The Mystery of the Marriage Song, Exposition · Verses 10,11
Verſ. 10. Hearken O Daughter, and conſider, and incline thine eare: Forget alſo thine own people, and thy Fathers houſe.
Verſ. 11. So ſhall the King greatly deſire thy Beauty: for he is thy Lord, and worſhip thou him.
THe Spirit of God having partly deſcribed the digties of the Church in the foregoing part (the deſcription whereof is further amplified in ſome of the following verſes) he doth in theſe two verſes call upon the Church for ſubjection and obedience to her ſpiritual huſband.The latter part of the Marriage Song opened. Great Dignities require great duties; ſpiritual priviledges call for chriſtian and anſwerable performances.
The Church, or Lambs Bride, Rev: 21.9, 10, is here called the Daughter of the Lord, as alſo verſe 13. and Beleevers are called his Sons and Daughters, Whence it is that Beleevers are ſtiled the Lords Daughters.Jer: 31.1. 2 Cor. 6.18. for theſe Reaſons.
1 Becauſe as Chriſt is a Huſband and Bridegroom to his people, ſo he is their everlaſting Father, Iſai. 9.6.
2 He hath begotten them to himſelf by the immortal ſeed of his word, and ſpirit, 1 Pet. 1.23.
3 He trains them up in his houſe, and family, Eph. 2.19. Eph: 3.15. takes care of them gives them their meat in due ſeaſon, and beſtows a good portion upon them, himſelf being their everlaſting portion, Pſalm 73.26.
[Hearken O Daughter, and conſider, and incline thine ear]
It is a metaphor taken from thoſe that either bow down, or turn the head to the one ſide, that they might give the better ear.
From this good Counſel which the Lord gives his Church, Obſerve,
Obſ. 1 That Chriſtians ought diligently to hearken, attend, Chriſtians ſhould diligently conſider what the Lord ſpeaks to them,and conſider the Word and Meſſage of Chriſt, and give up their hearts wholly thereunto, ſo as to yeild the obedience of Faith, Acts 6.7. Rom. 16.26. This is the moſt acceptable obedience, Heb. 11.5, 6.
We are not only to vouchſafe the ſpeaking or hearing of the Word and revealed wil of Chriſt, but ſo to ſpeak, and ſo to hear, as ſeriouſly to conſider and improve the ſame, and to conform our ſpirits and practiſes thereunto; Hear and your ſouls ſhall live, Iſai. 55.3. Conſider what I ſay, and the Lord give thee wiſedom, ſee 2 Tim. 2.7. Heb: 10.24. Iſaiah 44.19 Heb. 7.4. Spiritual conſideration lies not only, nor chiefly, in a naked contemplation, or aſſent of the mind, but alſo in the obedience and conformity of the will to the truths of Chriſt, and the ſutableneſs of the affections thereunto.
Some of the Jews apply this Text (as they do moſt other Scriptures) to the Law of Moſes; But though we are to hearken to the Law, and improve the ſame in a way of ſubſerviency and ſubordination to the Goſpel, yet the Law is not properly the voice or word of Chriſt, John 1.15, but the Goſpel which by way of Emphaſis, and in a peculiar manner is ſtiled the word of truth, Col. 1.5: and a faithful ſaying, 1 Tim. 1.5.
The Law ſpeaks not a word nor ſyllable of good news; no, tis a thundring terrible voice, and diſpenſation to poor ſinners, Heb. 12.18, 19, 20. But the Goſpel or word of Chriſt is good uews, and glad tidings, Luke 2.10, 11. bringing righteouſneſs, peace, life, and ſalvation freely to ſinners, and giving them grace, and ability to obey and ſerve the Lord acceptably through Chriſt.
Chriſtians ſhould diligently hearken and attend to what the Lord Jeſus ſpeaks and holds forth in his Word and Ordinances, upon theſe grounds.Reaſons why we ſhould diligently attend the word of Chriſt.
Reaſ. 1 Firſt, becauſe the Lord is a Spirit, who wil be ſeriouſly and ſpiritually worſhipped. John 4.24. Levit. 10.3. To be only a hearer, or talker, and not a doer of Gods word, is but a mock-Worſhip; Such a man deceiveth himſelf. James 1.22, 23, 24. If ye know theſe things, happy are ye if ye do them, John 8.31. John 13.17.
