Holy taste
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"I sat down under His shadow with great delight—and His fruit was sweet to my taste." Song of Solomon 2:3
Faith, in the Scripture, is spoken of under the emblem of all the senses.
Faith is sight, "Look unto Me—and be saved."
Faith is hearing, "Hear—and your soul shall live."
Faith is smelling, "All Your garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia." "Pleasing is the fragrance of Your perfumes; Your Name is like perfume poured out."
Faith is spiritual touch. By faith, the woman came behind and touched the hem of Christ's garment. By faith—we handle the things of the good Word of life.
Faith is equally the soul's taste. "How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my lips!" "Except a maneats My flesh," says Christ, "and drinks My blood, there is no life in him." This spiritual "taste" is faith in one of its highest operations.
One of the first performances of faith is hearing. We hear the voice of God, not with the outward ear alone—but with the inward ear! We hear it as God's Word, and we believe it to be so; that is the "hearing" of faith.
Then our mind looks upon the truth as it is presented to us; that is to say, we understand it, we perceive its meaning; that is the "seeing" of faith.
Next we discover its preciousness; we begin to admire it, and find how fragrant it is; that is faith in its "smell."
Then we appropriate the mercies which are prepared for us in Christ; that is faith in its "touch."
Hence follow the enjoyments of spiritual peace, delight, and communion; which are faith in its "taste."
True enjoyment is the aspect of faith wherein Christ, by holy taste, is received into us, and made, by inward and spiritual apprehension of His sweetness and preciousness, to be the food of our souls! It is then that we "sit under His shadow with great delight—and find His fruit sweet to our taste!
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