Loves Intercourse Between the Lamb and His Bride, Treatise · Chapter 2 · Verse 14
Verſe. 14. O my dove that art in the clifts of the rock, in the ſecret places of the ſtaires, Let me ſee thy countenance, Let me heare thy voice: for ſweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
Here he uſes yet a further perſwaſion unto her to come forth unto him, and conferre with him: wherein we have, 1. How he ſtyles her, 2. Whereunto he exhorts her; and, 3. His incouragement of her, or reaſon of exhortation.
Firſt then he ſtyles her a Dove, (whereof we have ſpoken ſomewhat on the 15. verſe of the firſt Chapter, concerning the eyes of the dove,) and ſo likewiſe he calles her, Cant. 5. 2. Comparing her ſo, 1. In reſpect of breeding, 2. Of feeding, 3. Of neſtling; and, 4. Of other properties, whereof we ſhall ſpeak.
Firſt then for breeding; Among all foules the dove is moſt fruitfull; even ſo is the Church in bringing forth children to God, and of good works.
2. For feeding; The dove is not carnivorax, as ravenous foules are; but feeds cleanly upon pure grane; even ſo doth the Church, not on the wiſdome of fleſh and blood, nor on carnall pleaſures, but on the pure word of God, and wholeſome grane thereof.
3. The naturall place of neſtling (as we ſee here) are rocks; and ſo is Chriſt the rock to her, in the clifts of whoſe wounds ſhe places all her ſafety.
4. Theſe are her properties, 1. The dove is ſimple; therefore ſayes our Saviour, be ſimple as the dove: and ſo is Chriſts church, like Nathaniel, in whom there is neither guile nor Hypocriſie.
2. The dove is chaſte and faithfull to her conſort, and ſo is Chriſts church to him, both in affection and retaining the purity of his true worſhip.
3. The dove is mournefull, as we have, Iſay. 38. 14. And ſo is Chriſts church here, ſowing in teares that ſhe may reape in joy.
4. The dove is Harmleſſe and Meek, and ſo is Chriſts church and every true member thereof.
5. The dove loveth cleanneſs and to haunt to white places; and ſo doth the Church, cleanneſs and holineſs of life, and all ſuch ſocieties.
6. The dove is ſociall, avis gregaria, eaſily tamed, and profitable, and ſo is the Church and every true member thereof.
7. The dove is timorous, as we ſee, Hoſ. 11. 11. and therefore has no fence but flight, and for feare of enemies hides her ſelf in the clefts of the rock: even ſo do the godly, Pſ. 119. 120. and who for feare of their ſpirituall enemies hide themſelves in the clefts, and under the protection of the true rock, Chriſt Jeſus.
8. The dove is ſwift in fleeing, as we ſee, Pſ. 55. 6. and ſo is Chriſt church by faith and devotion, pearcing the very heavens; and as the dove carried the Olive branch, and was taken into the Ark, when the raven abode without, even ſo the godly have peace and grace here, and are aſſumed to glory hereafter, when the wicked are left out.
Next, ſhe is called, his dove 1. By creation, Gen. 8. 11. 2. By purchaſe or redemption, 3. By the fathers donation, (whereof, Joh. 17. 9) 4. By confaederation, Jer. 7. 23. and 5. By matrimoniall conjunction, whereby ſhe ſayes, Cant. 6. 3. I am my welbeloved's, and he is mine, &c.
Now, the place where ſhe is ſaid to be, is, in the clifts of the rock and ſecret places of the ſtaires: by which rock is no other meant but Chriſt Jeſus himſelf, ſo called by David, Pſ. 62. 2 & 81. 21. and by Daniel, Dan. 2. 45. Upon whom whoſoever builds, he is only wiſe, and againſt ſuch, the gates of Hell ſhall in no wiſe prevaile. And which rock is neither a dry rock but like that in the wilderneſs which guſhed forth abundantly with refreſhing water, for which cauſe the Apostle ſayes, that, that rock was Christ, 1 Cor. 10. 4. Neither is it a barren rock, but like that whereof Job ſpeakes, Job. 29. 6. which poureth forth rivers of gladning oile unto us, and plenty of conſolation, Petra caelestis (caducum enim terrenum omne) quae et ſolidum fundamentum edificanti, et ſecurum m…nimentum advolanti.
