Our bruises endear us to Christ the more; a tender husband to His beloved

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Joseph Noah Gagliardi

Puritan Board Freshman
Because of the remaining corruption of the flesh, as we yet inhabit these bodies of dust, awaiting glory, when we shall see Christ face to face, and to see Him as He is, our father employs various trials and afflictions as He sees fit to stir us up from our slumber, giving us no rest until we should be roused from our slumber to give our sins no rest. And though heaviness of heart may not be a direct discipline from the hand of God, it may be that His glory be made manifest, as with the man born blind. When we see ourselves in this state, not living in sin, and we can say with David there is no guile in our hearts, we ought simply to look to Christ, our husband that He may speak words of comfort to our souls, affirming us of His love, that He shall never leave us nor forsake us. He ever as a husband adores his wife, extolling her beauty, recounting to her His, and regards her alone as precious, his only love. For never would he leave her, but tend her heart as afield, that it bring forth all manner of beauty and life, that he delights in. We as broken creatures still bear the marks of the fall in our frail frames, but when we see the cracks and holes in these our pitiful vessels, it is that Christ’s light may shine the brighter. Yes we are at times for no reason other than our weakness brought to tears with weeping lament, but our dear heavenly husband whispers and assures us that his love rests upon us, and it shall never be removed, no not for eternity. This silhouette of life, as we see dimly as through a glass is but a foretaste of His love, and all glory with Christ in its fullness awaits us in the mansions He has, as bridegroom gone before to prepare us, an everlasting home, in marriage to the Son of God, our delight, our love, so says the Shulamite “ Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.” “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. I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. 16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.” When we say with Solomon’s dearest love “I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.” When our hearts fail us for love, we seek Him but no answer given, it is that He may refresh us with His loves, assuring us that though He be absent for a time, He shall never leave us, no not to forsake us. Should our beloved be so unfaithful? Should He forget His love forever? We as sinners do no such hurt to our beloved, how much more should King Jesus the bridegroom call to mind the wife of His youth? When we seek him in love he says unto us, 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. 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! Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.”
 
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