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Ver. 4. Draw me, we will run after thee."

The word "draw" rather signifies precede, or go before me. Thus we should follow Jesus as our forerunner," who has gone before, "leaving us an example that we should follow his steps" (1 Peter, i. 21. See Heb. vi. 20).

The prayer implies a sense of helplessness, "draw me;" it implies also a looking to God for the needed help: "Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord," &c. Psalm xxv. 15. "Send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me, let them bring me," &c. (Psalm xliii. 3). It further implies a sense of restlessness at a distance from God, and an earnest desire for closer communion with him: "It is good for me to draw near unto God" (Psalm lxxiii. 28).

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"Draw me." And how truly the God of our mercy does "prevent" us (Psalm lix. 10). "I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love ;" "With loving-kindness have I drawn thee" (Hos. xi. 4; Jer. xxxi. 3). So again, in Deut. i. 33, "Who went in the way before you," &c. It is his own promise, “I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John xii. 32). And yet the necessity for the prayer is evident, for that he hath also said, "No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him" (John vi. 44). But wherever the cry is sincere, Spirit in the heart

it is a sure earnest of the

already; and we know that whatsoever we ask

according to his will, or according to the intercession of the Spirit in us, he will give it us (1 John v. 13, 14). And the soul appears to realize this, being quickened in the lively exercise of faith, even whilst in the very act of prayer. For instead of inertness, the following words suggest the idea of more than ordinary activity, "Draw me, we will run after thee."

It expresses something of the energetic spirit of Peter, in John xxi. 7, who, as soon as he heard that it was the Lord, "cast himself into the sea,” as though he could not soon enough find himself at his Lord's feet. He was unable to restrain his ardent love, whilst they drew the ship to land.

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Thus David also says, "I will run in the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart" (Psalm cxix. 32); and, again, “I made haste, and delayed not," &c. (ver. 60). And St. Paul says, "This one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before; I press toward the mark," &c. (Phil. iii. 13, 14).

run that

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So

We have likewise the word of exhortation, obtain" (1 Cor. ix. 24, 25). "Let ye may us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Heb. xii. 1, 2). "Not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit" (Rom. xii. 11). And there is a precious promise and word of encouragement in Isaiah xl. 31, "They that wait upon the Lord shall

renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint."

Only we must see that we and not before him; that is,

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run after" our Lord, not marking out for

ourselves a way of our own, but treading in His steps. "When he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him" (John x. 4, 5, 27).

"The King hath brought me into his chambers."

The prayer is answered, and answered in God's own way, far exceeding even our own desires. We are permitted not only to follow after, but to enter in with our Beloved to his royal chambers! Here is the soul “entering into the holiest by the blood of Jesus," having access within the vail (Heb. x. 19, 20). For, by virtue of our marriage union with Jesus, we are "kings and priests." "He hath made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. ii. 6), being "of the household of God" (ii. 19); and it is our amazing privilege to dwell "in the secret place of the Most High" (Psalm xci. 1; xxvii. 4, 5; lxv. 4). "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts," &c. Surely it is here that Jesus manifests himself unto us, as he doth not unto the world (John xiv. 18, 23). And it is here we taste the sweet anticipations of being

hereafter admitted into the "

many mansions" of

the "Father's house," in glory (John xiv. 3). We are now as it were abiding for a season in the antichamber through faith; but Jesus is preparing a place for us, when the earthly house (or hut) of this tabernacle is dissolved, where we shall sit down with him in his throne, and reign for ever and ever in the royal presence chamber of our King! "They shall see his face, and they shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev. iii. 21; 2 Cor. v. 1; Rev. xxii. 4, 5). They shall enter into the king's palace!" (Psalm xlv. 16).

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Jesus is seen as the Priest (in ver. 3), seated on his throne as 66 the King" (in ver. 4), for he is our Melchizedec, our royal High Priest, in the temple made without hands.

"We will be glad and rejoice in thee."

There is here the inward feeling, and the outward expression of joy. The gladness is the same as in Psalm civ. 34, "My meditation of him shall be sweet. I will be glad in the Lord"-a joy in the inmost recesses of the soul-"My heart is glad" (Psalm xvi. 9). So the rejoicing is the outward manifestation of it, "and my glory rejoiceth" (Psalm xvi. 9). These two commonly go together, "My soul shall make her boast in the Lord:" there is the inward feeling; "the humble shall hear thereof and be glad :" there is the outward manifestation

of it, (Psalm xxxiv. 2; xxxiii. 1). But it is all "in thee"-" in the Lord." "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God" (Isaiah Ixi. 10; Hab. iii. 17, 18; 1 Sam. ii. 1; Phil. iv. 1, 4). If we rejoice at any time in frames and feelings, in earthly prosperity, or in spiritual welfare (see Psalm xxx. 6, 7), it cannot be abiding joy. "Rejoice in the Lord alway," for in him there is " alway" cause of rejoicing, but in none else. We should seek to share Jesus' joy: "that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves" (John xvii. 13).

“We will remember thy love more than wine.”

"There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. For thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased" (Psalm iv. 6, 7).

more

The believer feels that the Lord's love is " to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb!" Thus he can rejoice in the love of his God, "though the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine," &c. (Hab. iii. 17, 18). He has a fountain of living waters to draw from, therefore he needs not to go to the well for water; earthly treasures can no longer charm him. "If a man would give all the substance of his house for love,