Verse 15. “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair, thou hast doves’ eyes.” What is it, some will ask, that can make one defiled and deformed by sin, thus “fair” to the eye of Jesus? Where, when, bow, can it be found? This is all that is needed to fill to overflowing the soul’s cup of happiness! What would all the riches, honors, and glories of this world be, compared with hearing such words from such lips! “Behold, thou art fair, my love.” Most truly, this is the soul’s ineffable blessedness! The gospel of the grace of God, my friend, gives the answer to thy question. Know then, that when a soul is drawn to Jesus, it is received by Him, and placed in the light of God’s presence, in the full value of His finished work, and in the matchless beauty of His adorable Person.
This is grace—the grace of God in the gospel of His Son to everyone that believeth. “All that believe are justified.” And all that believe are “accepted in the Beloved,” through the accomplished work of the cross. (Eph. 1:22Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:2).) His precious blood cleanseth from all sin. (1 John 1) Then, oh, how “fair!” “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us.” (Psalm 90:1717And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. (Psalm 90:17).) What perfection of beauty this must be! “The beauty of the Lord our God.” How fair for the courts above! The beauty of angels will be perfect after their own order, but the sinner saved by grace shall shine in the beauty of the Lord forever.
All this, I think, I can believe, some may reply, but oh, can such a place—can such blessing ever be mine? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,” is heaven’s answer to every anxious enquirer—is heaven’s declaration of perfect grace to all. Believe in Jesus, trust in Him, defiled and deformed as thou art, and sooner far than thy thoughts can turn from one subject to another, thou art altogether “fair” in His sight. “Only believe.” The work is finished “long, long ago.” Oh! beware of that “deadly doing!” The gospel seems too simple to admit of explanation. It is a report to be believed—an invitation to be accepted—a voice of love beseeching thee to be reconciled to God—a proclamation of pardon and peace by Jesus Christ. (Acts 10:36; 13:38, 3936The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) (Acts 10:36)
38Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39).) Not, observe, the promise of pardon and peace, but the preaching of pardon and peace. This makes a wonderful difference. And observe, further, that it is neither by law nor promise that the soul is thus richly blessed; but by Jesus Christ. The moment thou hast faith in Him, thy forgiveness, justification, and reconciliation, are proclaimed by the truth of God.
Take one example, as an illustration of the ways of God, in grace, with sinners. In the third chapter of Zechariah, we see Joshua standing before the Lord. He is a type of God’s dealings, in grace, with Jerusalem in the latter day. This chapter is the history, I believe, of how the Bride of the king is so “fair” in His sight. This is important as to our present question. It is also the history of every sinner saved by grace. Joshua is clothed in filthy garments. Satan is there to resist him. He always seeks to hinder the blessing of souls. But the Lord shelters the defenseless one. He casts out none that come to Him. He rebukes and silences the adversary; and speaks and acts for Joshua. This He always does. Be of good courage. The filthy garments are taken away; his sins are all forgiven. There is not a rag left for Satan to lay hold on. Thus cleansed from all his defilements, “He is clothed with a change of raiment.” The robe of God is put upon him. And now, how “fair!” But this is not all. A fair miter is set upon his head. Surely “The beauty of the Lord our God” is now upon him! He is, what God in “the exceeding riches of His grace” has made him. “Unto him that loved us, and—washed us from our sins in his own blood. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen.” Both the kingly and the priestly crown are ours—ours in His right. This is their glory! Highest in dignity, belonging to royalty. Nearest in worship, belonging to priesthood. And oh! how sweet the thought, the work is all of God from first to last, and so can never fail. “The Lord hath chosen Jerusalem........Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?........I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee........I will clothe thee with change of raiment........And I said, Let them set a fair miter on his head.” It is all of God—by Christ Jesus through the work of the cross. “Without shedding of blood is no remission.” Grace reigns—God is glorified—faith triumphs—Satan confounded, and the sinner eternally saved.
