Loves Intercourse Between the Lamb and His Bride, Treatise · Chapter 2 · Verse 8
Verſ. 8. The voice of my Beloved: Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
As between two betrothed Lovers, when the ſpring comes, the man calls and invites his future Spouſe, to come forth out of the houſe, wherein ſhe has remained in the winter ſeaſon, that they may walk together abroad, and take delight, and ſolace themſelves now with the flowers, and thoſe pleaſant things which the ſpring doth afford: Even ſo the Church, in the reſt of this Chapter, is by her Beloved invited and called upon, to ariſe from all carnall ſecurity, and forſake the love of this world, to follow him in the faith and love of the Goſpell, and to view and delight her ſelf with the variety of theſe heavenly comforts, and ſpirituall graces, which, like a pleaſant ſpring, the ſame doth afford.
Firſt then, in theſe words we have, 1 Whereby he calls or invites her, to this participation of his graces, and ſpirituall delight thereof; to wit, by his voice, which ſhe diſcerneth to be his. 2 After what manner he comes unto her, to wit, readily and ſpeedily, overcomming all impediments, leaping over the mountains, and skipping over the hills.
Firſt then, the Lord Jeſus doth call his choſen by his Word externally, which is his Voice, as he ſales, Joh. 10. 3 and by the work of his Spirit internally, and effectually, whereby they not onelyonly hear his voice, but diſcern the ſame to be his, and thereafter follow him, as he ſhewes, Joh. 10. 4. having gotten a ſpirituall ear, whereof the Spirit ſpeaks, Rev. 2. 3. which hears that which the world cannot hear, as it is ſaid of Paul's converſion, Act. 22. 7. 9. that he heard a voice, verſ. 7., which they who were with him heard not, as is ſaid, verſ. 9. and who not onelyonly have a ſpirituall ear, or hearing, …ut alſo a ſpirituall gift of diſcerning Chriſt's voice, from the voice of a ſtranger, truth from errour, and the voice of the Lamb, from that of the Beaſt's; horned like the Lamb, but ſpeaking like the Dragon. For, 1 They have not onelyonly the knowledge of the truth in their mind, but the love of the truth in their heart; which becauſe ſome has not had, therefore, as 2 Theſſ. 2. 11. they have been given over to the deluſion of errour. 2 They have the ſpirit of truth, and therefore they can try the Spirits, whether they be of God or no….
Secondly, prefixing an (Ecce) whereof cap. 1. 15. She ſpeaks of His comming to her, and manner thereof, according as he ſaies, Joh. 14. 23. that he who hears his voice, and keeps his word, his Father will love him, and we (ſaies he) will come unto him, and make our abode with him. This comming then is a ſpirituall comming to the ſoul, by the Word, as the ordinary mean; ſo that they who contemn the Word, contemn his comming to them by the ſame; and they who reverence and receive the Word, they receive him who comes thereby; for our Saviour is ſaid to come three manner of waies to his Church: 1 He came viſibly and corporally, in his Incarnation. 2 He comes (as here) inviſibly and ſpiritually, by ſanctification. And 3 He is to come gloriouſly, for her remuneration. To whom therefore by his Word he comes ſpiritually, to ſanctifie them here, he ſhall come to them comfortably, to glorifie them hereafter.
Then touching the manner of his comming, ſhe ſhowes, it was both cheerfully and ſpeedily, like one leaping and skipping, as alſo upon the mountains and hills, that is, openly and apparently to the eye of faith, as Nahum 1. 15. their feet are ſaid to be, that bring good tidings, and publiſh peace; or elſe, paſſing over all lets, as our ſins, how great ſoever, like Manaſſes's, Mary Magdalen's, and others, which hindered not his free grace; …or the naturall oppoſition of a carnall heart, as Eſa. 40. 4.
Obſervations.
1. We ſee how all the godly eſteeme of Gods word which they heare preached unto them, to wit, as the voice of Chriſt himſelf, which therefore they heare reverently, lay it up in their hearts with David carefully, meditate thereon fruitfully, and obey it diligently, Pſ. 119. 11.
2. We ſee that (as is ſhowne us, Joh. 10. 4.) Chriſts ſheep have a diſcerning faculty between the voice of their own ſhepherd and a ſtrangers, and by the rule of holy Scripture, as we have Iſay. 8. 20. the Bereans example, and Pauls direction, Gal. 1. 8. can diſcerne error from truth, and the doctrine of Chriſt from the doctrines of Antichriſt.
3. Whereas it is ſaid, not only that it is the voice, of her welbeloved, but that he comes skipping over the hils, &c. we ſee, 1. how Chriſt comes ordinarily to the ſoul, to wit, by the means of grace and preaching of the word which whoſoever deſpiſes, they deſpiſe the coming of Chriſt Jeſus to their ſoules for their ſalvation here, and ſhall never heare that joyfull ſentence ſpoken to them hereafter, Come yee bleſſed of my Father, &c. 2. That although the voice of the beloved be heard, yet if he come not himſelf by the power of his ſpirit, and inward efficacy of grace to the Soul of the bearer, Pauls planting and Apollo's watering, all will be in vaine, and the word otherwiſe heard will be b…t a dead letter, and as a tinkling cymball: wherefore we ſhould pray that the Lord would do to us, as he did to Lydia, Act. 16. 14.
4. We ſee that Chriſt comes firſt to the ſoul, and then invites it to riſe and come away to him, as v. 10. Wherein we ſee the Lords gracious dealing to us, who may juſtly ſay, as the Baptiſt ſaid to Chriſt. We have more need that we ſhould come to him, being, as Math. 11. 20. heavy loaden that we may be eaſed, and as to our Phyſitian to be cured of our loathſome and deadly diſeaſes, Ezek 16. Or as the Leper and Hemeroiſs did, and yet as the loving Samaritan, and as he did to the ſickman of the palſy, Joh. 5. He comes to us, by which coming great is the honour that is done to us, and therefore we may ſay with Eliſabeth as ſhe ſaid concerning the virgin Maries coming unto her, How comes it that the mother of my Lord ſhould come to me: ſo much more, How is it that the Lord himſelf ſhould come to us? As alſo great is the profit that comes to us; for as he ſaid to Zacheus, ſalvation comes to our Soules when he comes to us.
5. The manner of his coming is skipping and leaping over the hills; that is, cheerfully and ſpeedily overcoming all impediments that might hinder, how great ſoever: which ſhould teach us not only in all our diſtreſſes and difficulties wherein we call upon him to remember this to our comfort, but likewiſe when he calls upon us, to the performance of any duty in his worſhip, or for his cauſe, to do or ſuffer, that we ſhould in like manner come unto him cheerfully and ſpeedily, as we ſee Abraham did in a hard task, Gen. 22. 3. and Zacheus, Luk. 19. 6. and David profeſſes, Pſal. 119. 32. Neither ſhould any impediment hinder us, as we ſee it did thoſe, Matth. 22.