16. THE SIXTEENTH SERMON
THE SIXTEENTH SERMON My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. His head is as fine gold; his locks are bushy and black as a raven; his eyes are as the eyes of doves, by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set, &c.—Song of Solomon 5:10-13.
Obj. Hence likewise we may answer some doubts that may arise; as why the death of one man, Christ, should be of value for satisfaction for the sins of the, whole world. How can this be?
Ans. O but what kind of man was he? ’The chief among ten thousand,’ especially considering that his excellency ariseth from the grace of his personal union of God and man. The first Adam tainted thousands, and would have tainted a world of men more if there had been more; but he was mere man that did this. And shall not Christ, God and man, the second Adam, advance the world, and ten thousand worlds if there had been more? He is chief among ten thousand.
’His head is as most fine gold; his locks are bushy and black as a raven,’ &c.
1. Positively, ’He is white and ruddy.’ 2. Comparatively, ’He is the chiefest of ten thousand.’ The church doth not think it sufficient, in general, to set out Christ thus; but she descends into a particular description of him by all the parts of a body that are conspicuous. First, in general observe hence, that it is the nature of love upon all occasions to reflect upon the thing loved. As the church here, from things that are excellent in the world, borrows phrases and comparisons to set out the excellency of Christ, exalting him above any other thing. Whatsoever the soul of a Christian sees in heaven or earth, it takes occasion thence to think of Christ.
Again, in general, observe from hence, seeing the church fetcheth comparison from doves’ eyes, from the body of a man and other things, that there are some beams of excellency in every creature. There is somewhat of God in every creature. This makes the meditation of the creature to be useful. There is none, even the meanest, but it hath a being, and thereby in a sort sets out the being of God. Why doth God style himself a shield, a rock, a buckler, a shadow, and the like? but to shew that there is something of him in these. And therefore to teach us to rise from them to him, in whom all those excellencies that are scattered in them are united. In innocency we knew God, and in him we had knowledge of the creature; but now we are fain to help ourselves from the knowledge of the creature to rise to the knowledge of God.
’His head is as fine gold.’ A little in general. See the boldness and largeness of the church’s affections, who, though she had been ill entreated by the watchmen and others, yet is she not disheartened for all this. No; she goes on and sets out particular commendations of her beloved. Where love hath any strength, no water can quench it. You see the church here found but cold entertainment from the watchmen and others that should have been better.
Nay, she was in desertion, yet she was not discouraged. Nay, not from the desertion that Christ left her in; but she seeks after him whom her soul loved. Oh! this is the sign of a true, sanctified soul, touched from heaven, never to give over seeking of Christ; nor setting out his praises. No, though it thinks itself not beloved of Christ. Ask such ones, Do you love God, his children, and his word? Oh! you shall have them eloquent. No words are enough to set out their affections. And this is one reason, which we may note by the way, why God plants in his children, at their first conversion, a sweet love, which we call, ’the first love,’ that when desertions come they may call to mind what they felt from Christ, and what they bore to him; and thereupon the church concludes, ’I will return to my first love, for then was I better than now,’ Hosea 2:7. The church here, from what doth she commend her beloved, but from somewhat that was left in her soul, some inward taste of the love of Christ in her? She called to mind how it was with her before in the former part of this, and in the latter end of the former chapter; what an excellent estate she had been in. This helped her to recover herself.
Now you may say, Why is she so exact in reckoning up so many particulars of her beloved, his head, locks, eyes, lips, and such like?
Why? 1. It is from largeness of affection. A large heart hath alway large expressions. When we are barren in expressions towards Christ, and of good things, whence comes this but from narrow, poor affections? The church had large affections; therefore she had suitable expressions. And then, 2. She is thus particular, because Christ hath not one but many excellencies. Everything in him is excellent, inward and outward, as his head, &c. For indeed beauty consists not in sweetness of colour only, but in affinity and proportion of all parts. Now there is all sweet proportion in Christ. So it should be with Christians. They should not have one excellency, but many. Those that receive grace for grace from Christ, John 1:16, have not only head, eyes, hands, and feet good; but all lovely, ’grace for grace,’ answerable to the variety of graces in Jesus Christ, in whom all things jointly, and everything severally, are lovely.