Reaſ. 2 Secondly, the Lord looks chiefly at thy heart, when thou doeſt attend his Worſhip; all the waies of a man are clean in his own eyes, but the Lord weigheth the ſpirits, Prov. 16.2. though he be in Heaven, and thou on Earth, yet he beholds all the ſecret corners, turnings and windings of thy heart; all things are naked before him with whom we have to do, Heb. 4.13.
Reaſ. 3 Thirdly, If you conſider not what the Lord ſpeaks, you do exceedingly ſleight and undervalue him; as, if a Prince or noble man ſpeak to you by way of advice, and you turn away from him, not regarding his words, he may wel think you ſleight him.
Reaſ. 4 Fourthly, It argues that thou art but an unſound chriſtian, if thou doſt not conſider the voice of Chriſt; as thoſe Beaſts under the Law which chewed not the cud were reckoned unclean, and not to be eaten, Lev. 11.2, 26, So that man or Woman that doth not ſpiritually chew the cud, conſider and digeſt the Word of Chriſt, is reckoned unclean by the Lord.
Reaſ. 5 Fiftly, Becauſe ſpiritual conſideration, or meditation, is by Gods bleſſing a great help and inducement to the exerciſe of faith, charity, hope, prayer, thankſ-giving: theſe afford help to meditation, and meditation to them interchangeably. Beſides, chriſtian conſideration is an antidote againſt ſin; and a means to prevent raſh anger, folly, and paſſion, which otherwiſe will break forth to the diſhonour of God; 'Tis promiſed that the heart of the raſh ſhall conſider, and underſtand knowledge, Iſai. 32.4. The Lord perform this promiſe to us.
Reaſ. 6 Laſtly, You ſhould diligently attend, and conſider, &c. becauſe the word is mighty through God to pul down ſtrong holds, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chriſt, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5, 6. it wil have its powerful effect one way or other, either to be a ſavour of death unto death, or a ſavour of life unto life, 2 Cor 2.16. If you be not ſoftned by grace under the diſpenſation of the Word, you will be hardened through your own corruption; wax is ſoftned, but clay is hardened under the influence of the ſun.
Uſe. 1 Look to it then that ye refuſe not him that ſpeaketh; for if they eſcaped not who refuſed him that ſpake on earth, much leſs ſhal we eſcape if we turn away from him that ſpeaketh from Heaven, Heb. 12.25. Heb: 2.2, 3. Heb. 10.28, 29. Take heed how you hear, and have to do with God; keep your heart with all diligence, (or as it is varied in the margin, Proverbs 4.23) above all keepings keep your heart, for out of it are the iſſues of life. Take the Wiſe mans counſel in another place; When thou goeſt into the houſe of God, take heed to thy foot, Eccleſ. 5.1, 2. 'Tis uſed as a metonymy for taking heed to our wayes, Pſalm 39.1. Pſalm 119.15. and imports that we ſhould diligently conſider our waies, and attend the worſhip of God in a ſerious and holy manner.
Uſe. 2 Again, this Doctrine ſhews us, the excellency of man above the ſenſitive creatures; theſe do not, nor cannot conſider their waies, and reflect upon their actions, ſaying, what have I done; how have I departed from the Lord; at man doth or ought to do; for, alas ſince the fall, man is become brutiſh, and vain in his imaginations, Gen. 6.5. Prov. 12.1. Iſaiah 19.11. in ſome reſpects more brutiſh then the Ox, and the Aſſe, Iſai. 1.2, 3. yea (ſaith a godly man, Prov: 30 2.) Surely I am more brutiſh then any man, and have not the underſtanding of a man in me; Theſe ſelf-reflexive acts are thoſe noble operations which are peculiar to a rational immortal ſoule, and which the ſenſitive creatures cannot reach unto.
[Forget alſo thine own people, and thy Fathers houſe.]
True ſelf-denial, and forſaking all for Chriſt, is that good effect that flows from a ſerious hearkning to, and conſidering the voice of Chriſt: if a man do not ſpiritually eye and conſider with Moſe, Heb. 11.26, 27. the fulneſs and all-ſufficiency of God, and the emptineſs and nothingneſs of the Creature, he will not heartily cleave to the one, nor forſake the other; But he will rather forſake the fountain of living water, and dig to himſelf broken ciſterns that will hold no water, Jer: 2.13.
