The Pulpit Commentary — Song of Songs — Section 31

is this, that whilst keeping the vineyards of others, their own they should not keep. Now, that this is a very real peril is evident from: 1. Their OW11, C0'11,fessi0'11,B. The words of our text are a·confession, and a sorrowful one. And they have leen adopted by such vineyard-keepers again and again. Before God, on their knees, they have owned how marred and faulty their work has been, owing to the ill-prepared condition of their own souls. Pastors, teachers, and all who toil for Christ, in strivin" to tell of hi.in to their fellow-men, and to persuade them to come to him, have mouraed~h, bow often !-that their lips have outrun their hearts; that they have uttered worJs to which their hearts often gave but faint response. They have declared truths which, alas! they have failed to realize. 'l'hey have spoken of the love of Christ, and had but little con- sciousness of it within them. As we read the biograpbies'of such men, or a.i, in the confidence of friendship, they confess how it has been with them, or as we think over our own experieuces, who is there of us that may not make the confession of the text our own? It is the perpetual struggle of the right-minded servant of God to maintain the balance between ihe spoken words and the inward thoug-ht; and the struggle is never easy, but often the reverse. These facts show how real the peril is. 2. And it is evidently possible to be guilty of that which is here said. For words and work are both external to us, and they can be assumed and adopted even when there is but little or even no spiritual reality behind them. A man can drill himself into saying or doing almost anything. He can become official, perfunctory, and a mere actor in t,he way of expressing sentiments in which his soul has no share. This is a dreadful possibility, from which may God graciously deliver us all! .And our Lord, and the Scriptures generally, declare and denounce such conduct. God says to the wicked in the fiftieth psalm, "What hast thou to do to declare my statutes?" It is certain, therefore, that wicked men can do this and have done it. Our Lord utters his awful warning to those who say "Lord, Lord," prophesy in his name, and in his name do many wonderful 'works, to whom at the last he will say, "I never knew you." Yes, God's \Vord is very plain as to the possibility of this sin and its fearful results. 3. And it is without excuse. There is no need for it. No amount of busy activity in keeping the vineyards of others need hinder our duly keeping our own. On the contrary, diligent care here will help us mightily when we strive to do good to others and to keep their vineyards. For when we remember that it is the spirit which breathes through what we say or do, rather than the words and dee<ls themselves, which more than aught besides influences our fellow-men, it is evident that the right cultivation of our own spiritual life is of unspeakable importance. As one bas said, "A holy minister is a mighty instrument in God's hand for the conversion and sanctification of souls." Therefore whatever of time and energy we give to the keeping of our own vineyard is the very best preparation and aid in keeping the vineyards of others. Moreover : 4. Not to give this is fatal, to our work. There is nothing men detect so soon or despise so much as unreality, want of sincerity. 'l'he words may be true and well ordered, and lit up with fine imagina- tion and beautiful illustration; be very interesting to hear, and command rapt attention; but if they be lacking in the indispensable quality of 8incerity, they will be nothing but words after all, and will have no real effect. Religion must be a reality to ourselves, or we shall never persuade others to become religious men. "Si vis me fiere dolendum est." And not to be thus real ourselves is: 5. Most perilous for our own souls. Boing so busy in keeping others' vineyards, caring for the intecests of others' souls, what can we lack? Must it not be well with us? And people praise and flatter us, and count us to be all we should be: what wonder, then, that we should be deceived? And all the while the holy truths we- tell of, like the heated iron that the blacksmith handles, affect us less and less; we scarcely feel them though we talk so fluently about them. And Wll have already referred to Scripture which make plain the mind of God on this matter. "'fhe sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord." SHch is the perpetual language of the Word of God. May he help us to remember it, and that always! -IV. BuT IT IB A PERIL INTO wwoa THEY NEED NOT FALL. For Christ, who called us to" keep and cultivate the vineyards, our own and others', which r.e has entrusted to our charge, will help us therein· H continually wo look to him. Without him, indeed, we can do nothing; but with him what cannot we do? 'l'herefore, see to it that our souls a.re committed to him, that day hy (lay we de "lll' l\ll unto him. Only let w; :ibide ill 20 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. [en. r. 1-17.