Despite the title to this sermon being somewhat unfortunate by today’s English usage, Sibbe’s sermon offers a delightful, gracious and uplifting insight into the Solomon’s poem known diversely as, Canticles, the Song of Songs or the Song of Solomon. By current preaching standards this is an overburdened sermon. Puritans did not go in for three-point sermons. Those reached with sermon will find numerous “Uses” and then “Consequences” on such Uses. The treatment of the sermon is in four parts: a section summary offered as the section heading, Sibbes’ own content with direct quotes being in quotation marks, in some instances a further comment which, it is hoped clarifies or adds insight to the content and lastly the Scripture verses of relevance to the content or comment.
The verses under consideration are SofS 4:16-5:1:
Scripture
Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
None can enter into the Song of Solomon except those in close communion with Christ. The book contains the mutual joys between Christ and His Church. These are the two lovers in the Book.
The knowledge of Christ's love for His church is above all knowledge (Eph 3:19).
Scripture
Eph_3:19 ~ And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
The Book may seem to contain lewd material but "to the pure all things are pure" (Titus 1:15).
Scripture
Titus_1:15 ~ To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
Mortification of sinful desires is achieved either by deadening the desirability of earthly things or by showing the more noble aspects of a matter, in a way that the soul taken up with them dies to all other thoughts and desires.
"What a shame it is that man having such excellent affections in him as love, joy and delight should cleaves to the dirty and base things that are worse than himself, so becoming base like them! . . . Let God's stooping down to us occasion our rising to Him. For here the greatest of things, "mystery of mysteries", the communion between Christ and His Church is set out in the familiar comparison of marriage."
Commentary
Since God, who is excellent in affections stoops down to sinful and defiled mankind without compromise to His character, can we who also have an excellence or at least a nobility of character, look upon the base things of this world without compromise to the excellence of our character. Moreover, these "base things" displayed are set before us because the intimacy and delight of marital relations are expressive of the love which Christ has for the Church.
As the whole Church is the spouse of Christ, so too is every particular Christian.
Commentary
By this statement Sibbes seeks to encourage the reader that things written are for each in particular as expressive of the unique and individual love which Christ has for each one of us.
Sibbes summarizes the previous verses as:
It is Christ who speaks of the garden as "my garden". Hence the pleasant fruits are Christ's and not the Church's. They are "his fruit".
Christ stirs up His garden with the north wind which is nature's fan. What winds are to the garden, the Spirit of Christ is to the soul of the believer. The Church being aware of some deadness of affection, secretly desires some quickening. Christ answers those desires by commanding the winds to blow upon her.
"For ordinarily Christ first stirs up desires [in the Church], and then answers those desires of [by] His own Spirit by further increase."
Commentary
This is why sermon warrants attention and why it can be heard with such joy. At this point Sibbes reminds us that all holy affections are the result of Christ's work in our hearts.
1. Christ commands all winds. All is at his command, including the winds. This was a matter of great amazement to the disciples (Matt 8:27). Therefore: "cannot the same power still the winds and waves of the churches and the state."
Matt_8:27 ~ And the men marvelled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
2. Contrary and sweet winds arise according as Christ sees the need of His Church (Rom 8:28). Thus, contrary winds are not of the devil but are part of Christ's love and His desire to be blessed by the fruit of His Church.
Scripture
Rom_8:28 ~ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Commentary
Concerning Use 2. For those who are prone to blame the devil for their troubles, let us recall that the trials of our faith are precious and are to the praise of Christ at his appearing (1 Peter 1:7).
Scripture
1 Peter_1:7 ~ That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ
3. The Spirit is mild in some men's ministry and sharp in others (at different times, even within the same minister) depending on the need of the Church (For example Rev 3:2 gives rise to the winds of Hos 13:15).
Scripture
Rev_3:2 ~ Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Scripture
Hos_13:15 ~ Though he may flourish among his brothers, the east wind, the wind of the LORD, shall come, rising from the wilderness, and his fountain shall dry up; his spring shall be parched; it shall strip his treasury of every precious thing.
4. The Spirit of Christ is a free agent, sometimes blowing on others and not on us, therefore, we must acknowledge Christ's sovereignty.
Commentary
Concerning Use 4. There are those that wish always to be or appear to be spiritual and so will crave spiritual experiences or worse yet fake spiritual experiences. Let us recall that Christ's Spirit is sovereign and moves according to his own purposes, attributing to each person as He wills (1 Cor 12:11).