There is a two-fold Cenſideration of things.There is a two-fold conſideration of thing 1 Natural,
Firſt, that which is natural or rational, when a man looks on, and ponders things with a natural eye and judgement; this is rather a hinderance then a furtherance to faith, which though it doth not utterly deſtroy natural reaſon, yet it raiſeth up the ſoul above it. Abraham being ſtrong in ſaith cenſidered not his own old age, nor the barrenneſs of Sarahs womb, Rom: 4.19. Matthew being at the receit of cuſtom, and the other Apoſtles imployed in their Callings, when they heard Chriſts voice inviting them to follow him, did not conſider and caſt about what would become of their Callings, and relations but without further diſpute yeilded obedience: ſo Paul was not diſobedient to the heavenly voice, and viſion, Acts 26.19. Nor did he conſult with fleſh and blood when once Chriſt was revealed in him, Gal. 1.16 or ever I was aware (ſaith the Spouſe) my ſoul made me as the Chariots of Aminadib Cant. 6.12.
Secondly, 2 Spiritual and ſupernatura,there is a ſpiritual ſupernatural conſideration of things wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghoſt, who ſearcheth the deep things of God, and enables the ſoul to conſider and compare ſpiritual things with ſpiritual, 1 Cor. 2.10, 13. and to reaſon and argue after a ſpiritual manner; This is to be ſpiritually minded, and herein eſpecially the ſpiritual man is contra-diſtinguiſhed from the natural man, Rom: 8.5. 1 Cor. 2.14, 15, 16. the one argues and reaſons carnally, the other ſpiritually.
From this Spiritual Reaſoning or conſideration it is that a man denies himſelf, and his own will forſakes the world, and all natural relations for Chriſt; no man that warreth (ſaith the Apoſtle, 2 Tim: 2.4.) intangleth himſelf with the affairs of this life; a ſoldier wil carry no more with him then needs he muſt; Now every chriſtian is a ſoldier exerciſed in a ſpiritual warfare: when Chriſt his Captain cals him forth, he muſt throw away his luggage, leſt it intangle him; he muſt bid adieu to all his friends and relations in the fleſh; This was ſhadowed forth in Gods calling Abraham away from his own Land, Kindred, and Fathers houſe, to another Country which the Lord ſhewed him, Gen. 12.1.
[Forget alſo thine own people, &c.]
The Inditer of this Pſalm doth here allode to the new married Spouſe who leaves all other Relations for her husband, and cleaves to him alone, as Pharaohs Daughter did, who was a Type or the Church of the Gentiles, ſee Gen. 4.24. Gen. 31.14. Eph. 5 28, 31.
Hence learn this Leſſon
Obſ. 2 That the Church ſhould more and more forſake the luſts of the fleſh and world, The Church ſhould forſake all natural Relations for Chriſt.and all natural Relations for Chriſts ſake, and in love to him.
Yea ſhe ſhould be crucified to her own will, wiſdom, righteouſneſs and works counting them but as dung, Phil. 3.8. and as a menſtruous cloth for Chriſt, Iſai. 64.6.
If Father, Mother, Brother, Siſter, or the neareſt friends or deareſt relations which we have in the fleſh come in competition with Chriſt our ſpiritual huſband, we are to ſhake them off (with that Noble Merqueſs of Vicum) though in a natural way our bowels cannot but yearn towards them. He that loveth Father or Mother (ſaith Chriſt) more then me, is not wort by of me, Matthew 10.37. Luke 14.26. For this cauſe (ſaith the Apoſtle ſpeaking of marriage) ſhal a man leave his Father and mother, and ſhall be ioyned unto his Wife, and they two ſhall be one fleſh. Eph; 5.31, 32. So the ſpiritual Chriſtian forſaking all for Chriſt, and cleaving to him alone, they two become one ſpirit, 1 Cor: 6.17.
I ſhall ſubjoyn two Reaſons of this Doctrine.
