Ver. 4. “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love” In meditating on the different scenes of delight, into which the happy Bride is introduced by the King, let thy thoughts, Ο my soul, dwell for a little, on the source of these many streams of happiness. It is the believer’s privilege to drink at the fountain as well as at the stream. God Himself is the source of all our blessing. The pleasures which are at His right hand can never be numbered. But the deep, deep fountain of the soul’s perfect blessedness, is the happy assurance, that nothing was needed to turn the heart of God to us. Oh, precious truth! His love is like the ring that was put on the hand of the prodigal, it has neither beginning nor end. “God is love.” He changeth not. Therefore, all the rich blessings of His love are secured to us forever, by what He is in Himself. Not by what we are, but by what He is. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:1010Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10).
This is the perfect rest of faith—the heart of God—the native fountain of all true happiness. How can I doubt the love that gave an only-begotten Son? What an answer to every question—He gave Ηis Son for me a sinner. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).) What is unbelief? Not believing how good God is in giving His Son to die for us. What is faith? Believing in the perfect love of God, and the gift of His dear Son, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).
The work of Christ was not needed to turn the heart of God to the sinner, but to turn the heart of the sinner to God. All Scripture reveals this blessed truth. It was revealed in the Garden of Eden when man fell. This was the first occasion to bring it out. The guilty pair sought a hiding-place from the presence of the Lord, behind the trees of the garden. But the voice of Him who came to seek and to save the lost, falls in gracious accents on their ear; “Adam, where art thou?” Man is now a lost sinner, and God is seeking him. The first words of redeeming love, characterize the whole work of redemption. And the revelation of God’s love in the prediction, that the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent, gained their confidence, we doubt not, and drew them from their hiding-place into the presence of God. Ever since then, and now, at this present time, when the sinner, through grace, believes in the perfect love of God, in the gift and work of His Son, he is brought to God in faith, and in the full credit of the death, resurrection, and glory of the Lord Jesus. Thus he is pardoned, and accepted in the Beloved, and the desires of the heart of God towards him are fully answered.
But though the love of God towards us has ever been the same, there were many hindrances in us to its full and free outflow. God is righteous as well as love. He is holy as well as merciful. He is ever consistent with Himself. But what love desired, wisdom planned, and power accomplished. The removal of the hindrances proves the greatness of the love. Jesus came to do the will of God. He finished the work. He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Love, divine, eternal love, could not do more than this. He abolished sin by the sacrifice of Himself. To what end, Ο my soul, was this great, mysterious sacrifice? The Apostle answers— “That he might bring us to God.” Not merely into heaven, but back to God Himself. To the knowledge of Himself, and to perfect reconciliation with Him. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18).) And again, it is written, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21).) And now, mark, we have both the love and the righteousness in Christ. Both are ours in Him. He is also our life as the risen Jesus; but carefully observe, that it is a life beyond the grave, a life which has the stamp of victory over death and the grave. We have everything in Christ now which fits us for the immediate presence of God, where there is fullness of joy, and pleasures forevermore.
In companionship with Jesus, the spouse is here enjoying the same scenes as Himself. They are, as it were, visiting the many springs of divine happiness. He is leading her to the “fountains of living waters.” In the morning of the day, she says, “The King hath brought me into his chambers.” A little while alter, and the scene is changed. She appears to be with Him in the fields, where He feeds and rests His flock at noon. Further on in the day, she says, “Our bed is green. The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.” Here, the figure appears to be that of persons reclining on the tender grass, beneath the refreshing shade of the interlacing boughs of the fir and cedar trees. After this, she sat down under the shadow of the apple tree, and found the fruit thereof sweet to her taste. And now, at the close of the day, we may say, she is brought by her Beloved to the banquet of wine, under the banner of His love. The unfolded, manifested love of the Bridegroom is the secret of all her joy, the native spring of all her delights.
Long, long has the banner of His love been lying, as it were, folded up. Faith always knew that in God’s account, it was only laid aside for a little while. Surely wrapped up in the word of promise, though not displayed. Still, many good men have both said and written, that the banner of Jehovah’s favor would never again float over His ancient Zion. The truth of God as to the rebuilding of the city and temple, and the restoration of Israel, has been overlooked by many, and spiritualized by others. But what saith the Scripture?
Ever since “the Nobleman” spoken of in the parable, I went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return, no banner of divine love has waved over Jerusalem. For more than eighteen hundred years the beloved city, and the beautiful temple have been laid in ruins, and the people dispersed to the four winds of heaven. This, the Lord Himself repeatedly predicted. “Ο Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. Behold your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Matt. 23:27-2927Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, (Matthew 23:27‑29).
He has delayed His return, we know, in rich grace to us. His love has been active, though not in Israel. His long suffering is salvation. From Jew and Gentile He has been calling out, through the power of the Holy Ghost, by the preaching of the gospel, a people for His name. (Acts 15:14-1814Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. 18Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. (Acts 15:14‑18).) Since the day of Pentecost, He has been making “of twain one new man.” This is what God is now occupied with, and what we should be occupied with, namely, the new man; not the old man. Hence we are exhorted to “put off the old man,” and to “put on the new man.” (Eph. 4) But ere long, the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all, shall be complete, and caught up to meet the Lord in the air,—and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (Eph. 1:22, 2322And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:22‑23) Thess. 4 Thess. 4) This will be accomplished before Israel can be owned again as the people of Jehovah. But though the Jews have been long set aside and chastised for their sins, the Apostle assures us that they are not cast off forever, and that “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” Rom. 11
The time to favor Zion shall come, the time which God hath set. He shall appear in His glory, when He builds up Zion. For the name of the Lord shall be declared in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem. (Psalm 102) The word of the Lord shall stand fast forever: the mere theories of men shall come to naught. “For, lo the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord; and 1 will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.” (Jer. 30:33For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. (Jeremiah 30:3).) And, again, “Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart, and with my whole soul.” (32:41.) Then, surely, shall the banner of God’s unchanging love wave over them. Oh! what must be the blessing of that people whom God shall assuredly bless with His whole heart and soul! What grace and condescension in God thus to speak! Oh, what blessing awaits the now outcast, and down-trodden Jew! Few will believe it, but the day is coming, and near at hand, when Messiah their King shall stand up for them against every foe—when He shall be a wall of fire around His beloved Jerusalem, and the glory in the midst of her. Then shall the long folded-up-banner of His love be unfurled, to be furled no more forever. Then shall all the families of the earth see the Lord’s faithful love, when they come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. (Zech. 14) And then, Ο then, shall this precious word be fulfilled, “He brought me into the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Stag me with flagons, comfort me with apples; for I am sick of love.”
