The Pulpit Commentary — Song of Songs — Section 123

11lan began to ripen into resolve, God eent his prophet to say this to David, "It WM well that H woe in thine heort" We loudly applaud the man who makes heroic seH- sacrifice for the ea.use of Christ; but very likely there ia a purpose burning in the soul of some gentle woman to do battle for Christ more noble still, yet which cannot bo realized. Well, that secret purpose is sweet as honey to Christ. His searching eye sees it all-sees every right motive, every heavenly disposiUon, eV'ery upward aspiration; and the sight is a delicious joy. It is the fruit of his incarnation. It is the work of bis Spirit. Ju8t as every man finds peculiar delight in his work, be it a buiklino-, or a painting, or a mechanical invention; so, and much more, does Jesus find exquisite pleasure in his successful work of making us godlike and Divine. "Honey and milk are under thy tongue." Thy secret thoughts and pnrposes bring me joy. V. JESUB CHRIST APPRAISES HIGHLY EVERY DISCIPLE'S SERVICE. "The smell of thy garments is Iiko the smell of Lebanon." 'l'he scent of pine trees and of cedar forests is peculiarly pleasant, and in this respect Lebanon surpassed all other forests in Palestine. It is in keeping with the symbolism of the Bible to employ "garments" as an emblem of human actions. Wo have a similar figure in our own language, for we use the word "habit" to denote one kind of apparel, and also to denote a constant line of action. Acts frequently performed become habits. So the "garments of a Christian are his everyday actions-the things he wears wherever be goes." The lesson here is that Jesus finds pleasure in everything we do, however trivial and insignificant. For there is nothing insignificant. You may read a man's character more clearly in the hourly business of every day than in bis conduct on Sundays, or than in some great action of his life. The serving-woman in a shop, or the drudge in the scullery, or the hodman on the scaffolding, can serve Ghrist as well as the bishop in the pulpit. Jesus loves to see how faithfully we do little things. In bis sight there is nothing little. It gave him untold pleasure to see the farthing which a poor widow dropped into bis treasury. He counts every'bair ·upon our heads. He notes when a sparrow falls. This is a mark of true greatness that it never overlooks the tiniest things. If from a disposition of love, and with cheerful temper, we sew a garment or drivo a nail, we bring new pleasure to our Lord. "Therefore," says the apostle, "whatsoever ye do, whether in wotd or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." Sweetly does old Herbert sing- "A servant with this clause Makes drudgery Di vine ; Who sweeps e. room as for thy laws Makes that and th' action line." D. Vers. 12-16.-Tlie King's garden. The Church of Christ i11 fitly likened to a garden. It is a piece of territory separated from the rest, enclosed from tho beaten road of this worltl's traffic. 'l'be distinguishing mark of a Christian Church is separation; i.e. separation from evil, separation as a means of blessing. As iu a garden a king finds great delight and solace, so in this sacred garden Jesus Christ bad a special joy. He calls it" my garden." We do not bear him say, "My star; my snow-capped mountains; my veins of gold;" but we do bear him say, "My garden; my people; my sister; my spouse." Such language is not merely the language of proprietorship; it is the language of endearment. Every plant anci tree in this garden bas been planted and pruned by himself. The unfolding of every blossom on the fruit trees he bas watched with delight; and when the blossom bas matured into fruit, his delight bas become an ecstasy. One high ambition fills him, viz. that bis garden may bear much fruit. I. OBSERVE THAT THIS EMBLEM OF A GARDEN SUGGESl'S MANY Tl\UTHS. 1. There is the fact qf separateness. In this text the writer lays emphasis on this point. Every garden is more or less marked off from other ground, but this is specially described as "a garden enclosed." It is made inaccessible to thie,·es, to cattle, and to wild beasts. Boars out of the wood would soon lay it waste. So is it with the life of God in the believer's soul. He is thereby separated from the ungodly world. 'l'be chosen of GoJ are separated by God's eternal decree. Their names are registered in the book of life. They bavo been separated by redemption. "Christ has redeem~,l 11R from the curse of  112 THE SONG OF SOLOMON. [OD, IV, 1-16,