Reaſ. 1 Firſt, Two Reaſons of this point.Becauſe Chriſt is a a jealous Huſband that will indure no corrival in his bed o… love, he wil have all or none; a heart, and a heart, a double heart is an abomination to him; no man can ſerve two maſters, &c. Luke 6 13. If a man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 1 John 2 15. There can be no… true chriſtianity without ſelf-denial: a man cannot truly love Chriſt unleſs he hate himſelf; he that will be Chriſts Diſciple let him deny himſelf, Mat. 6.24. This muſt reach a threefold ſelf; prophane civil, and religious ſelf. Paul counted that loſſe which before Chriſt was revealed in him, he eſteemed gain; the wiſe Merchan when he had once found the pearl o… great price went and ſold all that he had, Mat. 13.45, 46. nay, we find that Chriſt denied himſelf for ou… ſakes, Phil. 2.7. and wel may we deny our ſelves for him.
Secondly, becauſe all other relations and wants are ſupplied and made up in the enjoyment of Chriſt himſelf; hence the Apoſtle determines to know nothing, 1 Cor. 2.2. to glory in nothing ſave in Chriſt evucified, Gal. 6.14. Doſt thou forſake Father, Mother Huſband, Children, &c. for Chriſt? he will be a Father, a Huſband a friend to thee; he wil be inſtead … all Relations; Doſt thou forſake the riches, honour… pleaſures of the world for him; thou ſhalt have true pleaſure, riches, and honour in him; Doſt thou ſacrifice thy Iſaak, and deny thine own will, wiſdom, an… righteouſneſs for him; Thou ſhalt have thy will upon a better account, in reſigning it up to his will, which is the beſt will: and he wil be righteouſneſs and … dome to thee, 1 Cor. 1.30.
Uſe. 1 Be exhorted therefore to learn and practiſe this leſſon of ſelf-deniall above all Leſſons: 'tis a good old Doctrine, which though it be talked of by many, yet few practiſe it; O that we were more loſt in our ſelues, that we might …e more found in Chriſt; unleſs the grain of whear be caſt into the earth and dye, it bringeth not forth fruit, John 12.24. ſo unleſs we dye to the inordinate love of our ſelves and the creature, we cannot bring forth fruit unto God, Hoſea 10.1 Rom: 7.4, 6. Gal: 2.20.
Never was there more need of preſſing the Doſtrine of ſelf-denial then now; how many hopeful inſtruments are at this day even choked with ſelf-love, and an inordinate deſire of the riches and honours of, this world? Is it not too evident that they have or…aken their former love and zeal, and are running back as faſt as they can to Egypt, to feed on the garrick & Onions there! Not long ſince they ſeemed to have quire forgotten their Fathers houſe and cordial…y to cleave to Chriſt, and to a pure ſpiritua intereſt: But alas they are intangled again with wordly inteteſts, and relations, 2 Peter 2.20. and build up that which they formerly deſtroyed: This is an evil which cannot ſufficiently be lamented, for it doth exceedingly provoke the Lord in ſuch a time as this; we may with tears in our eyes, and ſorrow in our hearts, take up that ſad complaint of the Apoſtle, That all ſeek their own: none the things that are Chriſts, Phil. 2.21. The Lord teach us this leſſon of ſelf-denia, though it ſhoud be by ſharp afflictions: ah how few are there among us that ove the Lord Jeſus for himſelf.
Uſe. 2 Secondly, This may admoniſh the profeſſors of …he Goſpel not to trifle and dally, but to be in good …arneſt with Religion, and reckon before- hand what … wil coſt them, that they may not repent of the …gain, nor look back again having once put their …ands to the plough; Let us remember Lots wife No …an (ſaith our Saviour) buildeth a houſe, or goeth to ſwar, but he counteth the coſt before hand, &c. who…oever forſaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Diſciple, Luke 14.28, 31, 33. If you will be Chriſts Spouſe you muſt not expect to be the worlds faverite; you are not Chriſts true friend if you be a ſlave to any luſt; as for outward things, we are to uſe them as if we uſed them not. 1 Cor: 7.30, 31: an inordinate deſire and uſe of things indifferent and lawful in their own nature, as meat, drink, apparel, ſleep, recreation trading, buying, ſelling &c doth exceedingly retard, the work of mortification, and hinder the ſouls communion with Chriſt. Al things are awful unto me (ſaith the Apoſtle) but al things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but I wil not be brought under … power of any, 1 Cor; 6.12.