The Pulpit Commentary — Song of Songs — Section 119

"Nearer, my God, to thee, Neerer to thee ; E'en.though it he a cross That raieeth me"- is in this invocntion to the· bitter blast-the north wind. And the Christian soul i!J willing for whateve1· of trial and distress God may be pleased to send, so only as it ma.y l~ntl to more full likeness to God. As the inhabitants of the Va.la.is, in Switzerland, love the strong, stern winds which, sweeping wildly down their close gorges and shut- up vales, scatters and· drives a.way the miasma, bred of the stagnant a.ir, which for far too long a time broods over them, unchanged, and hence full of evil, until the welcom9 wild wind tea.re down the valley, and then the bad air is driven away, a.nd that which is healthful comes instead;· so the soul, conscious that its health and joy are hindered, would welcome that which corresponds to the north wind told of here (cf. Rom. v. 3-5). 2. The soueh wind. (For its effects, cf. Job xxxvii. 7.) The soul knows that without the genial influence of Christ's love realized in her she cannot prosper. Therefore she prays for this also. "Be eendeth sun, he eendeth shower- Alike they're needful for the flower : And joys and team alike are sent To give the soul fit nourishment." III. WHAT IT SUPREMELY DEBIB.EB. "Let my beloved come into his garden," etc. This, translated, means that the. soul's supreme solicitude is, as Paul's was, to be accepted of her Lord_ (cf. 2 Cor. v., "I labour, whether present or absent, to be accepted of him "). The renewed soul seeks to be well pleasing to her Lord; she cares IiLtle• for any other npproval (cf. Paul, "It is a small thing to me to be judged of you, or by man's judgment; he that judgeth me.is the Lord"). "To give plea.sure to those whom we love, to know that a.ny achievements of ours will gratify them, is a greater pleasure than any derived from the applause of strangers, however numerous or distinguished. The lad laden with prizes at. his school is pleased enough with the clapping, and the praise of masters and fellow-pupils; but.his real pleasure is to come, when he gets his prizes home and shows them to his loved ones there. To see his mother's eyes glisten with gladness, that is better than all the other praise, were it from all the world beside. And so to be approved of Christ, to please him, that, to souls like Paul's, is everything." IV. THE BLESSING IT OBTAINS. Such supreme solicitude cannot exist without obtaining for the soul that cherishes it some of the choicest favours of God. 1. It will be an ever-present regulaeing force in our souls. It will act as a. law to ourselves, prompting, checking, directing, impelling, as needs be. 2. It will win blessed freedom from the ty,·anny of the .world. Such 'Soul will fear neither the world's frown-so formidable to well-nigh all-nor court the world's favour, all but universally coveted though it be. The Son will have made him free, and he will be free indeed. 3. It will make every cross lighe, Such cross being his cross, borne for him, its sharpness, weight, shame, vanish. 4. Deaeh is abolished. It becomes for him "an abundant entrance into the kingdom" of Christ. Freedom, strength, peace--these are some of the blessings which that soul wins whose supreme desire is to be accepted of Christ. -s.o. Ver. 6.-Nighe and morning. In the experiences of the heavenly life in the soul there a.re :fluctuations of health and joy as great as the :fluctuations of the seasons, as groat as the change from night to day. Onr globe is o.s near to the sun at dead of night as at noon, but, being turned a.way from the sun, loses the enjoyment of his beams. So Jesus may be equally near to us in our times of depression, though unbelief hides him from our eyes. I. THIS I,ANGUAGE WELL DENOTES THE PURPOSE OF. A HAN IN A S'l'ATE OF INTEL LECTUAL D0UDT. The gloom of night has fallen upon him. 1. Note his difficulties. Grave doubts haunt his mind whether there be a personal God. 'l'he probabilities for and against seem to him fairly equo.l. In the busy world honest men often suffer. Innocent children sometimes starve. The righteous l\l'e crushed to the wall, or a.re 108 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. (on, 1v. 1-10,