Next by the clifts of this rock, Some do underſtand, the Lords eternall counſell and election of his owne; wherein as in a moſt ſure rock the ſalvation of the Church reſts, knowing that (as our Saviour ſayes) it is impoſſible that the elect ſhould periſh, Matth. 24. Others underſtand hereby that protection of the Lord's, over his owne; whereof David ſpeakes, Pſ. 32. 7. And our Saviour, ſaying of his ſheep, I give unto them eternall life, and they ſhall never periſh, neither ſhall any pluck them out of my hand, My father alſo that gave them me is greater then all, neither ſhall any pluck them out of my Father's hand. Joh. 10. 29. And, I and my Father are one. Others, and that moſt rightly, underſtand, with Bernard, by the clifts of this Rock, the wounds of Chriſt, and merits of his precious bloodſhed: which, like ſo many clefts, or hollow places, were opened upon the Croſſe, and whereunto every chriſtian ſoul, in the time of an accuſing conſcience, and Satan's purſuit by temptation, (who is like a greedy Kite or Hawk) by the flight of faith, may have her recourſe. In his enim (ſaies he) ſe columba tutatur, & circumvolitantem intrepidè intuetur accipitrem.
Thirdly, By the ſecret place of the ſtaires (as we ſee, Pſal. 91. 1.) is meant the Lord himſelf, who is the hiding and ſecret place of his own, as we have him ſo called there, and Pſal. 32. 7. and 84. 11. Unto whom the hunted and haunted ſoul, by Satan's tempations, looks up; and by faith, or a holy confidence, as by the degrees of ſtairs, aſcends, and abides under the ſhadow of the Almighty, ſaying with the Pſalmiſt, He is my refuge and my fortreſſe, my God, in him will I truſt.
Having thus ſpoken of the Church her ſtyle and deſcription, from the place of her abode, followes to ſpeak of that, whereunto ſhe is exhorted, which is; 1. to ſhew him her face. 2. to let him hear her voice.
Firſt then, His deſire to ſhow her face imports, that ſhe had hid the ſame from him. Now perſons uſe to hide their face; 1 Out of ſhamefacedneſs, as Rebecca hid her face with a vail, when ſhe firſt ſaw Iſaac, who was to be her husband. 2 Out of ſhame for faults committed, and humility, as the Publican, and Prodigal. 3 Out of fear, like Eliah and the Prophets, who hid themſelves in caves, for fear of Ahab and Jezabel's perſecution.
The hiding then of her face here, is out of a holy and virgin-like ſhamefaſtneſſe; as alſo out of the conſcience of her own guiltineſſe, (whereof the godlieſt have reaſon to be ſenſible) and a fear alſo of her ſpirituall and perſecuting enemies, which make her to have her recourſe to theſe clifts of the rock, there to hide and ſecure her ſelf.
Next, he deſires to hear her voice. Now there is a threefold voice which the Church uttereth; one to Man, which is, of preaching or inſtruction; another before Man, which is, a vowed confeſſion; and the third (which is ſpecially meant here) is her voice to God, which is prayer and ſupplication, which delights the Lord, rejoyces the Angels, vanquiſhes Satan, eaſes the conſcience, benefits the ſoul, averts judgments, and procures bleſſings.
Where we haye to remark, that the ſaies, Let me hear thy voice, ſhowing thereby, that it is to him onelyonly that ſhe ſhould put up her prayers; for, as the Pſalmiſt witneſſeth, Pſal. 65. 2. it is he onelyonly who heareth prayer, and therefore to him ſhall all fleſh come; as he commandeth, Pſal. 50. 15. And this honour, being a jealous God, he will not give unto any other.
Laſt of all, the reaſon is ſubjoyned, why he deſires her to ſhew him her face, and to let him hear her voice; for, (ſaith he) ſweet is thy voice, and thy face comely; thereby the more powerfully to induce her ſo to do, and to remove out of her mind any impediment, that might ariſe from the ſenſe of her own deformity, or unworthineſſe; to wit, that her face was not worthy to be ſeen by him, in whoſe ſight the very heavens are not pure, and before whom the very Angells appear not, but with their faces covered; hers being ſo ſpotted and unclean, as with the Leper under the Law, ſhe had reaſon to cover her lips, and to cry, Ʋnclean, unclean: As alſo, that her voice was in like manner unworthy to be heard, being but mournfull and melancholious, and more fit for a ſolitary deſert, with the Turtle, than to be heard in his ear, who has planted the ear, and to whom in the higheſt, the Angelicall quires ſing Allelujah.
