Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister; my spouse: thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.
having invited his church to go along with him, here discovers the reason of it, because his heart was ravished with her; he had such an affection for her, that he could not bear to be at a distance from her. In these words, consider,
I.The titles given to her; “my sister, my spouse.”
II.What he declares to her; “thou hast ravished my heart;” which expression is doubled.
III.What it was his heart was so taken with, which had such a mighty influence upon him; “with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.”
I.I shall consider the titles he gives unto her, and they are two, “my sister, my spouse;” one of which, namely, “my spouse,” has been explained in the former verse, and is here repeated to shew his affection to her, how much he delighted, in her under this character; as also, to assure her of the truth of it, as well as to manifest his satisfaction in this relation, and that he was not ashamed to own and acknowledge her as such: the other title, “my sister,” we have not met with before. Now Christ may call the church his sister, 1. More amatorio, it being a love-strain; and this being a love-song, where Christ and his church are expressing their love to each other; such a title as this cannot be looked upon as an improper one: it being an endearing expression, used by husbands to their wives; as by Raguel to Edna, Tobit 7:18, and by Tobias to Sara, chapter 8:4. 2. More Hebraeorum: it being usual with the Jews to call those of their own kindred and country, brethren and sisters; and with none but such were they allowed to marry; and perhaps to this the apostle has a respect (1 Cor. 9:5), “Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife?” etc. agreeable to this, Christ calls his church, his sister, whom he had espoused to himself. 3. He may call her so on account of his incarnation; he assuming the same nature, and partaking of the same flesh and blood the children did; and so being of one and the same mass and lump with them, is not ashamed to call them brethren; which, it may be, is intended in that wish of the church’s, chapter 8:1. “O that thou wert as my brother!” etc. that is, O that thou wert incarnate! that we were of the same flesh and blood, and thereby thou appear to be my brother, and I thy sister. 4. On the account of her adoption: God has, by his sovereign, free, and distinguishing grace, adopted all his elect into his family, and has in his covenant of grace declared himself to be their Father, and them to be his sons and daughters; and now, being the sons and daughters of the same Father as Christ as the Son of, they become his brethren and sisters, which he acknowledges (John 20:17). 5. Being born again, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, they bear this character; and are so in Christ’s esteem, according to what he says (Matthew 12:50), “Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother:” Christ bears all relations to his people, and is willing to own them in all relations to him. 6. Perhaps the church is here first called Christ’s sister; because Christ having called his people out of Judea’s land, and gathered a church among the Gentiles, that little sister spoken of in chapter 8:8, it might hereby appear that he had a real affection for her, that she was valued by him, and nearly related to him.
II.What he declares unto her, is, that she had “ravished his heart.” It is but one word in the Hebrew text, and is used is this form and sense no where else, but twice in this verse; for Christ’s love being so unspeakable and inexpressible, he coins, as one, well observes, new words to discover it by; it is variously rendered, and perhaps by laying the several versions together, it will appear more fully what is intended by it. 1. The words may be rendered, “thou hast heartened me, or put heart into me,” and caused me to be of good cheat; so Cocceius and Schmidt: the word is used in this sense, in the Syriac Testament, in Matthew 9:2, and 1 Thessalonians 5:14 and then the sense may be this; the love which I bear unto thee, the charming ideas of thee, which I always carry in my mind, and the “joy which was set before me,” of having thy company and presence for ever in glory; have made my heavy sufferings easy, animated me as man and mediator, and cheerfully carried me through them all for thy sake, Hebrews 12:2. 2. Others read them, “thou hast unhearted me;” thou hast taken away my heart, and stolen it from me, so that I have no heart left in me, so the Septuagint; which reading, R. Aben Ezra confirms. Sometimes fear throws persons into such a condition, that they are as if they had no heart, spirit, life, or soul in them; as the Canaanities in Judges 5:1 sometimes wonder and surprise; thus the queen of Sheba, when she had seen Solomon’s wisdom and glory, it is said, “there was no more spirit in her:” and sometimes love has such an influence on the heart, and so it had here on Christ; it was so powerful, that it had taken away his heart; “thou hast ravished my heart,” that is, thou hast taken it away from me, as it were, by force and violence, that it is no longer mine, but thine; thou art