Use. The use of this is exceeding pregnant, eorafortable, and large, that we have such a Saviour, such an eminent person, so near, so peculiar to us. Our beloved, my beloved. If he were a ' beloved, the chief of ten thousand,' it were no great matter, but he is mine. He is thus excellent ; excellent considered with propriety in it, and a peculiar propriety.! Peculiarity and propriety, together with transcendent excellency, makes happy if there be any enjoying of it. Therefore repent not yourselves of your repentings, but think I have not cast away my love, but have set it upon such an object aa deserves it, ' for my beloved is the chiefest of ten thousand.'
Cf. Job. sviii. 14. — G f That is, ' property '= right.— Q.
Cant. V. 10. j ' the chiefest among ten thousand.* 141
THE FIFTEENTH SERMON.
My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. — Cant. V. 10.
Love is such a boundless affection, that where it once breaks forth in praises upon a good foundation, it knows no measure ; as we see here in the church, who being provoked and, as it were, exasperated by the ' daughters of Jerusalem ' to explain the excellency of him she had with so much affection incessantly sought after, that she might justify her choice (ere she descend into particulars), she breaks forth into this general description of her be- loved ; whereby she cuts oft' from all hopes of equalling him, ' My beloved is white and ruddy' (exceeding fair), nay, ' the chief among ten thousand' (none like him). She would not have us think she had bestowed her love but on the most excellent of all, ' the chief of ten thousand.' Well were it for us that we could do so in our love, that we might be able to justify our choice ; not to spend it on sinful, vain, and unprofitable things, which cause repentance and mourning in the conclusion, whereof the church here worthily cleareth herself ; in that she had chosen ' the chief among ten thousand.'
And most justly did she place her affections upon so excellent an object, who was so full of ' all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, the hfe of om- life, in whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,' Col. i. 11, 19; in whom was a gracious mixture and compound of all heavenly graces ; where greatness and goodness, justice and mercy, God and man, meet in one person. Such an one who breaks no ' bruised reed, nor quenches the smoking flax,' Mat. xii. 20, who refuses not sinners, but invites them unto him, oflering to heal all and cure all who come unto him. He is a king indeed, John xviii. 37. But this also approves her choice ; he rules all, commands all, judges all. What then can she want who hath such a friend, such a husband ? whose government is so winning, mild, and merciful ?"
He is not such a monarch as loves to get authority by sternness, like Rehoboam, 1 Kings xii. 12, but by those amiable graces of gentleness and love. All the excellencies of hohness, purity, and righteousness, are sweetly tempered with love and meekness in him. You may see, for instance, how he takes his disciples' part against the Pharisees, and the poor woman's that came to wash his feet and kissed them, against the Pharisee that had invited him to dinner, Luke vii. 44. The chm-ch is a company of despised people, that are scorned of Pharisaical proud spirits ; who perhaps have morality and strength of pai'ts to praise them with. Now Christ takes part with the broken spirits, against all proud spirits. Howsoever he be gone to heaven (where lie is full of majesty), yet he hath not forgotten his meek- ness nor changed his nature, with change of honour. He is now more honoured than he was, for ' he hath a name above all names, in heaven or in earth,' Acts iv. 12 ; yet he is pitiful still. ' Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' Acts ix. 4. He makes the church's case his ovm still. To- gether with beams of glory, there are bowels of pity in him, the same that he had bore upon earth ; which makes him so lovely to the truly broken- hearted, believing soul, ' My beloved is white and ruddy.'
He is set out likewise by comparing him with aU others whatsoever, ' He is the chief of ten thousand ;' a certain number for an uncertain, that is, the chief among all. In all things Christ hath the pre-eminence. ' He is the first-bom from the dead,' Rom. viii. 29 ; 'he is the first-born of every creature,' Col.
142 BOWELS OPENED. [SeEMON XV.
i. 15 ; he is the eldest brother; he is the chief among all. For all kings, priests, and prophets before were but types and shadows of him. He, the body, the truth, and the substance. And (as was shewed before) he is all three in one, king, priest, and prophet ; the great doctor* and prophet of his church, that spake by all the former prophets, and speaks by his ministers to the end of the world. • The angel of the covenant,' that Aoyog, the Word, that expresseth his Father's breast ; that as he came from the bosom of his Father, so lays open his counsel to mankind. It was he that spake by Noah, and preached by his Spirit to the souls that are now in prison, as Peter speaks, 1 Pet. iii. 19. So, ' he is the chief among all.' But especially in regard of his righteousness ; for which Paul ' accounted all dung and dross, to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, but the righteous- ness that is in Christ,' Phil. iii. 8 ; which is more than the righteousness of an angel, being the righteousness of God-man, and above all the righteous- ness of the law.