And now, Ο my soul, what do these changing scenes of deep, and deeper blessedness—these varying fountains of fresh delight, suggest for thy meditation? What voice have they for thee now? Figures and allegories though they be, they were written aforetime for thy learning. Plainly, they represent the realities of fellowship with Christ—Bridegroom and bridal affections—the sympathies of hearts that are one. Hast thou not sometimes observed, that after actual separation from the world for awhile, as a hidden one, and close communion with the Lord enjoyed, the tone and character of our minds become more spiritual. The Lord’s presence is more fully realized; the body becomes less a clog, the spirit more free. Then we feel further from earth and nearer to heaven, in the conscious enjoyment of heavenly things, in the assurance of the Lord’s love, and His delight in us.
But this state of high spiritual enjoyment is only occasional; nor is it reached, generally speaking, in a moment. We cannot turn, all at once, from the enjoyment of earthly things, to this measure of enjoyment of heavenly things. True we have Christ, and the Spirit, and the Word, and the Father’s love, always the same; but our communion in these things is not always the same. Even the necessary occupation of mind and body with temporal things, blunts our spiritual sensibilities for the time. Secret prayer, meditation on the word, self-judgment, the body kept under, the heart delighting in the things of God, and the Spirit revealing to our souls the love of Jesus, will, in most cases, be found associated with this condition of spiritual enjoyment. Indeed, we believe, these exercises must be the habit of the believer, if he would be heavenly minded. We must walk by faith, as belonging to the new creation, not by sight as of the old. (2 Cor. 5:16, 17, 1816Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:16‑18).) At the same time it is well to remember, that the blessed Lord is not bound to any one class of means, in bringing His loved ones into His house of wine—the place of His presence where there is fullness of joy. We have seen a soul in ecstasies of joy, through being suddenly brought to a sense of its own failure, and of the Lord’s unfailing love. But here, in the case of the Bride before us, there has been no apparent failure as yet, there is marked progress in her experience. Like a soul coming from the closet to family worship, and from thence to the public banquet of the Savior’s dying love. The tone of her communion deepens, as she passes from scene to scene. Her joy increases, until the revelation of the Bridegroom’s love and goodness, become so overpowering to her soul, that the body faints under it. Yet she seeks to be sustained by that which has exhausted her. “Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples; for I am sick of love.”
“The love, the love that I bespeak,
Works wonders in the soul;
For when I’m whole it makes me sick,
When sick it makes me whole.
I’m overcome, I faint, I fail,
Till love shall love relieve;
More love divine the wound can heal,
Which love divine did give.”
Ralph Erskine.
Feeding on Christ never satiates the soul. While it satisfies to the full, it whets the appetite. And the Lord’s delight is to give more abundantly, “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” He alone can satisfy the desires of the heart and of the mind. But mark, He draws her yet nearer to Himself. “His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me” Blessed Lord Jesus—Savior God—Heavenly Bridegroom—Head of Thy body, the Church! Where shall we find the heights and depths, the lengths and breadths of Thy love? More intimate—more real—more blessed communion can never be enjoyed. She leans her head on the bosom of her Beloved, the place of perfect and eternal repose. There can be nothing higher than this—lower there ought not to be. Oh, for more experience of the exhausting, and sustaining power of the Lord’s gracious presence! Oh, for a larger heart—a more capacious soul!
Ver. 7. “I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.” At the close of this happy and cloudless day, we leave the Bride of the King, in the repose which His changeless love alone can give. The banner of His love over her, the everlasting arms underneath her, she rests in His eternal embrace. She delights in what He is. Hence she speaks of His shadow, His fruit, His banquet, His banner, His left hand, His right hand. It is all, it is only, Christ. When the soul is thus occupied with Him, He of all others is the most careful that it should not be disturbed. The roes and the hinds, are the most easily startled creatures in the field. And their sense of hearing is so acute, that a far distant sound of danger will alarm them. So keenly sensitive should we all be to the most distant approach of that which would interfere with our walk and communion with the Lord; or that would in any way turn us aside from the paths of practical holiness, and entire devotedness to the Lord Jesus Christ.
“The startled roe, and timid, trembling hind,
See how they stand in watchfulness intense,
Noting the changeful breeze, lest on its wing
Some tones of distant peril should be borne!
I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem,
I charge you by the roes and by the hinds,
Ye sons and daughters of Almighty God.
Be watchful too;—be jealous over prayer,
With sensitive alarm observe and shun
Whate’er disturbs or threatens to disturb
Communion with your God!—the roving thought,
The self-exalting fancy, and the doubt
Disruptively unjust; come they not oft
Struggling to quench the flame of holy love
Enkindled in the soul, and intercept
Glory’s bright dawning from the eager eye.”
Metrical Meditation.