Where roses and white lilies blow;
A heavenly paradise is that place,
Wherein all pleasant fruits do flow:
There cherries grow which none may buy
Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.
Those cherries fairly do enclose
Of orient pearl a double row,
Which when her lovely laughter shows,
They look like rose-buds filled with snow;
Yet them no peer nor prince can buy
Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.
Her eyes like angels watch them still;
Her brows like bended bows do stand,
Threat’ning with piercing frowns to kill
All that attempt with eye or hand
Those sacred cherries to come nigh,
Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.
– “Cherry Ripe” by Thomas Campion
When I was a little girl, my father gave me a small book entitled “A Little Book of Love Poems”. Of all the poems it contained, I remember being particularly intrigued by this poem, Cherry Ripe, which had a painting of a beautiful woman’s face embedded into a cherry tree. Her bended arm reached to her chin as she stared pensively beyond the page. I would often look curiously at this work of art, wondering what it was in the distance that captivated the beautiful woman so. Of course I giggled at the absurdity of the poem that I could not yet comprehend – for how is it that a woman can have cherries in her face, and what is so sacred about this fruit?
Now that I am a woman, I understand the allegory found in both poem and painting. The cherries are the girl’s innocence, the peers and princes are men, and one can gather that the figure which captivates her in the distance is our Lord Jesus Christ.
Though I have entitled this article “The Youthful Yes“, understand that this is for readers of all ages. Oftentimes it is youth that struggle to maintain their innocence, but that is a very generic statement which does not account for older singles, widows, or victims of divorce. I hope what I have to say will be beneficial to many.
So let’s get straight to the point. What is the big deal about purity anyway? My body, my personal life, my choice, right? Well, as with anything in life, let’s rid ourselves of ourselves and see what God has to say about it. Then and only then will we be able to judge rightly. So let’s begin…
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The Woman (Her Innocence)
There is a garden in her face
Where roses and white lilies blow;
A heavenly paradise is that place,
Wherein all pleasant fruits do flow:
Since time began, many a woman has taken pride in cultivating a beautiful garden. From flowers to fruit, there is something quite special about having a plot of land to enhance and make into one’s own unique project. Now gardening may not be as popular as it was when “Cherry Ripe” was penned, however, the same sentiment can be applied to many a personal pursuit. Perhaps you take pride in a musical instrument, your book or movie collection, or in decorating your space to represent your individual interests. Whatever the case may be, we all have things that are special to us.
Take a moment to think of what it is that you enjoy most, and then think of how you would feel if someone carelessly came in, took your most prized possessions for their own, and left you with the remains. If these things meant something to us, we would not easily give them up. Yet why do women treat their purity so carelessly?
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
In today’s society I believe what contributes to such a lack of purity is this – entitlement. We believe that because we live in our body that we own our body, but this is simply not true.
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. – 1 Corinthians 6:20
If we know how to love, care for, and cherish our own possessions, how much more ought we to protect the property of the King? The garden, the heavenly paradise that is a woman’s beauty belongs not to the woman, but rather to her Creator. We may not hold our bodies in high esteem, but if we realize that our body is on loan to us from our Lord…then will we change our perspective?
There cherries grow which none may buy
Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.
————————————————————————
The Man (His Persistence)
Those cherries fairly do enclose
Of orient pearl a double row,
Which when her lovely laughter shows,
They look like rose-buds filled with snow;
There is a big problem with a woman’s determination and it is called a MAN. Now let’s be real – not every girl is trashy or stupid enough to go looking in an alley for a serial killer to fornicate with. It’s just not that black and white. No, too often it is a perfectly decent man who begs a woman of her innocence, and because he is decent, the woman gives in after a time if he is persistent.
GIRLS, listen to me – MEN WANT TO HAVE SEX. Christian men, atheist men, old men, young men, nerdy men, charming men, the list goes on…. DO NOT have sex with your boyfriend because he is a good man and he loves you. Do not be fooled to think that true love is an excuse to sin. Even if he is a good man and he talks you into it – NO. Just NO. That is his sex drive talking. It doesn’t mean he’s an evil person or even that you necessarily should end your relationship, but it means that he is human, and his flesh is weak. He needs your help – not your acceptance.
Even righteous men are apt to follow their sex drive if temptation is strong, and women will give in because their heart tells them to. The world says to follow your heart, but God’s Word says:
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? – Jeremiah 17:9
He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. – Proverbs 28:26
I’m going to be frank with you. If your boyfriend is so impatient that he doesn’t want you because you won’t have sex with him, (and he’s not willing to take you to the altar) – it’s time to call the shots. No human being is worth going to hell for. On the other hand, if you have a truly wonderful man who loves you, he’s going to either be patient, or hurry up and marry you.
But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. – 1 Corinthians 7:9
Too many well-meaning christians have led couples astray by cautioning against young marriage; causing greater temptation than need be by extended dating periods and engagements. This is foolish at best. There is no shame in getting married early to protect each other from sin, and in fact the bible commands it if abstinence is too difficult to bear. Be more diligent to please God, and less inclined to care what others think when it comes to your own needs in this area.
Yet them no peer nor prince can buy
Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.
————————————————————————
The Savior (HIS Deliverance)
Her eyes like angels watch them still;
Her brows like bended bows do stand,
Threat’ning with piercing frowns to kill
All that attempt with eye or hand
Up to this point it seems all efforts to avoid sexual immorality have been on our part. Now don’t get me wrong – we do have a part! However, we can not do this alone. Many have tried and failed to live perfectly; because without our Lord guiding us, our efforts are futile. We must pray, we must study the Word, and we must dwell on spiritual thoughts to keep from drifting. This applies not just to the unmarried, but to every single person on this planet. There is a very real battle for our spirits, and fornication is one of the doors Satan would try to open to pull us apart from God. Will we be overcome? Or will we stand firm in our convictions, and where we are weak – seek God diligently to strengthen us?
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him. – James 1:12
Those sacred cherries to come nigh,
Till “Cherry-ripe” themselves do cry.
————————————————————————
Bottom line: We can guard our innocence, we can say no to fornication, we can get married and enjoy all the pleasures of love with our spouse, but if our eyes are not fixed on Jesus Christ, the only thing that has been regenerated is our outward behavior. God wants our heart. Do we obey only because it is the right thing to do? There is a start! Yet greater still is a heart that longs to please the Lord because of our great love for Him. We want to be pure because He wants us to be pure, and doing His will should be above all other delights this world has to offer.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in His way. – Psalms 37:23
Instead of following the crowd and saying a youthful yes to pre-marital sex, why not be a true warrior and say yes to purity, to courage, and to salvation? Say yes to Jesus Christ, for this is the yes you will not regret.
God bless, and take a chill pill!
CA Bolks
Chelsea Bolks is a church of Christ minister’s wife and the home educating mother of two children. She and her family currently reside in Northwest Iowa.
