CONTENTS
There is an immediate connection between the first verse of this Chapter, and the last of the preceding: for no sooner hath the church invited her Lord to come into his garden, than he declares himself come. The church professeth herself to be in a sleepy state, but awakened by Jesus, she breaks out into a commendation of her Lord, which runs through the whole chapter.
I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
Reader! observe the instant answer, and the gracious answer of Jesus to the Church in these words. The moment she asked, her wishes are complied with; yea, agreeably to that promise of Jesus, Before his people calls, he will answer. Isaiah 65:24. For as some read the words it is as if Jesus had said, I am come into my garden: that is, I am always with you. And surely if you considered aright you would know this, by the manifestations I am forever making to you. For how else would you invite me, had I not first inclined your heart to it, by the sweet influences of my grace? And do you not know of my presence with you, by the secret intimations I give you? Are you not sensible when I answer your prayers, accept and follow up your petitions, and meet you with blessings in the refreshment you feel at, and after you have been to a throne of grace. Is not this gathering my myrrh with my spice, eating of my honey and drinking of my wine? For all the graces you are enabled to exercise on me are mine, both in my first giving and in my after calling forth into use. And when you feel a fulness of enjoyment at my house or my table; in private, or in public worship; from whence do these enjoyments arise, but from me? Do you not hear my voice in all, calling upon you as my friends and beloved to eat and drink abundantly? I do not detain the reader with many observations on the several things here spoken of, for this would lead into an endless subject. I fear indeed in every line I write that I am swelling this work, which at the first was begun with a view to compress within a very few pages, to a bulk by much too large. But I would trespass here, on this verse in one part of it, to offer a remark on the honey-comb, and the honey the Lord so delightfully speaks of eating. Honey is in the flower, before it is extracted and formed by the bee. So it may be said that the love and grace of Jehovah in redemption goodness was in his infinite mind and will towards us, before that it was brought forth from the Father, towards us and our nature by the Lord Jesus Christ. And as honey in the comb is there made and prepared by the bee; so Jesus our adorable Redeemer, our Glory-man, made, and prepared, and wrought it all out by himself, for us and our nature. And as honey in the mouth is known and enjoyed by him that eateth it; so when God the Holy Ghost takes of the things of Christ and shows to us, doth he not make us eat and drink abundantly, yea, as the Lord's beloved? Yea, more. We not only eat the honey, but of the honeycomb. We not only take the sweet things of Jesus, but Jesus himself which is sweeter far. Not only his gifts and graces, his whole redemption, but himself. Oh! precious Lord what beauties are in thy word, what endless subjects in this one verse? And what then, thou dearest Lord Jesus, what beauties must be in thyself, to ravish the souls of thy people with joy unspeakable, and full of glory, to all eternity?