Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.
With these words the song is closed. Jesus finisheth his divine part, in the verse before, and here the Church echoes to her Lord in this affectionate answer. We had a similar request, Song of Solomon 2:17; and the repetition here only serves to show, with what ardency so blessed an event was desired. Such was the longing of Old Testament saints for the Lord's first coming, in substance of our flesh; and such should be the earnest desire of New Testament believers, that Jesus would hasten his second coming! And, Reader, if your views and mine of the Lord Jesus, in his glorious person, and in the infinite importance of his salvation, correspond to these sentiments of the Church, in all ages, then shall we find our souls going forth, in the same earnest cry of faith; Make haste my beloved, and be thou like to a roe, or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.
REFLECTIONS
READER! here let us take to ourselves the sweet instruction the Church teacheth, in the opening of this Chapter, and while she is so passionately looking to her Lord, as her Brother, and desiring to kiss him without being ashamed or despised; let you and I delight to call him our Brother also, and to be convinced, that as a Brother, he feels interested in all that concerns our salvation. And oh! for grace and faith in such full actings upon his glorious Person, that we may constrain him to come with us to the Church our Mother, and there cause him to drink of our spiced wine, even the blessed fruits and effects of his own grace in our hearts. Surely Jesus will embrace us, and take us into his arms; neither shall any disturb the hallowed season of enjoyment with him, while he is pleased to impart the manifestations of his love. And, Reader, shall we not be among the happy number, that are coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon our Beloved, hanging upon him, and feasting our souls with beholding his beauty, and living upon his fulness? Yea, surely Jesus will raise us up from under the apple tree of this world's good; will bring us out of all the deadness of nature, and the dead frames of the heart, and bring us into his Church, the Church of the living God.
Blessed Lord Jesus! dost thou really desire that such poor creatures as we are, should set thee as a seal upon our hearts, and upon our arm? And is thy love so ardent, and yet so condescending, that thou declarest it to be strong as death, and as jealous as the grave, and doth it burn towards us, as coals of fire? Oh Lord! for grace, ever to keep this desire of thine in remembrance, and to carry it about with us, whithersoever we go; delighting our souls with the very thought that our poor sealing to the love of Jesus is had in remembrance, and valued by our Lord. And do thou, oh thou most gracious and compassionate Redeemer, do thou set thy people as a signet on thy right hand, and wear our names, worthless as they are in themselves, but highly honourable as noticed and owned by thee, wear them in thine heart, and bear them in, as the High Priest of thy people, before the throne, that as thine, we may be sealed in the presence of our God, unto the day of redemption. Oh! for a heart to have thee, and to live to thee, and to praise thee, that nothing could damp or abate thy love to thy people. Neither the agonies in the garden, nor the cross, neither the justice of divine wrath against sin, nor the powers of hell, no, nor the forsaking of thy disciples at thy death, nor the continued slights of all thy disciples through the whole of thy life, even until now, hath abated, or can abate thy love for one moment from thy redeemed; but, as thou hast from the beginning loved thy people, that are in the world, thou lovest them unto the end. Oh, that the Lord would add one mercy more to this unmerited mercy, and as no waters nor floods can quench thy love, so the Lord would not suffer any, or all, the torrents of sin and death to quench ours. Lord, we pray thee to keep our poor souls in the love of God, and in the patient waiting for Jesus Christ.
Hail! holy Lord! Father, Son, and eternal Spirit! we bend before thy throne with thanksgivings and praise for all the wonders of redemption by Jesus Christ! Hasten, almighty God, the call of thy people. Let the little sister of Christ's Church, even the Gentile Church, be filled with the breasts of consolation, and may our elder Brother, the Jewish Church, be called home by grace. Oh! for that glorious hour, when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be completed, and all Israel shall be saved. When the Deliverer shall arise out of Zion, to turn away ungodliness from Jacob! In the blessed hope of this assurance may thy people live from day to day, and may the cry of faith be continually going up for the accomplishment of it, from all the redeemed of the Lord. And while Jesus is calling upon his Church to hear his voice, and saying, Surely I come quickly, oh! may every faithful heart make sweet responses to their Lord, and send up the earnest prayer, Even so! come, Lord Jesus. Amen.