from sin to himselfe.”^56 John Knott accurately summarizers the Puritan understanding
of holy violence, “[t]he gulf between God and man was so wide and human sinfulness
so persistent that some kind of extraordinary force seemed necessary to precipitate a
response.”^57 But it must be recognized that God does not use this divine power
indiscriminately or capriciously. Sibbes offers this valuable insight into the Puritan
understanding of holy violence, “for first, he deals by gentle means always, and then
after, if those will not prevail, he goes to severe means, and in severe means he takes
degrees; first less, and then more violent, and then violent indeed. God would never
descend to sharper courses, if milder would serve the turn.”^58 All of this is in
agreement with Ambrose’s understanding of holy violence.
However, a careful reading of Song of Songs 4:9 reveals a significant insight
regarding the origin of ravishment, that it is the bride who ravishes the bridegroom by
flashing her eyes. Therefore, it is Jesus the divine Bridegroom, who is ravished by
the spouse, the Church or individual believer, not the reverse. Moreover, there is no
evidence of forceful abuse when the relationship is reversed and the Triune God
ravishes those in spiritual marriage with delight and enjoyment. Both the language in
Song of Songs and of God’s desire for creation is derived from the foundations of
surrender and consent. Rutherford clarifies this asserting, “[m]y Well-beloved hath
ravished me; but it is done with consent of both parties, and it is allowable enough.”^59
Since there is mutual consent one person is not taking advantage of the other.
Further, just as Puritan marriages recognized the importance of mutual ravishment
(^56) Hooker, Soules Implantation (^) , 1. Hooker frequently employs the language of
violence to describe the divine operation on the soul. See Hooker, Soules
Implantation 57 , esp. 2, 68, 204, 254 and Soules Vocation Effectual Calling, 635.
58 Knott, Sword of the Spirit, 11.^
59 Sibbes, Rutherford, Exposition of 2 CorinthiansLetters, 556. , 3.490.^