14. THE FOURTEENTH SERMON

THE FOURTEENTH SERMON

What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.—Song of Solomon 5:9-10. THE last time we met we left the church sick of love; which strange affection in her, together with her passionate charge to the daughters of Jerusalem, moved them to make this question unto her, ’What is thy beloved more than another beloved,’ &c. To be in love is much; to conceal it is grievous; to vent it with such fervency and passion breeds astonishment in these younger Christians, who wonder what that is which can so draw away the church’s love, and run away with her affections. They knew no such excellencies of the person the church so admired, and therefore they double the question unto her, ’What is thy beloved?’ &c. ’what is thy beloved?’ &c. Whereby we see the excellency of the soul which aspires still towards perfection; not resting in any state inferior to the most excellent. Therefore also is the church’s sickness of love here, who desires a nearer union and communion with Christ than she at this time had. For there are degrees of spiritual languishing. Till we be in heaven we are always under some degree of this sickness of love; though the soul have more communion at one time than at another. Yea, the angels are under this wish to see Christ, together with his church, in full perfection. So that until we be in heaven, where shall be a perfect reunion of soul and body, and of all the members of the church together, there is a kind of sickness attending upon the church and a languishing. The question asked is, ’What is thy beloved more than another’s beloved, O thou fairest among women?’

What! now fair when her veil was taken away? now fair when the watchmen abased* her? now fair when she was disgraced? Yes; now fair, and now fair in the sight of the daughters of Jerusalem, and in the sight of Christ that calls her the fairest among women. So that under all disgraces, infirmities, and scandals; under all the shame that riseth in the soul upon sin; under all these clouds there is an excellency of the church. She is, ’the fairest among women,’ notwithstanding all these. ’O thou fairest among women.’

Quest. Whence comes this fairness, under such seeming foulness and disgrace?

Ans. It comes from without. It is borrowed beauty, as you have it, Ezekiel 16:1-2. By nature we lie in our blood. There must be a beauty put upon us. We are fair with the beauty that we have out of Christ’s wardrobe. The church shines in the beams of Christ’s righteousness; she is not born thus fair, but new-born fairer. The church of Christ is all glorious, but it is within, not seen of the world, Psalms 45:13. She hath a life, but it is a hidden life, ’our glory and our life is hidden in Christ,’ Colossians 3:3. It is hid sometimes from the church itself, who sees only her deformity and not her beauty, her death but not her life, because her ’life is hid.’ Here is a mystery of religion, The church is never more fair than when she judgeth herself to be most deformed; never more happy than when she judgeth herself to be miserable: never more strong than when she feels herself to be weak; never more righteous than when she feels herself to be most burdened with the guilt of her own sins, because the sense of one contrary forceth to another. The sense of ill forceth us to the fountain of good, to have supply thence. ’When I am weak, then am I strong,’ saith Paul, 2 Corinthians 12:10. Grace and strength is perfect in weakness.

Use. This should teach us what to judge of the church and people of God; even under their seeming disgraces, yet to judge of them as the excellentest people in the world, ’All my delight is in those that are excellent,’ Psalms 16:3; to join ourselves to them. Especially this is here to be understood of the church, as it is the mystical body of Christ; not as a mixed body, as a visible church, ’but as it is the temple of the Holy Ghost,’ 1 Corinthians 3:17. The visible church hath terms of excellency put upon it sometimes, but it is in regard of the better part. As gold unrefined is called gold, because gold is the better part; and a heap of wheat unwinnowed is called wheat, though there be much chaff in it. The body of Christ itself hath always excellent terms given it, ’O thou fairest among women.’

Those that look upon the church with the spectacles of malice can see no such beauty in her, though to espy out faults (as the devil could in Job, Job 1:9, seq.), to quarrel, to slander, they are quick-sighted enough. But we see here the church in the judgment of the ’daughters of Jerusalem,’ that she is the ’fairest among women.’ The papists have a painted beauty for their catholic church, but here is no such beauty. It becomes a whore to be painted to be as fair as her hands can make her, with feigned beauty. But the church of Christ hath a beauty from her husband, a real, spiritual beauty, not discerned of the world.