master over it, and hast the command of it having claimed it to thyself as thine own. 3. It is rendered by others, “thou hast drawn my heart unto thee,” so R. Solomon Jarchi; or, “brought me near,” or “caused me to draw nigh”: that our hearts should be drawn to Christ, by views of his loveliness, and discoveries of his love to us, is no wonder; but that Christ’s heart should be drawn to us, in whom were neither love nor loveliness, is surprising; which shews the exceeding greatness, freeness, and richness of Christ’s love. 4. It may be read, “thou hast coupled my heart with thine;” and in this sense the Talmudists use the word: Christ’s heart and a believer’s are so knit, joined and coupled together, that they are but one heart, one soul, and one spirit; “he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit;” all the powers of hell and earth, united together, are not able to disjoin and separate, either a believer’s heart from Christ, or Christ’s heart from a believer. 5. The Targum paraphrases it thus, “thy love is fixed upon the table of my heart;” it is wrote there in legible characters, which can never be erased: the church is not only engraven on the palms of Christ’s hands, but also upon the table of his heart; and so the church has what she wished for, chapter 8:6. “Set me as a seal upon thine heart:” Christ’s love to the church is so riveted and fixed in his heart, that there is no removing it; “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” 6. It is translated by others, “thou hast wounded my heart,” so the Vulgate Latin; which reading is not to be despised; R. David Kimchi owns it: Christ’s heart was wounded with one of love’s darts with an arrow shot from one of the church’s eyes; which is expressive of the force and power of love, with what vehemence it dwelt in, and what influence it had upon the heart of Christ.
Now this expression is repeated, to shew the vehemency and passionateness of his love, and the exceeding greatness of it; as also to assure her of the reality of it, that he was hearty end sincere in it; and did not say this by way of compliment to her, as lovers too often do; nor was it a word which wan rashly spoken by him, or that dropped from him at unawares; but as it proceeded from his heart, so it was spoken by him in a deliberate manner; therefore he repeats it, not to correct, but to confirm it.
Hence we may conclude what interest a believer has in Christ’s heart. What may he not expect? what can he want? what need he fear, that has so great a share in Christ’s heart and what reason has he to give Christ his heart, who has so much of Christ’s?
III.I shall now take notice of the things with which Christ’s heart was ravished. 1. “With one of the church’s eyes:” the eye is an attractive of love; and therefore it is said in Proverbs 6:25. “Neither let her take thee with her eye-lids.” By the eye, with which Christ was so taken, may be meant, the eye of faith; by which a soul looks on him, and loves him; beholds his fullness, and wishes for an interest in him; and looks to him, and expects from him alone life and salvation: He says, it was with one of her eyes; which shews that a believer has more eyes than one; and therefore we read of “the eyes of their understanding,” Ephesians 1:18, but it was with this eye of faith, by which she looked to him, and believed on him, that his heart was so ravished; and that but with one look from it, or glance of it, as both Junius and Ainsworth read it; nay, though but a very glimmering one; for faith, even in its lowest degree, is exceeding precious to Christ Jesus; which shews how easily and quickly a conquest is gained over Christ’s heart by faith; his heart must needs be full of love to believers, since it is ravished and overcome even with a single glimmering look from faith’s eye; and if so, how” much will his heart be ravished, when we shall see him “face to face, just as he is;” take a full view of him, look at him, and feed our eyes for ever upon the unutterable glories of his person! 2. “With one chain of her neck:” the neck is a beautiful part of the body, and being agreeably adorned, is exceeding enamoring: the Vulgate Latin version is, “with one lock of hair of thy neck.” so Aquila; which hung down in it, and looked very beautiful, and with which lovers are sometimes taken. By the neck, we may also understand faith, as we have observed on verse 4. it being neither unusual nor improper to represent one and the same thing under different metaphors: and by the chain, may be meant the graces of the Spirit, which, being linked and chained, do inseparably go together; and being put about this neck of faith, makes it look very beautiful: every grace is as a golden link or precious pearl in Christ’s esteem; who having, beautified his people with them, takes the utmost delight in viewing them; and whilst he is observing how beautifully they are adorned therewith, his heart is ravished with them.
Chapter 4 Verse 10
How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
having declared in the preceding verse, how much his heart was delighted in, and ravished with the faith of his church; now proceeds to shew how well pleased he was with her love, and other graces of the Spirit, in these words; where.