Scripture
1 Cor_12:11 ~ But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
1. a garden is taken from common wasteland and cultivated for a particular use,
2. in a garden nothing comes up of itself - it needs to be planted and set and cultivated by the heavenly husbandman (John 15:4-5),
Commentary
Concerning Reason 2 ~ To be planted in the House of Lord, means that we have been put there by God (Ps 92:13).
Ps_92:13 ~ They that be planted in the house of the LORD; shall flourish in the courts of our God
3. only those things that are delightful or useful get planted,
Commentary
Concerning Reason 3 ~ And so there is no grace in the heart of a Christian but what is of service to both God and man.
4. gardens produce according to the season,
Concerning Reason 4 ~ the Christian labours to possess grace in every season. They have need grace for prosperity, temperance and sobriety; for adversity patience and hope; for those that are above them, respect and obedience, and for those beneath them - there is grace which is "suitable usage in all conditions of Christianity".
5. gardens are for the pleasure and delight of walking in them
Commentary
Concerning Reason 5 ~ Hence we find that God enjoys an evening walk in Eden (Gen 3:8) and that Jesus walks among the candlesticks (Rev 2:1), which are his Church.
Scripture
Gen_3:8 ~ And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Scripture
Rev_2:1 ~ To the angel of the church of Ephesus write: He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands, says these things.
6. gardens are that place where streams flow and fountains play (Gen 2:10)
7. a garden is always in need of weeding and dressing
Use:
1. A garden being set apart for a purpose, the Christian too should "walk as men severed from the world".
2. We should not strive for the liberties in which the people of the world delight, rather we should seek for that peculiar grace which means that God may delight in his garden.
3. Let us not despise any nation or person, since God can take out of the wilderness whom he will and make of them an Eden of his delight.
Commentary
Remember that Paul refers to Gentiles who have been added to the Church is wild branches that have been grafted onto God’s olive tree, and cautions them not to be proud that they are part of the tree. (Rom 11:17-18a).
Scripture
Rom_11:17-18a ~ But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches.
4. Let us rejoice that we find ourselves planted in the Church, the place of God's delight.
5. Let us labour to be fruitful, since the purpose of a garden is to produce fruit and that which doesn't is to meet a frightful end (Heb 6:8). Let us fear least God complain of us as he did Israel (Jer 2:21). Let us not employ our fruitfulness for the pleasure of idolatry or for ourselves (Hos 10:1). The blessed man is he who brings forth fruit in due season (Ps 1:3). When Israel grew fat and prosperous (Deut 32:15) she forgot God and rebelled against him. Her fruit became that of Sodom & Gomorrah (Deut 32:32).
Scripture
Heb_6:8 ~ But that which bears thorns and briers is rejected and is a curse, whose end is to be burned.
Scripture
Jer_2:21 ~ Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?
Scripture
Hos_10:1 ~ Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.
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Ps_1:3 ~ And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Scripture
Deut_32:15 ~ But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.
Scripture
Deut_32:32 ~ For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison; their clusters are bitter.
Commentary
Concerning Use 5: It is vital to see the garden metaphor applied in Deut 32:9-18. God found the people of Jacob in the wilderness and nurtured them, but Israel forsook the One who had found and planted them!
6. Since the Church is Christ's garden let us trust God for his care and protection (Zech 2:5). He will guard her as a walled garden protects the plants growing within it.
Scripture
Zech_2:5 ~ For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
7. If we are to please God and be a delight to him, then our lives will be lived in faith, since without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6).
Scripture
Heb_11:6 ~ But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Where the Spirit of Christ is, it is an encouraging Spirit. For the Spirit not only infuses grace but stirs it up, that we may be ready prepared for every good work, otherwise we cannot do that which we are able to do.
We need a present Spirit to do every good; not only the power to will, but the will itself; and not only the will but the deed, is from the Spirit, which stirs us up to go to Christ, that he may stir up his own graces in us, that they may flow out.
Commentary
This paragraph touches on several ways in which good works need to be understood:
1. It is God who works in us to will and do his pleasure (Phil 2:13).
Phil_2:13 ~ For it is God who works in you, both to will and to do his good pleasure.
2. The Holy Spirit stirs us to proceed to Christ for the performance and completion of a good work (Eph 2:10)
Eph_2:10 ~ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
3. Grace is the kind favour of God toward us, that in the plenitude of his provision for us, we are enabled to do good (2 Cor 9:8)
2 Cor_9:8 ~ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
4. Such graces are to flow out from us to others (Matt 22:39)
Matt_22:39 ~ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Thus, we find that Christ stirs the wind in order to stir the church in her affections toward him. The consequence is that the Christ invites the Christian into his garden that he (Christ) may "eat the pleasant fruit thereof" (SofS 4:16).
