, Lord Jesus, I would pray for grace to follow thee, whithersoever thou goest. Nothing shall separate my soul from the love of Christ. For. thou hast bought me, redeemed me, and with a price no less dear than thine own most precious blood: therefore, Lord, I am thine by every endearment, and by every tye. Oh! Lord, give me grace here also, that as I am not my own, but bought with a price, I may glorify thee both in my body and in my spirit which are thine.
But, precious Lord Jesus, as without thee I can do nothing; I pray thee be to me, A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and as streams from Lebanon. Come, Holy Ghost, and be to me as the quickening source in leading to Jesus, and taking from Jesus, and showing everything to me in Jesus. And do thou, Lord, daily maintain, and support, and carry on, the life thy mercy first gave me in Jesus. Thou, Lord, art the only spiritual efficient agent in Christ's garden the Church, which by breathing thy gracious influences upon my heart, can prepare that poor heart for the visits of my Lord to his servant. I would, therefore, gracious Spirit of all truth, intreat thy mercy upon my poor soul, that by thy grace I may invite my Lord and be prepared for my Lord, that he may daily come into his garden: and my soul be so quickened to receive him, that he may eat of his pleasant fruits. Yea, Lord! do thou knock at the door of my heart, and open it thyself; and let my Lord come in, and let me sup with him and he with me.