Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 593
Delivered on Sunday Morning, October 9, 1864
“Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon you. What will you see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies. Song of Solomon 6:13.
THIS verse is not addressed to the Church in her doubting state, nor while seeking her absent Lord, but it refers to her in her very best condition—when she has lately come from the enjoyment of fellowship with her Divine spouse and when her soul, in consequence is like the chariots of Amminadib. Read the context and you will perceive that Believers who are rejoicing in the Lord may look upon this text as their own. Observe the title of the person addressed—it is a marriage name. She has been espoused to Solomon and she has taken his name and become Solyma, for such is the best rendering of the word rendered Shulamite. This name is appropriate to souls who are united to Christ, to those whom Christ has betrothed unto Himself in righteousness, who live in union with their Lord.
You who abide in the Lord Jesus are, by a mysterious bond, made one with Christ. And He has conferred upon you His own name—He is Solomon and you are Solyma. That is a remarkable expression in the book of Jeremiah—“This is her name whereby she shall be called, the Lord our Righteousness.” One would have thought that such a title was incommunicable. But yet so close is the union between Christ and His people that the Holy Spirit actually transfers that dignified expression, “Lord our Righteousness,” to His Israel—His Beloved.
The title Solyma also signifies both perfection and peace. There is perfection in every child of God, but not a perfection in the flesh. We are perfect in Christ Jesus! We are complete in Him—spotless, by being washed in His blood— glorious, by being robed in His righteousness. Every child of God is right sumptuously arrayed in the wedding dress of the Savior’s righteousness. We may truly say that, “Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Every Believer stands in Christ perfectly accepted!
The sweet name, Solyma, also signifies peace—“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The true heir of Heaven is not at enmity with God, nor at war with his own conscience. The silver trumpet has proclaimed an everlasting peace. God’s sword has been sheathed in the Savior’s heart and Divine Justice is on the side of the chosen people. The request of the text next demands a moment’s consideration. It is repeated four times. “Return, return, O Solyma. Return, return, that we may look upon you.” Does not this request proceed from the daughters of Jerusalem who desire to behold her beauty?
Souls that are anxious about their own state may well desire to understand the experience of the true child of God. You want to know whether you, also, are a Christian, therefore you want to know how Christians feel, how they think of Christ, how they are moved by His Spirit—what is their appearance when His love is shed abroad in their hearts. You anxiously desire to see the true Christian that you may measure yourselves and see whether there is the life of God in you. These daughters of Jerusalem also desire to look upon her for their own delight. For as to gaze upon beauty is exceedingly pleasant—so is it specially delightful to the pure in heart to have fellowship with the pure in heart—to see the fruits which the Spirit has brought forth. To behold the cleanness of the Believer’s walk and to know the savor of the Believer’s conversation.
No beauty equals the beauty of holiness! Nothing is so lovely as uprightness. And therefore we wonder not that four times the request is made. Perhaps, too, these daughters wanted to look at her as an example to themselves. Saints look upon the beauty of others that they may be enabled to emulate their excellencies. Let us read with affectionate attention the biographies of holy men that they may be a stimulus to ourselves, exciting us to exert ourselves in the Redeemer’s cause and may afford us some hope that the highest Christian attainments are not altogether beyond our reach. I think this is the reason why the daughters of Jerusalem said, “Return, return, O Solyma”—they would comfort themselves by seeing whether they are like she is.
They would delight themselves by beholding her perfections. They would also stir up their own souls by seeing her example. The rest of the text, you will observe, may be considered two ways—either the spouse asks the question, which is the most probable. She says, “What shall you see in Solyma?” She thinks that there is no beauty in her, nothing in her that anyone should delight, or fix his eyes upon her, or derive any profit from regarding her. “Why,” she says, “all that You will see in me is a company of two armies—a conflict between good and evil. If You look upon me You see nothing but good and evil fighting together, darkness and light contending. I am not worth Your looking at.”