The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
Ver. 8. The voice of my beloved! behold!] An abrupt passage, proceeding from a pang of love, whereof she was even sick, and now lay languishing, as it were, at Hope's Hospital, lingering and listening, hankering and hearkening after her beloved. Of the ear we use to say that it is first awake in a morning. Call one that is asleep by his name, and he will soon hear and start up. Christ "calls all his sheep by their name," Joh 10:3 and they "know his voice," Joh 10:4 so well are they versed in his Word, and so habitually are their senses exercised, Heb 5:14 yea, they know his pace. For -
Behold he cometh,] viz., To "make his abode with me," according to his promise; Joh 14:23 to fulfil with his hand what he had spoken with his mouth, as Solomon phraseth it in his prayer. 1Ki 8:15 Christ sends his voice as another John Baptist, a forerunner, and this no sooner sounds in the ear, and sinks into the heart, than himself is at hand to speak comfort to the conscience. Psa 51:8 He thinks long of the time till it were done, as the mother's breast aches when it is time the child had suck.
He comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.] Look how the jealous eagle, when she flieth highest of all from her nest, and seems to seat herself among the clouds, yet still she casts an eye to her nest where are her young ones; and if she see any come near to offend, presently she speeds to their help and rescue. So doth the Lord Christ deal by his beloved spouse. Neither mountains nor hills shall hinder his coming; neither the sins of his people nor the world's opposition. As for the former, Christ blots out the "thick cloud," as well as the "cloud"; Isa 44:22 that is, enormities as well as infirmities. He casts all the sins of his saints into the bottom of the sea, which can as easily cover mountains as mole hills. And for the second, "Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey," meaning, than all the Church's enemies, called, for their ravenousness, mountains of lions and leopards. Son 4:8 The stout hearted are spoiled, &c. Psa 76:4-5 And "who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain." Zec 4:7 And whereas man's soul hath naturally many mountains of pride and profaneness in it - "there is that leviathan, and creeping things innumerable," Psa 104:26 as the Psalmist saith of the sea - and for his body there is not a vein in it that would not swell to the height of the highest hill to make resistance to the work of grace; every such "mountain and hill is made low before the Lord Christ"; Isa 40:4 and "every high thing cast down that exalts itself against the knowledge of God." 2Co 10:5 He coaxes with authority, and reigns over all impediments.