The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.
The mandrakes we read of in the early ages of the church, it should seem was an highly desired fruit. With the present of some Leah purchased the company of her husband from Rachel: see Genesis 30:14-15. But of what property or quality I stay not to enquire, but as the church here professeth to her Lord, that they gave a smell, and that with these she had also laid up for him all manner of pleasant fruits, we may gather from the whole how ardently she longed for sweet communion with Jesus, and what blessedness she was hoping for, from his spiritual company. But what was, and is, and ever must be, during a life of grace, most pleasant to the Lord Jesus, are the fruits of his own most Holy Spirit. These are the mandrakes, the lovely flowers of Jesus; for they are his by original gift, and by his purchased redemption. He hath planted them by sovereign grace at our gates. Oh Lord! how blessed is it to have them, even the fruits of faith and love, with all the graces of thy Holy Spirit. Come then, Lord, I would say for myself and Reader, let us go forth, blessed Jesus; and do thou lodge with us, and grant us to lodge with thee. All, Lord, is thine, and of thine own do we give thee.
REFLECTIONS
BLESSED and all-lovely Lord Jesus! is it possible that thy church can be so fair in thine eyes, as that her very feet are beautiful to her Lord? Surely, Lord, it is thou that must have made her so; for when thou camest from heaven to seek and save thy people, thou didst find the whole nature of man sunk and degraded by sin and uncleanness. But now thou hast washed thy church in thy blood and adorned her with thy spotless garment of righteousness, she is indeed the king's daughter, all glorious within. And seeing then, that it is in thee, and by thee, and from thee, that all the beauties and loveliness of thy church are derived; methinks I would hold thee in the galleries of thy grace, and plead and wrestle with my God and Saviour, with an earnestness not to be resisted by my Lord; but like the Father of the seed of Jacob, tell thee, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
And doth my Lord regard the supplication of his poor petitioner? Doth Jesus indeed say to me, as to the church of old, that he will go up to the palm-tree, and that he will take hold of the boughs thereof? Doth Jesus say, that he will give me the best wine, that shall go down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak. Oh! thou, gracious condescending Lord! if thou will thus pour out of the sweet influences of thy Spirit, thy love will be better to me than wine, for by it my poor dead soul, under all her dying circumstances, will revive; and I shall go forth and speak of thy love, thy truth and righteousness. While Jesus is with me and blessing me, I shall feel such an enlargement of heart, that my mouth will spread abroad thy name, and make mention of thy righteousness, even thine only. And surely, Lord, I may hope this, I may look for these sweet visits of thy love, for thou hast taken me into the nearest covenant-connections with thee, for I am thine, and thy desire is towards me. Yes! Precious, precious Lord! thy desire hath been towards thy people from everlasting. And what it was from everlasting so must it be to everlasting. Thou hast all along desired the salvation of all the Father hath given thee. Thou hast waited to be gracious. Thou hast longed for the hour of redemption appointed for every individual soul for whom thou hast died. Thou art now continually desiring to manifest thyself to them. And, Lord, I am fully persuaded that the desire of thy soul will not be fully satisfied, until thou hast brought all, and everyone of them unto thyself in glory. Oh! the unspeakable felicity of that day, when thou shalt have brought home thy whole church, that where thou art, there they shall be also.
Come, Lord, then I beseech thee, for thou art my beloved, come with me into the fields of thy holy word, and let us lodge together in the villages of the saints, and get up to the vineyards of thy churches; for the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah is thy pleasant plant. All must flourish in thee, O Lord, which are branches in thee; both grapes and pomegranates, young believers and old saints, will put forth their graces, when excited by thy quickening and reviving influence. There, Lord, doth my soul desire to tell thee how exceedingly I love thee, and how ardently I long after thee. O! that the mandrakes may be perfumed with the fragrancy of thy incense, and all the fruits of the Spirit may be in such lively exercise in my soul, that I may show forth thy praises, and manifest thy glory to all around.