Use. This should be of use to God’s children themselves, to help them in the upbraidings of conscience (as if they had no goodness in them), because they have a great deal of ill. Christians should have a double eye, one to set and fix upon that which is ill in them, to humble them; and another upon that which is supernaturally gracious in them, to encourage themselves. They should look upon themselves as Christ looks upon them, and judge of themselves as he judgeth of them, by the better part. He looks not so much what ill we have, for that shall be wrought out by little and little, and be abolished. It is condemned already, and it shall be executed by little and little, till it be wholly abolished. But he looks upon us in regard of the better part. So should we look upon ourselves, though otherwhiles upon our black feet (our infirmities) when we are tempted to pride and haughtiness. But always let the mean thoughts we conceive of ourselves make us to fly to Christ.

’What is thy beloved more than another beloved?’

Here is a question, and a question answered with a question. Questions they breed knowledge; as the Greek proverb is, doubtings breed resolution. Whereupon the inquisitive soul usually proves the most learned, judicious, and wise soul. Therefore that great philosopher* counted it as a virtue amongst his scholars that they would be inquisitive. So the scholars of righteousness are inquisitive, ’They inquire the way to Canaan, and the way to Zion with their faces thitherwards,’ Jeremiah 1:5.

It is a special part of Christians’ wisdom to improve the excellency of others by questions; to have a bucket to draw out of the deep wells of others. As Solomon saith, ’The heart of a wise man is as deep waters, but a man of understanding can tell how to fetch those waters out.’ There be many men of deep and excellent parts which are lost in the world, because men know not how to improve them. Therefore it is good, while we have men excellent in any kind, to make use of them. It is an honour to God as well as a commodity to ourselves. Doth God suffer lights to shine in the world that we should take no notice of them? It is a wrong to ourselves and a dishonour to God.

’What is thy beloved more than another beloved?’ &c. A further point from hence is, that if we would give encouragement to others to repair to us for any good, we should learn to be so excellent as to adorn religion.

’O thou fairest among women, what is thy beloved?’ &c. They inquire of her, because they have a good conceit of her. A world of good might be done if there were bred a good conceit of men in others. We say in sickness, A good conceit of the physician is half the cure. So in teaching, a good conceit of the teacher is half the learning. ’The daughters of Jerusalem’ had a good conceit here in their questioning of the church. ’O thou fairest among women, what is thy beloved more than another beloved?’

Let us labour, therefore, to be such as may bring honour and credit to religion, and make it lovely; that what we do may make others think we do what we do to great purpose; which is ofttimes a special means and occasion of their conversion. Though properly the cause of conversion be the Spirit of God in the ordinances, yet the inducement, many times, and occasion, is the observation of the course and carriage of those that excel and are known to be eminent in parts and in graces. Emulation adds spurs to the soul. Do they take such courses that are wiser than I, and shall not I take the like course too? Paul saith, the emulation of the Gentiles shall be a means of the conversion of the Jews, Romans 11:11. When they shall see them embrace Christ, they will be encouraged to do so also. What shall we think, therefore, of them that live so as that they bring an evil report, scandal, and reproach upon religion? Great and fearful is their wickedness, that by their ill conversation, like Hophni and Phinehas, discredit the ordinances of the Lord, 1 Samuel 2:17.

Now the church thus answers the former question touching Christ, ’My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand.’ She is not afraid to set out her beloved’s beauty; for there is no envy in spiritual things. It is want of wisdom amongst men to commend a thing that is very lovely to others, and so to set an edge upon their affections when they cannot both share; and the more one hath, the less another hath of all things here below. But in spiritual things there is no envy at the sharing of others in that we love ourselves, because all may be loved alike. Christ hath grace and affection enough for all his. He hath not, as Esau speaks, but ’one blessing.’ No, he can make all his happy. Therefore the church stands not upon terms. When the ’daughters of Jerusalem’ inquire about her beloved, I tell you freely, says she, what my beloved is. First, in general, the answer is, ’My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.’ Then afterwards there is a specification of the particulars. She will not stand upon the gross, but admires* at every parcel in the thing beloved. Every thing is lovely, as we shall see in particulars afterwards.

’My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.’

We will take that which is safe, because we will have sure footing, as near as we can, in this mystical portion of Scripture.

Quest. What is that white and ruddy? Why doth the church set forth the spiritual excellencies of Christ by that which is most outwardly excellent and most beautiful?

Ans. Because of all complexions, the mixed complexion of these two colours, white and ruddy, is the purest and the best. Therefore she sets out the beauty and the spiritual excellency of Christ by this ’white and ruddy.’ Beauty ariseth of the mixture of these two. First, she sets out the beauty of Christ positively; and then, by way of comparison, ’the chiefest among ten thousand. But what is this white and ruddy? what is beauty?