I.The excellency of her love is set forth.
II.The sweet smell of her ointments is commended.
I.He gives some excellent characters of her love to him. Christ is the object of a believer’s love; and he is well pleased with that love which they shew to him: the nature of this love, its spring and actings, have been shewn already, on chapter 1:3, where it has been observed, that it is superlative and universal; a believer loves Christ above all, and all of Christ; it is, or at least ought to be, constant and ardent, and is always hearty and unfeigned; it springs and arises from views of Christ’s loveliness, and sights of his suitableness and fullness, from a sense of his love, and a discovery of union and relation to him; and is heightened and increased by enjoying communion and fellowship with them; it manifests itself by a regard to his commands and ordinances, his truths, his people and his presence, and by parting with, and bearing all for him, as has there been more largely shewn, Now of such a love as this, he says, 1. That it is fair; “How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse!” the titles and characters he gives her, have been already explained; it was proper to repeat them here, that whilst he was commending her love, he might shew his own; and assure her of the relation she stood in to him, and that he “had an undoubted right to the affections of her heart: he here says, that her love to him was fair, that is, lovely, delightful, grateful, and acceptable; and it appears to be exceeding well-pleasing to him; for those persons, he declares, are the objects of his love, to whom he manifests himself in a way of special grace and favor; he overrules all things here for their good; he gives them more grace, has prepared glory for them, and will preserve them safe unto it: not that their love is the meritorious and procuring cause of all this, nor the condition of their enjoying it; for his love to them has resolved all these thing? for them beforehand, and is the cause of theirs; but when it is wrought in their souls, and discovers itself to him, he is pleased to shew by those instances of his grace, how fair and lovely it is in his sight. 2. He says, that it is “better than wine:” he here asserts the same of her love, which she had of his, in chapter 1:2. Christ and the church, in this Song, do frequently gather up each others words, striving, as it were, to outdo each other in their expressions of love; but Christ will in no wise come behind, and be outdone by his church and people; though it may well be wondered at, that Christ should have the same to say of our love, as we have of his; yet so it is: he here declares, it is “better than wine,” that is, more grateful and pleasant, more refreshing and reviving; “wine makes glad the heart of man,” Psalm 104:15. but it cannot cheer, and make glad the heart of man, more than a sinner’s love does the heart of Christ: wine was used in feasts, and counted a principal part thereof; therefore the “house of feasting”, was called the “house of drinking,” that is, wine, Ecclesiastes 7:2. the feast which the rich Pharisee made for Christ, was not, as one well observes, thought so much of by him, nor half so entertaining to him, as the love which the poor woman shewed him: wine was used in the legal sacrifices; but the wine of legal sacrifices, or any external performance, is not so valued by Christ as a sinner’s love is; and indeed no duties or performances whatever are acceptable to him, unless love be the inward principle from whence they flow, and by Which they are acted. 3. He sets off the greatness and excellency of it, by using a word of the plural number; “How fair are thy loves how much better are thy loves,” etc. which may be expressive of the several actings of it towards him, for it discovers itself various ways; and also of the several fruits which accompany or spring from it; all which serve for the greater commendation of it. 4. The manner of the expressions, which is by way of interrogation and admiration; “How fair! etc. how much better!” etc. as if it could not be well expressed, how fair and lovely it was; which is an evidence of the valuableness of it, or at least an indication how much Christ esteemed it; Christ’s love has its heights and depths, and lengths, and breadths; and to hear souls speak after such a manner, concerning that, need not to be wondered at; but to hear Christ express himself after this manner, concerning ours, is strange and surprising.
II.Her ointments are next commended, and the smell of them: in chapter 1:3 we read of Christ’s ointments, here of the church’s; in both places one and the same thing is intended, namely, the graces of the Spirit; why these are called ointments, have been there shewn. These ointments, or graces of the Spirit, are first Christ’s and then the church’s: the head is first anointed with them, and then the members; he without measure, but they in measure; which being poured forth upon them, and they anointed with them, the smell of them is exceeding grateful to him: the smell of these ointments intends the actings and exercises of grace upon him; which are very delightful to him, and preferred by him to all spices, even to all that were used in the holy anointing oil, Exodus 30:23, 24, that was not so valuable as this “anointing which teacheth all things;” nor the smell of that so much esteemed by Christ, as this is.