The Pulpit Commentary — Song of Songs — Section 117

II. CmnsT's PROMISE OF HELP, "Come with me." His Word is full of such promises nnd of the records of their fulfilment (cf. histories of Joseph, Moses, Nehemiah, Daniel, etc.). And it is the experience of every Christian soul, Christ does not take us out of the world, but he keeps us from the evil. He keeps us "as the apple of his eye; " hides us" under the shadow" of his wing (er. Ps. xci,). He knows what he will do, therefore he says, "Come with me." III. THE CONDITION OF THAT HELP. We must "come with" him. Some wonder that he invites us at all; that, loving the soul as he does, he should leave it any choice as to whether it will or will not come; that he does not deal with us as a father who would oompel, not merely invite, his child to come out of the burning house. So some wonder that Christ does not compel the soul, carry it off by force. No doubt, in the literal story of this song, he who spoke was prepared to do this by her whom he appeals to. But Christ says," Come with me." He solicits, entreats, invites. For thern can be no deliverance of the soul unless there be the response of its own will. Even Christ cannot save without that. If, as is the case so sadly often, men "will not come unto" him that they "might have life," they have it not. And that response of the will is from faith in Christ's Word as to our peril and his loving power. Then ponder that ,vord; pray to know the truth; the Divine Spirit shall teach you, and soon the . response Christ desires will be given.-S. C. Vers. 9-15.-" Cur Deus homo 1" In these verses the beloved tells her whom he has come to deliver wherefore be would run all this risk and endure so much for her . sake. And reading them as an allegory, we may take them as setting forth why and wherefore God became Man; why "he who was rich for our sakes became poor." And amongst these reasons are- I. HIS INTENSE LOVE FOR us. The speaker tells in ver. 9 bow but a small portion of the beauty and of the adornments of her whom be so loved had "ravished" his heart, had filled him with intense desire for her. And translated into the style arnl teaching of the gospel, this tells of the heavenly joy (Luke xv.) over the repentance- the very beginning, the smallest portion of the beauty, of Divine grace in the soul. "Behold, he prayeth," was said of the persecuting Saul to the Christ-taught Ananias, who immediately rejoices, and is ready to receive as" brother" him who had been but a tew hours before as a wolf coming to make havoc of the flock of Christ. A very little thing-the mere beginnings of grace-and yet the Spirit of Christ in Ananias leapt for joy. II. THE SOUL'S RESPONSE. (Ver. 10.) That which Christ sees in the souls be has redeemed gratifies, refreshes, and delights him. As wine, as perfumes, as all spices. Precious is the soul's response of love to Christ. See how he asks for it. " Lovest thou me?" was thrice said to Peter. It is to him "the greatest thing in the world" ( cf. 1 Cor. xiii., " 'l'be greatest of these is love"). What argument this is for the love that is in Christ ! We reason back from the known likings and preferences of a man to what he is himself. So reasoning, what will not our Lord appear? III. HER GRACIOUS WORDS. (Ver. 11; cf. parallels, Prov. xvi. 24; Ps. cxix. 103.) It is out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. And the utterances of loving adoration, of contrite confession, of pleading prayer, of grateful praise-,:,nese are well pleasing in his esteem. How true the sabbath evening hymn- " And not a prayer, a tear, a sigh, Hath failed this day some suit to gain; To those in trouble thou wert nigh- Not one hath sought thy face in vain." Yes, as the honeycomb, sweet; as milk and honey, delicious and healthful, so are the fruits of the lips of the redeemed soul to Christ. We, therefore, can give him delight. It must be so. For we know we can "grieve " him; but if we can grieve him, we can also give him joy; and it is thus we do so. IV. THE FRAGRANCE OF HER LIFE. "The smell of thy garments is," etc. (ver. 11). The garments are the symbol of those outward acts and deeds which, as it were, clothe and characterize the man. We know men by their dress; their garb bespeaks their occupatioa, ~ells what their wo1·k is. Now, the holy deeds of the redeemed soul ar~ 106 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. [011, IV. 1-16,