Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes, SONG OF SOLOMON 2:15.

This text teaches why Christ's church, as well as the unbelieving, all to often have their eyes fixed upon sin and Satan instead of the Solid Rock Jesus Christ. The two previous verses speak of the blessed harmony of Christ and His church. The church was as a fruitful tree, and as the tender grapes of the vine dwelling in the blessed security of the cleft of the rock. There was a blessed fellowship between Christ and His church.

The words of our text are a caution against the fascination of sin and Satan interrupting and preventing this blessed harmony. Allow me to explain the meaning of our text by first illustrating the nature and tactics of the fox and then the spiritual meaning of the text.

Once I watched how a fox took a baby from a group of tame geese. This little fox was putting on a scene. She would act as though she was attempting to charge the adult geese, which would cause all of them to gather tightly together. As soon as all the geese were gathered tightly together the fox would retreat, tempting the geese to chase her. If she got far enough ahead that the geese stopped following, she would again charge until the geese would attack, and then she would retreat again. It was by this scene that the adult geese were drawn away from their young.

Now what was behind the scene? All the tender young geese, unattended, unguarded and even unnoticed. That little fox slipped behind the scene so quickly.   By the time the adult geese realized the fox was gone and returned to their young, that little fox had taken one of them and was completely out of sight.

Satan and sin are even more crafty, and what a scene they can put on to capture our attention and draw our eyes away from our Saviour. Behind the scene, what is his prey? Our precious soul!

Look at the scene Satan put on before our Saviour in M't 4:8-10, offering Jesus all the kingdoms of the world! What was behind the scene as Satan's prey? The salvation of the whole church!

Oh, beloved, how often our eyes are fixed upon the scenes of pleasure, wealth, honor, lust of the eye, hatred or the concerns of this life, but behind the scene is Satan's prey, which is our precious soul and our blessed harmony with the Saviour.

Sin has a thousand pleasing charms, Which flatter to preserve from harms; She richly gilds her pleasing baits, And calls her trash delicious sweets.

Young men and maddens, rich and poor, Are pleased with her deceptive ore; There's scarce an eye that views the light, But she can charm by day or night.

Nor are the vessels of the Lord, Free from this chirping bird, Her craft and spleen she'll make them feel, And make them like a drunkard reel.

Her nature's serpentine indeed; Her strength could make a Samson yield; Nor David could against her stand, When David's God withheld his hand.

Good God! what can a mortal do, With such a cursed, artful foe? Let grace divine my soul defend, Nor let me to this monster bend.

Work in me, Lord, to will and do, My way to Zion to pursue; And while I tread the thorny road, Teach me to lean upon my God.