Song of Solomon 1:6

Hence holy Church rightly says of her weakening members: They made me a keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept. For our vineyards are the deeds which we cultivate through the habit of daily labor. But placed as keepers in the vineyards, we scarcely keep our own vineyard, because while we are entangled in others' affairs, we neglect the ministry of our own action. I think, dearest brothers, that God tolerates no greater injury from others than from priests, when He sees those whom He placed for the correction of others giving examples of wickedness from themselves, when we ourselves sin, we who ought to have restrained sins.

He was regarding the sinful woman, that part which had believed in Christ. But let her say: Do not consider me because I am dark, for the sun has discolored me. The sun itself is the Lord; he himself coming discolored me. By his precepts he showed that I was not beautiful under the precepts of the Law. The sun discolors the one whom it touches more closely; so also the Lord, coming, discolored the one whom he touched more strictly through his grace; because the more we draw near to grace, the more we recognize ourselves to be sinners. Let us see Paul coming from Judea, discolored: But if, seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were also found to be sinners (Gal. 2:17). He who found himself a sinner in Christ found himself discolored in the sun. But behold, that part which believed from Judea suffered persecution from the unbelieving Jews, afflicted by many tribulations. The sons of my mother fought against me. Because the children of the Synagogue who remained in unbelief waged a war of persecution against the faithful of the Synagogue; but while that part which came from the Jews to the faith suffered persecution, it departed to the preaching of the Gentiles. They made me the keeper in the vineyards; my own vineyard I have not kept. For while those who are in Judea persecute me, they have made me a guardian in the Churches. My own vineyard I have not kept, because I abandoned Judea. Whence Paul also says, whence also the apostles: The word of God had been sent to you; but because you judged yourselves unworthy, behold we go to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46). As if to say: We wish to guard our own vineyard, but because you yourselves have rejected us, you send us over to the guarding of others' vineyards. […]

Do not consider me because I am dark, etc. Which is to say openly: Do not marvel at me, O daughters of Jerusalem, that is, souls devoted to God, because I am despised by men, because the heat of temptations, which for my inner beauty …

And as if to say openly, "The bitterness of my persecutors has brought me such advantage and utility, that I have become the keeper of many vineyards, that is, churches of Christ, after the primitive vineyard, that is, the Church which I first began to …

"The sons of my mother fought against me, etc." It is the voice of the primitive Church, which receives the wars of tribulations from the Synagogue itself, from which it derives its carnal origin, as the Acts of the Apostles most fully teach. In this …

SERMON 30: HOW THE FAITHFUL PEOPLE OR THE ELECT SOULS ARE SIGNIFIED BY VINEYARDS, OF WHICH THE CHURCH IS CALLED THE KEEPER; AND ON THE PRUDENCE OF THE FLESH, WHICH IS DEATH. 1. "They set me as keeper in the vineyards" (Song 1:6). Who? Those …

Look not upon me,....

Or the believer speaks to those that were professors at large in the church, but not of it, or to weak Christians, babes in Christ, that labour under much ignorance, infirmity, and mistake, not perfectly instructed, and yet willing to be taught in the things of God.

Because the sun hath looked upon me - The bride gives here certain reasons why she was dark complexioned. “The sun hath looked upon me.” I am sunburnt, tanned by the sun; being obliged, perhaps, through some domestic jealously or uneasiness, to keep much without: “My mother’s children were angry; they made me keeper of the vineyards.” Here the brown complexion of the Egyptians is attributed to the influence of the sun or climate. My mother’s children were angry with me - Acted severely.

She feels as if her blackness was so great as to be gazed at by all. mother's children-- (Mt 10:36). She is to forget "her own people and her father's house," that is, the worldly connections of her unregenerate state (Ps 45:10); they had maltreated her (Lu 15:15, 16).

WHENCE DO I DRAW MY TEXT but from the very fountain of love? And to whom shall I address my discourse but to the friends of the bridegroom? Ye must have warm hearts, quick sensibilities, lively emotions to interpret the sayings and sympathise the tender notes of this most sacred song. I suppose that the history of the statues in St. Paul’s Cathedral, from year to year, would not be remarkably interesting. They are placed upon their pedestals; they stand there quietly; and unless some terrible convulsion should occur, probably that will be the whole of their history for many years to come, as it has been for many years past. During the time in which any one of those statues has stood there, however, the history of any one human person has been checkered with all sorts of incidents, happy and sorrowful. Aches and pains, joys and rejoicings’ depressions and exultations, have alternated in the living; but in the cold marble there has been no such change. Many of you in this house know little of what are the experiences of God’s people. If you hear of their anxieties and encouragements, their temptations and deliverances, their inward conflicts and spiritual triumphs, their gloomy depressions and cheerful exultations—all those things seem to you as an idle tale. The living, the living, shall know the secret; but unto the mere professor this thing is not revealed. My subject, which will be mainly addressed to God’s working people—to such as are really serving him—will appear to have very little bearing upon any here present who do not understand the spiritual life, and they will probably think that the evening to them is wasted. Just this word on the outset, however, I would drop in your ears.

The text is spoken in the first person singular—"They made me." Therefore let the preaching, tonight, be personal to you, dear Friends—personal to the preacher, first, and then to each one of this mixed multitude. May we at this hour think less of others than of ourselves! May the sermon be of practical value to our own hearts! I do not suppose that it will be a pleasing sermon. On the other hand it may be a saddening one.

The text is spoken in the first person singular—"They made me." Therefore let the preaching, tonight, be personal to you, dear Friends—personal to the preacher, first, and then to each one of this mixed multitude. May we at this hour think less of others than of ourselves! May the sermon be of practical value to our own hearts! I do not suppose that it will be a pleasing sermon. On the other hand it may be a saddening one. I may bring unhappy memories before you, but let us not be afraid of that holy sorrow which is health to the soul. Since the spouse in this text speaks of herself, "They made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard have I not kept," let each one of us copy her example and think of ourselves. The text is the language of complaint. We are all pretty ready at complaining, especially of other people. Not much good comes of picking holes in other men's characters and yet many spend hours in that unprofitable occupation! It will be well for us, at this time, to let our complaint, like that of the text, deal with ourselves. If there is something wrong at home, let the father blame himself. If there is something evil with the children, let the mother look to her own personal conduct as their instructor. Do not let us lend out our ears, but let us keep them at home for our own use. Let us clear out an open passage to the heart so that everything that is said shall go down into the spirit—and purify our inner man. Let us from the heart make the confession—"They made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard have I not kept." Let us make the text practical. Do not let us be satisfied to have uttered the language of complaint, but let us get rid of the evils which we deplore. If we have been wrong, let us labor to be right.

WHENCE DO I DRAW MY TEXT but from the very fountain of love? And to whom shall I address my discourse but to the friends of the bridegroom? Ye must have warm hearts, quick sensibilities, lively emotions to interpret the sayings and sympathise the tender notes of this most sacred song. I suppose that the history of the statues in St. Paul’s Cathedral, from year to year, would not be remarkably interesting.

If we are watchful over the souls of others, and neglect our own—if we are seeking to remove motes from our brother's eye, unmindful of the beam in our own, we shall often be disappointed with our powerlessness to help our brethren.