1. To the making of beauty there is required a sound, healthy constitution, so as the particulars have a due proportion. There must be a harmony of the parts, one suiting with one another; for comeliness stands in oneness, when many things, as it were, are one. Uncomeliness is in diversity, when diverse things are jumbled together that belong to many heads; as we say it is uncomely to have an old man’s head on a young man’s shoulders. But when all things are so suited that they make one, agreeing exactly, there is beauty and comeliness.

2. Besides soundness of constitution and comeliness of proportion, there is a grace of colour that maketh beauty, which ariseth out of the other. So that soundness and goodness of constitution, together with the exact proportion of the variety of parts, having with it this gracefulness of colour and complexion, makes up that which we call beauty. In a word, then, this carnation colour, white and ruddy, may be understood of that excellent and sweet mixture that makes such a gracefulness in Christ. In him there is wonderful purity and holiness, and yet a wonderful weakness. There is God the ’great God’ and a piece of earth, of flesh in one person; a bloody, pierced, and a glorious shining body; humility and glory: justice, wonderful justice, and yet exceeding love and mercy: justice to his enemies, mercy to his children.

Obs. Christ is a most beautiful person, not as God only, but as man, the Mediator, God and man. The person of the Mediator is a beautiful person, as Psalms 45:2, there is a notable description of Christ and of his church, ’Thou art fairer than the children of men, grace is poured into thy lips,’ &c. But the loveliness and beauty of Christ is especially spiritual, in regard of the graces of his Spirit. A deformed person, man or woman, of a homely complexion and constitution, yet, notwithstanding, when we discern them by their conversation to be very wise and of a lovely and sweet spirit, very able and withal wondrous willing to impart their abilities, being wondrous useful; what a world of love doth it breed, though we see in their outward man nothing lovely? The consideration of what sufficiency is in Christ, wisdom, power, goodness, and love, that made him come from heaven to earth, to take our nature upon him, to marry us, and join our nature to his (that he might join us to him in spiritual bonds): the consideration of his meekness and gentleness, how he never turned any back again that came to him, should make us highly prize him. Indeed some went back of themselves (as the young man in discontent, Matthew 19:22), Christ turned them not back; nay, he loved the appearance of goodness in the young man, and embraced him. He is of so sweet a nature that he never upbraided those that followed him with their former sins, as Peter with denial, and the like. He is of so gracious a nature that he took not notice of petty infirmities in his disciples, but tells them of the danger of those sins that might hurt them: being of so sweet a nature that ’he will not quench the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed,’ Isaiah 42:3; his whole life being nothing but a doing of good, ’he did all things well’ (as the gospel speaks), excellent well, Mark 7:37.

Now, the consideration of what a gracious Spirit is in Christ, must needs be a loadstone of love, and make him beautiful. Therefore Bernard saith well, When I think of Christ, I think at once of God, full of majesty and glory; and, at the same time, of man, full of meekness, gentleness, and sweetness. So, let us consider of Christ as of the ’mighty God,’ powerful; and withal consider of him as a gentle and mild man, that came riding meekly on an ass, as the Scripture sets him out,’ Matthew 21:5. He was for comers, and gave entertainment to all: ’Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden,’ &c., Matthew 11:28. For the most weak and miserable person of all had the sweetest entertainment of him, ’He came to seek and to save that which was lost,’ Luke 19:10. Let us, I say, think of him both as of the great God, and withal as of meek man: the one to establish our souls, that he is able to do great matters; the other to draw us to him because he loves us. We are afraid to go to God, ’a consuming fire,’ Hebrews 12:29; but now let us think we go to bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, to our brother, to one that out of his goodness abased himself of purpose that we might be one with him: who loved us more than his own life, and was contented to carry the curse for us, that we might be blessed of God for ever, and to suffer a most painful and shameful death, that so he might make us heirs of everlasting life.

Christ is spiritually lovely, ’the chiefest of ten thousand.’ The church sets him out by comparison, ’a standard-bearer,’ a carrier of the ’banner of ten thousand.’ For, as the goodliest men use to carry the ensign, the banner; so he, the goodliest of all other, is the standard-bearer.

Obs. Whence we gather, that Christ, as he is beautiful and good, so he is incomparably, beyond all comparison good; ’He is a standard bearer, one among ten thousand; anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows,’ Psalms 45:7.