Commentary
THIS IS IMPORTANT: If we fail to see this, we fail to grasp what Sibbes is teaching. Christ motivates us by his grace and Spirit to desire him.
Scripture
(SofS 4:16) ~ Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.
And so, in consequence of Christ first stirring her, the Church then invites Christ into the garden ["Let my beloved come into his garden" (SofS 5:1)]
Scripture
(SofS 5:1) ~ Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.
"She invites him to come and take delight in the graces of his own Spirit in her." She calls him Beloved because all her love is (or should be) spent on Christ, who gave himself to a cursed death for her.
Commentary
Here is a mystery. Christ stirs us up by his Spirit in order that we will invite him into our presence and when he enters in, he delights not only, perhaps not principally, in us alone but he delights in the graces and fruit of the Holy Spirit which now characterize our lives (Gal 5:22-23). In this way we find ourselves caught up in the love which inspires and sustains the Godhead, which cycle is of love for the other and glorification of the other.
Scripture
Gal_5:22-23 ~ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The true bride ever cries, except that desertion or temptation hold sway: "Come Lord Jesus, come quickly" (Rev 22.20)
Scripture
Rev_22:20 ~ He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Why does the Church cry come, relying on Christ to stir graces in her? Because:
1. grace helps us to see our need of Christ
2. the Church knows that Christ does not come alone, but brings his Holy Spirit with him
Commentary
Paul teaches of a relationship between grace and love. By faith we have access to the grace in which we stand (Rom 5:2) and standing in that grace (midst the winds of adversity? - Rom 5:3), we experience the love of God flooding our hearts (Rom 5:5).
Scripture
Rom_5:2 ~ By whom (the Lord Jesus Christ) also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Scripture
Rom_5:5 ~ And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Use:
1. Let us desire the presence of Christ in his ordinances and if no such desire ever existed, let us ponder whether the Holy Spirit has blown upon us. The Spirit in the spouse is ever crying "Come!".
Commentary
Concerning Use 1: Not so the ungodly for they have not the Spirit, nor the Spirit's desire for Christ.
2. The reason the Church desires Christ to come into his garden is that he may taste of his own fruit.
"Now, the Church, knowing what best fits Christ's taste, and knowing the fruits of grace in her heart, desires that Christ would delight in his own graces in her, and kindly accept what she presents to him of those graces."
3. A gracious heart is privy to its own graces . . . and as far as it is privy is bold with Christ in a sweet manner.
Commentary
Concerning Use 3: See that awareness of Christ's grace to us begets a confidence in him and a confidence to approach him in prayer.
4. It is the duty of the Church as the bride of Christ to please her husband, and thus [by the Holy Spirit's grace] it is her disposition to do so.
Mark well the order: First Christ blows and then the Church says "Come!". Christ begins in love, then love draws love. Christ draws the Church and she runs after him (SofS 1:4).
Scripture
SofS_1:4 ~ Draw me, we will run after You. The King has brought me into his chambers; we will be glad and rejoice in You, we will remember Your love more than wine; the upright love You.
Since it is the Church's role and desire to please Christ, let us study how to do so, so that even our words and thoughts may be acceptable to him (Ps 19:14). Let us labour to be cleansed from that which is offensive to him.
Scripture
Ps_19:14 ~ Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Commentary
See then that our obedience is born of love, not of duty, neither of fear. Neither is it the result of responding in thankfulness to the Cross (although this is prudent). Rather it is born of love for him in order that he would delight in the work of his hands and in his grace in us. We love him because he first loved us (1 John 4:19)
Scripture
1 John_4:19 ~ We love him, because he first loved us.
This brings to an end the first half of Sibbes’ sermon. He has brought us to understand that our affections toward Christ flow because it is Christ himself who sends winds, either of blessing or affliction, upon us in a manner which stirs those affections into being. Having thus awoken his Church, she invites him into the garden, which is indeed the garden of his grace, in order that he may taste of its fruit. Sibbes depicts that fruit as being the Church, and the grace and work of the Holy Spirit which has brought the Church into being. in this way the role of the Church is manifest. She is the vehicle or means by which Christ delights in the work of his own hands as well as in the work of the Spirit. In being transported into the shared delight of Christ and the Holy Spirit, the Church is now caught up in that cycle of divine praise, rejoicing and love which so characterizes the oneness of and mutual affections in the Godhead.
The next part of Sibbes’ sermon goes on to explain what are the myrrh, spices and wine SofS 5:.1