Then, 3. She sheweth her particular care and study, to be exact in this knowledge of Christ. To rip him up and anatomise him thus, from head to foot, it argueth she had studied Christ well, ere she could attain this excellency. So it should be the study and care of every Christian, to study the excellencies of Christ, not only in the gross, to say as much as you have in the Creed; he was born for us of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, dead, and buried, &c., which every child can say; but to be able to particularize the high perfections and excellencies of Christ, as the church here; to study his nature, offices, the state he was in, and how he carried himself in his humiliation and exaltation; what good we have by both states, redemption by his abasement; application of it by his advancement; what he did for us on earth; what he doth in heaven; what in justification, adoption, sanctification, and in the glory to come. Study everything, and warm the heart with the meditation of them. This particular spreading and laying open the excellencies of Christ is a thing worthy of a Christian. We make slight work of religion. We can be particular and eloquent enough in other things, but in that wherein all eloquence is too little, how barren are we! how shamefaced to speak of Christ and his excellencies in base company, as if it were a dishonour! Let us therefore learn this from the church here, to be much in thoughts and meditations of the excellencies of Christ, and so our expressions will be answerable to our meditations. So the holy fathers that were godly (till another kind of divinity came into the world, of querks* and subtilties) there was none of them but was excellent this way. Paul admirable, accounting ’all dung and dross in comparison of Christ.’ In speaking of him, when he begins, he goes on from one thing to another, as if he were ravished, and knew not how nor where to end. The soul hath sights of Christ that God shews to it, and which the soul presents to itself by the help of the Spirit. The sights that God in this kind shews, are to those in affliction especially; as Daniel and Isaiah saw Christ in his glory in a vision. So Ezekiel had a vision, and John, Revelation 1, where Christ was presented to him gloriously. So there is a glorious description of Christ present to the church, Revelation 4:5. And as there are sights let down from God into the soul, so there are sights that the soul frames of Christ, such as the church here conceives of him by faith. Thus Moses saw him before he was incarnate, and Abraham saw his day and rejoiced, John 8:56 : so should we now have spiritual sights, ideas of Christ framed to our souls. This is to bestow our souls as we should do (m). So much for general, now we come to some particulars. ’His head is as fine gold; his locks are bushy and black as a raven.’
’His head is as fine gold.’ He begins to set out the excellency of the chief part, the head. The head of Christ is God, as it is 1 Corinthians 11:3. He is above all, and God only is above him. All is yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s, 1 Corinthians 3:22-23. But that is not so much intended here, as to shew Christ’s headship over the church, as God and man. His head is as fine gold, that is, his government and headship is a most sweet and golden government.
Daniel 2. You have an image of the monarchies; the first whereof had a golden head, which was the Chaldean. The best monarchy is set out by the best metal,—gold; so Christ, the head of the church, is a precious head, a head of gold. A head hath an eminency above all others; an influence and motion above all other parts. It is the seat of the senses. So this golden head is more eminent than all, governs the whole church and hath influence into all. In him we live, and move, and have our being, Acts 17:28.
Quest. Why is Christ as king thus resembled to an head of gold?
Ans. Because gold is the chief, the most precious, durable metal of all others. Christ is a king for ever, and hath an everlasting government. Gold is also the most pliable metal. You may beat it out to leaves more than any other metal whatsoever. Christ is all gold indeed. His love hath beat himself out as low as may be, all for our good. What abasement like to Christ’s? That which is most precious is most communicating, as the sun, a glorious creature. What doth so much good as it? So Christ, as he is the most excellent of all, ’the chief of ten thousand,’ so is he also the most communicative. What good to the good that Christ did? He was beaten, out of love to mankind, to lowest abasement for us. Though this be not mainly aimed at here, yet, by the way, speaking of gold, we may present to ourselves such comfortable meditations.
