I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
We have here the description of the soul under a state of coldness and indifferency to her Lord. This is described under the image and figure of sleep; yet not a dead sleep of total insensibility; for she saith, Her heart waketh; and so as to hear and know the voice of her beloved, w ho is calling upon her and desiring admittance. But it is intended to represent that situation, which the people of God, everyone of them by experience, know but too much of: at times a coldness to divine things, an indifferency to the cause of Jesus: and sometimes to the neglect of ordinances, and the means of grace; or if sitting under the word, a hearing as though they heard not. It is a sad state this, and sometimes the temptation to it is carried on to a length truly alarming. And as it ariseth from a body of sin of death they carry about with them, believers can never be too earnest with the Lord to be kept from it. Our indifferency under it becomes the Worst symptom of it. And no doubt, it becomes also the greatest cause of the displeasure of the Lord. And did not his grace as much exceed our deserts, as his love is greater than ours, a recovery from it could never be expected.
Yea, perhaps many a child of God hath had his last days clouded in consequence of it, and gone out of life without that fulness of divine light, which the exercise of lively faith upon the person of Christ is sure to induce. Reader! pause over it. And while looking up with earnest prayer to be kept from it, learn to get more and more insight into that science which will tend to humble the soul, and exalt Jesus that teacheth us what a mass of sin, after all our attainments in grace, we virtually are. Truly did the Apostle say, and truly may all regenerated souls say the same, know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. Romans 7:18. How blessed is it to observe the unchangeable love of Jesus, as set forth in this sweet verse of his word. Though the church was fallen asleep, and seemingly regardless of her Lord; yet Jesus was not regardless of her. Though we fail in duty, Jesus never fails in his love. His love-calls in this verse are most tender and gracious. He stands at the door and knocketh. Revelation 3:20. And this by his word, by his servants the ministers of his gospel, by ordinances, by providences, by chastisements; in short, in numberless ways as shall best suit the blessed purposes of his grace. But in all and every one, see how tender his reproofs, how gentle his corrections. Sleepy and unworthy as his Church is, still is she his sister, his love, his dove, his undefiled. Oh! wonderful matchless grace! Oh! astonishingly gracious Saviour! We must not wholly pass over the several arguments the Lord Jesus makes use of, to enforce the Church to receive him. He saith, His head is filled with dew, and his locks with the drops of the night. By which perhaps may be understood, that he came with a fulness of grace, and would be himself as the dew unto Israel. Hosea 14:6; Deuteronomy 32:2. And perhaps the drops of the night is intended to manifest to the Church the Redeemer's own personal sufferings, which he endured in order to bring blessings to her. The garden of Gethsemane, and the mount of Olives may well and fully explain. Psalms 22:1 and Psalms 69:1 compared with the Evangelists. Matthew 26:1-75 etc.