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The Song of Songs describes the love of Jesus Christ to His people, and it ends with an intense desire on the part of the Church that the Lord Jesus should come back to her. The last word of the lover to the beloved one is, "Speed thy return; make haste and come back."

I. Notice, first, WHAT THE CHURCH HERE CALLS HER LORD. Observe, the spouse first calls her Lord, "Beloved," and secondly, "My Beloved." Christ is our "Beloved." This is a word of affection; and our Lord Jesus Christ is the object of affection to us. Brethren, true religion has many sides to it; true religion is practical, it is also contemplative; but it is not true religion at all if it is not full of love and affection. Jesus must reign in your heart, or else, though you may give Him what place you like in your head, you have not truly received Him. To Jesus, beyond all others, is applicable this title of the -Beloved, for they who know Him love Him. "My Beloved." If nobody else loves Him, I do. This is a distinguishing affection; and I love Him because He belongs to me; He is mine, He has given Himself to me; and I have chosen Him because He first chose me; He is "my Beloved." I am not ashamed to put Him in front of all others; and when men say, "What is thy Beloved more than another beloved?' I can tell them that "My Beloved" is more than all the earthly beloveds put together.

II. Now I will lead you on to the second division of my subject. I have shown you what the Church calls her Lord; now, in the second place, I will tell you WHENCE SHE CALLS HIM. "Make haste, my Beloved, and be Thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices." What does that mean? She cries to Him to come from the place where He now is, which she calls the "mountains of spices." What are these spices? Are they not Christ's infinite merits, which perfume heaven and earth The foul corruption of our sins is not perceptible, because of the mountains of spices. Behold this wondrous sanitary power of Divine grace; these mountains of spices more than nullify the foulness of our sins. Christ's merit is perpetually before the eye of His Father, so that no longer does He perceive our sins. What shall I say next of these mountains of spices? Are they not our Lord's perpetual and prevailing prayers? He intercedes for His people before the throne of God. Now, this is where Jesus is now; not here, in this foul, polluted world, but up yonder. He rests in the mountains of spices; and the prayer of His Church continually is, "Come, my Beloved! Make haste, my Beloved! Be Thou like to a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices."

III. We have noticed what the Church calls her Lord, and whence she calls Him; now, thirdly, note HOW SHE CALLS HIM. She says, "Make haste, my Beloved, make haste." Why is it that all the Church of God, and each individual Christian in particular, should be found anxious for the speedy coming of our Lord Jesus Christ? I think, surely, that this is the result of true love, If we love our Lord, we shall long for His appearing; be you sure of that, it is the natural result of ardent affection. But, notwithstanding this, beloved, we sometimes need certain incentives to stir up our souls to cry for our Lord's return. One reason that ought to make the believer long for Christ's coming is that it will end this conflict. Our lot is cast in a wretched time, when many things are said and done that grieve and vex God's Holy Spirit, and all who are in sympathy with Him. "Come, Lord! Make haste, my Beloved! Come to the rescue of Thy weak and feeble servants; come, come, come, we beseech Thee!" Put yourself into this great fight for the faith; and if you have to bear the brunt of the battle, you will soon be as eager as I am that Jesus should make haste, and come to your relief. You also will cry, "Make haste, my Beloved," when you think what wonders He will work at His coming. What will Christ do at His coming? He will raise the dead. Mine eyes shall see Him in that day. "I know that my Redeemer liveth," etc. And when He comes, beloved, remember that then shall be the time of the glory of His people: "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in "the kingdom of their Father." Slander will be rolled away in the day when Christ cometh. The wicked shall awake to everlasting contempt, but the righteous to an everlasting, justification. Still, there is another reason why we say, "Make haste, my Beloved. It is this. We desire to share in Christ's glory; but our chief desire is that our Lord may be glorified. To every loyal soldier of King Jesus, this is the best thought in connection with His Second Advent, that when He comes, it will be to be admired in His saints, and to be glorified in all them that believe. Then shall there be universal acclamations to Him, and His enemies shall hide their heads in shame and dismay.

( C. H. Spurgeon.).

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KJV: Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

WEB: Come away, my beloved! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!