Use 1. Well then, is Christ such an excellent head, a golden head, ’in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom, Colossians 2:3, to govern his church? What need we then go to that triple crown, having such a golden head? The apostasy of the church hath found out another golden head. Is not Christ precious enough? Let us take heed of leaving the head Christ, as it is Colossians 2:19. It is a damnable thing to forsake him. Let the apostatical* church alone with her antichrist.
2. Again, if Christ be a golden head, let us his members labour every one to be suitable. Though there be difference between the head and the members in many respects, especially in those three formerly named, eminency, government, and influence, yet for nature they are one. Head and members make but one. So that as the head of the body is gold, so should every member be. Therefore the seven churches are styled seven golden candlesticks. Everything in the tabernacle was gold, even to the snuffers, to shew that in the church everything is excellent. The tabernacle was gold, most of it, though it was covered with badgers’ skins. The church indeed hath a poor covering as of badgers’ skins, not gilded as hypocrites; but it is precious within. Again, Christ, as he is gold, so he is fine gold, whole gold. He hath not only the crown on him, but his head is gold itself. Other kings, their crowns are of gold, but their heads are not so. But there is such a precious treasure of wisdom in him that his head is gold. So let the church and every Christian labour, not to be gilt, but gold; to be thoroughly good; to have the inside as good as the outside, the heart as good as the conversation. The church is glorious within, Psalms 45:13. Beloved, is Christ an excellent golden head, and shall we have a base body? Is he fit to be united to a golden head that is a common drunkard, a swearer, that is a beast in his life and conversation? Is this suitable?
3. Again, is our head so golden, and whatsoever excellency we have, is it from our head? Therefore as the church in the Revelation, ’let us cast all our crowns at his feet,’ Revelation 4:10. Have we crowns of gold? anything that is excellent within, any grace, any comfort? Let us lay it down at his feet, for all is from him. Natural men have golden images of their own. Israel would have golden calves. Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden image, and all must worship it. So in the declining times of the church: they framed golden images, that is, a golden whorish religion, gilded, and painted, framed by their own brain, whereunto all must stoop. But the true gold is that we must respect and submit ourselves unto and admire. Others are but golden dreams and images, as Nebuchadnezzar’s was. Christ’s head is of fine gold.
All must be fine gold that comes from this head. His word is gold, sometimes purged in the fire. His ordinances gold, in the Scripture phrase, Psalms 19:10. The city, the new Jerusalem, which signifies the state of the church in this world, when it shall be refined to the utmost, all is of gold; the walls of precious stones; the gates of pearl; and the pavement of the streets of pure gold, Revelation 21:21, to shew the excellency of reformation; which golden times are yet to come. In the mean time let us go on and wait for them.
’His locks are bushy, and black as a raven.’ I think this is but complemental, to fill up the other. It is nothing but a commendation of his freshness, a foil to beauty. Therefore not particularly to be stood upon.
’His eyes are as doves’ eyes by the rivers of waters,’ &c. His eyes are as doves’ eyes, and such eyes as are by the rivers of waters; where they are cleansed and washed with milk that they may be the clearer, and fitly set; neither goggle eyes, nor sunk into the head, but fitly set, as a jewel in a ring; neither too much in, nor too much out, to set out the comeliness of this part, the eye, which is the glory of the face.
Quest. Why is Christ said to have the eyes of doves?
Ans. The dove hath many enemies, especially the white dove is a fair mark for the birds of prey. Therefore God hath given that creature a quick sight, that she might discern her enemies. Thus the Scripture helps us to conceive of the quickness of Christ’s eye, Revelation 5:6. There are seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God. Here Christ the lamb, hath seven eyes and seven horns. What be these? Christ hath not only horns of power, as the enemies have horns of violence.—He hath horn against horn; but seven eyes, that is, a quick sight to see all the danger the church is in, and seven eyes. Seven is a word of perfection, that is, he hath many eyes, an accurate sight. He hath not only an eye of providence over the whole world, but an eye of grace and favour, lively, and lovely in regard of his church. All things are naked and open before his eyes, as it is, Hebrews 4:13. He can see through us, he knows our very hearts and reins, which he must do ex officio, because he must be our judge. He that is judge of all had need to have eyes that will pierce through all. It had need be a quick eye that must judge of the heart and affections. But what may we learn hence? That we have a Saviour that hath doves’ eyes, that is, clear eyes, able to discern.
