Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
Ver. 14. Therefore, behold, I will allure her] A strange "therefore." It may very well have "behold" at the heels of it: for the sense is this; because she hath quite forgotten me, and will never be converted of herself, I will prevent her by my mercy, recalling her mildly but mightily by my gospel. Seducam eam et deducam in desertum. Such another sweet text as this we have in Isaiah 57:17,18 : "For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him." Ways? what ways? his covetousness, frowardness, &c. And it is as if God should say, I see these froward children will lay nothing to heart: frowns will not humble them, blows will not better them. If I do not save them till they seek me they will never be saved: therefore I "will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners: I will create the fruit of the lips peace to him." Oh, the never enough adored depth of God's free grace and superabundant love to his people! This David well understood, and therefore prayed, "Pardon my iniquity; for it is great," Psalms 25:11. He knew that God both could and would remit more than he could commit, and that mercy rejoiceth against judgment; while God for his own sake (though not for ours) blotteth out the thick cloud as well as the cloud, enormities as infirmities, Isaiah 44:22. See his non-obstante, Psalms 106:8, his resolve, Genesis 8:21, and his mandamus, Psalms 14:4, and then it must needs be done, though no God would do it but himself', Micah 7:18, though no man could imagine how it should be done, Isaiah 55:7,8 .
I will allure her] That is, I will effectually persuade her by the preaching of the gospel. Men may speak persuasively, but God only can persuade; they may speak to the ear, but he to the heart: and this he doth to his elect, not only by a moral persuasion, but by an irresistible inward attraction, Acts 11:17, by a merciful violence, by making them willing to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth. They kiss the Son with a kiss of love and homage, having first been kissed with the kisses of his mouth: whereupon immediately follows, "Draw me, we will run after thee," Song of Solomon 1:1; Song of Solomon 1:4. Elisha could do more with a kiss than his man could with a staff in raising the dead child. Christ works upon his people fortiter, but yet suaviter, powerfully, but yet sweetly, he inclineth their hearts to his testimonies, and not to covetousness, Psalms 119:36, and brings them to the obedience of faith, monendo potius quam minando, docendo quam ducendo. (Recte Calvin textum hunc reddit, Inclinabo eam.) If he do seduce them (as some render the word here) it is for no hurt, it is but to speak a word in private to them, as one friend may with another: it is but to give them his loves, as he speaks in the Canticles; to show them his glory, as he did Moses; to spread before them his beauty, and so to catch them by guile, as St Paul did the Corinthians, 2Co 12:16 to steal away their hearts before they are aware, according to that, Song of Solomon 6:12, that they thenceforth may be an Aminadib, a willing people, a free hearted people, Psalms 110:3, waiting for the law, Isaiah 42:4, and walking by the rule, Galatians 6:16, &c. Oh, it is a blessed thing to be thus allured, thus inveigled, thus seduced out of the ways of sin and death, into the ways of holiness and happiness, by the doctrine of the gospel, which is the true πειθω, the suadae medulla, qua capiuntur homines, sed bone sue, the divine rhetoric, wherewith men's minds are taken, but for their greatest good.
And I will bring her into the wilderness] Look how I at first allured my people out of Egypt, where they sat by the flesh pots, and enjoyed the pleasures of sin for a season (out of Egypt have I called my son, that I might set him higher than the kings of the earth), and brought them into the wilderness, and there extraordinarily provided for them (never was prince so served in his greatest pomp), and spake to their hearts, giving them "right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments,"Nehemiah 9:13, to their great comfort, Psalms 19:8. So will I again do for them, and much more than so, by Christ, in the days of the gospel. Indeed, as the people at their first setting foot upon the promised land met with trouble in the valley of Achor by the sin of Achan, so shall the saints be sure of troubles: but Christ will not leave them comfortless; a door of hope he will open unto them in their deepest distresses. Death shall be unto them, not a trap-door to hell (as it is to the wicked), but an inlet into life eternal, where they shall sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, Revelation 15:3. Let the saints therefore rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation. Vineyards God will give them here, some grapes at least of the heavenly Canaan beforehand, spiritual benedictions, divine comforts to sustain them, such generous wine as shall make the lips of those that are asleep to speak, Song of Solomon 7:9; yea, to sing, Ephesians 5:18,19. Lo, such wine of the breasts and such songs of joy shall the saints have for those vines which before he threatened to destroy, Hosea 2:12, and that mirth which he would cause to cease, Hosea 2:11. Repentance can turn crosses into comforts, and (like the philosopher's stone) make golden afflictions, 1 Peter 1:7. As it is the fair and happy daughter of an ugly and odious mother, viz. sin, εχθρου πατρος φιλτατον τεκνον; so it is the mother of all mercies and benefits: for it is repentance unto life, Acts 11:18, yea, to salvation, and therefore never to be repented of, 2 Corinthians 7:10. It is that rainbow, which, if God sees shining in our hearts and lives, he will not only not drown us, but do us all good.
And speak comfortably to her] Heb. speak to her heart such things as shall cheer her up, and make her heart leap and even dance levaltos. See Isa 60:1 cf. 1 Samuel 15:35. Observe that the same word נכם nacham, signifieth to repent first, and then to comfort. And to this purpose it is that some translate the text thus, "After I have brought her into the wilderness," and so humbled her thoroughly, as I once did her forefathers there, I will speak to her heart: yea, I will take her alone for the purpose, even into a solitary wilderness, where I may more freely impart my mind to her (so some sense it), that having her whole desire, she may come up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved, Song of Solomon 8:5, and so be brought into the bride house with all solemnity. Confer Gen 34:3 Rth 2:13 Judges 19:3 . Postquam perduxero eam. After I will guide her. Tremell. Benigne alloquar. Castalio.