First, for that he is so near to God by the personal union. And in regard likewise, that all others have all from him. Of his fulness we receive grace for grace, John 1:16. Ours is but a derivative fulness. His glory and shining is as the shining of the body of the sun; ours as the light of the air, which is derived from the glory of the sun. Ours is but the fulness of the stream, and of the vessel, but the fulness of the fountain and of the spring is his. Thereupon he is called ’the head of the church,’ Colossians 1:18; the head is the tower of the body which hath all the five senses in it, and wisdom for the whole body. It seeth, heareth, understandeth, and doth all for the body; having influence into the other parts of it. So Christ is above all, and hath influence into all his church, not only eminence, but influence.

What is excellent in the heavens? The sun. So Christ is the ’Sun of righteousness,’ Malachi 4:2. The stars. He is the ’bright morning star,’ Revelation 22:16. The light. He is the ’light of the world,’ John 9:5. Come to all creatures; you have not any excellent amongst them but Christ is styled from it. He is ’the lion of the tribe of Judah,’ Revelation 5:5, the ’lily,’ Song of Solomon 2:1, and the ’rose,’ Song of Solomon 2:1, and ’the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world,’ John 1:29, ’the tree of Life,’ &c., Revelation 22:2. There is not a thing necessary to nature, but you have a style from it given to Christ, to shew that he is as necessary as bread and water, and the food of life, John 6:35; John 4:14. When we see light, therefore, think of the ’true light,’ John 9:5. When the sun, think of the ’Sun of righteousness,’ Malachi 4:2. So remember ’the bread and water of life,’ in our common food. Therefore the sacraments were ordained, that as we go to the sea by the conduct of rivers, so we might go to the sea of all excellency and goodness by the conduct of these rivers of goodness, to be led by every excellency in the creature, to that of our mediator Christ, who is ’the chiefest among ten thousand.’ To come more particularly to speak of his excellencies, omitting his two natures in one person, God and man; that we may consider his offices, a king, priest and prophet. He being the chief in all these, so all good kings before him were types of him, as also the prophets and priests. He was all in one. Never any before him was king, priest, and prophet, as he was king, priest, and prophet in one. So in every respect he was incomparable above all.

1. Such a king, as is king of kings; and subdueth things unconquerable to all other kings, even the greatest enemies of all; such a king as conquered the world, death, hell, and sin, all things that are terrible. Death you know is called ’the king of fears,* because it terrifieth even kings themselves. Christ is such a king as takes away these terrible greatest ills of all; such a king as rules over the soul and conscience, the best part of man, where he settles and stablisheth peace; such a king as sets up his kingdom in our very souls and hearts, guides our thoughts, desires, actions, and affections, setting up a peaceable government there. So he is an incomparable king even in regard of that office. ’He is the chiefest of ten thousand;’ such a king as carries the government upon his own shoulders, as it is Isaiah 9:6. He devolves not the care to another, to make it as he list and so be a cypher himself, but he carries all upon his own shoulder. He needs not a pope for his vicar.

2. Again, as a priest, such a high priest as offered himself a sacrifice by his eternal Spirit. He as God offered up his manhood. Such a priest as hath satisfied the wrath of God, and reconciled God to man. All other priests were but types of this priest, who is such a priest as never dies, ’but lives for ever to make intercession for us in heaven,’ by virtue of that sacrifice which he offered in the days of his flesh. He was both priest and sacrifice. Such a ’priest as is touched with our infirmities;’ so mild and gentle, full of pity and mercy. No priest to this priest. God only smelt a sweet smell from this sacrifice.

3. And for his prophetical office, he is a prophet beyond all others. Such a one as can instruct the soul. Other men can propound doctrines, but he can open the understanding, and hath the key of the heart, the ’key of David which can open the soul,’ Luke 24:45. By his Holy Spirit he can make the very simple full of knowledge, Proverbs 1:4. Such a prophet as hath his chair in the very heart of man; this great ’Bishop of our souls,’ 1 Peter 2:25, ’the Angel of the covenant,’ that Λογὸς, ’the messenger of the Father.’ So he is ’the chief of ten thousand,’ consider him as king, as priest, or as prophet.

Use. The use of this is exceeding pregnant, comfortable, and large, that we have such a Saviour, such an eminent person, so near, so peculiar to us. Our beloved, my beloved. If he were a ’beloved, the chief of ten thousand,’ it were no great matter, but he is mine. He is thus excellent; excellent considered with propriety in it, and a peculiar propriety. Peculiarity and propriety, together with transcendent excellency, makes happy if there be any enjoying of it. Therefore repent not yourselves of your repentings, but think I have not cast away my love, but have set it upon such an object as deserves it, ’for my beloved is the chiefest of ten thousand.’