According to his excellencies must of necessity be,
II. The regard we owe him —
If we look to the example of the Bride, who well knew how to appreciate his worth, we shall see how we ought to manifest our affection towards him.
1. We should esteem him above every thing in the world —
[The Bride has used every simile that the most fertile imagination could suggest, in order to express her sense of his excellency". David esteemed nothing in heaven or earth in comparison of him% and St. Paul counted all things but dung for the knowledge of himi'. And if we do not see a " beauty and comeliness in him for which he is to be desired " infinitely beyond every thing else, our eyes must be altogether blinded by the god of this world. Let us then despise every thing in comparison of him, and take him as our portion, our
2. We should be exceeding careful that we do not grieve him —
iCol.ii.3. kEph.iii.18,19. MCor.iv.7. •" Rom. v. 18,19. n Cant. ii. 3. and in ten different particulars, v. 10 — 16. ° Ps. Ixxiii. 25. p Phil. iii. 8.
[In this also the Bride affbrds us an excellent example. Frequently does she repeat her tender concern lest by any means he should be provoked to depart from her^. Such a holy caution also should ?^e continually maintain. He is a holy and jealous God, and will not endure our neglects without manifesting his displeasured The Bride herself, notwithstand- ing her care in general, experienced the loss of his presence, when she became remiss \ And thus will he also hide himself from us, if by our unwatchfulness we grieve his Holy Spirit. Let us then " walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise." Let us " look to him as our Guardian Angel, and beware of him, and obey his voice, and carefully abstain from every species of provocation*."]
3. If at any time we have lost a sense of his pre- sence, we should by all possible means immediately exert ourselves to regain it —
[With what contrition did the Bride arise ! How did her very soul faint within her, when she found he was departed ! With what earnestness did she call after him ! How did she instantly inquire after him, applying to those who from their office and character were best fitted to direct her ! How did she persist, notwithstanding all the discouragements she met with ! And what a solemn charge did she give to her fellow-saints to intercede for her" ! Such should be our conduct under the hidings of his face. We should not sit down in despondency, but labour with more abundant diligence to obtain renewed expressions of his love and favour ^.]
4. If he vouchsafe to visit us again, we should feel ourselves completely happy in him, and yield up our- selves entirely to his will —
[No sooner were the Bride's endeavours crowned with success, than she redoubled her efforts to retain and enjoy him^, and earnestly sought to be most intimately, and insepa- rably united to him^. Thus should we seek to " abide in him, and to have him abiding in us*." We should " cleave to him with full purpose of heart," and, in the possession of his love, our souls should find all that they can desire^. Thrice happy they who are thus influenced by their views of Christ ! Their " labour shall never be in vain." They shall enjoy the greatest, the only real good, the light of his countenance''; and though in a little wrath he may hide his face from them,
1 Cant. ii. 7. and iii. 5. and viii. 4.
r Isai. xlv. 15. s Cant. v. 3 — G. * Exod. xxiii. 20, 21.
" See each distinct step exemplified: Cant. v. 5 — 8.
X Hos. v. 15. y Cant. iii. 2 — 4. ^ Cant. viii. 1,2, 6.