To all theſe he ſweetly and comfortably anſwers, That howſoever ſhe is in her ſelfe, or ſeems ſo to her ſelfe, yet in his ſight, who ſo has loved her, her voice is ſweet, and her face is comely. We have then to conſider, what makes her voice and her face ſo.
Firſt then her voice is ſweet, in its riſe or fountain, to wit, (as Rom. 8 26.) when it ariſes from the Spirit of God, and motion thereof on the ſoul. 2 From a ſight, ſenſe, and ſorrow for ſin, in a broken heart, and contrite ſpirit, whereof David ſpeaks, Pſal. 51. 3 When it is uttered in ſaith, fervency, and humility. And 4 when the main end thereof is, God's glory, and the ſoul's ſalvation; and all is offered up to God in Chriſt, through his merit and onelyonly mediation: Then are our prayers like incenſe, and the lifting up of our hands as an evening ſacrifice; and then is the Church's voice ſweet, or, as the Prophet Malachi ſpeaks, like the offerings of Judah and Jeruſalem, which were pleaſant to the Lord, Mat. 3. 4.
Secondly, Her face is comely; whether the face of the body be meant, when it is like Mary Magdalen's, when ſhe did waſh Chriſt's feet, all blurred with the tears of true repentance, which like pretious ſeed ſhe is ſowing, that ſhe may reap in joy; or when it is like David's, Pſal. 119. 136. when he did not onelyonly waſh his bed with his tears, but ſhed rivers of tears for the ſins of others. Or whether the face of the ſoul be meant, when it is ſtamped with his image, and made comely by his beauty of holineſſe, (as he ſpeaks by the Prophet) which he put upon it, Ezek 16. 14. Any, or all theſe wayes, the face of the Church, and every true member thereof, is ſaid to be comely in the ſight of Chriſt.
Obſervations.
1. Whereas the Church is called a dove, it teacheth all her true members, what ſhould be their diſpoſition; as hath been already ſhown, in the nature and properties of the Dove.
2. We ſee, by her being in the clifts of the rock, her weakneſſe of her ſelf to withſtand her ravenous enemies, and that her onelyonly ſtrength and ſafety conſiſts, in her recourſe to her Rock, Chriſt Jeſus, and in making him her hiding place and refuge.
3. Her being in the clefts or narrow places of this Rock, ſhowes plainly, that thoſe who would have ſafety by Chriſt, and the merit of his bloodſhed, or tuition from him, they muſt not be big-ſwoln with the opinion of their own righteouſneſſe, or merit; for ſuch can never enter in at rifts, or narrow clifts of a rock, or at a narrow way, which onelyonly leads to ſalvation, Luk. 1. 53. but the humble and poor in ſpirit, for to ſuch onelyonly, as ſaies our Saviour, pertaines the kingdom of Heaven, Matth. 5. 3.
4. Seeing the Lord ſaies to every true member of his Church, Let me hear thy voice, &c. what incouragement is this to come to him by prayer, to obey and ſeek after ſo gracious a Caller upon us, and not go with Romaniſts to Saints and Angells, as mediators for us.
5. We ſee, when the Churches voice is ſweet and acceptable, and her face comely, even when ſhe is in the clefts of the rocks, as Jacob ſmelled ſweetly in Iſaac's ſight, when he came cloathed with his elder brother's garment: they onelyonly then are acceptable to God, both their perſons, and their prayers, &c. who are in Chriſt Jeſus.
6. We ſee, what incouragement this is unto us, to pray and praiſe the Lord, ſeeing he tells us, that ſweet and delectable is the voice of his Elect, when in theſe holy exerciſes, they utter the ſame before him.
7. If our voice be ſweet unto him, O how ſweet ſhould his voice, in the miniſtry and exerciſes of his Word, be unto us, as David profeſſes, Pſal. 19. and 119.
8. If the face of his Choſen be ſo comely and beautifull in God's ſight here, O how comely and beautifull will it be, when it is free from any ſpot or leaſt wrinkle hereafter.