This know also, my dear friend, that if thy desire after Christ, and after the enjoyment of His favor be true and sincere, there must already be grace in thy heart. The desire must come from Him. Where there is nothing more than mere nature, there can be no longing desire for the blessed Lord and His favor. Faith, salvation, and desire, go together, although the timid believer will often hesitate to say “He is all my salvation and all my desire.” The clearest evidence of divine life in the soul, is when the heart is occupied with Him, the link of connection is formed and can never be broken; faith alone enters into its blessedness. Oh! rest, abide in Him.
Being associated with the risen Jesus, we are one with Him in resurrection. (Eph. 2) This gives us our wondrous place in His sight. All who are brought into this new—this resurrection state, are fair even as Christ is fair. Only that in all things He has the pre-eminence as it is written, “Thou art fairer, than the children of men.” Hence, we find the same terms of endearment and admiration applied to both. And the same things said of both; the Bride being the reflection of the Bridegroom. If the garments of the Bride are scented with myrrh; it is said of the Bridegroom, “All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes and cassia.” What a blessed theme this great truth opens up for meditation! Oneness with Christ, as risen and glorified! How little the world in all its relationships and associations would seem, did we look at them from this point of view!
What is here said of Israel, or of the remnant, prophetically, (“Behold, thou art fair, my love,”) is true now in a deeper sense, of the church of God, the Bride of the Lamb. At the same time, the great principle of the song is common to both. The Lord’s love is perfect. He loves Israel; He loves the Church; and in due time He will create those affections in the hearts of both, which will perfectly answer to His own. Hence, the moral value and application of this book to the Christian, is of great importance. It is the fellowship of hearts. Still, it is always well to keep in view, the difference between what will be the place of the Jew in the latter day, and what the place of the Christian now is.
Although the marriage of the Lamb has not yet come, the relationship between Christ and the Church is already formed. As the apostle says, “I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a “chaste virgin to Christ.” (2 Cor. 11:22For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2).) Blessed truth! The espoused of the Savior, the Son of the Father! But knowest thou, Ο my soul, the affections belonging to this near and dear relationship? In place of a painful uncertainty, which often agitates the minds of those who are only looking forward to relationship, hast thou the calm peaceful affection and joy, which naturally flow from a settled union? If so, the desire of thy heart will be great for thy Lord’s return. Affection is the true ground of the cry, “Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.”
The Bridegroom further adds in His present address, “Thou hast doves’ eyes.” Our associations with the dove in scripture, are of the most instructive kind. From the eighth chapter of Genesis down to New Testament times, it occupies an interesting place in the word. On our first acquaintance with the dove, we find it in connection with the ark of God and the olive tree. Precious types of the salvation and the peace of God. She plucked, and held fast, the olive leaf, when the judgments of God covered the earth. And while the waters were unabated it could find no rest for the sole of its foot, until it returned to the ark. The world under judgment was no place for it. Again, we find, the dove alone, of all the feathered tribe, was offered in sacrifice under the law, and thereby typified the Lord Himself. The same type serves for both Christ and His Spouse. Wondrous unity! “For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body; so also is Christ.” (1 Cor. 12:1212For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12).) Mark, the apostle is speaking of that which is a figure of the Church, but in place of concluding, “so also is the Church,” he adds “so also is Christ.” He sees the Church in Him. They are one body.
The Holy Spirit is also typified by the dove. “And John bare record saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.” It is also said, that when the dove is absent from its mate, it sits solitary and mourns. “I did mourn like a dove.” And, “We mourn sore like doves.” (Isa. 38:14; 59:1114Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me. (Isaiah 38:14)
11We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. (Isaiah 59:11).) Simplicity, purity, harmlessness, faithfulness, seem to be represented by the dove. When the eye of the Christian is single, chaste, and constantly fixed on Christ, then may it be said, “Thou hast doves’ eyes.”