Use 1. Take it as a point first, of all comfort to the church, that when we have any imputation [that] lies upon us, that we are thus and thus, Christ hath quick eyes, he knows our hearts. Thou knowest, saith Peter, Lord, that I love thee, John 21:15. In all false imputations, rest in the eyesight of Christ. He knows it is otherwise with us.
Use 2. Then again, in all abasement, know that there is an eye that sees all. He sees with his eye and pities with his heart. As he hath a quick eye, so he hath a tender heart. Though he seems to sleep and to wink, it is but that we may wake him with our prayers; which when we have done, we shall see that Christ hath seen all this while, and that the violence the enemies of God have offered to his church, the spouse, hath been in his sight, and that they shall know at length to their cost.
Likewise it is a point of terror to all hypocrites and others, that think to blindfold Christ again. Can they blindfold him in heaven that hath this sharp eye? No; he sees all their courses and projects, what they are and what they tend to; and as he sees them, so he will spread them all open ere long.
Use 3. And as it is a point of comfort and terror, so it is a point of instruction to us all, that we having to deal with a judge that sees all, to worship Christ in spirit. If we had knowledge that such an eye of God is fixed upon us in all places, in all our affections and actions, would we give liberty to base and filthy thoughts, to cruel designs, and to treacherous aims and intents? to hatch a hell, as it were, in our hearts, and to carry a fair show outwardly. It could not be. Men are not afraid of their thoughts, affections, desires, and inward delights of their soul, because there is no eye of justice upon them. But if they did consider that the all-seeing God did observe these inward evils, and would call them to account one day for them, then they would be as well afraid to think ill as to do ill.
’His cheeks are as beds of spices, and as sweet flowers.’
Cheeks are the grace of the face. They are used here to denote the presence of Christ, which is sweet as spices and flowers. Not only his presence is glorious in heaven, when we shall see that goodly person of Christ that became man for us, that transforming sight that shall make us like himself, but the spiritual presence of Christ in his ordinances which we are capable of here, this is as spices and flowers.
Obj. But you will say, cheeks, face, and presence present colours to the eye, and not smells, as spices and flowers, which are the peculiar object of another sense.
Ans. Oh, but Christ is the object of all the senses. Beloved, he is not only beauty to the eye, but sweetness to the smell, and to the taste. Therefore faith hath the name of all the senses, to see, hear, taste, and smell, and doth all, because it carries us to Christ, that is instead of all to us. But the point is, That the manifestation of Christ to his church and children by his Spirit in any of his ordinances, is a sweet manifestation, and delectable as spices and flowers; as it is, Song of Solomon 1:3; ’Because of the savour of thy good ointments, thy name is as an ointment poured out, therefore the virgins love thee.’ The very name of Christ, when he is known and laid open by the ministry, is a precious ointment, and the virgins, that is, all chaste souls, follow him by the smell of his ointments. All his ordinances convey a sweetness to the soul. His sacraments are sweet, his word sweet, the communion of saints sweet. The presence of the sun, you know, is known in the spring time by the freshness of all things, which put forth the life and little liveliness they have in them, some in blossoming, and some in flowers. That which lay, as it were, dead in winter, it comes out when the sun draws near; so when Christ comes and shews his presence and face to the soul, he refresheth and delights it.
Hence we see they are enemies to Christ and to the souls of God’s people that hinder the manifestation of Christ, whereby his face might be seen, and his lovely cheeks discerned. Those that hate and undermine the ordinances of God, they hinder the comforts of their own souls. And they are enemies to Christ. For when hath Christ glory but when the virgins follow him in the scent of his sweet ointments? When the soul, in the sense of his sweetness, follows him, and cleaves to him with joy, love, and delight, this makes Christ Christ, and sets him up in the heart above all others. This is the proper work of the ordinances. Those, therefore that are enemies to the ordinances of Christ, are enemies to the souls of God’s people, and to the glory and honour of Christ himself. Thus far we may go safely, upon comparison of this with the other Scriptures.