Secondly, The Request may be considered as made by the Church of God in the depths of trouble, when storms of fierce persecution has involved her, or awful errors abounding and carrying away many professors; and such has been the case of the Church frequently: this may be seen clearly in the state of the Gospel Church, as stated in the 12th of the Revelations. Blessed be God, in the worst times, there have been a few praying souls, who have been concerned for the glory of the Redeemer, the cause of truth, and the welfare of Zion. Such have united their petitions for the delivery of Zion, and obtained an answer, as Moses did, I have seen the afflictions of my people, and I am come down to deliver them. And as the Psalmist also obtained the blessed answer, For the oppression of the poor, and the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord.
Thirdly, This Request for the coming of Jesus, may be considered as the language of a soul in straits and difficulties. Hence, some have exclaimed, Make haste to help me, O my God, make no long tarrying. The burden of guilt, the power of unbelief, the temptation of the enemy, the frowns of the world, the loss of all that is near and dear, the fears of being lost at last, that what has been experienced is but the attainments of an hypocrite; and at the same time, amidst all these things there is to be found the one good thing toward the Lord God of Israel, an inward breathing after Jesus, a thirsting for the living God—a desire to be delivered in God’s way, either by an open manifestation of Christ to the soul, or a strengthening, faith-encouraging hope, applying a promise or melting the soul in the flames of eternal love. A kind hint, a love-token, or a sweet view of Jesus afresh.—Hence the argument of the church of old, Wilt thou not revive us again, that we may rejoice in thee? Make haste therefore, my beloved.
Fourthly, This Request may be considered as the church’s desire for the manifestative presence of Christ; nothing, perhaps, can exceed this New Covenant promise, I will dwell with them.—Surely with rapture and surprise we must ask, And will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Stupendous condescension! infinite grace and love!
Stand in amaze ye rolling skies,
The presence of Jesus is life and peace—it softens the hard cares of life, sanctifies humble poverty; makes obedience easy; trials sweet; ordinances precious; and eternity desirable. The presence of Jesus endears the blessings of providence; adds a glory to creation, and causes the earth to be filled with his praise. This gives a relish to the bounties of nature; adds a double beauty to flowers, and a double sweetness to fruits.
This Request may be considered as the language of the whole Church, longing for the second coming of Jesus Christ. It is clearly revealed that the Lord will appear again the second time, without spot and sin, to salvation; the brightest display of history, and the complete Deliverer of his people. It is necessary he should appear again—the consummation of the Marriage Union is an event our dear Lord must accomplish, when he will leave the third heavens, and descend into the air with his heavenly retinue, to meet his Bride complete, body and soul, upon her resurrection from the dead. O what a joyful meeting of the heavenly Bridegroom and the spiritual Bride, of the glorious company of saints and angels, of the body and souls of God’s children, to sin no more, to sorrow no more, but to be like Jesus, see his face, enjoy his smiles, and so be for ever with the Lord. The thought is animating—Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly! Make haste, my beloved—the event will be awful, but glorious, the procession such as never has taken place in the upper or lower worlds. Perhaps some things are said about it, in allusion to earthly processions when a judge enters a town. O when the stars fall, when the sun hides his head, when the moon is confounded, when the world is in a blaze, then, then! O gracious Saviour, own us in that day for thine; and he surely will, O believers, as you have been enabled to own him in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; as sure as you are born again of the spirit, love him in soul, cleave to him in faith and hope, depend on him for life and salvation, and love all his gracious appearances. The crown is laid up for them who love his appearance.—This leads us to notice the metaphor here made use of, a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountains of spices. This is a phrase frequently used in this Song; and sometimes Christ is compared to these lovely creatures, no doubt, for their loving natures, excellent and choice, for the antipathy between them and serpents—for their thirst, after the conflict they usually have with Serpents: they are also remarkable for longivity, but in this text are mentioned to shew their remarkable swiftness of foot: their speediness is used to set forth the swiftness of Christ to the soul, over mountains of sorrow, hills of grief, over all the difficulties that are in the way. The request, then, is simply thus, Make haste my beloved, and fly swift to me, as a Roe or Hart upon mountains, where they delight to run and skip: so his gracious presence is desired on the mountains of Zion, the congregations of the saints, and the hearth and families of believers. The celebrated Dr. Gill thinks these mountains refer to the glory beyond the grave: the height and sublimity of this happy state; it is above, reserved in heaven—a hope, a crown laid up, the prize of the high calling—it is a permanency, an everlasting joy—pleasures for evermore!
O ye blest scenes of permanent delight!
Full without measure, lasting without bounds!
A perpetuity of bliss is bliss.
I trust our dear friend and Brother is now in the enjoyment of this unspeakable felicity; to this all the people of God were predestinated by the Father—for this they were redeemed by Jesus—for this they are called by the Holy Spirit, made partakers of a divine nature and preserved unto this kingdom and glory. This inheritance is sure to all the seed; but there must be a preparation for it, a calling out of the world, a good hope through grace; the pardon of sin, and a receiving the righteousness of God our Saviour. There must be a knowledge of Jesus, union to him and communion with him; this is our meetness for glory; and however uncandid it may be deemed, I am bold to affirm, that no man can behold the face of God with joy, without those blessings in time. Hear this
Ye opposers, transgressors of every degree,
And formal professors, the worst of the three.
As it respects our departed Friend, it appears he had lived in nature’s darkness, sin, and misery, like the rest of mankind, till about a year ago, when it pleased the Lord to lead him to hear the Gospel as preached by unworthy me. I believe the passage I had occasion at that time to discourse on was, Look not upon me because I am black, because the sun hath looked on me. I rather suppose his convictions began about this time; the word laid hold of his heart; he saw himself a lost sinner, justly condemned by the Law, which he soon found to be spiritual, that it cursed him for a sinful thought as well as sinful works. The fears of death, the guilt of sin, the suggestions of Satan, and the dread of judgment and eternity, were all felt by him.—He found himself shut up in unbelief, and neither might or power of his own could extricate him.—He was at the same time sadly tried in circumstances, so that the hand of God seemed to go out against him in every direction. But that most blessed Spirit of all grace, who had taken possession of his soul, and given him light to see and life to feel himself a sinner, also begot in him a living hope, that he should be delivered. The Holy Spirit convinced him of unbelief, and at the same time operated on his mind as a spirit of faith. He convinced him of his carnal enmity, yet operated as a spirit of love.