Ver. 16, 17. “Behold thou art fair, my beloved, yea! pleasant; also our bed is green. The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir? There is great beauty in this rejoinder. The Bride speaks not of herself, she hears the expressions of His admiring love, hut says nothing about herself. Not even that she is unworthy of such love. However deep her emotions, self is passed over. This is true humility. We may speak of bad self, and unworthy self, and the heart be full of pride. True humility speaks not of self at all, either good or bad. But this is a hard lesson to learn. Christ is our only perfect example. The blessed Lord humbled Himself. He took the lowest place. The first Adam exalted himself, and he was abased. The last Adam humbled Himself and God highly exalted Him. Follow Jesus then, Ο my soul! Wait thou only upon God, trust in Him. “For every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 18:1414I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:14).) This is a principle of wide application; it reaches to all the details of life, and is of immense practical importance. Learn its working perfectly in the two Adams. See it daily exemplified in the two natures. Poor human nature is ever ready to listen to the lie of the tempter, “Ye shall be as gods.” But the divine nature is content with the place wherein God has set it, until He says, “Come up higher.”
But what of the old nature in the Christian? The scriptures say plainly, that it came to its end on the cross. “Ye are dead,” is plain enough. “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” And again, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Col. 3; Gal. 2) Were we to walk in the light and power of this great foundation truth, humility would characterize us. The flesh, in its vanity and assumption, would be mortified; and the meek and lowly spirit of Jesus would be manifested.
The bird that soars on highest wing.
Builds on the ground her lowly nest;
And she that doth most sweetly sing,
Sings in the shade when all things rest.
In Lark and Nightingale we see,
What honor hath humility.
When Mary chose the better part,
She meekly sat at Jesu’s feet.
And Lydia’s gently opened heart
Was made for God’s own temple meet.
Fairest and best adorned is she,
Whose clothing is humility.
The saint that wears heaven’s brightest crown
In humble adoration bends;
The weight of glory bows him down,
Then most, when most his soul ascends.
Nearest the throne must ever be,
The footstool of humility.
When Christ is a complete covering to the eye, contentment fills the heart. We can afford to take the lowest place. Everything needed to make us happy is found in Him. He is not only fair to the eye, but pleasant to the heart. Many are fair that are not pleasant, and many are pleasant that are not fair, but Christ is both. “Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant.” Oh! what combinations—what perfections—what harmonies are found in Jesus! Here, and here alone, the heart can find rest. Quiet, perfect rest. Hence, the Bride most significantly adds, “Also our bed is green.” The green pastures, and the still waters of Jehovah’s plenteous grace, have long been familiar to our minds, as the expressive symbols of the repose and refreshment of the sheep of Christ, under His shepherd care. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.” “Pastures of tender grass......waters of quietness” are the daily fare of those whose feet are found “by the footsteps of the flock.” But the shepherd never pitches his tent inside the walls of the city. There is no tender budding grass—no waters of quietness there. Outside the dingy walls, in the rural scenes, He rests his flock. “The city,” doubtless, in this book, is typical of the world, the country of heavenly places. Only shame and sorrow befall the Bride when she is beguiled into the city. The Bridegroom is never found there, His favorite retreats are the vineyards, the gardens, the mountains of myrrh, the hills of frankincense, and the valleys where the lilies bloom.
But there is one word in these closing sentences, which indicates full, conscious, happy fellowship with the “well beloved.” I mean that little word “our,” “our bed is green,” “our house,” “our rafters.” It is like the precious little “us,” “we,” and “with,” in the Epistle to the Ephesians. Oh! happy union—blessed unity, “our, us, we, with.” Eternal oneness with Christ! One in life, one in righteousness, one in acceptance, one in peace, one in rest, one in joy, one in heavenly, eternal glory!
Joyless indeed would be the fairest scenes of earth, and joyless too, would be the house of many mansions without the presence of the blessed Lord—the divine Bridegroom of the heart. But the sure word of promise is, “And so shall we ever be with the Lord.” And again, “that where I am, there ye may be also.” Enough! Ο Lord! It is enough! With Thee, and like Thee! Consider this, my soul! Here is perfect rest for thee—calm repose. With Thee, and like Thee, Ο Lord, forever, in the Paradise of God—in the house of many mansions, fill up the full measure of our eternal happiness, dignity, and glory.
With Him I love, in spotless white,
In glory I shall shine;
His blissful presence my delight,
His love and glory mine.
All taint of sin shall he removed,
All evil done away;
And I shall dwell with God’s beloved
Through God’s eternal day.